Customer Reviews

Death by the Book (Jack Susko Mystery)

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With the economy still in recession, in Sydney, Australia, used-book dealer Jack Susko is concerned about surviving. So when affluent businessman, Hammond Kasprowicz asks him to retrieve all the works of a poet he never heard of at $50 for each book retrieved; repeat copies of the same poetry book is acceptable. Strapped for money, Jack jumps at the deal.

Susko searches for copies of the works of Edward Kass; he ignores his own curiosity as to why the client wants them. Although he knows not to get involved personally, he cannot resist the lure of Kasprowicz's daughter, Annabelle. However, the case turns nasty when instead of just the required tomes, corpses begin to surface. With a cop watching his every move as the prime suspect in the homicides especially in light of his background, Susko decides to uncover the real killer before the police arrest him on shaky circumstantial evidence or he becomes the next victim.

This is a terrific Australian hard-boiled amateur sleuth as Susko adapts from searching for books to searching for a killer; his chutzpah assumption is there is no difference between death by the Book or death by a murderer. His asides and commentary are amusing and acerbic as he investigates the killings before the cops throw the book at him.

Harriet Klausner

First Line: It was perfectly clear to him now, dangling in the wet tussock cleavage of a broad hill that slid towards the headland cliffs.

Used book dealer Jack Susko thinks it's his lucky day: wealthy businessman Hammond Kasprowicz has offered him $50 for every copy he can locate of the works of little-known poet, Edward Kass. Jack needs the money, so he tries to keep a firm rein on his curiosity, although his libido certainly isn't held in check when Kasprowicz's daughter, Annabelle, walks onstage. Then dead bodies start cropping up.

I have to admit to being disappointed in this book. The action occurs in Sydney, Australia, but you'd never know it. It makes me wonder if the book was given the Strip Mall Treatment for American readers. You know... the Americans who won't be caught dead reading about someone who actually has the gall to live in another country? One of the reasons why I read books set in other countries is for the local ambiance. I want a real sense of place of which this book has none. The Aussie friends I have would never live in such a bland place.

Bartulin has a wonderful way with language, but it wasn't enough to carry the book above average for me. What was the biggest letdown? Jack Susko was a private eye in disguise, complete with snappy comebacks and the drop-dead gorgeous dame who stalks into his office and steals his heart-- and naturally Jack falls for every word that falls from her pouty lips, the idiot.

With a standard P.I. plot, there were no surprises for me in Death By the Book. I picked the book up expecting something more along the lines of John Dunning's bookseller, Cliff Janeway. What I got was well-written Gumshoe. Too bad I'm not a fan.

The title of this book and the proposed setting of a bookstore had me initially anxious and hopeful that this new series would mimic John Dunning's marvelous "Bookman" series. Unfortunately it does not.

Jack Susko is a struggling (aren't they all) bookseller asked to collect books of poetry from an obscure writer by a wealthy and difficult industrialist. The ways and the what-for make up the rest of the story.

Unfortunately, any further plot connection to these books and the bookstore is limited. Whereas Dunning's books tend to stay involved in the industry by providing interesting deatils in his plots about the value of books, their obscurity, etc., this story does not. The lead character could just as easily been hunting for paintings or carpet.

The story itself is an easy and simple read and can be ingested in an afternoon. Jack Susko is an interesting character that seems to have enough obnoxiousness to make him worthwhile, and he is surrounded by some other people of interest. They are, however, not really unique or different from others more successful writers have used.

The plot is easily figured out and the story lacks depth to make it a serious series. I had expected more intrigue and complication, and was disappointed in how shallow it turned out.

I would consider it only an "okay" effort for a first time author, and might venture another read, but here's hoping he can moved it up a few rungs on the bookshelf.