Gary Inbinder

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August 2011


Gary Inbinder is a retired attorney who left the practice of law to write full-time. His fiction, articles and essays have appeared in Bewildering Stories, Halfway Down the Stairs, The Absent Willow Review, Morpheus Tales, Touchstone Magazine and other publications. Gary is a member of The Historical Novel Society and Mystery Writers of America. He is also a member of the Bewildering Stories Editorial Review Board. His Inspector Lefebvre series is published by Pegasus Books.

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Popular Answered Questions

Gary Inbinder I've never been totally blocked, but I've been stymied, at times. This is particularly tough when you're almost finished with a novel and don't know h…moreI've never been totally blocked, but I've been stymied, at times. This is particularly tough when you're almost finished with a novel and don't know how to end it. As I recall, Hemingway had something to say about his fear of a blank page. I can understand that fear. The only way I know of to overcome it is to keep writing, even if you think what you're writing is no good. You can always come back later and fix it. Just keep on writing. (less)
Gary Inbinder Thanks for the question, H. I read several books to get an impression of Paris police work in that period, including "The Truth About the Case: The Ex…moreThanks for the question, H. I read several books to get an impression of Paris police work in that period, including "The Truth About the Case: The Experiences of M.F. Goron, Ex Chief of the Paris Detective Police" (1907) and Ashton Wolfe's "The Forgotten Clue," (1930). Ashton Wolfe was a British detective and fiction writer who worked with the Paris detectives in the early twenties. With the exception of some advancements in communications, transportation and forensics, routine procedure in the early 1920s probably hadn't changed much from what it was in the 1890s.

I also drew upon Simenon's "Maigret." Simenon's experience with the Paris police dates from the time he was a young reporter in the twenties. Further, Simenon may have based Maigret on Marcel Guillaume, a detective who began his career around the turn of the century.

Finally, I considered my own experience with the law, since I believe much daily routine work is timeless and universal.

Best,

Gary(less)
Average rating: 3.57 · 870 ratings · 188 reviews · 13 distinct worksSimilar authors
The Devil in Montmartre: A ...

3.34 avg rating — 389 ratings — published 2014 — 12 editions
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The Hanged Man: A Mystery i...

3.49 avg rating — 158 ratings — published 2016 — 7 editions
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The Man Upon the Stair: A M...

3.57 avg rating — 65 ratings — published 2018 — 5 editions
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The Flower to the Painter

4.28 avg rating — 29 ratings — published 2011 — 2 editions
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Confessions of the Creature

4.50 avg rating — 20 ratings — published 2008 — 4 editions
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More books by Gary Inbinder…

Bewildering Stories Annual Review/Two New Novels

Two of my novels, "Chicago Max" and "The Girl on the Rush Street Bridge" are featured in the Bewildering Stories Annual Review/Mariner Awards.

"The Mariner Awards are named for one of the first successful interplanetary missions.
The 69 titles listed — out of 299 for the year — are the ones that the Review Editors have rated most highly in 2024. They have earned Bewildering Stories’ most signal hono Read more of this blog post »
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Published on December 30, 2024 07:19 Tags: detective-novels
The Devil in Montmartre: A ... The Hanged Man: A Mystery i... The Man Upon the Stair: A M...
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3.40 avg rating — 612 ratings

Gary’s Recent Updates

Gary Inbinder and 16 other people liked P.E.'s review of Renoir:
Renoir by Martina Padberg
"Visions of the Desirable Life


La Liseuse (1876)

I have keenly enjoyed reading this new entry in the Place des Victoires series about famous painters. Something I have not stated so far about it: this series adapted from the original Könemann/Koenem" Read more of this review »
Gary Inbinder and 6 other people liked P.E.'s review of Degas:
Degas by Martina Padberg
"Pastel Ballet

[Review in progress]

'Edgar Degas (7/19/1834–9/27/1917) played a special role in the circle of French Impressionists, in fact he participated in almost all the exhibitions of his Impressionist colleagues between 1874 and 1886, although he" Read more of this review »
Bad Movies We Love by Edward Margulies
" H, I too was an MST 3000 fan, but it worked because of the characters and the format. Hard to duplicate that in a book, so I'm not surprised this one ...more "
Bad Movies We Love by Edward Margulies
"Most people who see the movies think of themselves as competent critics and they demonstrate that by the clever or snarky things they can say about a film, its actors or director.

It’s just a short jump from that to selecting movies because you can sa" Read more of this review »
Gary Inbinder and 4 other people liked P.E.'s status update
P.E.
P.E. is on page 21 of 240 of Renoir: 'Renoir's father could barely feed the seven children in the family, which led to his being placed as an apprentice to a porcelain painter when he was just 13 [...].
The crisis of the French porcelain industry led Renoir to turn to painting on canvas. By the middle of the 19th century, the mechanical application of pre-fabricated prints to porcelain had gradually replaced [cost-intensive painting porcelain by hand].'
The Innocents Abroad, Or, the New Pilgrims' Progress by Mark Twain
" Mark Twain's American tourist's fractured French is Monty Python avant la lettre. Imagine John Cleese as an exasperated British tourist trying to comm ...more "
The Innocents Abroad, Or, the New Pilgrims' Progress by Mark Twain
" "The information the ancients didn’t have was very voluminous. " That line is quintessential Mark Twain. :) ...more "
Lexicon of Musical Invective by Nicolas Slonimsky
" Jonathan, my memory is hazy, but I seem to remember one reviewer of Sinfonia Domestica writing something about "What a fuss over giving a baby its bat ...more "
Monet Claude by Martina Padberg
" Have you visited Giverny, P.E.? "
Gary Inbinder wants to read
Feroze by Bertil Falk
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Quotes by Gary Inbinder  (?)
Quotes are added by the Goodreads community and are not verified by Goodreads. (Learn more)

“To say "He was a young fool, and now he's an old fool" is to make a distinction without a difference.”
Gary Inbinder

“Thank heaven for people who are satisfied with facts that conform to the reality they wish to believe.”
Gary Inbinder, Confessions of the Creature

“The great city seemed to weigh upon me, as though it were crushing me under its heap of brick and stone. Gray, drizzly skies, congested streets, the soot-belching boats and barges chugging up and down the Thames, the teeming mass of four millions hastening about the countless activities of daily life in a metropolis, things adventurous, meaningful, spiritual, quotidian, futile, criminal, meaningless and absurd. Amidst this seething stew of humanity, I painted.”
Gary Inbinder, The Flower to the Painter

“The philosophers write about things as they are and as they appear to be, but as an artist I find that appearance is everything.”
Gary Inbinder, The Flower to the Painter

“I have never made but one prayer to God, a very short one: Oh Lord, make my enemies ridiculous. And God granted it."

(Letter to Étienne Noël Damilaville, May 16, 1767)”
Voltaire

“If you're as detached as that, why does the obsolete institution of marriage survive with you?"

Oh, it still has its uses. One couldn't be divorced without it.”
Edith Wharton, The Custom of the Country

“If this was love, love had been overrated.”
Henry James, The Europeans
tags: love

“When I am wicked I am in high spirits.”
Henry James, The Europeans

22454 Historical Fictionistas — 15988 members — last activity 4 hours, 30 min ago
Welcome to Historical Fictionistas! We want to experience all different kinds of HF with all different kinds of people. The more diverse, the better. ...more
19126 The Mystery, Crime, and Thriller Group — 32141 members — last activity 6 minutes ago
“It was a dark and stormy night. Lightning flashed and thunder rolled across the sky. Rain spattered a mysterious, hooded stranger who peered over the ...more
289 Victorians! — 3779 members — last activity Feb 12, 2026 05:46AM
Some of the best books in the world were written and published in Great Britain between 1837 and 1901. What's not to love? Dickens, the Brontes, Co ...more
53412 Historical Info for Historical Fiction Readers — 1563 members — last activity Aug 11, 2022 01:41AM
Information about eras past in different parts of the world. Help for readers who may feel lost in an unfamiliar historical setting, may not understan ...more
37633 Classic Horror Lovers — 1506 members — last activity Sep 12, 2025 07:27AM
Do you like your horror on the aged side? This group is for readers who love older/classic horror stories and books. Generally, horror published befor ...more
83510 Crime Detective Mystery Thriller Group — 2879 members — last activity 8 hours, 44 min ago
This is a book club/group for ALL books about crime, mysteries, and thrillers. From romantic suspense, to pulp fiction, to cozy mysteries, british det ...more
8102 Historical Mystery Lovers — 1565 members — last activity Feb 11, 2026 07:51PM
""Come, Watson, come! The game is afoot." ~Sherlock Holmes (The Adventure of the Abbey Grange) This group is dedicated to the discussion and sharing ...more
26346 History: Actual, Fictional and Legendary — 1203 members — last activity Feb 07, 2026 09:18AM
This group is for anyone whose interest in History goes beyond textbooks. While I enjoy reading books that cover actual events and actual people, I al ...more
3366 Neo-victorian novel — 125 members — last activity Jul 09, 2016 05:11PM
For those who like to read modern novels set in Victorian times
13824 Literary Darkness — 4749 members — last activity 37 minutes ago
This group is dedicated to an appreciation of important works of literature, both classic and contemporary... that happen to fall into the category of ...more
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Comments (showing 1-11)    post a comment »
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message 11: by Gary

Gary Inbinder Glenn wrote: "Hi Gary! I see your novel is nearly at the top of my stack. Since I usually include a pic or two in my review that captures the spirit of the novel, as a Goodreads friend I will extend the courtesy..."

Thanks, Glenn! I'll send you a couple of photos.

Gary


message 10: by Glenn

Glenn Russell Hi Gary! I see your novel is nearly at the top of my stack. Since I usually include a pic or two in my review that captures the spirit of the novel, as a Goodreads friend I will extend the courtesy of asking if you have a favorite photo and/or work of art you would like me to include. I also include an author photo. Likewise, if you have one you would like me to include, please send it along. If so in either or both cases, perhaps the best way is to send me a personal message with a link to the pages.

If you would prefer not to, that's cool, just let me know and I'll do the choosing.

Cheers,
Glenn


message 9: by Gary

Gary Inbinder Glenn wrote: "Hey Gary. Thanks for being such a good Goodreads friend! I do appreciate your stopping by to read and comment on my reviews now and then. Anyway, my local library system has your The Devil in Montm..."

Thanks, Glenn! I've been enjoying your insightful reviews for some time now, and I certainly look forward with interest to your review of The Devil. I've completed the Inspector Lefebvre trilogy and, as I've already stated in a blog post and a self-review of the last of three novels, it's been hard saying good-bye to Achille and his world. However, I'm still writing and, as you said, that's another reason to try and stay healthy! :)

Best,
Gary


message 8: by Glenn

Glenn Russell Hey Gary. Thanks for being such a good Goodreads friend! I do appreciate your stopping by to read and comment on my reviews now and then. Anyway, my local library system has your The Devil in Montmartre. It is on my tbr stack, a very, very large stack. I look forward to reading and reviewing. I'm a complete eccentric and hold to a tight monthly schedule. The Devil will be read and reviewed in the month of July. Gives me yet again another reason to maintain my good health! :)


message 7: by Gary

Gary Inbinder Fionnuala wrote: "Very nice to meet you, Gary."

Nice to meet you, too, Fionnuala. And I noticed you're currently readings James's Wings of the Dove. I look forward to your review. ;)


Fionnuala Very nice to meet you, Gary.


message 5: by Gary

Gary Inbinder Marita wrote: "Thank you for your friend request and your kind comment re my review, Gary.

(Oh, you are friend number 100!)"


You're welcome, Marita. Your review was especially interesting to me because my novel, "The Devil in Montmartre", is set in Paris during the 1889 Universal Exposition.
I look forward to reading more of your reviews!


message 4: by Gary

Gary Inbinder You're welcome, Lauren!


Lauren Gilbert Thank you, Gary! I enjoy reading your posts as well!


message 2: by Gary

Gary Inbinder You're very welcome, Danielle!


 Danielle The Book Huntress Hi Gary. Thanks for the friendvite.


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