No Sale by Patrick Conrad - Revision history

Sue at 13:53, 14 September 2020

2020-09-14T13:53:34Z

Sue at 11:27, 19 August 2020

2020-08-19T11:27:19Z

Sue at 12:54, 10 March 2018

2018-03-10T12:54:59Z

Sue at 13:45, 5 January 2015

2015-01-05T13:45:32Z

Sue at 17:17, 8 September 2012

2012-09-08T17:17:41Z

Sue: Created page with "{{infobox |title=No Sale |author=Patrick Conrad |reviewer=John Lloyd |genre=Crime |rating=4 |buy=Yes |borrow=Yes |isbn=9781904738978 |paperback=1904738974 |hardback= |audioboo..."

2012-07-21T12:08:31Z

Created page with "{{infobox |title=No Sale |author=Patrick Conrad |reviewer=John Lloyd |genre=Crime |rating=4 |buy=Yes |borrow=Yes |isbn=9781904738978 |paperback=1904738974 |hardback= |audioboo..."

New review

{{infobox
|title=No Sale
|author=Patrick Conrad
|reviewer=John Lloyd
|genre=Crime
|rating=4
|buy=Yes
|borrow=Yes
|isbn=9781904738978
|paperback=1904738974
|hardback=
|audiobook=
|ebook=B007HOO6KC
|pages=312
|publisher=Bitter Lemon Press
|date=June 2012
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1904738974</amazonuk>
|amazonus=<amazonus>1904738974</amazonus>
|website=
|video=
|summary=You don't need to know Hollywood's Golden Age to get the best from this thriller. It might help a fair bit, but the reality of this crafty plot is worth exploring.
}}
The first suspect in a wife's murder is always the husband, and so it is with Shelley Cox, but Victor, a film professor, claims it must have been suicide. A picture emerges of a sad, alcoholic woman, who had an almost different identity and personality while out drinking in Antwerp's docklands area. Victor is happy enough to replace her with an enveloping relationship with a student who matches his knowledge and mimics his idols. But still, Shelley was the victim of a crime, and if the police who keep calling on Victor are correct, it could be but one of a series...

This is a book that causes itself a few problems, but gets round most to be a more than reasonable read. I can mention first-name specifics and give nothing away, and that are the fact nobody would gather those cold cases together are plot-holes to ignore. But the rest vanish. At about the quarter-mark it seems to focus on cinephile name-dropping, but soon gets back to people. Part one ends, almost half-way, with you thinking the book will hinge round one question, before quickly dropping big incendiaries on that idea.

It's a thriller that's low on pretention - and perhaps character, as even the lead cop gets a nickname, a tart and a favourite restaurant or two and little else, but in subtle ways it swirls questions, themes and ideas around the reader's head very satisfactorily. Some I can't describe, others I daren't reveal, but they focus on the power of the silver screen, how much cinema plays off real life and vice versa, and where our character comes from when nature is up against the nurture of Hollywood, in both its fictitious stories and factual history.

As its ebb it can seem a bit loopy, a bit 'meh'. But at its best it bends the realities of its characters, and produces a literary version of a DJ's quickfire scratch cut, sampling copious cinematic sources and details and mixing them together, plundering the old for something new. My least favourite cover of the year disguises a crime novel that doesn't rely on film knowledge to interest - but to us cineastes it's quite intriguing.

I must thank the publishers for my review copy.

A French thriller I enjoyed recently was [[Bed of Nails by Antonin Varenne and Sian Reynolds (translator)]]. No Sale says true films noirs focused on people in the cinema, and more movie-based crime can be had with books such as [[Bloodthirsty by Marshall Karp]].

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 I must thank the publishers for my review copy.
-A French thriller I enjoyed recently was [[Bed of Nails by Antonin Varenne and Sian Reynolds (translator)]].  No Sale says true films noirs focused on people in the cinema, and more movie-based crime can be had with books such as [[Bloodthirsty by Marshall Karp]].  We also enjoyed [[What Remains of Me by A L Gaylin]].
+A French thriller I enjoyed recently was [[Bed of Nails by Antonin Varenne and Sian Reynolds (translator)]].  No Sale says true films noirs focused on people in the cinema, and more movie-based crime can be had with books such as [[Bloodthirsty by Marshall Karp]].  We also enjoyed [[What Remains of Me by A L Gaylin]].  You might also enjoy [[The Syndicate by Guy Bolton]].
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← Older revision		Revision as of 17:17, 8 September 2012
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		+	[[Category:Thrillers]]

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 The first suspect in a wife's murder is always the husband, and so it is with Shelley Cox, but Victor, a film professor, claims it must have been suicide.  A picture emerges of a sad, alcoholic woman, who had an almost different identity and personality while out drinking in Antwerp's docklands area.  Victor is happy enough to replace her with an enveloping relationship with a student who matches his knowledge and mimics his idols.  But still, Shelley was the victim of a crime, and if the police who keep calling on Victor are correct, it could be but one of a series...
-This is a book that causes itself a few problems, but gets round most to be a more than reasonable read.  I can mention first-name specifics and give nothing away, and that are the fact nobody would gather those cold cases together are plot-holes to ignore.  But the rest vanish.  At about the quarter-mark it seems to focus on cinephile name-dropping, but soon gets back to people.  Part one ends, almost half-way, with you thinking the book will hinge round one question, before quickly dropping big incendiaries on that idea.
+This is a book that causes itself a few problems but gets round most to be a more than reasonable read.  I can mention first-name specifics and give nothing away, and that is the fact nobody would gather those cold cases together are plot-holes to ignore.  But the rest vanishes.  At about the quarter-mark it seems to focus on cinephile name-dropping but soon gets back to people.  Part one ends, almost half-way, with you thinking the book will hinge around one question, before quickly dropping big incendiaries on that idea.
-It's a thriller that's low on pretention - and perhaps character, as even the lead cop gets a nickname, a tart and a favourite restaurant or two and little else, but in subtle ways it swirls questions, themes and ideas around the reader's head very satisfactorily.  Some I can't describe, others I daren't reveal, but they focus on the power of the silver screen, how much cinema plays off real life and vice versa, and where our character comes from when nature is up against the nurture of Hollywood, in both its fictitious stories and factual history.
+It's a thriller that's low on pretension - and perhaps character, as even the lead cop gets a nickname, a tart and a favourite restaurant or two and little else, but in subtle ways, it swirls questions, themes and ideas around the reader's head very satisfactorily.  Some I can't describe, others I daren't reveal, but they focus on the power of the silver screen, how much cinema plays off real life and vice versa, and where our character comes from when nature is up against the nurture of Hollywood, in both its fictitious stories and factual history.
-As its ebb it can seem a bit loopy, a bit 'meh'.  But at its best it bends the realities of its characters, and produces a literary version of a DJ's quickfire scratch cut, sampling copious cinematic sources and details and mixing them together, plundering the old for something new.  My least favourite cover of the year disguises a crime novel that doesn't rely on film knowledge to interest - but to us cineastes it's quite intriguing.
+As its ebb, it can seem a bit loopy, a bit 'meh'.  But at its best it bends the realities of its characters, and produces a literary version of a DJ's quickfire scratch cut, sampling copious cinematic sources and details and mixing them together, plundering the old for something new.  My least favourite cover of the year disguises a crime novel that doesn't rely on film knowledge to interest - but to us cineastes, it's quite intriguing.
 I must thank the publishers for my review copy.
-A French thriller I enjoyed recently was [[Bed of Nails by Antonin Varenne and Sian Reynolds (translator)]].  No Sale says true films noirs focused on people in the cinema, and more movie-based crime can be had with books such as [[Bloodthirsty by Marshall Karp]].
+A French thriller I enjoyed recently was [[Bed of Nails by Antonin Varenne and Sian Reynolds (translator)]].  No Sale says true films noirs focused on people in the cinema, and more movie-based crime can be had with books such as [[Bloodthirsty by Marshall Karp]].  We also enjoyed [[What Remains of Me by A L Gaylin]].
 {{amazontext|amazon=1904738974}}

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
-{{infobox
+{{infobox1
 |title=No Sale
 |author=Patrick Conrad
@@ Line 11: / Line 11: @@
 |publisher=Bitter Lemon Press
 |date=June 2012
 |summary=You don't need to know Hollywood's Golden Age to get the best from this thriller.  It might help a fair bit, but the reality of this crafty plot is worth exploring.
 }}
 The first suspect in a wife's murder is always the husband, and so it is with Shelley Cox, but Victor, a film professor, claims it must have been suicide.  A picture emerges of a sad, alcoholic woman, who had an almost different identity and personality while out drinking in Antwerp's docklands area.  Victor is happy enough to replace her with an enveloping relationship with a student who matches his knowledge and mimics his idols.  But still, Shelley was the victim of a crime, and if the police who keep calling on Victor are correct, it could be but one of a series...

@@ Line 8: / Line 8: @@
 |borrow=Yes
 |isbn=9781904738978
 |pages=312
 |publisher=Bitter Lemon Press
@@ Line 33: / Line 29: @@
 A French thriller I enjoyed recently was [[Bed of Nails by Antonin Varenne and Sian Reynolds (translator)]].  No Sale says true films noirs focused on people in the cinema, and more movie-based crime can be had with books such as [[Bloodthirsty by Marshall Karp]].
-{{amazontext|amazon=1904738974}} {{waterstonestext|waterstones=8895160}}
+{{amazontext|amazon=1904738974}}
 {{commenthead}}
 [[Category:Thrillers]]