Author’s Blog: 

Malcolm Noble’s Mysterious Notes 

The Timberdick Mysteries are a series of murder stories set in the sleazy back-streets of a south coast seaport in post war Britain.

The Books    The Author
           

Some of these jottings are from a writer who sells books.

Others are from a bookseller who writes.

Depends on what sort of day I’ve had.

malcolm@bookcabin.co.uk 

Some welcome feedback coming in following The Clue of The Curate’s Cushion, including some sentimental speculation about what happens next with Ned and Timberdick.  But, oh no, life is never straightforward on Goodladies Road. (26 February)

A young lady came into the shop this afternoon and bought all our Ngiao Marsh paperbacks. When she asked me to suggest other women of the Golden Age of Detective Writers, I took the opportunity to push Beryl Symonds. I spent ten minutes explaining why I thought her Jane Carberry detective stories were worth reading. “Well, I better buy some,” she said. I replied,“Ah yes,  well, I don’t have any.” She gave me that peculiar ‘how long do you expect to be in business?’ look. (25 February)

A reader has found a copy of The Case of the Dirty Verger with the press quote sticker on the cover. He’s sure that it’s something rare.  Well, yes, I suppose. Copies with the stickers were sold through our shop but it was a marketing mistake. We soon learned that people wanted to buy clean copies, so we withdrew the stickered ones. Chris and I can’t be sure how many we sold, but certainly less than fifty and probably half that number.  Strange to say, of all the items on Timberdick’s Special Offers and Collectables page, the most collectable in years to come might be the result of a bad idea. (20 February)

I’ve enjoyed reading a copy of Raymond Chandler’s King in Yellow this evening, in a copy of MacKill’s Mystery Magazine. Not a very old copy – 1952, I think – but it’s nice to read these stories in a digest magazine format. Also, the illustration shows the story’s title on a book cover. Another one for the file of Raymond Chanlder-books-that-never-were. (12 February)

That’s No Bargain by Red Nichols is one of my favourite jazz tunes (it gets a mention in Piggy

Tucker’s Poison). Tonight I found a version that I’d not heard before by the Arkansas Travellers

(another Nichols group). I’ve just a spent a pleasant hour exploring it. (“So we think we know

that one now, do we?” said Christine.) The three takes from one Five Pennies session were released

on an lp some years ago by CJM, and they must be the cleanest versions. (I think I might have a radio broadcast somewhere in the collection – Brunswick Brevities? – not sure.) However, my favourite

version remains the Redheads (another Nichols group, this time for Pathe); it’s hard to think of another

track that, for me, gets across that small group feeling of the 20s so well. (9 February)

Pleased to say that A Mystery of Cross Women is now available as an E-book from Waterstone's Catalogue. The first Timberdick title to be available in that format. (4 Feb)

Some welcome comments are coming in about the Limited Edition packs which we dispatched last week.

After weeks (months!) when the project occupied much of our time,  trying to build the different elements towards

the right “feel”, it seems odd that it is now over and done with, and time to move onto something else.

However, it is rather reassuring that it’s been well received. (1 Feb)

I showed the Clue of the Curate’s Cushion at the Collectors Fair on Sunday.Here’s a picture of Steve Dennison,

collecting his Limited Edition pack.

Another reader commented on the frequency with which church matters appear in the title. Apart from

the Curate’s C ushion, there was also the Dirty Verger. Also, Liking Good Jazz featured a murder

in a church. ... Also, there was mention that this blog is not always kept up to date ..... I’ll do better. (1 Feb)

A customer today was so enthusiastic about Angel Pavement by JB Priestley that I decided to seek out my own copy. Eventually found it hidden in a box. It’s not a first edition but has the evocative London dustwrapper. I look forward to spending some time with it.  Earlier in the week, I passed an evening reading Red Wind by Raymond Chandler again (in the excellent Everyman edition of his shorter fiction).  I think Red Wind must be his short story writing at its best. (28 January)

We have received our stock of The Clue of the Curate’s Cushion for the shop.  It seems a long time since I wrote it (I have been working on two projects since). Looking at it now reminds me the fun I had writing it. I think I enjoyed living with this story more than any other. (27 January)

It’s sad to read that John Brunton, feature writer with the Nottingham Post, has died. John interviewed me when my first book was published. He was careful to set me at ease, I remember. He was a professional and experienced journalist. (12 January)

My thanks to the customer who, once again, has consulted his reference books and identified to Dinky Toy model of the Austin Somerset. (8 January)

My thanks to the customer who came into the shop today and handed me an old Austin Somerset Dinky Toy. He knew that my Raymond Chandler bookshelf has an Oldsmobile on display and he was sure that Ned Machray's old Austin Somerset should be represented with the Timberdick Mysteries.  I had to confess that the Timberdick books weren't on our bookcases. They are now -- and here is Ned's Somerset with them! (30 December 2009)

At last – our first sight of the finished Limited Edition Presentation Packs that we are offering with The Clue of the Curate’s Cushion.  Some last minute talk about whether we should include a postcard/photo of yours truly.  But, as Chris says, why should we spoil the packs at this stage. Spent a quiet thirty minutes in the front room, signing some of the inserts.  We’re both very surprised by the demand for these packs.  A good idea of Christine’s, she says. 15 December 2009

Sent off this year’s Timberdick Christmas Card to friends, press contacts and interested collectors, but I’m not so sure about how it will be received. 8 December 2009 

Selecting a small pile of books for my Christmas reading. I’ve found a little book about the village of Yarmouth on the Isle of Wight with some memories of Christmas gone by. Usually, I’d avoid such books but the writing here makes it so easy to picture the author (A.G. Cole) and his world.  Also, I might read again Appleby’s End by Michael Innes which has been a Christmas favourite of mine for some years, and perhaps one of the Edward Leithen stories. These books are for later. At the moment, I am spending some time with Grayling’s biography of Hazlitt, a present from Chris.  6 December 2009. 

I’ve spent the last two days filling two exercise books with a storyline, mystery plot, character sketches and notes for a Timberdick novel.  Even if I do use it, it won’t be the next one or the one after. But I’ve enjoyed roughing it out.  5 December 2009. 

I’ve been chatting to customers about future work. There seems to be little support for my working on the novel with a different set of characters. Clearly, some people would be a little sorry to lose track of Timberdick and her crowd (that’s nice to see), so it looks as if the other book will have to stay in the bottom of the wardrobe for another year.  30 November 2009 

Annual health check. Weight about the same but blood pressure and cholesterol not so good. The tablets have stopped making me sneeze; I cough now, instead. Had a flu jab ‘because of my underlying problems.’ (Grief, have I got those as well?) 13 November 2009 

Enjoyed writing a short story with Timberdick in a country inn. (OK, think about it.) I won’t use it because the setting is too similar to an alternative story. Another one for the files.  1 November 2009.

A couple of days ago, I got talking to a customer about the Dinky Toy that sits on my Raymond Chandler bookcase at home. (See 27 Aug and 8 JuIy). I regretted that I was unable to date it at the time. He (the customer, not Chandler) has now sent me the details from his collection of Dinky Toy catalogues. The model was sold between 1947-9 and based on a car produced from 1937. Here is it is .... and many thanks to Ron. The toy in now properly entered into my card index as an example of the cars mentioned in the novels. (15 October 2009)

Also this morning, I spent fifteen minutes with the manager of the local library moaning about one or two things. How good to meet an official who actually wants to listen to your point of view.(15 October 2009)

One of this afternoon’s customers was looking for illustrations by Florence Harrison. I was unable to help her but enjoyed hearing about her enthusiastic collecting. Her website has more details. (14 October 2009)

I’ve started to read “The Case of Torches” by Clarke Smith, a writer I’ve not tried before, but the first few chapters certainly live up to his reputation. (7 October 2009)

Thanks to Jonathan Calder for mentioning our shop on his blog (6 October 2009)

Christine is in the local paper again. She is disgruntled, it says, because the Bookcabin was missed from the council’s shopping guide to the town.  (See 23 Sept). When a lady stopped me on the market square and asked if she was still disgruntled, I couldn’t resist quoting PGW “If not actually disgruntled, she is far from being gruntled”  (3 October 2009)

I’ve had notification of the ISBN for the new book: The Clue of the Curate’s Cushion (ISBN 978 1848763029).  It’s projected publication date is April 2010.

(Also today, the man from the local paper came into the shop. He’d heard stories about shops being disrupted by early road closures prior to the Arts Fest  - see 13 Sept below. The lady in the breadshop said that the lady in the bookshop knew all about it. So, the lady in the bookshop told the man from the paper all about it!)  (23 Sept 2009)

Listened to a seminar this evening at the Angel Hotel (Mkt Harboro) about how to make the most of websites. I got there late so stood at the back and couldn’t see any part of the screen that the presenter was talking about. Heard enough to convince me that real people spend a lot more on their sites than I do... but you had already worked that out!  (22 Sept 09)

Another good attraction to the town.  A street event to celebrate the opening of a new exhibition in the museum. Once again, the shop was full, this time with folk in period costume.  Very busy. (19 Sept)

Christine has got hold a leaflet (distributed at the Arts Fest and since) listing all the shops in Coventry Road, Market Harborough .... except ours! Oh, dear.  She has commenced enquiries with the town council.

Re-reading (and really enjoying) the Best Short Stories of Cyril Hare. Excellent stuff. (16 Sept 09)

The Sunday of the town’s Art Festival. (If JB Priestley was still with us, he’d make a good novel of it.) Unfortunately, they closed the roads very early so that some shopkeepers couldn’t get to their shops and some traders and customers couldn’t get to the weekly Antique Fair.  It was decided that Christine should go into battle!  A very quiet morning’s trade but it livened up in the afternoon with a full shop most of time giving us our best Sunday trading of the year. (13 Sept 09)

Upcoming Title! ..... and other news

We’ve heard that early copies of the new book could be with us in time for Christmas. Good news and earlier than we expected.

This week, I’ve set aside a draft that I’ve been working with for two or three months.  I’m not looking back over the notebooks, full of old ideas, but spending three weeks or so just waiting for the next storyline, characters or situations to introduce themselves. (In many ways, the most enjoyable part of writing a book, for me.)

Not doing a lot of reading this week. I’ve spent some time with JB Priestley’s English Journey and Dorothy L Sayer’s essays on Sherlock Holmes.  We may have found the first model car for the Raymond Chandler bookcase. (see 8 July below)  (27 August)

Wednesday, the Grandson and I went to see Portsmouth play football at Birmingham City. Clearly, these are difficult times for the club, both on and off the pitch. But it was good fun to watch and the hamburgers and hotdogs were surprisingly cheap! (20 August)

Those Denim Shorts

The denim shorts are at the crux of things again. My grandson is looking for items to sell on ebay and I remembered that we still have the shorts that were displayed at a bookfair launch of “A Parish of Frayed Ends”.  But our daughter thinks she ought to have a say in it. After all, they are her shorts. “And if you’ve still got them Dad, I’d like them back.”  The question is undecided.

This week I've read Josephine Tey's Miss Pym Disposes (again) and Andrew Garve's Murderer's Fen (for the first time). A couple walked into the shop today and bought the Garve book so we had a little chat about the author.  Also spent an hour in the garden with Lord Tweedsmuir's One Man's Happiness (a very old friend of a book).   (14 August 09)

Sherlock Holmes in Portsmouth

We’ve got back from a few days in Portsmouth, including a regular visit to the museum’s  Sherlock Holmes Collection. Excellent, although I wonder if the video presentation has had its day.  It would be great if the museum produced a printed guide to a Sherlock Walk (or Walks) in the city. Geoffrey Stavert’s ‘Study in Southsea’ shows there’s plenty of material. 

(Before we left, the museum suggested that we should visit the SH exhibition at the City Library but the Library staff said they hadn’t got one.)   (11 August 09)  

An Old Man in Carpet Slippers

I spent last evening with a Mystery on Southampton Water by Freeman Wills Croft, the chair and a box of cigars on the coffee table and a handkerchief in each slipper to keep my feet warm.  Very pleasant. George Chisholm was playing lightly in the background. The bust of Sherlock Holmes looked down from the ACD shelf.  

FWC tells his stories in such a structured way that it seems sinful to hurry through them. But I have read this one several times before so it was drinking with an old friend.  At half time, I made a flask of tea (no milk, no sugar) and looked through our picture books of the Solent, picking out the places that FWC mentions.  I have an old OS mapof the area which I intend to put on the library wall. Well, that’s a job that will never get done. So, I spread it over the carpet while I leafed through the rest of this fine case for Chief Inspector French. FWC shows us how to properly put railway chapters into a detective story.  (4 August 09)

Living with Timberdick

Some months ago now, a newspaper printed an interview where I mentioned that I was busy on a novel with a different set of characters.  Messages from a number of readers have prompted me to consider the value of spin. Should I offer clarification? Should I provide a context for the comments? Nah! Let’s go for a U-turn.

  I was talking about two books ahead. The title that will appear next year follows on from A Parish of Frayed Ends and the gangs all there, all right. I am now working on the next in the series. In the bottom of my wardrobe is a draft, set in the 1920s with characters and  a storyline that I’m quite fond of.  I’d like it to see the light of day, sometime. Right now, I writing the next Timberdick book.  (3 August 09)

A Note of Thanks ...

... goes to the lady who came into the shop and told me whodunit. (I don’t think she meant to.) Encouraging to see that at least one person is reading this blog while it’s still young  (26 July 09)

Current Detective

 I’m reading Cyril Hare at the moment. I first found his short stories in my twenties and went back to them years later. But I have never spent much time with his novels until now. I’ve read Suicide Excepted and With a Bare Bodkin and I’m half way through When The Wind Blows. It’s so easy to sink into these books. Honest characterisation. Carefully constructed mysteries. Please don’t tell me whodunit.   (9 July 09)

Raymond Chandler’s Second-hand Motors

A couple of weeks ago, I asked a friend – a model collector – to keep an eye out for any cheap/beaten up models of cars that appeared in Raymond Chandler’s novels. I thought they would look good on the bookcase. My part of the deal was to trawl through the books and list the cars. Half way through

the task, I have found that someone else had already done the  work. If any other nuts want to litter their bookshelf with Philip Marlow’s motors, the list appearsin Chandlertown by Edward Thorpe. (Page 77 of the UK edition.)   (8 July 09)