Archive - June 2, 2014

The Splintered Paddle (An Ava Rome Mystery) by Mark Troy (Thailand 1972–75) Five Star 301 pages June 2014 $25.95 (paperback), $3.19 (Kindle) Reviewed by Bob Cochrane (Morocco 1981-83) It’s always a great bonus in any novel to find that you’ve not only been introduced to new characters and new situations, but also to a new place. For some reason the hard-boiled detective genre seems especially well suited to the portrayal of place. I suppose it’s because most PI’s are of a place. They’re not your quintessential ramblers. They manage their livelihoods by knowing a place as only someone at home there can. And they have to deal with all the strata of society. They deal in good guys and bad guys who are equally at home there. They speak the language of their place, both by region and by social tribe. Good mystery writers draw on the language of a . . .