Re: RARA-AVIS: Mark Timlin

Gene Zombolas (zombolas@itlops.com)
Mon, 24 Nov 1997 16:37:06 -0800 >>
>>This weekend I found a half-dozen paperback novels by Mark Timlin,
>>featuring a British PI named Nick Sharman. At first glance they seemed
>>interesting and relatively hard-boiled, and knowing I'd never see them
>>again I grabbed them all. At $24 for the lot I don't think I've lost
>>anything in my gamble, but does anyone on this list have anything to say
>>about this series, good or bad?
>>

Mark Timlin was recommened to me by a fellow hardboiled fan. The only
thing I've read of his is the Sharman short story in the Bloodline's
anthology "Fresh Blood". I enjoyed the story and sitting on my reading
stack is Timlin's PBO short story collection, "Sharman and other Filth".

I highly recommend "Fresh Blood" to anyone who is a fan of hardboiled.
There many fine stories in the book with a lot of fresh talent. The
book can be found in your local Barnes & Nable or from Amazon.com.
"Fresh Blood 2" was just published in England and I ordered my copy
from Bookpages. The line-up in the second volume looks top notch.

I'm surprised at the lack of discussion on British hardboiled on this
list. I only just started reading the new UK hardboiled writers. By
far, my favorite has been John Tilsley's, "Be a Good Boy Johnny". A
ultra-hardboiled crime novel set in Las Vegas and the southest and one
of the best first novels I read in a long time. This book was recommended
to me by Gary Lovisi. I trust Gary's tastes and had to send to England
for my copy. I was not disappointed. Tilsley's second novel, "Nevada
Blue" was just published in the UK. It is at the top of the reading
stack.

Another UK author I enjoy is Chaz Brenchley. I've only read a couple
of his crime short stories and thought they were very good. Brenchley
reminds me somewhat of Joe Lansdale.

-Gene
#
# To unsubscribe, say "unsubscribe rara-avis" to majordomo@icomm.ca.
# The web pages for the list are at http://www.vex.net/~buff/rara-avis/.