Secondhand Bookshops – Three – Afzal Ansari of Matunga, Mumbai … and the 6 books I bought from him …

The Sunday we last met (the day which set off this Macd(D)onald frenzy in me…), Vinod also told me about a second-hand bookseller in Mumbai, with whom he had placed an order for Ross Macdonald novels … I couldn’t gather the name then … I asked him again after I came home and he told me that it is one Mr Afzal Ansari who sells secondhand books in Matunga, Mumbai … Vinod gave me Mr Ansari’s number and told me to send him a text message with my email … once Mr Ansari receives my message, he would then send me his list of books as attachment … I then see what I want and send him a mail with my requirements … he sends the books across …

I wanted to find out more about Mr Ansari and while browsing for information, I found this article … http://www.thealternative.in/lifestyle/afzal-matungas-bestselling-bookselling-secret/ … 

This article reveals quite a lot about Mr Ansari’s passion for books and commitment towards his customers … this article also gives a link to his book lists, and also his phone number … the book lists could be dated and so it is always better to send him a message and wait for him to send the lists to your mail box … Mr Ansari’s phone number is 09967960583 …

I sent a text message to Mr Ansari immediately, and by evening he had sent me a mail with an attachment that contained three lists of books … I went through the lists eagerly to see if any Ross Macdonald novels were still left … I found two and sent my request … he wrote back saying that the books I saw had already been booked by Vinod, and he sent me a list of 5 books, of which 2 each were by Ross and John D., respectively and one by Jonathan Ross … out of these, I already had one John D. novel and told him that I’d glad to have the other four in the list … then there was some toing and froing of mails to decide what was the best way to send the books across … I didn’t want a VPP or COD method, and we finally decided to rely on our good old India Post …

A couple of days later, I received a text message asking me if I would be interested in 2 books by John Dickson Carr … I hadn’t read any books by Carr, and didn’t know about the author either, but no harm in trying a new writer … I was anyway trying out Ross Macdonald and John D. MacDonald …

These 6 books were packed and sent through India Post and I received them on Friday (7 Aug 15) … the books were packed well and the package looked safe and sturdy …

I enjoyed this interaction and made a new book-friend in Mumbai … and received 6 books in really good condition … thanks Mr Ansari, but yeh dil maange more … aah yes, these are the 6 books … most importantly, two Lew Archer novels by Ross Macdonald, The Wycherly Woman and The Blue Hammer ... John MacDonald's A Deadly Shade of Gold ... John Dickson Carr's The Mad Hatter Mystery and The Curse of the Bronze Lamp ... and Jonathan Ross' A Rattling of Old Bones ...