About to throw into the recycling bin the usual vast quantity of marketing material that accompanies the Saturday paper and The Week, my eye was caught by a flyer from The Book People. I have long been a fan of their excellent children's books arm, The Red House, so I flicked through. And I'm glad I did, as they are selling a set of 10 of Ian Rankin's superb Rebus books for £9.99. That's a pound each!
Titles included are: Strip Jack, Dead Souls, Knots & Crosses, Mortal Causes, The Hanging Garden, Hide & Seek, Let It Bleed, Tooth & Nail ,Black & Blue and The Black Book.
Details of the Ian Rankin offer are here.
Looking round the site a bit, I found another collection of 10 books for £9.99, this time by Mary Higgins Clark. I think MHC is a greatly under-rated crime fiction novelist (under-rated by the critics, that is, she sells very well). True, one should avoid her comedies, but her crime novels are so readable that you just can't do anything once you have started one until you've finished. The plots always involve a heroine who is an independent, resourceful woman, usually coping with some adversity (eg widowhood); sometimes the central character is a mother, sometimes not, sometimes the plot centres on the main character's profession, other times it is straight suspense. I adore them. I would freely admit that MHC has become somewhat formulaic in later novels, but a formulaic MHC is a lot more readable than many other crime fiction books.
Details of the Mary Higgins Clark offer are here. The books included in the deal are: The Cradle Will Fall, Before I Say Goodbye, A Cry In The Night, Stillwatch, Daddy's Little Girl, Remember Me, On The Street Where You Live, Where Are The Children?, Second Time Around and Night-Time Is My Time. (No "comedies" in that lot.)
If you haven't read either Rankin or Higgins Clark, I recommend that you snap up these incredible bargains as soon as you can. I don't know what the international shipping rates are, but worth checking out at the prices they are charging for the books, I'd think.
The Red House website (children's books).
I had a look at their website, thinking I might order the Rankin set for one of my sons for Christmas - they don't deliver overseas.
Posted by: Lee | 12 November 2006 at 04:29
I'm trying hard to resist their Simenon offer :-). (I haven't actually read any yet but I ought to. The library hasn't got many.)
Posted by: Karen M from Euro Crime | 12 November 2006 at 11:05
You'll just have to come over for a visit, Lee, then pack the books up in your aforementioned suitcase to carry home!
Posted by: Maxine | 12 November 2006 at 11:07
The Book People do some very good offers - personally, I like their complete Booker prize shortlist for £30.
Posted by: kimbofo | 12 November 2006 at 12:26
Kimbofo, I really wish you hadn't told me that!
Posted by: Lee | 12 November 2006 at 17:29