The Intermittent LRI Blog

‘… an outstanding, impressive and engrossing novel… a delightful thriller…’

What more can I say?

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/4219673703

The Kindle version of this runaway Japanese best-seller is now available.

For all those who have been waiting, this runaway Japanese best-seller (Shijinso no Satsujin) is now available in English, with an introduction by the great Soji Shimada, who calls it a major work.

You may have noticed that Death Among the Undead has been published, but remains unavailable. This is due to a quirk whereby Publishers Weekly cannot recognize ISBN numbers beginning with 979, so I am forced to use Amazon’s own ASIN, which in turn means I have to “publish” the book and then make it immediately unavailable. Rest assured, it will be available in tpb and ebook soon.

The reason I am willing to jump through hoops is that PW plans to do a feature on the author, Masahiro Imamura, whose book was an overnight sensation in Japan

Two great bloggers agree:

“A tremendously enjoyable detective novel with a first class locked room conundrum”
http://moonlight-detective.blogspot.com/2021/07/the-forbidden-house-1932-by-michel.html

“Another brilliantly creative and wildly entertaining Gallic mystery”
#812: The Forbidden House (1932) by Michel Herbert & Eugene Wyl [trans. John Pugmire 2021]

The prolific reviewer whom many of us know as The Puzzle Doctor, gives a typically astute assessment of Paul’s novel:
“Simply put, this is as close to John Dickson Carr, the author that Halter is always compared to, that he ever gets… definitely worth your time.”

Penelope’s Web (2001/2021) by Paul Halter trans. John Pugmire

Thanks, Steve!

This one from James Scott Byrneside, no slouch as an impossible crime writer himself:
“Glorious fun… I adore it.”
Spidery Stratagems — Penelope’s Web

And, in case you missed it, here’s the Publishers Weekly review (PW, re PW)
https://www.publishersweekly.com/ASINB095GS1CBW

After a number of self-inflicted errors, tpb and ebooks now available.

Here’s the starred Publishers Weekly Review

https://www.publishersweekly.com/ASINB095GS1CBW

Goodreads review by Santosh Iyer also gave it 4 out of 5 stars

You may have noticed that Penelope’s Web has been published, but remains unavailable. This is due to a quirk whereby Publishers Weekly cannot recognize ISBN numbers beginning with 979, so I am forced to use Amazon’s own ASIN, which in turn means I have to “publish” the book and then make it immediately unavailable. Rest assured, it will be available in tpb and ebook soon.

Another unexpected error is Amazon suddnly turning The Forbidden House from “LIVE”to “DRAFT” after it had already been available for some time. That has now been corrected.

Thank you for your patience

John

… from two excellent bloggers:

#797: The Tiger’s Head (1991) by Paul Halter [trans. John Pugmire 2013]
The Phantom Passage – Paul Halter (2005)

Merci mille fois!