Anne Perry's "Bedford Square"

Recently I seem to have been revisiting favourite books I've read before, sometimes more than once. One of the mystery authors whose works I collect is Anne Perry, and when I start reading her stuff I find I want to read more than one. I think the reason for that is that she sucks me into the world she writes about and I need to read more books to stay there.

Perry's specialty is detective stories set in Victorian England, and she is a master at creating the environment. She does it through her characters, but also through the type of language they use (which is vastly different from the English of the 21st Century), her mention of the events that were happening at that time, and her description of the London that existed then.

Let me give you an example from "Bedford Square".

"He looked up from his desk as Pitt cam into his room. It was a sultry day outside, and the windows were open, allowing in the noise of traffice fro mthe street below, the rattle of carriage wheels, the occasional cry of a coachman or hansom driver, the heavy rumble of brewers' drays, the sharper treble of crossing sweepers hoping for a penny, peddlers calling their wares: bootlaces, flowers, sandwiches, matches." Quite different from the traffic sounds of today, eh?

Perry has two series, one featuring Superintendent Thomas Pitt, his wife Charlotte, their intrepid maid Gracie, and Charlotte's rich and titled in-law, Great-Aunt Vespasia. Bedford Square is in this series. The other series, which I like a little less, stars William Monk and his wife Hester. Of course, in Victorian times the likelihood of wives taking any active part in these adventures would be slim to none, but we mystery lovers are good at suspending our disbelief in the interests of entertainment!

I'll report further on Bedford Square as I read on. In the meantime, what are you reading? Send me your comments!

Hawk

Hawk is one of the best characters in all my favourite detective novels, and he's just come into the plot in "Bad Business".

I can never quite make up my mind whether Hawk is a good guy or a bad guy, and the author does a great job of keeping me guessing. I mean, he does carry a very big gun -- a Magnum -- and he drives fast, expensive cars and wears expensive, stylish clothes. We're never really told where he gets his money, but dark hints are dropped.

Hawk is always there for Spenser, and whatever his other clients pay him for his work, when he works for Spenser he usually gets paid in donuts!

His dialogues with Spenser are wonderful. Hawk switches between African American hip hop dialect and the King's English with ease, depending on the situation and how he's feeling. The interracial kidding that goes on between him and Spenser makes you wish everyone could get along so well.

What do you think about Hawk?

Spenser --- I just love the way he uses words!

Robert B. Parker has created a fascinating persona for his private detective, Spenser. Nobody knows, by the way, what his first name is because everyone, including Susan, calls him Spenser!

But although he is clearly a tough character—ex-cop, ex-professional boxer, all round tough guy—he is also highly educated and intellectual. Susan is a PhD, and he is intellectually her equal. He often quotes Shakespeare's plays and other classics, and always in a way that fits the situation, so it never feels forced.

But it's the way he expresses just simple ideas that makes me chuckle. Here are a couple of quotes from "Bad Business".

Talking about a new female client: "She shifted a little in the chair. she was wearing yellow sling-back heels and no stockings. Her legs were tan. It was May. I suspected artifice."

After a stiff workout in the gym: "At four in the afternoon, sound of muscle and pure of mind, with a tall can of Budweiser to replenish my electrolytes, I drove back to Kinergy and waited for Rowley to come out."

And one more, in a conversation with his friend Healy, the policy officer: "I gave him my big charming smile. 'Better late than never', I said. 'Yeah,' Healy said, 'sure.' My big charming smile generally worked better with women."

It's not laugh-out-loud funny, but it makes me chuckle, and it makes the Spenser books even more fun to read.

What do you think?

The Spenser novels

I've just started reading a Robert B. Parker novel from 2004 called "Bad Business". Although Parker has a couple of other series, and they're both good, I have to say Spenser is my favourite.

I have a feeling Spenser is based on the man the author would like to be himself! The photo on the back cover is of a man who is quite good looking, but probably not quite as much as he thinks he is! The author's dog also looks like the same breed as "Pearl the Wonder Dog" in the stories.

There's lots of action and intrigue in these stories, but I think what I like best is the characters. I feel as if I know them all: Spenser, the love of his life Dr. Susan Silverman, the mysterious good/bad guy Hawk, the long suffering police inspectors Healy and Quirk, and even some of the villains who keep popping up in several of the books. I also love the dialogue, which makes me chuckle even as I'm wondering what is coming next.

I keep my mystery reading strictly for evening, particularly bedtime reading, or otherwise I'd never get anything done! So it can take me almost a week to finish a book, although sometimes I can't resist reading on until it's done. Anyway, I'll comment on "Bad Business" on the blog as I work my way through it this week. If anybody else out there has read it, feel free to leave a comment --- but don't give away the plot!