tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5516189026477178777.post1704636487227923971..comments2024-03-27T22:32:02.739+01:00Comments on Beneath the Stains of Time: The Man in the Moonlight (1940) by Helen McCloyTomCathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03415176301265218101noreply@blogger.comBlogger11125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5516189026477178777.post-46227446032928217752018-01-22T18:25:30.942+01:002018-01-22T18:25:30.942+01:00Through a Glass, Darkly is a good suspense novel, ...<i>Through a Glass, Darkly</i> is a good suspense novel, but suffers from an over inflated reputation. Particularly among impossible crime fans. So the book has a hard time getting judged on its own merits, because people pick up the book with certain expectations. <br /><br /><i>Mr. Splitfoot</i> is the McCloy title that deserves the reputation of <i>Through a Glass, Darkly</i>. TomCathttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03415176301265218101noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5516189026477178777.post-21056812934884724392018-01-22T18:20:08.993+01:002018-01-22T18:20:08.993+01:00Thanks for the recommendations, Nick. The Slayer a...Thanks for the recommendations, Nick. <i>The Slayer and the Slain</i> and <i>She Walks Alone</i> have been added to my wish list. TomCathttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03415176301265218101noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5516189026477178777.post-29894726065123228152018-01-20T14:26:22.104+01:002018-01-20T14:26:22.104+01:00Thanks for the review, and I always appreciate fin...Thanks for the review, and I always appreciate finding out more about Helen McCloy and her works. I didn't enjoy 'Through a Glass, Darkly' as much as I thought I would. I thought 'Deadly Truth' was good, and would certainly recommend it. :)Jonathanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03389512470283015279noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5516189026477178777.post-50165555613195687772018-01-20T12:31:38.929+01:002018-01-20T12:31:38.929+01:00Half-American, at least - and her US publishers pr...Half-American, at least - and her US publishers presented her as an American living in the UK. We pull ever so gently the leg.<br /><br />"Slayer" is excellent. Curt Evans and Xavier Lechard both admire it, a lot. It's a non-series novel, set at a college. And I won't say anything more.<br /><br />She Walks Alone, set on a snake-infested ship in the Caribbean, is also very clever.<br /><br />Dance of Death is fun, lots of good psychological clues. I think I liked The Deadly Truth and Who's Calling? more, though. Gollancz published all three of them in an omnibus, The Early McCloy.<br /><br />And, like you, I was underwhelmed by Alias Basil Willing!Nick Fullerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05668031989499870182noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5516189026477178777.post-52795057931313507122018-01-20T12:29:42.414+01:002018-01-20T12:29:42.414+01:00This comment has been removed by the author.Nick Fullerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05668031989499870182noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5516189026477178777.post-31149564623681605662018-01-19T23:04:32.574+01:002018-01-19T23:04:32.574+01:00I've not read or know much about The Slayer an...I've not read or know much about <i>The Slayer and the Slain</i>, but I do recall that the book was mentioned, on one of these blog, not so long ago and not positively. Do you think it's any good or better than any of the titles I plan on reading this year (<i>Dance of Death</i>, <i>Cue for Murder</i> and <i>The Further Side of Fear</i>)? I'm always open to suggestions. <br /><br />I now have read six McCloy's in total: <i>The Man in the Moonlight</i>, <i>The Goblin Market</i>, <i>Through a Glass, Darkly</i>, <i>Alias Basil Willing</i> (the sole dud), <i>Two-Thirds of a Ghost</i> and <i>Mr. Splitfoot</i> (my personal favorite). A real pity about <i>Alias Basil Willing</i>, because McCloy had dedicated the book to Carr and it should have been as good as <i>Darkly</i> or <i>Splitfoot</i>. <br /><br />By the way, Christie was an American? Did I miss something? TomCathttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03415176301265218101noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5516189026477178777.post-39889645625851318072018-01-19T22:50:31.733+01:002018-01-19T22:50:31.733+01:00I've no idea which one you read, or are planni...I've no idea which one you read, or are planning to read, but you'll probably like <i>Through a Glass, Darkly</i>. And if you haven't read it already, I can also highly recommend <i>Mr. Splitfoot</i>. TomCathttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03415176301265218101noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5516189026477178777.post-43820500045324698442018-01-19T22:13:51.597+01:002018-01-19T22:13:51.597+01:00The coolly intelligent McCloy may well be my favor...The coolly intelligent McCloy may well be my favorite American detective writer after Carr and Christie. She writes beautifully, understands people, and is interested in IDEAS.<br /><br />Have you read "The Slayer and the Slain"?Nick Fullerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05668031989499870182noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5516189026477178777.post-43543350882891132402018-01-19T19:51:18.201+01:002018-01-19T19:51:18.201+01:00Sounds quite the unusual book. Only read one book ...Sounds quite the unusual book. Only read one book by McCloy. Been meaning to try her again and at least I now have one of her books in my TBR pile. Katehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05616800837907092489noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5516189026477178777.post-12608473618043438352018-01-19T18:32:46.474+01:002018-01-19T18:32:46.474+01:00Fortunately, I read the 2014 reissue from The Murd...Fortunately, I read the 2014 reissue from The Murder Room, which is, as far as I can tell, entirely unabridged. I only picked the Dell cover and mapback because they looked better than the dull, uniform covers of The Murder Room. TomCathttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03415176301265218101noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5516189026477178777.post-35943522136227483412018-01-19T17:03:29.009+01:002018-01-19T17:03:29.009+01:00One thing I have noticed about the early Dell McCl...One thing I have noticed about the early Dell McCloys is that they are often savagely (and I mean savagely) abridged. I don't know if this was done with the author's consent. She is one of the best American authors of her period and you don't want to miss any details. I had to go back out and get the original hardcovers as a result. As I recall, the Dell edition of The Man in the Moonlight was one of those abridged editions and I had to replace it with the hardcover.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com