The Apostrophe Thief

Marian Larch Mysteries #5

by Barbara Paul

New York police officer Marian Larch must find the murderer of a thief who had been stealing personal items from backstage at a Broadway theater

Genres: Mystery, Fiction, Crime, Procedural

247 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1993

About the author

Librarian Note: There is more than one author by this name in the Goodreads database.

Barbara Paul is an American writer of detective stories and science fiction. She was born in Maysville, Kentucky, in 1931 and was educated, inter alia, at Bowling Green State University and the University of Pittsburgh.

A number of her novels feature in-jokes: for example Full Frontal Murder borrows various names from the British TV series Blake's 7.

Reviews

[Edward]

I've found a new writer that I totally love. This police procedural is excellently written and held my interest from start to finish. Now to find the rest of her books. Library, here I come as there's no used-book store even remotely close to me. - E.

[Joanne Pascoe]

I stumbled on this book - haven't read any of the rest of the series. Yes, I'm sure there's backstory that I'm missing, but it didn't feel like a big hole.

Marian Larch is a detective sergeant for NYPD, and she's fed up with her partner and her captain. She's planning to leave the force.

A friend is a lead in a broadway show. She invites Marian to see it. A crime committed in the theatre draws her in on a temporary assignment, and the book takes off from there.

It was nice to read a police procedural that wasn't depressing. Yes, the book was published about 30 years ago (1993). A more optimistic time than today -- a welcome change of pace.

If my "want to read list" weren't so long, I'd look for more of this series. Maybe later??

[Carol]

Unfortunately I read number 6, Fare Play, before reading this book which is number 5. Consequently l knew some of the suspects featured in the later book were not the villain. It is interesting that this book has a theatre background along with usual squad room of good and bad police. I did like Fare Play better.

[Nicholas George]

Paul is good with prose, her protagonist is engaging, and many of the supporting characters are interesting, but this is really a very pallid affair. The murder doesn't occur until more than halfway in, and the resolution seems patched together at the last minute. Meh.

[Mum]

predecticable

[Susan Swansburg]

light mystery.

[Lydia Gates]

Found at a library for free. Not too bad of a "mystery." Would consider reading some of this author.

[Regine]

Solid.

[L B]

Hated the reader. Many mispronounced words.

[Hilly]

3.5 stars.

This series was self-published and needed an editor. That said, I love Curt Holland -- who, in another incarnation, is Blakes 7's Kerr Avon. [And don't I just wish the stories featuring this character had been made into movies with a young Paul Darrow!] Although the stories become more dated as time passes, I have a special fondness for books #4 You Have The Right To Remain Silent , #5 (this book) and #6 Fare Play . I feel obligated to warn you - as I wished someone had warned me! - that Book #7 is inexplicably and unpardonably cruel to Curt, and I hated it for that, so read Full Frontal Murder at your own risk.

Could have been better, but enjoyed it for what it was.

[Kathleen]

I "met" Barbara Paul while participating in an old online bulletin board called GEnie (one of the few victims of Y2K) and read several of her books. They are all well-written with engaging, though not exactly ethical characters who often take the law into their own hands.

The title of this book brings to mind the efforts of Damon Knight (another participant of GEnie) who wanted to get rid of apostrophes entirely. I tend to agree with him because it's used as a possessive instead of a contraction also drives me a little crazy.

[Jane]

Another great police procedural from Barbara Paul. I'm re-reading this series and loving it. I liked the behind-the-scenes insight into the police department and the theater world, I enjoyed Marian's interactions with her actress friend Kelly and her mysterious boyfriend Curt Holland (who "talks in blank verse"), and the plot was a lot of fun. Included in the characters are a set of siblings named Matthew, Mark, Luke ... and Janet.

The Apostrophe Thief is a bit dated but definitely still worth a read if you can get yours hands on it.

[Laura]

This is, I think, the sixth in a 1980s/1990s series centering around Sgt. Marian Larch in the NY PD. I liked it quite a bit. I'm going to go back and hunt up the earlier books in the series. (Amusing that in 1994 there were no cell phones, or at least not in common usage, so Larch frequently had to find a pay phone.)

[Missmath144]

"Good" is all I wrote in my 2005 notes.

[Maddy]

RATING: 3.5

[Toesnorth's mom]

so-so

[Clyde]

good story!!! I'll look up the rest of this series.....

[Kimberlyn]

light mystery.. good storyline

[Ralph]

A very readable mystery set in the world of the theater and touching upon the collectors who define their lives by what memorabilia they can beg, steal or buy. NYPD Detective Sergeant Marian Latch is at her best when investigating a theater robbery and, later, murder, at her worst trying to deal with the politics of the job and the slithering reptiles who sometimes wear captain's bars. The characterization is great for the good, bad and zany individuals she meets, even for the jerk of a boyfriend, whom I could easily have done without. If I have any complaint about the book, it's that the case was wrapped up a bit hurriedly at the end.

[Jack Heath]

Synopsis: Sergeant Larch comes to the aid of a friend to stop someone stealing Broadway theatre memorabilia.