According to my impeccably-researched sources, it is two months today until Paul Halter’s 60th birthday. Now, I’m quite the fan of this French locked room maestro – his publication in English by John Pugmire under the guise of Locked Room International has provided no small amount of delight in my house – and so I’ll doubtless try to post something to mark this occasion.
And then I thought, “Hell, I’m just one guy – and not a very impressive one at that,” and figured that it wouldn’t be much of a 60th birthday if it’s just me on the stage on my own. So, with the intent of making it something more of an occasion, I throw it open to you and your interwebs: can I interest anyone in joining me and posting something Paul Halter-related – a book review, an opinion piece, a collection of his cover art…whatever, go crazy – on your blog on 19th June 2016?
If you were looking for an excuse to get into Halter, here’s your chance! Suggestions can be found on this site and elsewhere. He’s a puzzler par excellence and has done some fabulously original work in a field already seemingly chock-full long before he’d even started, and I hope you’ll be able to join me in celebrating some of that.
What’s that? My hand, you say? Getting there. Back next week. Possibly the week after…
I suggest you start with his debut, “The Fourth Door” or “The Demon of Dartmoor” which to me are his best works available in English. Be warned that Halter has a very peculiar and at times gruesome imagination and he is all about plot, so you might be disappointed if you’re looking for something more than just ingenuity.
Depends what you’re after. The Picture from the Past tries to do something really quite bold and probably almost succeeds (I still can’t decide!). The Seventh Hypothesis is a wonderful dual character study that becomes this insane whirligig, but the impossibilities are a bit minor; The Invisible Circle is another breed of bonkers…I love it but can understand others not sharing my enthusiasm; The Demon of Dartmoor has the most wonderfully subtle solution to its impossibility but is rather cursory in its characters…buuuuut, overall, Death Invites You is probably the most immediately accessible, and if you’re just looking to try Halter out for the first time then that’s probably the place I’d advise starting.
Today, that is. Tomorrow I’ll probably change my mind. 🙂
Heeeeeee’s baaaaaaack!!! Good to see you, JJ! DEMON OF DARTMOOR has just arrived and is sitting beside my bed as we type! Since these are all short, I’ll probably be done with that one before June 19, so I have to decide whether to go for the one with the mystery writer dying in the locked room (Pictures) or the one about the missing plague victims and the disappearing street (???) Since I DIDN’T like the FOURTH DOOR, do you have any suggestions which direction I should head in?
The plague victims and the disappearing street are actually two> books – The Seventh Hypothesis and The Phantom Passage respectively. Hypothesis is rather more character-based than the typical Halter, and Passage is more about the puzzle. However, the Christie nerd in you may appreciate the ‘lots of people on an island getting killed’-fest that is The Invisible Circle, too.
Haha, I wasn’t doubting you, Sergio – I remember your multi-lingual feats from posts past. I’m intrigued because, as it’s not one I’ve been able to read (being as I am too stupid/lazy/busy to learn a second language), I have no idea what anyone might make of it or what to expect…!
If I can, I try to read French and Spanish authors in Italian translations (and German and Scandinavian ones in English) – I’ve actually been meaning to read this one for ages so greta excuse!
Welcome back! 🙂 Not being a blogger myself I can’t contribute much – but look forward to reading all the reviews and posts… Perhaps I might buy another of his books on that day itself?
Could be a Goodreads review, and Amazon review…doesn’t have to be a blog post; hell, you can write a blog post if you like and I’ll gladly put it up here, so don’t count yourself out just yet…
Great to have you on board, Santosh – as with Sergio, I’m especially intrigued about the Halters I’m not yet able (and may never be able…?) to read, so really looking forward to your choice and your opinions.
The Invisible Event 
I was just thinking about your hand…
What’s the best Halter then? I haven’t read him at all.
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Rich,
I suggest you start with his debut, “The Fourth Door” or “The Demon of Dartmoor” which to me are his best works available in English. Be warned that Halter has a very peculiar and at times gruesome imagination and he is all about plot, so you might be disappointed if you’re looking for something more than just ingenuity.
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Yeah, Halter is undeniably hugely about plot. I think that’s part of why I like him so much, though!
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Depends what you’re after. The Picture from the Past tries to do something really quite bold and probably almost succeeds (I still can’t decide!). The Seventh Hypothesis is a wonderful dual character study that becomes this insane whirligig, but the impossibilities are a bit minor; The Invisible Circle is another breed of bonkers…I love it but can understand others not sharing my enthusiasm; The Demon of Dartmoor has the most wonderfully subtle solution to its impossibility but is rather cursory in its characters…buuuuut, overall, Death Invites You is probably the most immediately accessible, and if you’re just looking to try Halter out for the first time then that’s probably the place I’d advise starting.
Today, that is. Tomorrow I’ll probably change my mind. 🙂
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I’ll have to get my thinking cap on as to what sort of post to do. Glad you’ll be starting your blog up again soon.
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Heeeeeee’s baaaaaaack!!! Good to see you, JJ! DEMON OF DARTMOOR has just arrived and is sitting beside my bed as we type! Since these are all short, I’ll probably be done with that one before June 19, so I have to decide whether to go for the one with the mystery writer dying in the locked room (Pictures) or the one about the missing plague victims and the disappearing street (???) Since I DIDN’T like the FOURTH DOOR, do you have any suggestions which direction I should head in?
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The plague victims and the disappearing street are actually two> books – The Seventh Hypothesis and The Phantom Passage respectively. Hypothesis is rather more character-based than the typical Halter, and Passage is more about the puzzle. However, the Christie nerd in you may appreciate the ‘lots of people on an island getting killed’-fest that is The Invisible Circle, too.
On which note…hope all’s good for tomorrow!
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Right, you’re on – it’ll be THE MADMAN’S ROOM [La Chambre du Fou] for me – get better soon JJ
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Since that’s not available in English, I’m already doubly intrigued… Looking forward to what you make of it, Sergio – many thanks!
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I’ll be using the Italian edition JJ …
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Haha, I wasn’t doubting you, Sergio – I remember your multi-lingual feats from posts past. I’m intrigued because, as it’s not one I’ve been able to read (being as I am too stupid/lazy/busy to learn a second language), I have no idea what anyone might make of it or what to expect…!
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If I can, I try to read French and Spanish authors in Italian translations (and German and Scandinavian ones in English) – I’ve actually been meaning to read this one for ages so greta excuse!
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Welcome back! 🙂 Not being a blogger myself I can’t contribute much – but look forward to reading all the reviews and posts… Perhaps I might buy another of his books on that day itself?
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Could be a Goodreads review, and Amazon review…doesn’t have to be a blog post; hell, you can write a blog post if you like and I’ll gladly put it up here, so don’t count yourself out just yet…
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I’ve got a Halter book sitting around here somewhere on one of the many TBR stacks….If I can find it in time, I’ll join in!
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Excellent news, Bev, many thanks! Look forward to seeing what you make of him…
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It will be my first taste of his work. So, it will definitely be interesting to see what I think.
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Like Cavershamragu, I’ll review a book of Paul Halter not yet translated to English.
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Great to have you on board, Santosh – as with Sergio, I’m especially intrigued about the Halters I’m not yet able (and may never be able…?) to read, so really looking forward to your choice and your opinions.
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I’m all done – The Demon of Dartmoor is scheduled for 26th June. Enjoyed it.
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19th June 🙂
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Delighted to have you on board, Rich, and very impressed at your organisation – even I haven’t figure out what I’m going to post yet!
Many thanks for getting involved, really looking forward to your thoughts.
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