New Year, Centennial Challenge

My friend Rich Westwood, who blogs at the admirable Past Offences blogs, is welcoming in the new year of 2015 by challenging the readers among us to locate and review a mystery first published a century ago, in 1915. As I can also use such a book to "fill" one of the squares on my bingo card in the 2015 My Reader's Block Vintage Mystery Bingo challenge, I am entering Rich's challenge with a book called At 1:30, by Isabel Ostrander, an author quite prolific in her day but virtually unknown today. Look for the review here in a couple of weeks.

Comments

[J F Norris]

I know Isabel Ostrander very well, Les. In fact, I own nearly all her books, including most of the books she wrote under her three pseudonyms. I think I'm missing only three or four titles. She can tell a good story and was often ingenious and innovative. I blame Isabel for my total obsession with all things obscure in mystery and crime fiction. Reading THE TWENTY-SIX CLUES started it all. I've read AT 1:30 and about ten others but have yet to write about her on my blog. I hope to change that this year. Looking forward to reading what you think of Damon Gaunt, her blind detective. The fact that he can tell the color of hair from just from touching it cracked me up!

[Les Blatt]

As a matter of fact, John, my review of "At 1:30" is scheduled for next week - should be posted here and on the podcast on Monday. Gaunt's a fascinating character; speaking of hair, I also love how he asked one female character why her hair is wet - when he cannot see it - and explains that wet hair has a distinctive odor. The book is full of similar touches.