I have considered Ruth Rendell one of my very favorite mystery authors for a long time. I have kept this particular Ruth Rendell paperback for a while, hoping that I could use these quotes in one of my entries. So, here goes!
Here is an author review on the cover of Ruth Rendell’s The Best Man to Die 1975 paperback:
The Boston Globe: “The best mystery writer anywhere in the English-speaking world.”
Here are the reviews from the inside cover of Ruth Rendell’s The Best Man to Die 1975 paperback:
Los Angeles Times Book Review: “Chief Inspector Wexford…is an erudite, thorough investigator….He is a compassionate man, who can put the screws on if need be.”
Kirkus Reviews: “The page-by-page storytelling-wry, superbly paced, full of arresting character details-is still unsurpassed in the mystery field.”
New York Daily News: “Ruth Rendell is the finest living practitioner of the mystery genre.”
The New York Times Book Review: “There aren’t many writers like Ruth Rendell who are highly prolific and yet maintain a consistently high standard….Miss Rendell is a plot prestidigitator who has mastered all the tricks of her trade. Including writing.”
Here are the reviews on the back of Ruth Rendell’s The Best Man to Die 1975 paperback:
The New York Times Book Review: “You cannot afford to miss Ruth Rendell?”
Ellery Queen’s Mystery Magazine: “For readers who have almost given up mysteries… Rendell may be just the woman to get them started again.”
Saturday Review: “First-rate entertainment.”
So, here is my question: Do reviews matter to you?
Larraine says
It depends on who is doing the reviewing to be honest. I know that authors are asked to recommend other authors. I take them with a grain of salt no matter what though. Just because someone loves the latest cupcake mystery, doesn’t mean it is going to appeal to me at all.
Maria (BearMountainBooks) says
Not so much. I picked up a book one time because an author I love had “reviewed” or “blurbed” it on the front cover. Boy, was it a total disappointment! After it happened a couple of times, I started ignoring that sort of thing.
That said, one of the funniest blurbs I ever read was when Elizabeth Peters blurbed a Barbara Michaels’ book (She is one and the same, of course.) That made me grin.
Maria
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Aha, Maria, I wonder if the author you love reviewed the book of a friend…
I hope Elizabeth Peters was kind to Barbara Michaels’ book!
Ann Philipp says
No, I don’t read book cover reviews. I do however read reviews on Amazon, because what other readers think is probably more pertinent than what someone in the biz says. But I agree with Larraine, I take them all with a grain of salt.
Ann says
I am more likely to pick up a book based on a review that a friend or blogger (who I know usually likes the same novels I do). Often the “official” reviewers don’t read the book.
Ann
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Ann, are you serious? They don’t read the book?
linda says
This to me depends on who is writing the review. But I can’t say I have read or that I have never read a book because of the review. Just like the Oscars for movies, an Oscar will not influence me to go see a movie!
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Linda, years ago an Oscar meant a little bit to me, as far as watching a movie or not. These days, however, they don’t mean a thing to me… (I haven’t watched an Oscar/Academy Awards show for years… I used to tape them just to watch the parts with Billy Crystal.)
Edie Dykeman says
I often glance at the reviews, but they really don’t make much of a difference in whether I’ll enjoy the book or not. We’ll never see a bad review anyway, so I agree about taking them with a grain of salt.
Susan says
It’s hard to suss out the honest reviews, but I take them with a grain of salt, too. Tastes vary and I pretty much know what I like at this point in my life. I often wonder if the “blurber” read the whole book.
Gail says
Blurbs and reviews are two different things. Some of what has been quoted here are excerpts from reviews; and the excerpts are chosen by the publishers of the book.
Blurbs, generally, are solicited positive ‘sound-bytes’ to promote the book. I’ve written blurbs and I try to blurb honestly but at the same time I’m very aware that the goal is to promote the book.
A review written by another entity can provide some analysis. It also depends on the source. Some take the point of view, “will it sell in your book store,” while others will write from the perspective, “will the reader like this.” And still others — who knows what they’re thinking!
And of course I could be overthinking the whole thing. I sometimes judge a book by its cover. And I’d probably buy a book blurbed by Elizabeth Peters for Barbara Michaels because I got a kick out of.
Kathryn says
I never even read the blurbs and awards. It’s all fluff. I’ve found that as much as I might like a cozy series by an author, I might dislike another series by the same author. There are too many variables to really explain why this is but it just goes to show that only I can be the judge of what is good to me.
I do occasionally read reviews on Amazon of new books by an author I haven’t followed in a while. Martha Grimes jumped the shark years ago and I would have wasted a lot of precious reading time if I hadn’t read the scathing reviews of her later books in her Richard Jury series. That many people can’t be wrong.
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Kathryn, you’re right about each of us being the only judge of what we are going to enjoy reading.
I have to admit to being way behind with my Martha Grimes’ books, but so far, I am enjoying them a lot… At the same time, I have stopped reading my beloved Agatha Raisin series. I know there are lots and lots of very favorable reviews for the more recent Agatha mysterie, but they just aren’t for me.
Judy says
Maria’s last paragraph made me laugh. Wonder how much of that goes on and we don’t know it.
I have a feeling a lot of the reviews are just back scratchers.
They mean nothing to me unless I see someone endorsing something I feel that they shouldn’t, i.e. politically, religiously, etc.
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Judy, I agree about Maria’s comment being funny AND I agree to not liking UNqualified people’s endorsements of things like politics or religion.
Ricky says
Yes, they matter to me. I don’t usually bother with a book that only has other authors’s reviews. I feel that those books were not good enough to be reviewed by real newspaper book critics. If I buy one, I am occassionally surprised, but there are so many books out there, it is usually easy to follow my “plan” even at the thrift shops where I buy my books.
Carrie says
I don’t really trust the reviews that are printed on book covers. They always seem to have the suspicion of positive manipulation just like movie reviews … “This could have been a wonderful movie with better actors.” suddenly becomes “Wonderful movie!!”.
Although I distrust the litany of praise found on a book cover, I do like reading book reviews in newspapers because if you are a regular reader of that reviewer’s comments you can learn to trust their judgment. Also, with the full review you get a more balanced picture instead of being swayed by some apparently over excited cover reviewer.
Rachel says
Not really. However, it is nice to see a positive review/comment from another author whose work I enjoy.
If I am on the fence about a book and am unfamiliar with the author, I will give some consideration reviews from sources that I am familiar with and respect.
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Larraine and Ann Philipp, I know exactly what you are talking about. But, when you see a review by, let’s say, Kirkus Reviews or The Boston Globe, does that matter to you?
(I have to admit that I am pretty impressed by the above reviews for Ruth Rendell’s mystery>)
Ann Philipp says
Danna – You’re right, those reviews are impressive. But of all the reviews you wrote, I’d put the most weight on yours, because I already know that our tastes overlap. So if I took the time to find a reviewer who had similar tastes to mine, it might be helpful. But until I do, I’ll lean on a synopsis of the story and hopefully take a peak inside before I buy.
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Ann, years ago I belonged to two online mystery reading groups. (I became personal friends with two of the other members.) It was absolutely uncanny how similar my mystery-reading taste was to one of them. I knew that I would be safe reading anything that she (Cora) recommended…
Ann Philipp says
Oh, how fun. That’s the kind of person I want to swap book lists with.
Laura says
Danna: What makes a “qualified” person? I do read reviews from Bookmarks magazine or the Wall Street Journal, but that is usually to find out about books that I never would have heard of otherwise. I like to read the reviews of books on Amazon. I consider these to be by the average, everyday reader and can usually figure out from their comments if a particular book is for me or not.
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Laura, when I made the above comment about “UNqualified” people endorsing things like politics or religion>>> I don’t appreciate people who have absolutely no background in a subject, who use their popularity to endorse something like (let’s say) politics. An example of this would be: I want actors to act, I don’t particularly want them to dictate their political views to me.
I do, however, read reviews of books on Amazon to see exactly what you look for. I, too, use these reviews to help me decide whether or not I want to try a new-to-me author. These reviews are especially helpful to me when I am teetering on the fence. I even enjoy reading the bad reviews, because sometimes a reviewer’s dislikes are exactly what I am looking for in a book!
Laura says
Totally!
linda says
I love the “Richard Jury”, Martha Grimes books. I have one of Martha Grimes books “Fadeaway Girl” that I will read over the weekend. Evidently though, this isn’t a Richard Jury novel. Sometimes I too don’t like other series by some of my favorite authors but I will give this one a chance. I love the China Bayles books by Susan Rittig Albert but I did not like the Victorian Mysteries by Robin Paige———–until this week! Then when I decided that as much as I liked Susan Wittig Albert, how could I not give Robin Paige another chance! So, I did just that. I loved this book and I can hardly wait until next week to pick up more by this author when I visit the local libraries!!!
Given this, I hope that I can get into “Fadeaway Girl.” I don’t understand why it takes me awhile to get into other books by the same favorite authors.!?? I love the English authors! There is so much English history in a lot of these books!!!!!!
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Linda, I’m really bad about reading my favorite authors’ Stand Alone mysteries or mysteries in their second (or, these days, third, fourth or fifth!) series. Please let me know about Martha Grimes’ Emma Graham mystery – Fadeaway Girl.
Aren’t you glad you gave Robin Paige a second chance?!? I have done that with several authors… just because I try a new-to-me author when I’m not in the right mood doesn’t mean I won’t enjoy the author. (Of course, some authors I absolutely KNOW I don’t like on the first try…)
linda says
Danna, Martha Grimes’ “Fadeaway Girl” was a totally awesome book! This was a book that I did not want to end! Emma is a very delightful girl. I love this character! I read the first book of this series a few years ago and I had forgotten about it. But this story really does bring back the events of the 1st book really well!
I can’t remember, though, if the first book told how Emma came to be fatherless. I don’t remember even in this book if any reason was given for no father figure! Also, Emma doesn’t seem to have any friends her own age. Those kids around her age, Emma seems to hold in contempt. All Emma has are all older people for companions and——- an undying love for her mother!!!!
A beautiful story.! I can’t hardly wait for the next installment of this story!
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Thanks for getting back to us about Fadeaway Girl. I’m glad you liked it so much.
David says
I find book reviews much more valuable than movie reviews. So to me, book cover reviews do matter, yes, for authors that I do not know. This goes for e-books particularly. For a print copy of a mystery, I much prefer to pick up the book and look through it. If I want it or don’t want it, whatever the reviews say is irrelevant, because I have already made up my mind.
Also, it matters very much to me who is writing the review, and for what publication.
Thanks for giving us this forum – it’s great!
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Welcome to the site, David!
Andie says
I rarely paid much attention to reviews on the book covers – now even less because most of the books I buy are Kindle e-books, except when a favorite author’s books are not available electronically.
There are certain authors who I think write objective reviews and one is Margaret Maron, whose reviews indicate to me that she has read the book and is familiar with details that are ignored by other reviewers.
It was a review she wrote for one of Donna Andrews’ Turing Hopper books that prompted me to read it and thus discover one who has become a favorite author.
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Andie, I had no idea that some reviewers actually might not have read a book they are reviewing. That certainly makes the covers’ reviews a little iffy… How would one know which of the reviewers actually read the book VS who just wrote “Great new mystery series.”?
I had wondered how so many of today’s authors have their names and reviews on so many other authors’ book covers>>> When do they find the time to read all of the books they review, while writing four books a year?!?
linda says
If a book has a review from one of my favorite authors I will try that book. I love Margret Maron’s books and I too would read any and all books that has a review by her on the back cover!
Donna (Merry Mishaps blog) says
Ruth Rendell – how I would love to be able to write like that! Her books are among the best. I don’t pay much attention to reviews or blurbs, unless it is by an author or reviewer I like. Feedback on sites like Amazon and comments on the Cozy Mystery blog carry more weight, because that’s like getting recommendations from a trusted friend who shares my love for books.
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Donna, isn’t Ruth Rendell terrific?!?
I (too) have found several new authors by reading the comments you all have posted. I agree about reviews from people who have actually read the books. ALTHOUGH>>> I also tend to be swayed by places whose business is reviewing books (like the above places.)…
linda says
Danna, One thing about this blog of yours that I do enjoy is when some of you and those who respond will have me try certain authors again. I have tried reading “Ruth Rendall,” but I cannot get into her books. But I intend to try again just because of the remarks in this forum.
Sometimes I think deciding to read a book depends on the reading mood that I am in. Right now I am in the mood to read books by English authors. This summer I wanted the novels that had the shorelines as settings, especially South Carolina. After Hurricane Katrina I didn’t want to read any more about that horrible time that real people had! Just me!
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Linda, I hope you enjoy Ruth Rendell, but if you don’t, there are plenty other authors out there. I just happen to enjoy her immensely…
And, speaking of moods: Right now I am reading a Monica Ferris Needlecraft Mystery. It is making me miss my needleworking! I haven’t picked up a needle (other than for mending clothes) in months. Yikes!!!
linda says
I am starting a new-to -me author Sharon Owens’ “The Tea House on Mulberry Street.” This novel is set in Ireland and has older people as characters. Really, from the first chapter it looks to me like there might be a mixture of ages. Being in my middle 60’s, these older characters appeal to me. Evidently this is a “Cozy” type book just not a “Cozy Mystery.” But we are having a very rainy stormy Monday morning here in my part of Ohio. What could be more appropriate than an Irish novel on a very rainy day! I had intended to mow grass! Darn!! Now I will have to wait another day! But this is a good day for reading all day long. Oh such is the life! A pot of hot decaf with French Vanilla creamer and a good book; Dogs both sleeping on the couch, hubby still sleeping! Just the kind of day I dreamed of having when I decided to retire!
There is a God in Heaven!
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Linda, I hope you have had a great day!
Julia says
I don’t pay as much attention to the content of the reviews as to the authors of them. And it’s not even that I trust one author more than another – it’s that I don’t think the publisher is going to solicit a review of a Patricia Cornwell novel from, say, Monica Ferris. While the authors themselves may have widely diverse reading habits, the publisher is banking on the buyer to associate the reviewer with the type of book they write (not read). So if I see a review on a book jacket from Patricia Cornwell, I’m probably not as likely to buy it than if it had a review from Monica Ferris, because I think the publisher is trying to tell me about the book from the company it keeps.
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Great point, Julia. You’re probably right about the publisher eliciting reviews from authors who are similar to the type of mystery book they are promoting…
MJ says
Danna:
I don’t read the back covers. However most of the crimes in the books I read occur within the first two chapters anyway. The surprise might be subsequent murders in the storyline.
It is the INTERIOR of a book that I sometimes have a problem with! I didn’t know where to post this strange irony. I thought it was so weird/funny that I wanted to tell you about it.
A couple of days ago I read the ‘Diva Haunts the House’ by Krista Davis. I finished it and then a day or so later went on to read ‘Death in a Difficult Position’ by Diana Killian.
Last night I got to page 120 (Death in a Difficult Position) and it just stopped in the middle of a sentence. The very next page was Chapter 14 of ‘Diva Haunts the House’!!! It went on for about 20 pages. Then ‘Death in a Difficult Position’ started again on page 171. So I missed about 50 pages of that story.
The books have the same release date. I carefully read and compared the title page of each book. Both books are published by Penguin – Berkley Prime Crime. But other than that, the only ‘similarity’ in the books is the ‘interior text design’ is done by Laura Corless.
Hmmm……….did Laura design the text of K. Davis’s book into D. Killian’s book?????????????? What a marketing technique!!
WEIRD!!! AND, how ‘ironic’ that it happened in the subsequent book I read.
Danna - cozy mystery list says
MJ, now that is weird! Very unexpected, but makes your Halloween Diva Haunts the House even more Halloween-ish!