The Grandfather Rastin Mysteries [Paperback]

Lloyd Biggle; Jr. (Author), Kenneth Lloyd Biggle and Donna Biggle Emerson (Editor)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 18, 2007

Lloyd Biggle, Jr. (1923-2002) is famous as a science-fiction writer who not only used genuine science but whose books emphasized human and cultural elements, including art and music. (He earned a Ph.D. in Musicology.) His detective stories about Grandfather Rastin in the Midwestern town of "Borgville" show this emphasis on the human element, especially as it interacts with place and time. Bill Rastin detects crimes in a nostalgic, Norman-Rockwell world of cantankerous sheriffs, schoolmarms, and con-men from the Big City. Rastin discovers how a human finger founds its way into a little girl s toybox. In another episode, he investigates a thief who stole a broach, a Bunsen Burner, a slide rule, and $68 in cash. And why does a visitor want to buy an apparently worthless violin -- and its bow? The Grandfather Rastin Mysteries, the 23d in Crippen & Landru s series of "Lost Classics," collects 12 stories originally published between 1957 and 1972, and it also includes 2 previously unpublished Grandfather Rastin cases. The cover painting is by Native American artist Barbara Mitchell.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Crippen and Landru's Lost Classics series continues to live up to its name. This 23rd volume in the series presents 14 endearing tales of smalltown detection from the pen of prolific science fiction author Biggle (1923–2002). As with his better known SF works, Biggle's stories of life in Borgville, a fictional Michigan community, emphasize vibrant characterization and gentle good humor. The title character, an adroit, insightful and irascible old man, delights in contradicting the local sheriff and in solving mysteries, ranging from burglary to murder. These puzzles, with their affectionate and intelligent portrayal of smalltown life, will remind mystery buffs of Ed Hoch's superb Sam Hawthorne impossible crime stories. (July)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Booklist

Biggle, who died in 2002, was known primarily as a science fiction writer, but (like his contemporary, Isaac Asimov), he also dabbled in the mystery genre, publishing a series of short stories about an elderly amateur sleuth from the late 1950s to the early 1970s. The octogenarian Grandfather Rastin, who lives in the small fictional midwestern town of Borgville, has a knack for solving crimes, many of them having to do with murder, although swindlers and thieves and other no-goodniks sometimes play a part. The stories, narrated by Rastin's grandson (Watson to Rastin's Holmes) are gentle mysteries, full of character and small-town color, pleasantly devoid of blood, guts, and profanity. Genre fans will be reminded of Asimov's Black Widowers short stories, another popular character-driven series. And it goes without saying that readers who know Biggle only for his science fiction writings will be surprised to see his small-town, homespun side. Pitt, David

Product Details

• Paperback: 233 pages
• Publisher: Crippen & Landru Publishers; 1st edition (April 18, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1932009574
• ISBN-13: 978-1932009576
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 6 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,978,471 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars a detective in a smalltown, May 3, 2007

By 

L rodolfo molina B (GUATEMALA, GUATEMALA Guatemala) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Grandfather Rastin Mysteries (Hardcover)

the stories are good, with a lot of charm. This a collection for someone who likes to love the people who live in the short stories. I only wish there where more tales.