The Paperbackers

Who slit the squires wifes throat in Georgian England and NYPDs finest detective pursued by the law. A look at quick reads and brisk sellers.

In 1740s England,the roots of evil run deep,claims the tag line of A Dark Anatomy by Robin Blake Macmillan,Rs 350 regarding Georgian England as the apotheosis of wickedness. This jarring note aside,Blakes first novel is actually a very readable book,because of the narrative and setting rather than the plot itself,which is slow and rather contrived. Eighteenth century England despite witnessing great social and economic reform and upheaval was still rife with superstition,which Blake brings out well.

When the wife of the squire of Preston is found with her throat slit under an ancient oak tree,theories behind her demise range from an attack by vagabonds to an unfortunate coupling with Satan. With no formal law enforcement in place,it is left to the towns coroner,Titus Cragg,and doctor,Luke Fidelis,to discover the truth. The story is told through Craggs dry-witted narrative and recounts the duos investigations into the murder and subsequent affairs. Fidelis is cheerfully irreverent though fundamentally Catholic in his beliefs,which plays off well against Craggs Anglican pragmatism.

The absence of a law-enforcing body means the book is a whodunnit without a police procedural,a rarity in the genre. The historical facts are interesting and rather accurate and the story captures the ethos of rural Georgian England,making it story a compelling read. Blakes treatment of rural folklore and archaic beliefs is masterly,and is particularly macabre in the final chapter. The denouement itself could have been tighter,but this book is worth a read.

Moving many centuries ahead and into the a law-enforcing world,we find a New York detective. Im cutting you off,Doyle. From now on,youre on your own,when NYDPs finest detective Callum Doyle reads this anonymous,vendetta-filled letter,he knows he has an uncomfortable decision to make. A whodunit set against the dark and rough streets of New York, Pariah Pan Macmillan,Rs 325 by British novelist David Jackson is a good read.

When his partner is found shot to death in a vacant parking lot,Doyle teams up with another officer,who is also brutally killed. Pursued by the law for the murder of his partner,as well as the faceless criminal fraternity,Doyle has to choose between aborting his investigation to save his family or getting his life back in order. He sinks deeper into isolation.

Taut,atmospheric and descriptive,with keen attention to Doyles relationship with his family,this New York noir traverses through the murk bylanes where Doyle must fight fire with fire.