Wed 4 Jul 2012
Reviewed by Allen J. Hubin: JOHN MALCOLM – Mortal Ruin.
Posted by Steve under Bibliographies, Lists & Checklists , Characters , Reviews[3] Comments
Allen J. Hubin
JOHN MALCOLM – Mortal Ruin. Scribner’s, hardcover, 1988. First published in the UK: Collins Crime Club, hardcover, 1988.
The sixth of John Malcolm’s tales about London art investment expert Tim Simpson is Mortal Ruin. Malcolm has a deft hand with art intrigues and engaging people, with a craftily concealed villain stuck among the cast, as this latest well illustrates.
Simpson is asked to help with some old gold stocks, recently discovered and totally valueless. But while going to Chicago on his mission, someone steals his suitcase. In vengeful pursuit with briefcase in hand, Tim is confronted by two heavyweights, who say thank you very much we’ll have your briefcase too.
Next comes murder in Chicago, followed by violence in England. What — surely not the foolish gold certificates, now stolen in any event — is worth all this mayhem? Ingeniously worked out, with surprise upon surprise at the end.
Vol. 11, No. 1, Winter 1989.
The Tim Simpson series —
1. A Back Room in Somers Town (1984)
2. The Godwin Sideboard (1984)
3. The Gwen John Sculpture (1985)
4. Whistler in the Dark (1986)
5. Gothic Pursuit (1987)
6. Mortal Ruin (1988)
7. The Wrong Impression (1990)
8. Sheep, Goats and Soap (1991)
9. A Deceptive Appearance (1992)
10. The Burning Ground (1993)
11. Hung over (1994)
12. Into the Vortex (1996)
13. Simpson’s Homer (2001)
14. Circles and Squares (2003)
15. Rogues’ Gallery (2005)
July 4th, 2012 at 5:23 pm
Based on Al’s review, especially the last line, this sounds like a great series to me, but I have to confess that I’ve never read any of them. I had no idea there were so many, but I have an excuse. Only the first nine or so were published in the US, and of those, only the first three or four came out here in paperback.
I’ll have to give the first one a try.
July 5th, 2012 at 6:13 am
After reading a couple of reviews (I think Barry Gardner’s was one) I tried the first book in the series. I thought it was OK but it didn’t prompt me to read the rest of them. But that was 15 years ago so perhaps another try…nah.
July 5th, 2012 at 8:43 am
Back in the mid-80s, when the first in the series came out, a book with a hero who’s a London art investment expert was way down on my list of reading priorities.
Things change, and the idea kind of tickles my fancy now.