# Anybody here read Robert Tanenbaum (Butch Karp/Marlene Ciampi series)? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** books-writing-myths\ **Created:** [March 13, 2022, 8:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anybody-here-read-robert-tanenbaum-butch-karp-marlene-ciampi-series/960987 "2022-03-13T20:31:07Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 5\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![VOW](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/vow/32/3043_2.png) [@VOW](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VOW)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2022, 8:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anybody-here-read-robert-tanenbaum-butch-karp-marlene-ciampi-series/960987/1 "2022-03-13T20:31:07Z")
I got hooked on this series years and years ago. Then things CHANGED, and not for the better. Robert Tanenbaum lost his ghost writer, and then hired illiterate gremlins to take his place. I still buy all the books. And I like to re-read them, it’s like visiting old friends. But once I hit the later books, I find myself arguing with continuity rather than enjoying the story. Anybody know what happened? ~VOW ---
**Author:** ![Dandan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a87d85/32.png) [@Dandan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dandan)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2022, 10:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anybody-here-read-robert-tanenbaum-butch-karp-marlene-ciampi-series/960987/2 "2022-03-13T22:21:28Z")
Yeah, Tanenbaum broke with his ghost, and BIL, Michael Gruber, so the fun and continuity of the first seventeen (I think…) went away. Not to despair, though; Gruber has gone on to write a bunch of his own works, which, freed from the Butch and Marlene constraints (and don’t get me wrong, I loved those, and reread all of them, the early ones) REALLY took off, and to this day, I consider them nearly the best thing I’ve ever read. Gruber also has a blog, rarely updated, so sad, but worth googling. Dan ---
**Author:** ![GaryM](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/garym/32/241_2.png) [@GaryM](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GaryM)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2022, 11:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anybody-here-read-robert-tanenbaum-butch-karp-marlene-ciampi-series/960987/3 "2022-03-13T23:02:45Z")
> [@Dandan](#): > > the early ones) REALLY took off, and to this day, I consider them nearly the best thing I’ve ever read. I’ve read the Butch series and would like some recommendations on the Michael Gruber titles. ---
**Author:** ![Dandan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a87d85/32.png) [@Dandan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dandan)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2022, 11:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anybody-here-read-robert-tanenbaum-butch-karp-marlene-ciampi-series/960987/4 "2022-03-13T23:46:34Z")
First thing I read was “Tropic of Night”, followed by it’s sequels “Valley of Bones” and “Night of the Jaguar”; I recommend reading them in sequence. “The Book of Air and Shadows” and “The Forgery of Venus” are two standalones, themed on forgery: Shakespeare and Diego Velazquez, but, are they \*really \* forgeries? “The Good Son”, about a nice little private war, up in the 'Stans. He also has some self-published stuff available from Amazon, which, despite the self-published descriptor, is equally terrific; I’ve read 'em all. Except “The Witch’s Boy”, can’t vouch for that - something I’ll have to correct, and soon. Check out his blog: [Blog — Michael Gruber](https://michaelgruberbooks.com/blog) Dan ---
**Author:** ![GaryM](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/garym/32/241_2.png) [@GaryM](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GaryM)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2022, 12:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anybody-here-read-robert-tanenbaum-butch-karp-marlene-ciampi-series/960987/5 "2022-03-14T00:40:33Z")
> [@Dandan](#): > > Tropic of Night Thanks, I ordered this one and will read it first.