Jeffrey L. Blehar's Blog, page 7
November 5, 2017
Review: The Lost Orphans – The Beginning by J.S. Donovan
Synopsis:
A murder twenty-five years forgotten, a female detective with the ability to communicate with the dead, and a killer without boundaries clash in the heart of winter.
It’s Christmas, and there’s been another murder. Rachel Harroway, a homicide detective gifted in the arts and communication with the dead, tracks a serial killer lurking in the shadows for the last twenty-five years. The closer Rachel gets to solving the mystery, the more the unforgiving Appalachian winter weather and...
November 4, 2017
Saturday Spotlight: The Doomsday Planet
The Doomsday Planet
Author: Harl Vincent
Cover Art: ?
First Published: 1966
Reviewed Edition: Tower 42-621 (1966)
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Harl Vincent was the pen-name of mechanical engineer, Harold Schoepflin (1893-1968). He was a regular contributor to science fiction pulps from 1928 until 1942. For some reason (I haven’t been able to find out why) he ceased publishing, but remained involved with science fiction. Late in life, Vincent resumed writing. The Doomsday Planet is one of these later efforts.
The boo...
November 3, 2017
Influences: James M. Cain
James Mallahan Cain (1892-1977) hated labeling, but he is known as one of the creators of the hard-boiled school of crime fiction. He spent a good part of his early life as a journalist before turning to novels and screenplays.
Unlike other hard-boiled writers, Cain never set out to write grim, or tough novels. As he said, “I merely try to write as the character would write…”. Cain inhabited his main characters to a stronger degree than his contemporaries. He populated his novels and stor...
November 2, 2017
The Machines: Sholes and Glidden
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In 1868 a patent was granted to Christopher Sholes and Carlos Glidden for a “Type-Writer”. The Sholes and Glidden Typewriter was born. It was the first device that allowed the user to type faster than handwriting. The writer introduced Sholes newly designed keyboard layout, referred to as “QWERTY”.
The patent was sold to Densmore and Yost, who made a production agreement with Remington and Sons. The Sholes and Glidden Typewriter hit the market in 1873. Remington and Sons was known for t...
November 1, 2017
Influences: Walter B. Gibson
Walter Brown Gibson (1897-1985) was a professional magician, better known by his pen name — Maxwell Grant. Gibson wrote some crime stories as a side-gig for his day job, which was reporter and crossword puzzle writer. He was approached to produce a series of print stories centering around the character of The Shadow.
The Shadow, at that point, was simply a voice. It was the name used by the narrator of Detective Stories radio drama. Gibson set about to create the character and backstory...
October 31, 2017
Influences: Lester Dent
Lester Dent (1904-1959) spent much of his professional writing career as a hired gun for Henry Ralston (creator of The Shadow), writing under the Kenneth Robeson moniker. Ralston had scored a huge hit with The Shadow and had an idea for a series of stories surrounding an adventure hero. He hired Dent to spearhead the series and in February 1933, the first issue of Doc Savage hit the streets.
By the time Doc Savage finished its run in 1949, 181 stories had been published. Of these, Dent was...
October 29, 2017
Nighthawks Paperback now available
Nighthawks: A Book of the Broken is now available in ebook and paperback.
The final edited “official” version of the ebook is available on Amazon.
Amazon
The paperback is available from the createspace store:
The paperback is also available at my store:
October 28, 2017
First review for Nighthawks
Description: There is a vast city, lost to time. On the surface, it is a city not unlike any other metropolis – Every city has secrets hidden in the shadows. Something or someone has been manipulating both time and the lives of the city’s residents. Could a mysterious criminal figure with the supernatural ability to […]
via Book Review: Nighthawks (A Book of the Broken) by Jeffrey L. Blehar — Lurking In The Shadows
Saturday Spotlight: Dividend on Death
Dividend on Death
Author: Brett Halliday (Davis Dresser)
Cover Art: Robert McGinnis
Originally Published: 1939
Reviewed Edition: Dell D293 (1959)
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This is the book that introduced the public to private detective Mike Shayne; the red-headed, temperamental, perpetually down-on-his-luck sleuth. Halliday (Dresser) would spend the rest of his life writing (and commissioning other writers) of the adventures of the popular detective. This is the novel that started it all…inauspiciously, I may add.
T...
October 26, 2017
Harrison Weaver Mysteries
I love discovering a book series I was unaware of. It’s nice to dive into the first book realizing there are several follow-ups already published. I was in an amazing bookstore in Manteo, NC (Downtown Books…definitely worth a visit if you are on the Outer Banks) looking for a good “beach book” to read.
It was my honeymoon and my new wife and I were searching for some light reading material before heading out for an afternoon of sunny relaxation. I happened by the ‘Local Authors’ table whic...
