This is an update from about two years ago when TRM blog reported how to assess the popularity of books and other touristy material left in our units. It is obviously simple really. If they are irresistible, they go missing. That pattern has continued. On this last weekend it was even preferred to watching cars speeding in the wet conditions at Taupo. It is now 3 years since the book was published with many reprints since to keep up with the continuing demand. But we have to confess that some of this demand has been just to replace books that disappeared. This problem was last reported in June 2022- see following:
Tongariro Skulduggery is more popular than Jack Reacher!
Crime report in Turangi…
It is not difficult to gauge the popularity of TRM’s (Tongariro River Motel) book – “TONGARIRO Skulduggery“. Elsewhere, usually, sales volumes would be the obvious indication. But when a book is privately published by the author and only available at a quaint little family motel in Turangi, then sales volumes may not be the only true indicator… Other competing best-selling books also enjoy the benefit of international publishers who promote them more effectively, whilst the only publicity TRM can afford is this blog you are reading. Not quite the same…
Now I think we have stumbled across the best determinate of all. In all TRM units are a wide selection of books available to inmates for wet days when they cannot venture out on the Tongariro River – like during last weekend’s rain. More trout fishing books are available at reception. There is a wide selection of titles and authors but only one book suffers – it gets pinched. You can guess which one!
Finally, we think we have identified the problem. The weary fishos start reading it and cannot leave it without solving the plot, so they take it with them. We have proof of this. Recently Unit 7 book went missing so we replaced it. Scrawled across the cover in indelible ink we wrote “UNIT 7”. Then the original inmate returned looking a bit sheapish to say what a great read it was but he couldn’t put it down… But at least he bought the original complete with the scrawl on the cover.
This last weekend alone we “lost” two copies from Units 10 and 4. We know, as the books are deliberately left prominently displayed on the tables beside the TV remotes. The culprits know who they are. In the meantime, Jack Reacher and many other top-selling authors are ignored… They never pinch their books as they can be bought anywhere.
I suppose it is a good recommendation for the “mockumentary” as there are heaps of interesting books written about the Tongariro river fishing but this is the only tale about Turangi. But is also a bit sad as the book was published privately to raise funds for improvements to the Tongariro River Trail – such as if/when the DOC and the council allow us to erect tourist information panels to explain the history of the names of the famous pools.
The only other author whose books went missing regularly was John Grisham, so his novels have been removed from the units as well. A few years ago we displayed a full range of fishing brochures from Fish & Game but they suffered the same fate and quickly disappeared. We understand that, but our book is in a different “collector’s item” category. Please note the last print run is almost all gone, so if you want to invest in a copy, we can add the price ($39) to the room rate so she will never know… Or you could always pay cash?
