Neil Cowan is a happily married indie real estate broker and father of a five-year-old daughter. Emmaline Royal is the wife of one of the biggest operators on the western coast of Florida. She’s also the most beautiful woman Cowan has ever laid eyes on. When they meet over a real estate deal with her husband, she’s as stricken by Cowan as he is of her. Infidelity ensues.
Burgess delivers a riveting murder mystery that’s only waylaid for the novel’s three shag scenes. Great cast of flawed characters that includes a (refreshingly) competent police force whose number one murder suspect is Neil Cowan. Of course, Cowan lies and withholds evidence during their investigation, yet his actions seem reasonably rational, not simply convenient to the plot. A 5-star read, highly recommended, especially for fans of 1960s crime books.
Long out of print, Stealing Through Life is the perfect complement to the earlier Staccato reprint, Grimhaven by Robert Joyce Tasker. Tasker and Booth were both inmates in San Quentin and became friends through Tasker’s writing group. They agreed Tasker would write about life inside, and Booth about the criminal life outside. As good as Grimhaven is, Booth’s detailed account of his criminal life deserves as much, or even more, praise.
First off, Booth can write. His early fascination with reading paid off later with his fluency and skill when expressing himself in prose. He freely shares his feeling and emotions regarding his partners in crime, victims, bystanders, and the events of his life.
He either has an exceptional memory or he’s taken a conman’s flair for artistic license as he traces his life of crime from its earliest beginnings as a teen into adulthood, culminating in his memoir’s climactic event; a bank robbery he commits with a number of accomplices.
Most of the book is a first-person account, but occasionally Booth lapses into a sort of trance and describes his actions as if he’s viewing himself from afar. It’s this strange perception of the world that provides a possible explanation as to how he’s able to do what he does without guilt or regret. His humanity does show through at times, but he often comes off as callous and unrepentant.
He travels around the country throughout his story—either to elude authorities or to break into fresh territory. His detailed references about his locations, and his use of jazz-era jargon, enhance the realism of his narrative.
It is quite likely he’s an unreliable narrator. Like everyone else, he’s the hero of his own story, so his perception and prowess are likely stilted, but he does an excellent job selling his version of events.
True crime fans will relish this candid look into a criminal mind and its methods.
Bill Kelly’s introduction reveals that William H. Duhart wrote only two novels and a handful of short stories during his brief, impressive career as a crime fiction writer. This is a reprint of the first, originally published as Gold Medal 805 in 1958.
Although Duhart was Black, his protagonist, Tank Tabor, is White; it’s likely he had to be to sell the novel back in the late 1950s. Nevertheless, he include a sidekick of sorts, Jock Adams, a former black inmate, who Tabor met in stir. Jock is savvy, honest, and somewhat of an unsung hero without whose help Tabor probably wouldn’t have had as much success as he finally manages to squeeze out of the constricting circumstances he funnels himself into.
Tabor works for kingpin Arky Calahan who runs just about every criminal enterprise in Milwaukee. Calahan gives Tabor a few hours to dissuade his PI brother, Bill Tabor, to drop his investigation into the murder of a reporter who purportedly has damning evidence against Calahan. If Tank doesn’t get the job done quick, Bill is headed for the morgue.
Duhart weaves an intricate tale of tension, high-stakes gambles, and pounding action. His writing is crisp, delivered in a luscious, hardboiled rhythm that defines the time and place of the setting. Black Gat 41 is a prime opportunity to (re)discover a lost writer and a lost original crime classic. A perfect pay-off of the BG series charter.
Available for pre-order now. Due out in December 2022.
This is the second novel by Harold R. Daniels, after his Edgar-nominated first novel, In His Blood (1955). The Black Gat reprint includes an introduction by George Kelley, slightly updated from its original appearance in The Mystery Fancier (Jul/Aug 1979). Kelley presents a succinct synopsis of each of Daniels’ crime books along with commentary on the writer’s growth.
The novel follows Georgia Sheriff Ed Masters’ investigation into the death of a Jane Doe discovered nearly naked in a remote area. The striking girl of the cover never appears alive in the story. Daniels delivers an engaging murder mystery, with tight plotting, believable characters, and solid writing. If there is any fault in the novel, it’s Daniels’ fastidious attention to detail. It’s all well done, but he could’ve left out some of the procedure and allowed the story to move at a slightly faster pace. Fortunately, the book overcomes this minor flaw with its numerous strengths and I hope Stark House/Black Gat will see fit to revisit the author’s other novels.
Sheriff Masters is the senior lawman you expect him to be—experienced, smart, and savvy, but what sets him apart from the pack is his ability to see the person he’s with. He adjusts his interviews/interactions based on the person he’s questioning. This nuance gives the character real depth.
Fans of classic crime fiction and paperback collectors will not want to miss Black Gat 40: The Girl in 304. Available for pre-order now.
May Digests Fantasy & Science Fiction May/June 2020 Contents Page Tom Cool and Bruce Sterling “Hornet and Butterfly” Leah Cypess “Stepsister” Ray Nayler “Eyes of the Forest” Jane Yolen “Mab’s Wedding” (verse) Charles de Lint: Books to Look For —Carbon by Andrew Vachas —In Restless Dreams by Wren Handman —Comics Will Break Your Heart by Faith Erin Hicks —Well of Magic by BR Kingsolver —Stray Bats by Margo Lanagan and Kathleen Jennings James Sallis’ Books —Sooner or Later Everything Falls into the Sea by Sarah Pinsker —All Worlds are Real by Susan Palwick —Meet Me in the Future by Kameron Hurley Paul Di Filippo’s Plumage from Pegasus: Faster, Publisher! Binge! Binge! Holly Messinger “Byzantine” Rich Larson “Warm Math” Joseph Bruchac “An Indian Love Call” Rebecca Zahabi “Birds Without Wings” Mary Soon Lee “First Contact” (verse) Marc Laidlaw’s Games —Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice —A Plague Tale: Innocence Karin Lowachee’s Films: The Disease of Class Divisions Jerry Oltion’s Science: Starlink, Star Junk F&SF Competition No. 99 “Ignorance is Bliss” F&SF Competition No. 100 “The Lowest Form of Humor” Richard Bowes “In the Eyes of Jack Saul” Robert Reed “Who Carries the World” M. Rickert “Another F*cken Fairy Tale” Coming Attractions F&SF Market Place Paul Di Filippo’s Curiosities: Hackenfeller’s Ape by Brigid Brophy
Fantasy & Science Fiction Vol. 138 No. 5 and 6, No. 749, May/June 2020 Publisher: Gordon Van Gelder Editor: C.C. Finlay Assistant Publishers: Barbara J. Norton, Keith Kahla Assistant Editors: Robin O’Connor, Stephen L. Mazur, Lisa Rogers Contests Editor: Carol Pinchefsky Cover: Maurizio Manzieri “Who Carries the World” Cartoons: Kendra Allenby, Bill Long, Arthur Masear 258 pages, $8.99 on newsstands until July 6, 2020 Fantasy & Science Fiction website
The Dark City April 2020 Contents Page James Blakey “How to Become a Successful 21st Century Cybercriminal (In Five Easy Steps)” Nicky Johnson “The Darkest of Games” Michael Chandos “The Happy Ending” Roger Leatherwood “Green is the Only Color” Stef Donati “Only a Mother”
The Dark City Crime and Mystery Magazine Vol. 5 No. 3 April 2020 Editor & Publisher: Steve Oliver Contributing Editors: Barbara Curtis, Darin Krogh 5.5” x 8.5” 120 pages $6.99 The Dark City Mystery Magazine website
Rick Wilber and Brad Aiken on “Ithaca” from Asimov’s May/Jun 2020 at From Earth to the Stars.
TDE Advertiser Spotlight Fans of nail-biting, genre fiction and reference works about same, should sign up for Stark House Press’s newsletter and browse the Stark House Press website. Check out their $5 warehouse sale now, bargain abound.
Readin’ and Writin’ Paul D. Marks (TDE11 interview) writes about the L.A. locations in his new novel The Blues Don’t Care at SleuthSayers.
Chris Rhatigan offers One Approach to Writing Short Stories at Do Some Damage. (Thanks, David Nemeth.)
Read the Hard Case Crime edition of Top of the Heap by Erle Stanley Gardner this week. Originally written as by A.A. Fair in 1952, this is No. 13 of his Donald Lam/Bertha Cool series. Lam somehow manages a driving narrative while methodically untangling an intricate plot. Fortunately, the weakest link, his partner Cool, intended to add comic relief, is a minor part of the action. Beginning, middle, and end, a fully satisfying murder mystery. More about Lam and Cool at Thrilling Detective.
Artist Ran Scott delivered four illustrations this week, which were added to the latest rev of Pulp Modern Vol. 2 No. 5. Booked (InDesign function) all of the individual articles for The Digest Enthusiast No. 12 and created the first digital proof. Laid out its cover that features an illustration Tony Gleeson painted on spec for Sol Cohen for Amazing Science Fiction back in the mid-1970s. Rick McCollum completed the art for Rick Ollerman’s story. Sent ads to Switchblade and EconoClash Review for PM5 and TDE12—and another one for TDE12 for The Pulpster. A productive week for Larque Press.
Vintage Crime Digest The Saint Detective Magazine Oct.-Nov. 1953 Contents Page Leslie Charteris “The Spanish Cow” Octavus Roy Cohen “Let Me Kill You Sweetheart” Clarence Budington Kelland “Case of the Rival Familiars” William Campbell Gault “Sweet Rolls and Murder” Arthur Conan Doyle “The Professor Had a Key” Morris Cooper “A Murder of No Importance” Edgar Wallace “The Magic of Fear” Rufus King “The Wreath From the Sky” Cornell Woolrich “It Had to Be Murder” Hayden Howard “Murder on San Afet” Ben Hecht “The Doting Burglar”
The Saint Detective Magazine Vol. 1 No. 4 Oct.-Nov. 1953 President: H.L. Herbert Publisher: Leo Margulies Editor: Sam Merwin, Jr. Supervising Editor: Leslie Charteris 192 pages, cover price 50¢
Rick Ollerman’sHardboiled, Noir and Gold Medals collects many of his essays from the collected works of paperback original authors, published by Stark House Press. Below is an excerpt from his interview in The Digest Enthusiast No. 7 in which he describes his approach to research for his essays:
“Whenever I write an essay, I always want to find something new to say about either that writer or their work, maybe both.
“It’s not always easy to know what that something new is going to be before I start researching and taking notes for the essay. In fact, it’s usually not. Sometimes I have an idea what it could be, and sometimes it even works out, but often not. Very often in the case of some of the paperback original guys, no one seems to have written down much about them, and reading is my primary form of research.”
Vince Nowell, Sr. charts Ray Palmer’s digest dynasty from 1948 to 1958, followed by the bibliography of S.J. Byrne, one of Palmer’s go-to SF storytellers.
Neil Cowan is a happily married indie real estate broker and father of a five-year-old daughter. Emmaline Royal is the wife of one of the biggest operators on the western coast of Florida. She’s also the most beautiful woman Cowan has ever laid eyes on. When they meet over a real estate deal with her husband, she’s as stricken by Cowan as he is of her. Infidelity ensues.
