A bit of bad judgement in x-mas shopping, and thought I'd give warning in case anyone is tempted to make the same mistakes I did. Briefly, if you find an obscure book by an author who is generally good or at least OK at a bargain price, stop to consider that maybe it is obscure for a good reason.
Mistake 1) Stranger in Paradise - by Robert Parker. Parker always had an oversized streak of misogyny in the Spenser books. But I had not read him in years, and in this one, that streak takes over the book. Man makes Hemingway look like a radical feminist by comparison. And Jesse Stone does not even give good smartass.
Mistake II) No Graves as Yet by Ann Perry. Opener to a WWI timeline series. This one is from 2003, so presumably there are more in the series. This first one seems to be dedicated to showing how much worse Pacifists and Socialists are than murderers. And that sometimes war is the only alternative to dishonor - and oh, BTW, England had to take part in WWI cause otherwise she would have broken her promise to Belgium a stain and dishonor that could never have been wiped away. Cause I guess England never broke any treaties before that. Looks to me like it was written to defend UK entry into the Iraq war.
These were overstocks I got for 50 cents each. So not a tragedy,but some shopping I thought was finished is not. The Ann Perry was a pre-publication review copy personally signed by the author in great condition - inlcuding dust jacket. When an autographed mint condition pre-publication release of a book goes for 50 cents maybe that should have been a clue.
I got eight books total at the 50 cent each price, and hope some of them will prove worthy of giving as gifts.