Written in Dead Wax by Andrew Cartmel – Reviewed by Guy Portman
Our protagonist ekes out a living buying and selling rare vinyl. One day a woman purporting to work for a mysterious businessman arrives with a proposition. She wants the ‘Vinyl Detective’ to locate a rare record. A substantial finder’s fee is on offer. It soon transpires that they are not the only ones coveting the elusive LP, and their rivals will stop at nothing to get their hands on it. The action takes place in London, as well as Japan and Los Angeles.
Written in Dead Wax is the first instalment in The Vinyl Detective series. The book boasts an intriguing premise and contains some interesting insights into the history of jazz. However, the convoluted, meandering and scant plot does not justify a book of this considerable length. There is an excess of unnecessary detail particularly with regards to the Vinyl Detective’s cats. It is as if the author has an almost compulsive need to tell the reader absolutely everything.
