Benny Cooperman's favourite lunch counter and diner have closed down and the fittings have been sold to Americans. The nation mourns the accidental death of its greatest artist, cellist Dermot Keogh. It's April and there's already a heat wave. Things are just not the way they used to be.
Alas, not just the plots and settings have changed in Howard Engel's 10th Benny Cooperman mystery. While Canada's favourite fictional detective is still his smart-alecky but unsophisticated self ("Dim Sum may be unknown in Grantham, Mr. Cooperman, but we in Toronto have had it for nearly forty years"), his talents seem washed out, if not washed up, in this nasty little mystery set in the high-tech, high-pressure world of a Toronto TV station far up the road from his native Grantham.
Robyn Gillam adds, "All the stock figures are here - the former high school love goddess who calls at the detective's office wondering if she's in the path of a killer, the small-town lawyer, the slobbish cops, and the heavies in dark glasses. What's missing are the gritty small-town ambience and naked class antagonisms that drive best hard-boiled detective fiction, including Engel's early novels. Burdened with the bland homogeneity of the contemporary city and with convoluted literary references, the tale becomes progressively less gripping. In fact Cooperman hasn't been himself since 1990's 'Dead and Buried,' when his creator first fell for the suits and the happy ending. The warning of his first sentence--"I should have seen the writing on the wall"--should have been a message to readers as well."
"synopsis" may belong to another edition of this title.
HOWARD ENGEL is the creator of the enduring and beloved detective Benny Cooperman, who, through his appearance in 12 bestselling novels, has become an internationally recognized fictional sleuth. Two of Engel s novels have been adapted for TV movies, and his books have been translated into several languages. He is the winner of numerous awards, including the 2005 Writers Trust of Canada Matt Cohen Award, the 1990 Harbourfront Festival Prize for Canadian Literature and an Arthur Ellis Award for crime fiction. Howard Engel lives in Toronto.
"About this title" may belong to another edition of this title.
£ 4.29 shipping from U.S.A. to United Kingdom
Destination, rates & speedsSeller: Better World Books, Mishawaka, IN, U.S.A.
Condition: As New. First Edition. Used book that is in almost brand-new condition. Seller Inventory # 16424249-6
Quantity: 1 available
Seller: Better World Books, Mishawaka, IN, U.S.A.
Condition: Very Good. First Edition. Used book that is in excellent condition. May show signs of wear or have minor defects. Seller Inventory # GRP76543995
Quantity: 1 available
Seller: Better World Books, Mishawaka, IN, U.S.A.
Condition: Good. First Edition. Former library book; may include library markings. Used book that is in clean, average condition without any missing pages. Seller Inventory # 11170220-6
Quantity: 1 available
Seller: M.A.D. fiction, Grimsby, ON, Canada
Soft cover. Condition: Near Fine. No Jacket. 1st Edition. First edition first printing of a near fine softcover, pages toning, with French Flaps and no jacket as issued. The 10th novel in the Benny Cooperman mystery series, a P.I. operating in the fictional city of Grantham ON Canada. Seller Inventory # 666
Quantity: 1 available
Seller: Marnie Taylor Books & Antiques, NIAGARA ON THE LAKE, ON, Canada
Trade Paperback. Condition: Fine. No Jacket. First. first edition, first priniting, trade paperback format, mystery featuring detective Benny Cooperman, fine copy, appears unread, signed by the author on the title page, not remaindered, not price-clipped, not ex-libris. Signed by Author(s). Seller Inventory # 003293
Quantity: 1 available
Seller: Anthony Clark, Wolfville, NS, Canada
Soft cover. Condition: Fine. 1st Edition. Penguin Books Canada, Toronto, 2001, Trade Paperback in french flaps, First Edition, SIGNED BY AUTHOR, with no other inscription. Slight age tanning to the pages, otherwise a new and unread copy. Signed by Author(s). Seller Inventory # 001168
Quantity: 1 available
Seller: Wonder Book, Frederick, MD, U.S.A.
Condition: Good. Good condition. A copy that has been read but remains intact. May contain markings such as bookplates, stamps, limited notes and highlighting, or a few light stains. Seller Inventory # K10N-00426
Quantity: 1 available
Seller: Scene of the Crime, ABAC, IOBA, St. Catharines, ON, Canada
Soft cover. Condition: Near Fine. 1st Edition. First edition, first printing of the tenth mystery in the "Benny Cooperman" series. Earlier owner's name on the first free-end page. In near fine condition. Seller Inventory # 7390
Quantity: 1 available
Seller: Scene of the Crime, ABAC, IOBA, St. Catharines, ON, Canada
Soft cover. Condition: Near Fine. 1st Edition. First edition, first printing of the tenth novel in the "Benny Cooperman" series. SIGNED by Engel on the title page. Light toning to the pages. In near fine condition. Signed by Author(s). Seller Inventory # 38197
Quantity: 1 available