The Vinyl Detective: The Run-Out Groove by Andrew Cartmel: A Bit of a Sophomore Slump, but Still Charmingly Fun

The Run-Out Groove by Andrew Cartmel Series: The Vinyl Detective, #2 Paperback, 398 pg. Titan Books, 2017 Read: August 28-30, 2021 Grab a copy from your local indie bookstore!

N. B.: The Narrator of this series (so far, anyway) is unnamed. I find it tiresome to keep saying “The Narrator” or “our protagonist” (as I did with the last book.). So, I’m just going to call him “VD” from now until Cartmel gives him a name—as unfortunate as those initials may be.

What’s The Run-Out Groove About?

In the late 60s, there was a band of some repute (not all stellar) with a lead vocalist, Valerian, with an otherworldly voice. A lot of self-destructive tendencies, too, but what a voice. As too many things in that era went, Valerian’s lifestyle spiral out of control and she killed herself following the disappearance/kidnapping of her infant child.

In the present time, VD and his girlfriend, Nevada, are approached by a bickering duo. She’s working on a book about Valerian and he’s Valerian’s estranged brother. Given VD”s success with the hunt for the record (as seen in the previous novel), they’ve come to him. But it’s not just music they want VD to find—but the child.

Urban Legend has it that there’s a clue hidden on a 45 released shortly before her death—but only a few were sold and are out there in the world. It’s nearly impossible to find. Well, nearly impossible for people who aren’t VD or his friends. So that’s the jumping-off point—look into the people who remember Valerian, who were in her inner circle, while trying to track down a copy of one of the handful of 45s.

From there things go as you’d predict for a mystery novel—there are threats, some violence, some drugs (although some were ingested willingly), and the uncovering of many secrets.

An Inherently Likeable Series

The appeal to this series comes down to the characters—primarily VD. With him you’ve got a full-on geek, sitting around and indulging his passion and writing about it while drinking expensive gourmet coffee and spending time with his girlfriend and cats. It’s hard to see that as anything but a fantasy for most readers—replace jazz records with books and cats with the superior pet, and that’s my ideal life. Getting paid ridiculous sums to look into something related to—and somewhat involving—your hobby is just icing on the cake.

Because of this, I think there’s an inherently likable quality to this protagonist. He’s living a life that most of us want and seems to be unspoiled by it. Your choices are either to be envious or want to be his friend—and since he seems like such a nice guy, it’s easy to pick “friend” and hang out with him to hear his stories.

A Particular Weakness

“…I’ve got a copy of Graves’s book somewhere. No wait, damn it, I lent it to Clean Head. It was a Penguin edition. That’s why I haven’t got it back. You have to watch that girl. She’s very nice and all that but she will steal your Penguin paperbacks. She has a particular weakness for the Penguin Modern Classics series. It’s a character defect.”

Is that not the coolest supporting character quirk that you’ve ever seen?

Minor Spoiler Alert!…and it’s even exploited for the plot at one point!

So, what did I think about The Run-Out Groove?

I like VD, Nevada and the rest of the gang, the mystery was clever, and the reveal at the end was incredibly satisfying.

But…The Run-Out Groove just never grabbed me the way that Written in Dead Wax did. I don’t know if it’s a problem with me, a defect in the book, or what. (glancing at some other readers’ responses suggests that it’s not just me). I enjoyed the novels and was charmed by it and the characters—and I do plan on giving our Nameless Friend at least one more try. But it was a lesser experience.

Lesser, but not a bad one. I enjoyed the whole thing from cover to cover, I chuckled occasionally and appreciated the challenge of staying a step ahead of VD and Nevada (at least until the final pages) when it comes to sussing out the mystery. It’s a fun read and I do recommend it—but grab the first book in the series to really see the appeal.

And I just dare you to try to get through this novel without heading out to shop for some vinyl—whether or not you own a record player (although it’s more fun if you do).

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