Victor Canning (1911–1986)

An odd book, made up of one madcap adventure after another. Highly episodic. The characters mostly feel like caricatures, except Mr Finchley himself has a bit more realness to him. Although he is *just* naive enough to keep landing in some bizarre situations, he's intelligent enough to deal with them.

This is a book you have to be in the right mood for. It's not quite my cup of tea, but you might enjoy it if you like the sounds of a book that's somewhere in the ballpark of PG Wodehouse but with occasional forays into more profound thought.… (más)

I have not been reading as much this month as compared to recently, or more accurately, I have not been finishing as many books as usual.

Various irrelevant reasons...but of those I have not yet finished, none of them fall into the (rare) category of books that I do not want to finish. So that might mean there is a (on first blush) an unrealistic number of books listed for future months, but if one remembers that they relate to books finished in that month. hopefully explains that if in fact it occurs.

But as to this book.

I came across Victor Canning , the author, in some recent wider reading and I was very pleased to be able to pick up a couple of examples at one of my favourite second hand bookshops in Brisbane, which included this book which is said to be the first in the 4 book series featuring a private detective, Rex Carver.

It was first published in the mid 1960s. Unsurprisingly, it being a mystery/thriller, it involves international (European focussed) intrigue, with many different government organisations being very interested in the activities of Rex Carver, a London based private investigator, who finds himself involved in something larger than life.

It includes some of the 1960s tropes of agents falling for those they are following etc, but is not at all racing by current standards.

I would compare it to the Buchan books from an earlier period, and suggest they are a 1960s version of the same. And in saying that, I enjoyed the many Buchan novels. Even if neither would be held out by many as being high literature (but I dont always want that!)

There is a nice depiction of Carver's (professional) relationship with his PA, Wilkins; a realistic depiction of travel across Europe in the 1960s; a somewhat outlandisdish plot underpinning the whole book, but not ridiculous (if one can accept the plot behind that of The Day of the Jackal or The Eagle has Landed).

Perhaps a little dated, but I will look for the follow up novels.

Big Ship

23 October 2022… (más)