TWO COMPLETE NOVELS, PUBLISHED IN THE CLASSIC BACK-TO-BACK "DOUBLE" FORMAT!
SHOOTING STAR: A famous movie star found dead on the set of his late...
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reviews
Dec 15, 2011
Dan
rated it: 
Spiderweb:
Loser wannabee actor Eddie Haines falls in with a blackmailing ring led by the sinister Professor. But when Eddie falls for one of the Professor's targets, he has to get out any way he can...
The first of the short novels in this collection was pretty good. Eddie's slide into life as a con man was well done, as was his romance with Ellen. The Professor and Dr. Sylvestro were suitably chilling yet still plausible. When Eddie decides to get out, his uphill climb was More...
Loser wannabee actor Eddie Haines falls in with a blackmailing ring led by the sinister Professor. But when Eddie falls for one of the Professor's targets, he has to get out any way he can...
The first of the short novels in this collection was pretty good. Eddie's slide into life as a con man was well done, as was his romance with Ellen. The Professor and Dr. Sylvestro were suitably chilling yet still plausible. When Eddie decides to get out, his uphill climb was More...
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(21 people liked it)
Apr 27, 2008
Andy
rated it: 
"Spiderweb" reads like a poor man's "Nightmare Alley" : a showbiz never-was gets groomed to play psychic to neurotic rich folks all too eager to part with their money. The story didn't have anything special about it.
"Shooting Star" was like an old detective show from the Sixties (when this was written) complete with drunken movie starlets and murdering agents in the Hollywood Hills. Again, nothing distinctive about this either. Robert Bloch has written some go More...
"Shooting Star" was like an old detective show from the Sixties (when this was written) complete with drunken movie starlets and murdering agents in the Hollywood Hills. Again, nothing distinctive about this either. Robert Bloch has written some go More...
May 16, 2009
David
rated it:
On a micro level, highly skilled. Robert Bloch has writerly chops to spare, and I enjoyed almost every page of these novels. But on a macro level, completely forgettable. The protagonist of Shooting Star is Mark Clayburn, a small-time literary agent who, because he works in the true-crime field, also has a private investigator's license. This combination has interesting possibilities, but they go untapped. The literary agent fades mostly from view; the private investigator takes center stag
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Apr 28, 2008
Susanne
rated it: 
Shooting Star has as its hero a one-eyed man who is both a LITERARY AGENT and PI. You've just got to give 5 stars to that combination. :)
I thought both stories were very entertaining.
I thought both stories were very entertaining.
Mar 11, 2011
Josh
rated it:
Two novels by the author of Psycho, both set in Hollywood - one about a quasi one eyed private eye, the other about a man seeking dreams of stardom but ultimately ends up involved in a blackmail scheme.
The first of these novels 'Shooting Star' is about Mark Clayburn, small time literary agent and private eye, brought in by a friend in the film industry to investigate the murder of one of the stars of his recently acquired motion pictures. Shooting Star started well and quickly introdu More...
The first of these novels 'Shooting Star' is about Mark Clayburn, small time literary agent and private eye, brought in by a friend in the film industry to investigate the murder of one of the stars of his recently acquired motion pictures. Shooting Star started well and quickly introdu More...
Oct 31, 2008
Karen
rated it:
I read only the Spiderweb half of this double-feature, but it was good pulpy fun. In places it even gets a little arty, particularly when the protagonist goes to the beach at Santa Monica, and is completely alienated by the scene. The description of the crowd lands somewhere between Nathaniel West, R. Crumb and Hieronymus Bosch. So, you know, icky.
I love the many ways guns are described in books like this. "They were in the doorway now... Both of them had convincing arguments po More...
I love the many ways guns are described in books like this. "They were in the doorway now... Both of them had convincing arguments po More...
May 24, 2008
Cullen
rated it:
This double-sided novel concept is so great it made me nostalgic for something I am too young to ever have experienced! And for Robert Bloch it is great because both novels show a very different side to him. Shooting Star is more of a hardboiled detective yarn, and a pretty good one at that. Nothing too original or new, but the plot moves fairly quickly which makes up for any lack of originality. The climax seems very Spillane inspired. Spiderweb is a very different sort of novel, it is much mor
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Sep 18, 2009
Dissident Books
rated it: 
A great package! I knew nothing about Robert Bloch when I picked up this book at the library. I selected it largely because of my experiences with other Hard Case titles. Bloch was the author of "Psycho" and the youngest within H. P. Lovecraft’s circle.
For more of my review, click on http://dissidentbooks.com/blog/?p=156
For more of my review, click on http://dissidentbooks.com/blog/?p=156
Nov 23, 2008
Ian
rated it:
Shooting Star is what I've read so far. He's the author of Psycho which Hitchkok made into the movie.
Interesting view of grass as addictive and psychosis inducing. Saw it coming though.
I've read Spiderweb now too. It is also good in a B movie sort of way. Again, Hollywood, but here con artists, ex-Nazi psychos etc. Fun.
Interesting view of grass as addictive and psychosis inducing. Saw it coming though.
I've read Spiderweb now too. It is also good in a B movie sort of way. Again, Hollywood, but here con artists, ex-Nazi psychos etc. Fun.
Jul 23, 2008
Martin
rated it:
Master of psychological horror. I think that's what King (Steven) called him. These are not horror, but the psychology is sure there, but not to a fault.
Shooting star has a one eyed detective (see cover!) investigating some hollywood murderings and . . . let's just say there's some 'grass' involved.
Fun stuff.
Spiderweb is also set in Hollywood, involves con artistry, a manipulative german, some psychology and a hot actress.
They're both pretty entertaining and contain a h More...
Shooting star has a one eyed detective (see cover!) investigating some hollywood murderings and . . . let's just say there's some 'grass' involved.
Fun stuff.
Spiderweb is also set in Hollywood, involves con artistry, a manipulative german, some psychology and a hot actress.
They're both pretty entertaining and contain a h More...
Jul 05, 2008
King Dinösaur
rated it:
Nicely packaged double-novel from Robert Bloch, creator of "Psycho". Tip o' the hat to Hard Case for making these hard-to-find out-of-print mysteries available again. This is the first "hardboiled" story I've read by Mr. Bloch and he does a great job within the genre.
Mar 31, 2008
Just arrived a few days ago. Haven't even had a chance to crack it open. Christ! Too many books.
Jan 25, 2010
Five
rated it:
Spiderweb - 4 Stars
Shooting Star - 3 stars (a reefer madness thriller!)
Shooting Star - 3 stars (a reefer madness thriller!)
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