Island novels, cont.

Following in from earlier musings on "island fiction", inspired by a muddy post here and there,  Jessica Mann, author of the excellent The Mystery Writer, tells me via email:

"I wrote an 'island crime novel' -rather to the dismay of my then editor, the infinitely experienced and worldly Lord Harding of Penshurst who moaned gently and said that everybody had to write their island's novel, he supposed. It's called No Man's Island and came out in 1983. The island's called by an imaginary name but is based on the Isles of Scilly."

Sounds most intriguing. As you can see from this Euro Crime listing, No Man's Island is second in a series of six books featuring archaeologist Tamara Hoyland, which is an interesting coincidence, as my daughter has only this week decided that she might want to study archaeology at university (having been set on history for the past few years). In fact, she even went to the local library after school today to find out more about the subject, only to find nothing at all useful in stock. Never being short of a book, however, I have loaned her a no doubt very out-of-date volume I once won as part of a school prize, and hence still have, Archaeology by Liam de Paor, so that's OK. .

I also remember that Clare Dudman, fairly soon after I'd "met" her, wrote about a book called The Island by Jane Rogers. Clare enjoyed the book very much, as beautifully demonstrated by this 2006 post containing a review of the book and her interview with the author. It is a lovely piece, well worth reading in its own right even the the book doesn't grab you. (It must have influenced me as I bought the book straight away, but am ashamed to say have not yet read it.)

Comments

[Juliet]

Maxine - thanks so much for these links, though I'm not sure whether you should be encouraging this island reading project of mine - where will it all end? - will I ever get back to mainland fiction again? That said, the Jane Rogers looks sooo fantastic that I've just added it to my BookRabbit shopping basket! The Jessica Mann seems to be out of print but I will keep an eye out for it in my 2nd-hand foragings. My daughter (14) ditched the idea of archaeology for medicine last year but is now on the brink of ditching medicine for film-making - luckily her GCSE options allow for a bit of flexibility . . .

Glad you had such a great time at CrimeFest.

[Maxine]

So long as whatever subject they do, it is something they really love and can get involved in, Juliet, that's the key, I think (hope).

[Kerrie]

"island" mysteries are really variations on "locked room" scenarios aren't they?
The Marshall Browne I reviewed/read recently RENDEZVOUS AT KAMAKURA INN turned a Japanese ryokin into a isolated environment. The other one that comes to mind is PD James' THE LIGHTHOUSE which was off the coast of Cornwall on Combe island

[Euro Crime (Karen M)]

Girl with the Dragon Tattoo revolves around an island mystery but perhaps that's a bit tenuous!

[Maxine]

Good point, though, Karen, because the fact that the pivotal event took place on an island is the key aspect, framing attempts at a solution.
Yes, Kerrie, I think you are right -- I read that P D James book too, but not the other one you mention.

[Maxine]

PS, I've just remembered another one, Shutter Island by Dennis Lehane. Always happens just when you've pressed "post"!