Written in Dead Wax (Vinyl Detective Series #1)

by Andrew Cartmel

Overview

He is a record collector — a connoisseur of vinyl, hunting out rare and elusive LPs. His business card describes him as the “Vinyl Detective” and some people take this more literally than others.

Like the beautiful, mysterious woman who wants to pay him a large sum of money to find a priceless lost recording — on behalf of an extremely wealthy (and rather sinister) shadowy client. 

Given that he’s just about to run out of cat biscuits, this gets our hero’s full attention. So begins a painful and dangerous odyssey in search of the rarest jazz record of them all…

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781783297672
Publisher:	Titan
Publication date:	05/10/2016
Series:	The Vinyl Detective , #1
Pages:	320
Sales rank:	489,491
Product dimensions:	5.10(w) x 7.80(h) x 1.20(d)

About the Author

Andrew Cartmel is a novelist and screenwriter. His work for television includes Midsomer Murders and Torchwood, and a legendary stint as Script Editor on Doctor Who. He has also written plays for the London Fringe, toured as a stand-up comedian, and is currently co-writing with Ben Aaronovitch a series of comics based on the bestselling Rivers of London books. He lives in London.

Editorial Reviews

02/01/2016
The vinyl detective, the narrator of this fast-paced, lighthearted adventure from Cartmel (Doctor Who: Atom Bomb Blues), is a failed London disc jockey, who scratches out a living by scouting collectable LPs in thrift shops and used-record stores and selling them at inflated prices to serious collectors. The action picks up when an alluring woman, Nevada Warren, offers him a hefty sum to track down the first American pressing of a jazz album issued by a Los Angeles–based label in 1955. It’s not likely to turn up in the British Isles, but the detective accepts the commission. In the course of his quest, he scatters endless bits of jazz history and sound-equipment technicalities that will please jazz buffs and audiophiles alike. Who is Warren’s employer, and why is this particular LP so valuable? It takes most of the book, “Side One,” to answer these questions. Unfortunately, Cartmel deconstructs the previous narrative in “Side Two,” which isn’t bad but comes as a letdown after the marvelously inventive and endlessly fascinating first section. Agent: Tom Witcomb, Blake Friedmann Literary, Film & TV Agency (U.K.). (May)

Publishers Weekly

"This charming mystery feels as companionable as a leisurely afternoon trawling the vintage shops with a good friend." - Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

"Marvelously inventive and endlessly fascinating" - Publishers Weekly

"This one is all about mood (jaunty and clever, in swinging, four-four time) and frame story (jazz history mixed with geeky references to Ortofon Rohmann cartridges and Roksan Xerxes turntables). Vinyl fans, this one’s for you."  - Booklist

"There’s a colorful cast of characters, an intriguing plot (at least to a fellow record collector and jazz fan), and a nice will they/won’t they subplot to keep things steamy." -  San Francisco Book Review

“An irresistible blend of murder, mystery and music... our protagonist seeks to find the rarest of records – and incidentally solve a murder, right a great historical injustice and, if he’s very lucky, avoid dying in the process.”  Ben Aaronovitch, bestselling author of Rivers of London

“The Vinyl Detective is one of the sharpest and most original characters I’ve seen for a long time.” David Quantick, Emmy Award-winning producer of VEEP

“Crime fiction as it should be, played loud through a valve amp and Quad speakers. No digital writing here, it’s warm and rich. Every delicate pop and crackle adding character and flavour. Witty, charming and filled with exciting solos. Quite simply: groovy.” -  Guy Adams, critically acclaimed author of The Clown Service

“Incredibly entertaining and refreshingly different” - The Crime Review

“Like finding out that album you’ve been enjoying has been re-issued as a special double deluxe edition” - Geek Hard Show 

“I honestly think this is one of the best mystery stories since The Big Lebowski!” - Atomic Moo

"a leisurely, enjoyable read ...engaging to the end. Music fans—and obviously record collectors—will all get a kick out of the Vinyl Detective’s exploits." - Pro Sound News

 “honestly the best mystery I’ve read in a while. With fun, compelling characters, fascinating backstory, and twists and turns that kept me up late at night, I enjoyed reading this one”
18th Wall Productions

“a quirky, romantic, and engaging amateur sleuth caper that’s loaded with love for the genre—musical and literary—and a cast of memorable characters” - CrimeReads 

From the Publisher

★ 2016-01-10
A London record hunter finds himself hunted when he's hired to track down a rare jazz LP in the first installment of this new series. The unnamed hero, who bills himself as the Vinyl Detective, lives in a London council flat with his twin kittens, making a hand-to-mouth existence by scouring charity shops, flea markets, and record fairs, counting on vendors who have no idea of the value of what they're hawking and selling his discoveries at a higher price online. For a fee, he takes on a dedicated search. When a young woman working for an unnamed boss approaches him to find the final LP issued by a small 1950s LA jazz label, he takes the job only to find himself a few steps ahead of a murderous pair of fellow searchers leaving a trail of bodies in their wake. Approaching 500 pages and so stuffed with plot it could easily make several mysteries, the book could use some pruning. But the bagginess becomes a part of the genial tone. Perhaps the novel's neatest trick is that it avoids the persnickety quality that, in real life, can make collectors such a trial to be around. The hero's preference for vinyl is about a dedication to music, not fetishism. And unlike some of his fellow collectors, he's not a hermit. It's not a stretch that women find this affable fellow attractive. The book is much more a ramble than a pursuit. The action scenes are deft but not where the story's heart lies. This charming mystery feels as companionable as a leisurely afternoon trawling the vintage shops with a good friend.

Kirkus Reviews