It was a long hiatus between the last volume of this series and this one (that I read, anyway), and a happy return. In this outing, VD and his sidekicks Nevada, Tinkler, and Clean Head go on the hunt for an elusive first edition of a record, most of which was destroyed after the acrimonious dissolution of the legendary folk band who made it, Black Dog. Along the way they encounter some of their old nemesises (nemesi??) and escape death a number of times, as someone clearly doesn't want them to find the record. They find themselves on an island whose details are almost as mythical as the band itself -- the Demon Pig who roams its forests, the disappearing tidal causeway -- and much of the action unfolds there. There is the usual cast of eccentric supporting characters, which Cartmel manages to bring to life effortlessly, it seems, and enough action to propel the plot without too much stress or anxiety for the reader (the next volume is sitting on my bedside table, so I know the main players will not come to too much grief). I was waffling between 4 and 5 stars on this review, but I bumped it up to 5 not just for the sparkling prose, but also for the inclusion of just enough music geekery and the dip into the appreciation of the pig as a creature of intelligence and empathy, which is entirely factual. I have a few library holds to devour before I get into the next one, and I can hardly wait! ( )

‘Flip Back’ is the fourth book in Andrew Cartmel’s excellent ‘Vinyl Detective’ series. I’ve read and thoroughly enjoyed the first two books, ‘Written in Dead Wax’ and ‘The Run-Out Groove’ and the good news is that book four is just as good as those two. The even better news (for me at least), is that I’ve somehow missed the release of the third entry completely, so I have another book I can read straightaway.
For anyone who hasn’t read the books, they’re about a record collector and expert for hire (the Vinyl Detective of the title), who searches for rare discs for clients and invariably ends up investigating related mysteries. He has a bunch of pals of tag along – girlfriend Nevada, ice cool cabbie Clean Head (so named because of her shaven head), and the amusingly hapless Tinkler.
This time around, they’re trying to find the rare first pressing of an album by folk band ‘Black Dog’ that Tinkler wants in order to impress a girl. The search sees them get into various scrapes (two of which are as exciting as anything I’ve read in any flat-out thriller lately), investigate apparent paranormal activity and solve a series of murders.
It’s all told with the same charm, humour and talent for mystery that characterised the other books. Cartmel knows exactly what he’s doing and takes the reader on a marvellously enjoyable ride. If it ends up playing a little like a cosy Sunday evening detective show, then that’s only a good thing. The Vinyl Detective is the perfect antidote to the bleak, obsessive investigators that we’re so used to these days. He and his friends are so wonderfully likeable that spending time in their company is an absolute delight. The fact that the mystery they end up investigating is so tantalising, and that Cartmel sprinkles his books with fascinating nerdery are added bonuses that round out the book into a brilliantly satisfying whole.
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Once again, the vinyl detective is on the case. This time, his friend Tinker hires him to track down a rare album with a strange history. Black Dog, a folk group of the 60's that wanted to move into rock, decided a cool marketing idea, and a middle finger to the establishment, to burn a cool million in a bonfire. Long story short, it went bad, the band broke up, they burned all the copies of the album they were promoting only to rerecord and re-release it. However, Tinker wants the one of the few surviving copies of the initial, pre-fire and break up album and needs our expert to find it. That leads them to speaking to the surviving members of the band, and, of course, the bodies start dropping. Must say, without giving away the bad guy, I found this particular killer really unpleasant and disturbing, which is a good thing, right? ( )

Full review to come! ( )