To put it simply, Curt Evans's book is a bravura performance. He takes a look at three major mystery authors from the Golden Age: John Rhode/Miles Burton, Freeman Wills Crofts, and J. J. Connginton. All three men have been condemned to out-of-print hell, and when brought up by academics at all, their opinions tend to be largely dismissive of these "mere puzzles". But Curt remains unconvinced, and through his analyses he tries to prove that these books have far more merit to them than such a label might imply.
Curt combines this analysis with a biographical look at the authors, and so we learn about the lives of Rhode, Crofts, and Connington like never before. Often times, the life of the author will influence his work, and now that I know more about the lives of the authors, I feel like I will be able to appreciate their work even more. After all, I'm a big fan of John Rhode and J. J. Connington (and I don't have anything against Crofts, for that matter).
Curt has tackled fascinating questions like that of Crofts' religious influences or Connington's worldview. This is a particularly fun section, because we see the author himself rising out of the sands of time, wondering to himself what on earth Curt is doing because he certainly never intended to put his worldview into his "'tec yarns". No, really--it emerges during correspondence. Curt also looks at the author's apocalyptic and disturbing novel Nordenholt's Million, which eerily foreshadows the cruelties of the Nazi regime.
I bought both the print edition and the Kindle edition, and I have nothing but praise for both. If you like your Kindle and want to save $10 on the cover price, it is a good option. The text is well-edited and proofread. The formatting is also excellent, which is important for this book because there are all sorts of images that you don't want interrupting the flow of the text. It's a book that practically feels like it was made for the Kindle. Meanwhile, the print edition itself is also quite attractive. The font, proofreading, editing, etc. are all excellent and make for pleasant and easy reading. It is a bit taller than the average paperback, but it helps to keep the page count down and it doesn't make much of a difference in reading. The book's production values are quite simply excellent, and the content itself also helps to make you feel like you've spent wisely.
Overall, I recommend Masters of the Humdrum Mystery. This is a very important work in mystery criticism and if I were in charge of the Edgars, I know who would win this year's best critical/biographical award. Curt Evans takes a good, close, and *serious* look at these so-called Humdrums as part of the historical era they belonged in. Too many critics write them off and pretend that only the "Big Four" of Crime Queens were of any interest during the Golden Age, but Curt here has proven that the Humdrums are far more interesting than has been given credit. This book, however, comes with a warning: Curt's enthusiasm is downright infectious. You will find yourself reaching for your wallet - I myself already find that I am the owner of two new John Rhode novels and two new Freeman Wills Crofts novels... and I somehow have the feeling it won't end there!
| Publisher | McFarland (June 1, 2012) |
|---|---|
| Language | English |
| Paperback | 309 pages |
| ISBN-10 | 0786470240 |
| ISBN-13 | 978-0786470242 |
| Reading age | 18 years and up |
| Item Weight | 1.2 pounds |
| Dimensions | 7 x 1 x 10 inches |
