Under the Covers with Margery Allingham

Today's Under the Cover post is a reminder to myself to read the book whose covers I'll be examining. I can't remember which author event it was, but Barbara Peters told us that one of her all-time favorite mysteries was Margery Allingham's The Tiger in the Smoke, partly because the setting in itself is such a strong and memorable character. I've seen a couple of British television mysteries that deal a bit with those notorious London "pea soupers" of the post-World War II time period. (What's a pea souper? One definition is: "Pea soup, or a pea souper, also known as a black fog, killer fog or smog is a very thick and often yellowish, greenish, or blackish fog caused by air pollution that contains soot particulates and the poisonous gas sulphur dioxide.") This fog could quite literally kill you, and when a talented writer like Margery Allingham adds a murderer to the landscape, it should make for a chilling mystery. 

Let's take a look at some covers that have been given to this book over the years. I'm starting with the cover of the edition I have sitting on my to-be-read shelves. Not because I like it, but because it's so... bland.

1.  Felony & Mayhem, US. Blah!

2.  1975 Penguin edition. Why did they use a photo of an old rug?

3.  Agora Books, UK. Not enough pea soup to suit me.

4.  Australia. Meh.

5.  Avalon Publishing, US. Too generic.

6.  Carroll & Graf, US. Better. At least someone's creeping around in the fog.

7.  Dell, US. I like this one. It looks like all the maniacs have escaped Arkham Asylum. (Check out the price!)

8.  Macmillan Collector's Library, UK. Not bad. You can see the fog thickening, and that woman just standing there makes me nervous.

9.  Penguin, probably from the 1970s. My #2 favorite-- a knife flashing in a stylized thick fog. Yikes!

10.  Pretty, but I don't think it represents the tone of the book, Westerner that I am.

11.  US paperback. (Check out the price!) Probably from the 1960s because it reminds me of book covers I saw after movies like "Psycho" and "The Boston Strangler" were released.

12.  Penguin back when this cost 2 shillings sixpence. My #1 favorite. Thick fog. A dark figure creeping through the streets of London... and look at the shadow he projects!

Book covers can be very representative of their times, can't they-- Like #11 which screamed 1960s to me. You can tell by my captions that I thought #1 the worst and #9 and 12 were the best. What about you? Which cover(s) strike your fancy? Or... do none of them float your boat? Inquiring minds would love to know!

And a quick note before I leave: someone believes that this book was the inspiration for J.K. Rowling choosing the name Voldemort for her evil wizard. Interesting, eh?

Under the Covers with Minette Walters

Today, I thought I would take a look at several covers of one of Minette Walters' mysteries, The Scold's Bridle, but first I have to tell you an anecdote that I find a bit funny now.

I remember seeing this book in a bookshop when it was first released. With the word "bridle" in the title, I thought it might be a mystery that had something to do with horses. When I read the synopsis, I could see that it didn't have a thing to do with my second favorite four-legged critter and put it back on the shelf. But that title stuck in my mind, and I looked up the definition of "scold's bridle" when I got home. (This was pre-computer, so I looked it up the old-fashioned way.)

A scold's bridle was an instrument of punishment, as a form of torture and public humiliation. The device was an iron muzzle in an iron framework that enclosed the head. A bridle-bit (or curb-plate), about 2 inches long and 1 inch broad, projected into the mouth and pressed down on top of the tongue.

Naturally, this form of punishment was for women, because-- heaven knows-- men never gossip, grumble, or complain. When I discovered what the item was, it made me so mad that I never wanted to read Walters' book, even though it was an award winner. As you can see, I never overreact! *cough* Will I read it now? It's possible, but with the current state of my to-be-read shelves, it's unlikely. You want to know something else? The idea of a scold's bridle still makes steam pour out of my ears... but I digress. Let's take a look at some of the covers that were devised for this book with the interesting title.

UK. Looks like a Halloween cover to me!

US. The bridle must be in the tub...

UK. Creepy! Looks like it's hanging on the wall of the dungeon.

UK. Audio Cassette cover.

Australia.

Australia.

UK.

UK.

US.

US.

Now... as your eyes rambled down the row of book covers, did you notice anything in particular? (Besides the fact that none of them are particularly pretty.) I have a feeling that some of you saw the same thing I did: the covers for The Scold's Bridle editions published in the US and Australia have nary a bridle on 'em, while every single one of the UK covers does.

What does this mean? I would imagine it all boils down to ignorance. Although I think the Puritans made use of the things, most Americans aren't going to have a clue what a scold's bridle is, and from the looks of things, publishers didn't think the Australians would either. I'm not sure what this says about the British!

Which covers do you prefer-- with bridle, or without? Or neither one? Inquiring minds would love to know!

Under the Covers with Kate Morton

It's been a while since I've taken a look at any book covers, so I thought I'd rectify the situation. A couple of weeks ago, I told you that I was looking forward to the release of Kate Morton's The Clockmaker's Daughter. Lo and behold, I've come across three covers for the book, so let's take a look at them right now!

Morton is a native of Australia, so I thought I'd show the Australian cover first. I like it a lot. I like the combination of colors, the flowers, and the inner workings of a clock. About the only thing that I don't care for is the font the author's name is in. I would choose a different one.






















Next up is the UK cover which I do not care for at all. I'm not a huge fan of women's lit; I haven't been since I was a teenager, and I think the floral theme screams that there's a soap opera-type plot concealed within. If I didn't know anything about the books Morton has written, I would walk right on by this one in the library or the bookshop.



















In many ways, this is my favorite of the three covers. The colors, the clock face, the fonts... I think they all combine to make a striking cover that would catch my eye and persuade me to pick it up.

It's probably a good time to come clean here. You see, my grandfather had a large collection of antique clocks, and I think that's why this particular cover appeals to me so much.


Now it's your turn! Which cover do you prefer? Australia? UK? USA? Inquiring minds would love to know!

Under the Covers with Stephen King

I'm undoubtedly one of thousands of people who've had some interesting experiences with Stephen King under the covers. Under the covers with one of his books, that is!

I was in college when 'Salem's Lot came out. I was living in a basement apartment, and it took some getting used to looking out and only seeing feet and ankles. My bed was right underneath a window, and-- as is still my want-- I was huddled under the covers in the wee hours of the morning, reading 'Salem's Lot by the bright narrow beam of a high-intensity desk lamp. Right when I got to the part where the little boy's friend (who is now a vampire) is scratching at his window hoping to be let in for a "midnight snack," something started scratching at the window right above my head. Lord 'a' mercy, I swear my heart skipped a half-dozen beats!

I turned out the light and sat with my back against the wall, waiting. More scratching. More arrhythmia. After the third bout of window scratching, I thought to myself that I could either sit there like a twit and die of fright or find out what was out there. I slowly got up to a kneeling position and even more slowly moved the curtains aside a tiny bit to see the gleaming eyes and white fangs of a huge black dog. More arrhythmia... but I calmed down almost immediately because I knew what was out there. However, I did not realize that I'd just been given a preview of Cujo!

But I have digressed greatly. Today I'd like to take a look at a few of the covers of one of King's mysteries: Mr. Mercedes. The covers are from the USA, the UK, Germany, Poland, Russia, and Spain. Let's take a look!

UK, paperback

US, hardcover

US, paperback

Germany, paperback

Poland, paperback

Russia, hardcover

Spain, paperback

These covers make me think that King (or his publishers) are working together as a team. How many times have you looked at a cover and wondered what in the world it had to do with the book you just read? It's happened to me a lot. But not here. All these covers showcase elements of the book. You can see that blue umbrella or those bloody tire tracks and easily remember scenes from the book.

Germany and Russia seem to be the two countries that have covers that stay true to the book without being copies of all the others, and although the Russian cover gives me the chills, it looks too much like the cover of a thriller.

Which are my favorite covers of the ones I've shared? The US paperback and the German paperback. How about you? Which of these covers do you prefer? Inquiring minds would love to know!

Under the Covers with Colin Cotterill

I have no memory of what I was researching. All I do remember is that it was during the wee hours of the morning, and I was looking at a page with all sorts of covers for the first book in one of my favorite series: Colin Cotterill's Dr. Siri Paiboun mysteries set during the late 1970s in Communist Laos.

Dr. Siri is in his late seventies, and he's the national coroner of Laos. In fact, he's the only coroner in the country and he has to make do with only two assistants and very little (and antiquated) equipment. When Dr. Siri was young, he was a firebrand who fought with the Communists in their takeover of Laos. Now many years have passed and he's had a chance to see what Communism has wrought in his country.

Cotterill has embued his main character with such a wonderful blend of wisdom, integrity, compassion, and sly humor that I, quite frankly, adore Dr. Siri. I'd hate to contemplate missing the chance to read each new book as it's published. So... you can undoubtedly see why I was transfixed by the sight of all those covers of the book that started it all. These covers are for hardcovers, paperbacks, and audiobooks, and they're from the USA, the UK, and Australia. Let's look at each different take on the very same book, shall we? Which cover does the best job of selling?

1. Australia, CD-Audio

2. UK, Audio Cassette

3. USA, paperback

4. USA, paperback, large print

5. UK, paperback reissue

6. UK, paperback

7. UK paperback, reissue

8. Australia, paperback

Which (if any) cover do you prefer?  The building on #4 fascinates me; I know I'd pick that one off the shelf to take a look. I like the colors of #6, and I like the subtlety of #7. That's the typical cap Communists wear in Asia. Well, at least in shape it is, but the flowers certainly give the impression that the wearer isn't a typical Communist, and readers learn very quickly that Dr. Siri is anything but typical.

Are there any fellow Dr. Siri fans reading this post? I hope so!