Wayne D. Dundee's Blog, page 7

LUCAS HALLAM RIDES (AND SLEUTHS) !

Lucas Hallam has long been one of my favorite fictional characters. Not only that, but he ranks as a favorite in TWO separate genres --- PI mysteries and Westerns. Hallam, you see, is a man of two worlds and two eras: A gunslinger, Pinkerton agent, and lawman in the closing years of the 1800s who has gone on to become a licensed PI and part-time stunt man in the silent movies of 1920s Hollywood.
The very distinct creation of L.J. Washburn (who most folks know as Livia Reasoner, the wife of prolific writer James Reasoner), Hallam first appeared in short stories, starting with an appearance in THE EYES HAVE IT, the first anthology from the Private Eye Writers of America. He has since appeared in numerous other short stories and also in three (to date) novels --- WILD NIGHT, DOG HEAVIES, and DEAD STICK.
WILD NIGHT won a Shamus Award from PWA and subsequent Hallam works have racked up numerous other awards and nominations.
Livia has been writing about Hallam for over thirty years and her latest, PANHANDLE FREIGHT (recently released as a stand-alone eBook novella but originally appearing in 2012 as part of an anthology and earning a Western Fictioneers’ Peacemaker nomination in the short fiction category) shows she has lost neither her love for the character nor her skill at presenting him in another memorable tale. This yarn fits firmly in the Western mold and takes place in an isolated train station in the middle of the blizzard. A number of people, including Hallam, are gathered there to get out of bad weather, waiting in hopes that the train will make it through. One of them is a notorious killer and it’s up to Hallam to figure out which one and prevent him or her from striking again.
Told in clean, tight prose with a good sense of time and setting and an intriguing blend of characters, this is a little gem you don’t want to miss. And if you’re not familiar with the Hallam character, then it’s a good place to start correcting that by using it as a launching pad for seeking out all of the other titles you can get your hands on. Most of them are available on Kindle and very reasonably priced.
Strongly recommended!

Noteworthy Reads: DRAWING DEAD by Andrew Vachss

This third novel-length adventure featuring Cross & crew is a complex, full-throttle suspense thriller featuring supernatural overtones and more twists than a sackful of poisonous vipers. 
It would be beneficial to have read the previous entries in the series. But an astute reader can follow along regardless and, once engaged, Vachss’s stripped-down, razor-sharp prose, fascinating characters, and the sequence of events that start to immediately unfold will compel you to keep going.
In many ways, this is one of Vachss’s more linear tales --- albeit with necessary flashbacks that reinforce some key background points, particularly regarding the “Simbas” that loom so ominously and importantly over everything else going on. It also has a strong pure mystery element as Cross and his gang of unique urban mercenaries pull out all stops to try and figure out who --- or what --- is behind the pattern of threats focused on them.
As always in Vachss’s work, there is biting social commentary and a hard-edged warning against the poison we sow via the abuse and neglect of our young.Strongly recommended.

Noteworthy Reads: MAGE, MAZE, DEMON by Charles Allen Gramlich

When it comes to writing heroic fantasy --- or sword and sorcery, if you will --- nobody captures the drive and raw energy of the late, great Robert E. Howard any better than Charles Gramlich. I dare anyone to read the opening passages of MAGE, MAZE, DEMON (which you can do for free with the “Look Inside” feature on the Amazon listing) and not feel compelled to keep reading.
You will be swept up in the adventures of the barbarian Bryle as he is drawn into a mysterious cavern, at first to escape a raging forest fire and then at the summoning of a blind sorcerer. From there, in order to retrieve a powerful talisman that will gain him his freedom, Bryle plunges into a series of challenges, monstrous encounters, and narrow escapes as he is all the while negotiating the threatening maze itself. And in addition to the twisting maze, there are also some nifty plot twists.
Gramlich’s writing style is intense and distinct, at times very stark, when need be very richly detailed --- so much so that you’ll swear you can hear the ring of sword steel and start to feel the dankness of the maze closing in on you.
If your reading tastes run regularly toward heroic fantasy or if, like me, you maybe haven’t sampled the genre lately, by all means check out this exciting tale … and then go in search of the Gramlich byline for other fine work.
Strongly recommended.

Noteworthy Reads: OUTLAW RANGER - DEVIL GUNS OF THE RIO GRANDE by James Reasoner

This latest, novel-length entry (number five) in the Outlaw Ranger series is the longest and arguably most satisfying so far. To say that it’s a stand-out in an already fine and firmly established series is praise indeed. (As even more of a plus, the previous entry – THE LAST WAR CHIEF, a short novella that author Reasoner didn’t feel was long enough to warrant a print edition of its own – will be included in the print version of DEVIL GUNS)
This time out, G.W. Braddock --- still clinging to the treasured Texas Rangers badge that he can’t legally wear due to political shenanigans, yet he insists on utilizing for the sake of just causes and thereby resulting in him being branded an “outlaw” by some --- becomes embroiled in the ruthless dealings of two border gangs whose unholy alliance threatens to make the Rio Grande run red with blood.
Stolen guns, stolen women, double-crosses, and gun-blazing action propel this tale and keeps the reader turning pages faster than a gunslinger fanning a .44!
Reasoner’s writing is gritty and descriptive, his characters colorful, his plot twists exciting, and G.W. Braddock is a character you want to see ride back for plenty more adventures.
Highly recommended.

My Take: CREED (2015, starring Sylvester Stallone)

Okay, now that ol’ Sly has won the Golden Globe for his terrific performance in this film (and is hopefully well on his way to an Oscar in the same Supporting Actor category) I guess I ought put down my thoughts, as originally intended right after seeing CREED on its opening day last Thanksgiving.
First off, the overall film is top-notch on all levels. If you count it as part of the Rocky saga stemming directly from Stallone’s original concept and the first film in the series, it would be ROCKY VII. By that measurement, it could be ranked at the very top level of the series, right beside ROCKY (I) and ROCKY BALBOA (VI). By my reckoning, that would place it in very rarified air indeed (even though I have enjoyed all of the Rocky films, even the middle ones with their varying degrees of weariness and over-the-topness).
But CREED is really a stand-alone film, telling the tale of the illegitimate son of Apollo Creed (the former heavyweight boxing champ who gave Rocky his first big break). In the course of his drive to make his own mark in the boxing world, Adonis (Donnie) Creed seeks out the mentorship of an aged, somewhat embittered Rocky. At first, Rocky wants no part of the kid’s quest and Donnie doesn’t even use his father’s surname, wanting to make it strictly on his own skills. Eventually, the two bond (Donnie even takes to calling Rocky “unc” - short for uncle) and the kid’s raw talent starts to develop as Rocky’s vitality for life begins to return. A long-shot big match for Adonis comes along just as a serious illness hits Rocky, leaving them to each face his individual challenge but to do it side-by-side with the other. This bonding/dependency makes up the real core of the story and also provides some deeply emotional scenes that gives Stallone the chance to show his acting chops like he’s had too few times over his career.

The story and directing by Ryan Coogler is infused with a ton of love and respect for the established Rocky saga and then takes a fresh angle that pumps new life into it. It is the powerful, near-perfect acting of the three main characters --- Michael B. Jordan as Adonis, Tessa Thompson as his girlfriend Bianca, and Stallone as Rocky --- that elevates the whole thing even higher. And when the familiar strains of Bill Conti’s classic Rocky theme drift into the new musical score at exactly the right moment of the climactic big fight … well, if that doesn’t stir you, then your movie enjoyment capacity is on life support.
Even if you’re not a boxing fan or think the whole Rocky thing has been overdone and you’re tired of it, you ought to give this film a chance. I can darn near guarantee you won’t be sorry.

Another Look: SERGEANTS 3 (1962, Sinatra Rat Pack movie)

I saw this movie when it first came out in ’62. I was about 14 and remember liking it quite a bit. At the time, I had no awareness of the classic adventure film GUNGA DIN (upon which this is a blatant remake but curiously in no way acknowledged as part of the credits – yet always mentioned in any subsequent discussion of the film).
This is the second of four “Rat Pack” movies that Sinatra and his gang would make --- preceded by OCEAN’S 11, followed by ROBIN AND THE 7 HOODS and then 4 FOR TEXAS. In summation: Two pretty good flicks; two quasi-clunkers.SERGEANTS was really the last of the “full” Rat Pack ventures, as Peter Lawford was jettisoned from the group shortly thereafter when his family “in” with JFK wasn’t enough to keep Sinatra on the “in” (due to his mob ties) after he worked so hard to help get JFK elected. Lawford was gone from ROBIN and by the time TEXAS rolled around it was down to Frank and Dean Martin.For a long time, SERGEANTS 3 was considered the “lost” Sinatra film since, after its initial release, it seldom, if ever, played on TV nor was available as part of the video or early DVD boom. That is no longer so, however. I recently re-watched as part of TCM’s “Sinatra 100” celebration, and it’s also now available on DVD.
Aside from a comparison to the vastly superior GUNGA DIN, SERGEANTS 3 is lackluster at best. It has its moments, but they are far between and not real strong when they come. This is surprising, given all the talent involved. And not just on the screen --- John Sturges (BAD DAY AT BLACK ROCK, THE MAGNIFICENT 7, etc.) was the director and W.R. Burnett (LITTLE CAESAR, THIS GUN FOR HIRE, etc.) did the screenplay.This is a classic case of a “vehicle”, folks … Take a “hot” star (or a whole handful, in this case) put ‘em in a colorful romp or adventure never meant to be taken too seriously, serve up some light entertainment, make a little dough, and everybody comes out okay.Trading India for the Wild West and the British Army vs. fanatical “thugs” for the U.S. Cavalry vs. fanatical Native American “Ghost Dancers” was a clever concept … but the handling after that turned pretty flat.
It’s not a terrible way to spend a little less than two hours.The production values are good, the scenery is beautiful, and it’s kinda fun to see the Rat Pack pals cavorting at their peak. Dean and Sammy have the best moments and steal everything worth taking. For the completest, it’s worth checking out … Just don’t expect too much.

Noteworthy Reads: SOMETHING SO DIVINE by J.R. Lindermuth

John R. Lindermuth is perhaps best known for his series of contemporary crime novels featuring former police chief/now special investigator Dan “Sticks” Hetrick. He also writes a series of period piece mysteries featuring Sheriff Sylvester Tilghman. Both are set in Pennsylvania’s coal country, where Lindermuth lives and has deep historical interest.
SOMETHING SO DIVINE, a period piece set in the same area circa 1890s, is somewhat reminiscent of the Tilghman books. It is suspenseful, quietly building in intensity, multi-layered in its characterizations, and cleverly holds its mystery “twist” to the very end.It is also a story of romance, the title coming from a poem featuring the line “Love is something so divine”. Actually, it is the story of two romances --- one that ends tragically, one that concludes with a promise for the future.Lindermuth’s writing gets more polished and insightful with each outing, and seldom has it been on better display than in this novel. The many facets of a small town murder and how it touches so many different people, both prior to and in the aftermath --- all siphoned through the sensibilities of an out-of-town investigator --- are explored masterfully.
Without in any way diminishing my craving for a new “Sticks” mystery, I give this book a very strong recommendation.

Paul Bishop's LIE CATCHERS (from ThiefTaker to LieCatcher)

I’ve known Paul Bishop --- mostly via correspondence and a few phone calls back in the day --- for over a quarter of a century. We even met in person once at a Bouchercon (Minneapolis, I think it was) several years hence.
The thing that initially brought us together was Hardboiled, the small press magazine I used to put out. Paul submitted some terrific short stories that I was proud to publish in HB. One of them, featuring his too seldom used PI Quint, was nominated for a Shamus Award from the Private Eye Writers of America (that might have been the year we got together in Minneapolis).
What I hadn’t thought about in a long time was the fact that when I was starting Hardboiled, Paul was just finishing up with a small press publication of his own called The Thieftaker Journal. (A “thieftaker” is an old English term for a policeman.) I only read a couple issues and have to admit that my cobwebby old brain doesn’t really remember much about them. But when I saw the title of Paul’s new book, LIE CATCHERS, it immediately took me back --- Thief-TAKER, Lie-CATCHER. Just a quirky, personal thing I suppose, but I sure wish I still had my old copies of The Thieftaker Journal to look back through.
The good news, though, is that I do have --- and have read --- LIE CATCHERS. And it is terrific. Paul always spins an entertaining yarn, in whatever genre he’s writing in, but with his police procedurals, as a bonus, you also know you’re getting the real deal as far as behind-the-scene facts. Some cop writers put out a solid tale as far as the factual side of things but are weak in the entertainment part to keep their stories moving along. Not Paul. He peppers his police/crime writing with colorful characters and writing skill that rockets the story forward and compels the reader to keep turning the pages (or flipping to the next screen on an e-reader). Further evidence of his writing skill is the way he captures the voice/POV of “Calamity Jane” Randall in LIE CATCHERS. That’s damn hard to do, but Paul nails it. Which takes nothing away from the secondary lead in this tale --- Ray Pagan --- who strides off the pages fully realized and memorable.
The extra good news is that this is the start of a new series. But don't wait --- jump right in at the beginning.Highly recommended!

Coming Soon: Re-Launch of The LONE McGANTRY Series

 


















The initial publications of these two books are what first expanded my writing to include the Western genre. Having started down those dusty trails of the Old West, I’ve written almost exclusively in that genre ever since. And while I haven’t completely abandoned my relationship with a certain blue collar PI named Hannibal, I have to say that making the acquaintance of Lone McGantry, Bodie Kendrick, Cash Laramie, and numerous other hombres, both good and bad --- and not forgetting several memorable gals, also good and bad --- has been exciting, rewarding, and a heck of a lot of fun.But it all started with DISMAL RIVER and RECKONING AT RAINROCK.Yet while both have been available for some time and have garnered their share of critical praise, neither has taken off, sales-wise, as well as my other Westerns. So now, in the hopes of attracting a new and wider range of readers, these books are being re-launched under my own Bil-Em-Ri banner with new covers, new formatting, and a very attractive new price of only $1.49 each!What’s more, a brand new Lone McGantry adventure --- THE FOREVER MOUNTAIN --- is in the works and will be out before year’s end.I find all of this very exciting, and I hope readers will too!
DISMAL RIVER  (winner: Western Fictioneers’ Best First Novel of 2011)At the urging of none other than Buffalo Bill Cody, former Indian scout Lone McGantry agrees to guide an adventurous English lord heading a group of explorers and scientists into the untamed reaches of the Nebraska Sandhills—a vast expanse of treeless, rolling hills scoured by harsh winds and blistering sun. In addition to the hardships of the environment, other challenges and threats—from within as well as without—soon overtake the expedition. Deceit, betrayal, stampeding buffalo, a raging grassfire, and a band of ruthless marauders must all be dealt with. Unless McGantry can see them through, their very survival is at stake. Lives will be lost and the banks of the Dismal River will be scorched and stained with blood before the ordeal is finished.“ … a rousing Western adventure that reads like a good old-fashioned epic … This is how they used to write ‘em and how Ford and Hawks filmed ‘em. I couldn’t give this book a higher recommendation.” --- Peter Brandvold, author of THE SHOTGUN RIDER, TWO SMOKING BARRELS, and the Lou Prophet novels
RECKONING AT RAINROCK Former Indian scout Lone McGantry is hired by Harriet Munro, a fiery woman lawyer seeking to make a name for herself on the western Nebraska frontier. Munro has taken the case of beautiful young Roxanne Bigbee—a desperate fugitive fleeing a trumped-up murder conviction and a hangman's noose. But before she can appear for the re-trial that Harriet has arranged, Roxanne must be rescued from the current threatening situation her flight has placed her in.  It’s up to McGantry to get her out.  Lone succeeds in returning Roxanne to Rainrock, the town where she was originally convicted and where the re-trial is set to be held. Faced with this, however, the town conspirators responsible for setting Roxanne up in the first place, mount another campaign to try and make certain the real truth never comes out. Before it is over, trusts will be betrayed, bullets will fly, lives will be lost, and McGantry must once again ride to Roxanne's rescue … until, within the stark, hauntingly empty reaches of the fabled Toadstool Badlands, scores are settled and a bloody reckoning is finally achieved.“Wayne D. Dundee continues to solidify his growing reputation as one of the best Western writers in the business with RECKONING AT RAINROCK, a gritty, unflinching tale of revenge and redemption … Don’t let anyone tell you the Western is dead. Dundee is one of the reasons the genre is not only alive but thriving.” --- James Reasoner, Western Fictioneers’ Life Achievement Winner, author of the OUTLAW RANGER series

Keep your eyes peeled sharp.Lone McGantry will be riding your way soon!

Available Now: PROTECTORS 2: HEROES edited by Thomas Pluck

WD here: Not a lot I can add to the following. This is an impressive gathering of talent and stories, put together and edited by Thomas Pluck, for an extremely worthwhile cause. I'm honored to be a part of it.
You're certain to find plenty of reading entertainment in this diverse array of stories and you'll have the added satisfaction of knowing you're helping to protect our young and most vulnerable.
It's available in both print and eBook formats. I hope you check it out. 


55 Stories to benefit Protect, the political lobby of the National Association to Protect Children, whose victories include the Circle of Trust act and the HERO Corps, which hires wounded veterans to assist law enforcement in hunting online predators.

Contributors include Andrew Vachss, Joyce Carol Oates, Harlan Ellison®, David Morrell, Laird Barron, Linda Rodriguez, Charles de Lint, Hilary Davidson, Joe R. Lansdale, Joelle Charbonneau, Reed Farrel Coleman, SJ Rozan, and Alison Arngrim. 600 pages of fiction of all genres, poems and art, essays and memoirs, to fund one cause: to protect children from abuse and exploitation of all kinds. 100% of proceeds goes to PROTECT.

Table of Contents:
When!? by Linda Sarah
The Questions by Alison Arngrim
City Water by Allison Glasgow
Black and White and Red All Over by David Morrell
Silvia Reyes by P.J. Ward
Plan B by Andrew Vachss
Gatekeeper by Richard Prosch
The Night Watch by Susan Schorn
One Night in Brownsville by Gary Phillips
Silverfish by S.J. Rozan
Parental Guidance by Scott Adlerberg
Superhero, With Crooked Nails by Rachael Acks
Angel by Terrence McCauley
Mr. Nance by Linda Rodriguez
Something I Said by Bracken MacLeod
El Puente by Rios de la Luz
Mesquite by Graham Wynd
Level 5 by C.R. Jahn
On the Road to La Grange by Karina Cooper
Reprisals: Enmity by John A. Curley
The Whistler in the Graveyard by Chad Eagleton (illustration by Dyer Wilk)
Solar Highway by S.A. Solomon
Jibber Jabber by Reed Farrel Coleman
Doll: A Poem by Jyl Anais Ion (illustrations by Jyl Anais Ion)
Doggone Justice by Joe R. Lansdale
The Occurrence of the Black Mirror by Teel James Glenn
Sister Cecilia by Hilary Davidson
Croatoan by Harlan Ellison®
Little Howl on the Prairie by Thomas Pluck
Things Held Dear by Neliza Drew
49 Foot Woman Straps It On by Laird Barron
Moon Over the Midwest by Elizabeth Amber Love
Sixth Floor by Albert Tucher
Adamsville by Clare Toohey
Point of View by Will Graham
High Meadow Storm by Wayne Dundee
Out of Context by Joelle Charbonneau
Lone by Alex Segura (illustrations by Dennis Calero)
Love and Valour on ‘the Victorian Titanic’ by Gill Hoffs
Just Pretend by Martyn Waites
Freak by Charles de Lint
The New Heroes of the Old Fairgrounds by K.L. Pereira
When the Hammer Comes Down by Josh Stallings
Stretching Fifteen by Angel Luis Colón
Bounty by Jerry Bloomfield
Light-Bringer by Laura K. Curtis
Hercules and the Spawn of the Titans by Michael A. Black
How to Paint Your Dragon by Andrew D’Apice
Don’t Fear the Ripper by Holly West Two Views by Tim Daly
A Hundred Pearls by Errick Nunnally
Snapshots by Christopher Irvin
Deceit by Joyce Carol Oates
The Perfect Weapon by Zak Mucha
An Open Letter to the Children of the Secret by Dionysios Dionou
Behavior is Truth by Gwyndyn T. Alexander
Pigeons for Protect! by Linda Sarah