Two things need to be noted up front. (1) I’m a very longstanding jazz fan and (2) I adore quirky novels, which destroy customary formula. There isn’t a maverick Detective Inspector anywhere in this novel. In fact, there are no police officers of any kind. Nonetheless it is thrilling thriller.

*Vinyl* is what LPs looked like before cds and cassettes and streaming. Geek purists cannot believe that anyone could prefer convenience over the excitement of a vinyl record. And they attract flocks of collectors who push up prices to eye-watering levels. The *Vinyl Detective* spends his time hunting through car boot sales, jumble sales, charity shops and second-hand record fairs: and on-line sites. He then sells them on. The story is about a mysterious (lucrative) commission to source an ultra-specific record from an obscure 1950s Californian record label. A record label that produced just 14 records in one year before folding and disappearing into oblivion.

Needless to relate this triggers mayhem in London and LA. A wonderful story based on jazz records and artists. Lots of technical detail, which adds to the geeky joy of the novel. Anyone who loves a really good read will love it. Warmly recommended