The Big Guy

by Wade Miller

Paperback

First published January 1, 1953

About the author

See also Bob Wade

Wade Miller is a pen name of two authors, Robert Allison “Bob” Wade (1920-present) and H. Bill Miller (1920-61). The two also wrote under several other pseudonyms, including Whit Masterson and Will Daemer.

Received the Shamus Award, "The Eye" (Lifetime achievment award) in 1988.

Reviews

[TiedGame · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read 1959 second printing; it has a different cover.

[Dave · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wade Miller is of course the pen name of writing partners Robert Wade and Bill Miller. The Big Guy is their version of Tony Montana in Scarface (which of course came many years later). Tough, hardnosed guy comes to town and stomps all over the soft guys who have left their street smarts and suddenly he's the big guy in town. The story is his meteoric rise and devastating fall. It's well written, captivating, and really captures the tough guy icon well. There's some plot twists in here that make this much more than just a retelling of the tough guy becomes big shot story.