It took me a while to remember where I got this book. Slightly battered, it was clearly second-hand... was it from a friend, a family member's library? Aha! The Barely Bruised Book Club! I suddenly had a flash of myself a couple of years ago on all fours reaching from behind several mysteries for one of my favourite Grand Dames of Crime (count Agatha Christie, Dorothy Sayers and P. D. James as the others). I've always had a soft spot for used bookstores, but BBB is by far my favourite.
The Barely Bruised Book Club appeared not too long ago, probably around 2017, in one of the weirdest constructions Ottawa has to offer: a precarious building with the green roof of a Chinese pagoda in the middle of a residential area. I don't know its story but I was delighted to have an excuse to climb the rickety stairs to this new bookstore. Scott, the owner, was just settling in with Milo, the cat and other owner. He immediately welcomed me with the offer of a tea or coffee and gave me a grand tour of his humble store. Books were stacked to the rafters, tucked in corners, lined up along a leaning solarium... it was a book lover's paradise. Scott asked me to call him if I wanted a book from any the book towers and left me to browse, peruse finds on the shabby sofa or admire the artwork from local painters. This place had all the charm I could hope for, from the mahogany staircase to the wide selection of genres and styles. Needless to say, I left with an armful of books.
The store has since moved a block to a slightly less picturesque but probably much safer location. Barely Bruised Books still has plenty to offer: it has one of the best indigenous selections in town (if not Canada), it has grown its catalogue of books in French, it boasts a unique collection of esotericism, and it offers a plethora of titles on pretty much anything. The store is in a lovely old apartment over one of Ottawa's fine coffee shops, The Happy Goat. Milo is still managing the store and Scott's engagement in the community is inspiring, including his generous free library for children's books. I enjoy going there as much as I did before.
Going Wrong did not disappoint. Not only was it a clever psychological thriller but it had Rendell's signature ability of being able to compound small incidents into unmanageable situations. Her clear, crisp style is always enjoyable, and I was hooked from the beginning as I followed Guy on his descent to madness.
My book review is on LibraryThing under the handle Cecilturtle.
