02 January 2013

Mr. Child's Simple Story of Dramatic Suspense



Mr. Ames Against Time
Philip Child
Toronto: Ryerson, 1949
244 pages

This review now appears, revised and rewritten, in my new book:
The Dusty Bookcase:
A Journey Through Canada's
Forgotten, Neglected, and Suppressed Writing
Available at the very best bookstores and through


Related post:
Mr. Steven Against Company Policy
(in which the cover artist is identified)

6 comments:

  1. Interesting. David Skene-Melvin in his Canadian Crime Fiction bibliography does not mention this novel, and Skene-Melvin is pretty through, especally with respect to "authentic" Canadian authors. So, booksellers can advertise this one as "not in Skene-Melvin". That should add a few dollars to the price.

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    Replies
    1. How odd that Skene-Melvin missed this one. I wonder whether the awards work against it. One doesn't expect a crime novel to win a Governor General's Award, never mind the rather staid Ryerson Fiction Award.

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  2. I like the illustration on that first jacket design quite a bit.

    It's possible that "STEVEN" is Arthur Steven who was the art director for Ryerson Press for 20 years. His first job for Ryerson was in 1949, according to this essay;
    Arthur Steven at the Ryerson Press: designing the post-war years (1949-1969) (1).

    ~jim b.

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  3. On my way to CA. If you want to notify Todd Mason, he is doing FFB.

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