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Geoff
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Feb 07, 2019 11:08AM
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Justin wrote: "Reading On the Beach. Cold War era post-apocalypse -- quiet and frightening."On the Beach is one of my favorite books. Quiet and frightening is a perfect description!
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The Trapdoor (1988) by Keith Peterson; Keith Peterson is the pseudonym for Andrew Klavan...Klavan has won two Edgars and writes very suspenseful noir crime-fiction...The Trapdoor is an early Peterson novel, it is the first of a series of four books following John Wells, reporter for the New York Star...the book takes place in NYC & the Catskills I believe. The Trapdoor is really good...Wells is for all purposes is a PI/Detective, but here a tough aging journalist....like a lot of first novels the ending comes together rather quickly, but other than that I highly recommend it, it's a page turner...I plan on reading the other three in the series...3.5 outa 5!2.
Everything You Need To Know But Have Never Been Told (2018) by David Icke; I read a lot of non-fiction. I started Icke's newest last September, I would read a hundred pages, put it down, soak it in, and then a month later read another hundred...it starts off with the vibration of atoms and goes from there...the last two hundred pages covers Silicon Valley...it's a tough 700pg read...David Icke is one ballsy mo-fo...4.9999 outa 5!3.
They Shoot Horses Don't They (1935) by Horace McCoy; J & K Thanks for putting this on the list! Loved it! Even though they are 83 years apart, hits ya like She Rides Shotgun...quick, down & dirty...more laters...5 outa 5!4.
Big Oil And Their Bankers In The Persian Gulf: Four Horsemen, Eight Families and Their Global Intelligence, Narcotics and Terror NetworkBig Oil And Their Bankers In The Persian Gulf: Four Horsemen, Eight Families and Their Global Intelligence, Narcotics and Terror Network (2010) by Dean Henderson; Henderson kicks butt...literaly, I THINK he was former MMA fighter (check me on that)...Henderson takes on the Big Oil, the Elite families, and the Middle East...non-stop page turner non-fiction...very, very interesting...a tough read though, 500+ pgs...like David Icke, Henderson is one ballsy mo-fo...4.5 outa 5!5.
The Concrete Blonde by Michael Connelly Summary & Study Guide|28220473]Concrete Blond (1994) by Michael Connelly; I read this back around '95...I recently read a review where Blonde was listed in the top 10 crime-fiction novels set in L.A. (I must say though the list was pretty generic)...so, Saturday I started a re-read and finished by Monday night...Great, Great Novel...if you want to read just one Bosch, this is the one...this is probably the best Bosch, and I've read nearly all of them...now, not a lot of action, but just enough...half the novel is a court-room setting, but it moves right along...also the main mystery plot is just ok....but all the sub-plots, the police-procedural, life in LA post Rodney King riots, the porn industry, make Concrete Blond a page turner...500+ pgs, 4 outa 5
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Ellroy's Underground USA trilogy is excellent...the third book Blood's A Rover is Great AND it is flat out Funny...there are a many, many hilarious lines...such as "Hi! We're Archie Bell & The Drells from Houston Texas and we're gonna play our hit Tighten Up!"...you'll understand when you read Blood's A Rover...
Joe wrote: "Rob wrote: "I'm currently reading the Cold Six Thousand by James Ellroy, the second of three books in Ellroy's Underworld USA trilogy. I'm not sure if this series fits within the scope of this grou..."Great! I can't wait to read the 3rd book. I also plan to start on the LA Quartet soon. Thanks for the recommendation.
Just finishedThe Watchman
. Review here: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...and am a third of the way through Black Mass: Whitey Bulger, the FBI, and a Devil's Deal
Paul wrote: "Just finishedThe Watchman. Review here: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...and am a third of the way through [book:Black Mass: Whitey Bulger, ..."
I clicked on your review for The Watchman, but it was a dead end. . .
Hi, Folks, Kurt and I recorded an episode last week so I've had a week to catch my breath before the next deluge of reading (and grading papers). Here's what's on the plate for this month:
Milwaukee Noir by Akashic books
To Have and Have Not by Ernest Hemingway
Our Man in Havana by Graham Greene
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... can't get along with Greene...
...... thought Boston Noir was pretty good.
I like Greene, generally, but not to the extent that some folks I know do.
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Sacrificial Ground by Thomas H. Cook (1988)...Cook, from Georgia, is a very good crime fiction writer, he's won an Edgar and other writing awards...Sacrificial Ground is the first of a three book series that follows down & out Police Detective Frank Clemons, a southern boy, on a murder case in Atlanta. Well written and moves right along...(very minor spoiler) Clemons bags his Police job after solving the case and heads for NYC where book two takes place...3.5 to 4.0 outa 5.0.
The Big Nowhere by James Ellory (1988)...I'm a big Ellory fan but for one reason or another I never got around to reading the L.A. Quartet till recently...the first book The Black Dahlia is OK, BUT, The Big Nowhere is Excellent! Follows Ellroy regulars Buzz Meeks, bad-bad Irish cop Dudley Smith and others as they L.A. Noir-it in 1950 rubbing elbows with Howard Hughes & Mickey Cohen...this is without a doubt Ellory's best novel up to this point of time and stands with Bloods A Rover as his best novels...5.0 outa 5.0.
To Have And Have Not by Ernest Hemingway (1937)...liked it...alot...will put up note later...
Do Androids Dream Of Electric Sheep by Phillip K. Dick (1968)...About the fourth time I've read this...my 18-year old daughter said she wants to watch Blade Runner 2049. I said wait, wait...let me reread Sheep, then we'll watch Blade Runner (directors cut), THEN we'll watch 2049. Sheep is a solid PKD sci-fi novel and contains all his elements...desolate future setting, addictions, whacked out religious references, and triangle of man, wife and another female (Rachael the android)...I'd put it about in 10th place of listing PKD's novels, BUT, highly recommend to a first time reader of PKD...4.0 outa 5.0.
Black 9/11 by Mark Gaffney (2013)...I'm always reading books on 9/11, False Flags, David Icke, military stuff...Black 9/11 is a very good read...easy to read, very conversational...pointed out a few things I did not know about the financial dealings immediately before & after (the attacks on WTC & the Pentagon were all a distraction...the real crime was theft of billions, including a stash of gold, and the roll-up to the War on Terror...which is another whole load of shit...)...a close examination on the UA 93 crash in PA (the Feds have released seismic data on all the crashes and at 10:03 am of the UA 93 Flight, BUT, will not release the data from 10:06 am when there was a second crash...maybe...-???). And a look at the patents on avionic remote control...a good easy read...4.0 outa 5.0. 
Sleep With The Devil by Day Keene (1954)...found a new fave...Day Keene is Gunard Hjertstedt a fantastic pulp writer, right up there with Jim Thompson & Donald Goings...Devil kicks butt, I couldn't put it down and read it in two nights...about a louse from NYC who shifts his locale (and identity) from the city to the Catskills...thinks he's smarter than everyone else and got it all sewed up tight! If you like Thompson & Goings & She Rides Shotgun you're gonna love this one! 4.5 outa 5.0.
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yeah...this sounds really good...it's on my list.
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March Violets by Philip Kerr (1989); From past favorable reviews I was really looking forward to reading Philip Kerr's March Violets...ya win some, ya lose some...this was the worst piece of crap I've read in years...way over-rated...unoriginal....cheeky cartoon noir...subliminal propaganda...waste of time & money....Zero Stars
Total Chaos by Jean-Claude Izzo (1995); Excellent...very suspenseful in a street-wise way...Fabio Montale is a cool cop who gets pulled into some murder cases with a personal connection. -I lived in Istres, France, just north of Marseille in '95 & '96...I went to Marseille about 10 times on business, Total Chaos took me right back there, very realistic...only minor compliant is there were a few lengthy jags about food, no biggie...I will read the other two books of the trilogy...4.5 out of 5.0 stars.
The Name Is Archer by Ross Macdonald (1955); A collection of Archer short stories...stand-outs are the first Find The Woman (which reminded me of the film Night Moves (1975) with Gene Hackman)...and The Sinister Habit was the best story...
The Freak Show Murders by Fredric Brown (1940's); Fun collection of murder yarns by Brown...a little dated but a light-hearted easy read...
The Blue Knight by Joseph Wambaugh (1972); I always wanted to read a Wambaugh book...The Blue Knight is his first novel (I'm pretty sure)...it's a pretty good read, covers the final week of a street cop in LA before he retires...the police procedure part is excellent...the ending is a little over the top with the drama...3.0 outa 5.0 stars.
Joe, I’m really glad you enjoyed Total Chaos. I can’t wait to discuss that on on the show.I’ve finished up a few titles for our border noir episode but I’ll save them for the show.
I just picked up “Maigret and the Enigmatic Left” by Simenon. I’ve been eyeing this series for awhile and I’m excited to give it a try.
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The Synthetic Man by Theodore Sturgeon (1950), also known as The Dreaming Jewels...I'm making a push to read and give to the local library all my dust covered basement books I never read...The Synthetic Man is a classic but dated Sci-Fi...it's about a carny with a shape-schifter...ok for the young adult...2.0 outa 5.0.
The Lincoln Conspiracy by David Balsinger & Charles E. Sellier (1974)...This is by the guys who write Big-Foot & UFO books, having said that it's kick-ass & a highly entertaining read! I thought it was Great! Takes the pov that Secretary of War Stanton pulled the strings that had John Wilkes Booth shoot Lincoln and had Secretary of State Seward attacked the same night (they take the view that the Seward attack was bullshit & a distraction allowing Booth more time to escape)...Recommended! 4.5 outta 5.0.
The Poet by Michael Connelly (1996)...hmmmm, this book was a best-seller and won a few awards when it came out...the first 400 pgs are well crafted, but, in my opinion the final 100 pgs & the ending was a let down...half the book takes place in Denver where I live so that was fun...3.0 outta 5.0.
Twisted City by Jason Starr (2004)...Killer Neo-Noir!!!! A magazine writer is obsessing over his dead sister and all goes from bad to horrible like all good noir should...I read it in two evenings...A MUST READ! 5.0 outta 5.0.
Thirst by Russian author Andrei Gelasimov and translated by Marian Schwartz (2011)...a pretty good book but not great...noirish...a young Russian soldier returns from the Chechen War disfigured with his face half-blown off...he is reduced to a small pension, drinking vodka, and hanging with the single Mom in the apt next door...then two old Army buddies show-up and they all take off for Moscow to search for another missing Army friend...a short read and I'm glad I read it, just not quite as good as I hoped...3.5 outta 5.0.
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Anyhoo - I've been reading some Paul Heatley - he's a really solid noir writer.
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No Country For Old Men by Cormac McCarthy (2006); The first half of No Country was frigging fantastic...the second half didn't work for me, BUT, I'm very glad I read it! I will read another by McCarthy in the future...2.5 outta 5.0.2.
Mao II by Don DeLillo (1992); Great read! This was DeLillo's book before his biggie Under World...DeLillo was on a hot streak at this time...he is an acquired taste, fancy writing, drifty, meanings just outta grasp, but mega-cool & sometimes funny as shit (kinda like James Ellory)! Mao II is about a writer (think J.D. Salinger) who has lost his Mo-Jo and along with some hangers-on, drifts from upstate New York to NYC and on to Beirut during it's civil war...very, very cool novel and relatively short at around 250 pgs....4.5 outta 5.0....my fave book of the year so far...until I read #7 below that is!3.
There Fell A Shadow by Keith Peterson (Andrew Klavan) (1988); Book 2 of the John Wells mystery series...murder & mayhem up & down a frigid NYC. John Wells is a reporter, who knows how to fight! Pretty good action packed noir-thriller.....3.25 outta 5.0!4.
Nightfall by David Goodis (1947); Thought I'd push-on reading some Goodis...classic noir! A guy traveling through Colorado heading east comes upon a car wreck...and a stash of cash! Guy makes it to NYC and gets his ass kicked after being set-up by a femme fatale...and on it goes...4.0 outta 5.0!5.
Flesh and Blood by Thomas H. Cook (1989); Book 2 of the Frank Clemons mystery series...good read, more murder & mayhem in NYC...Homicide cop Clemons follows his mega-rich girl-friend from Atlanta up north and becomes a P.I. to take up his free time...he is soon investigating the murder of a clothes designer and ties stretch back to the 1930's. Pretty good tough-guy stuff! 3.25 outta 5.0!6.
My Sister, the Serial Killer by Oyinkan Braithwaite (2018); Great fun read! An plain looking older sister who is a nurse keeps pulling her beautiful little sister out of messes...like bumping off her boyfriends! Tongue-in-cheek humor through-out...well written first novel...also a good look at Lagos, Nigeria...only draw-back is it's kinda 'chick-flick'. No biggie, fun read...4.0 outta 5.0!!!7.
Out by Natsuo Kirino (1997); Killer, Killer Japanese noir-crime fiction! Murder in the lower class burbs leads four female work-mates on a very, very dark journey...Very intense...many characters but each fully fleshed out...Very well written; each chapter takes the pov of that focused character (only in the third person)...I started to question the ending, but I realized this was a Japanese novel, and it ends as such (I won't spoil)...One Point: This book is 400 pgs long, but reads as if it was twice as long! It's very, very dense...it took me eight days to read in-between work & activities....Thanks to J & K for picking Out by Natsuo Kirino...4.75 outta 5.0! My fave book of the year so far...
Joe wrote: "The last seven I've read:"I haven't read My Sister Is A Serial Killer yet; it's next on my list. I recall liking, but not loving, Mao II. I see your critique of "No Country," though I will stick to my guns on this -- those issues didn't derail my enthusiasm for the book as a whole. I'm glad you liked Out. I hope, when the time comes to read it, I do as well.
I've just joined the group, but I'm a massive fan of noir, crime fiction, detective stories, and all kinds of literature and film associated with the genre. I'm currently reading a few classics for the second time, including work by Hammett and James M Cain, but my last contemporary read and the best book I've read this year was The Unauthorised Biography of Ezra Maas by Daniel James. It's a mind-bending noir mystery that reads like a love letter to the detective genre and hardboiled noir. It's much more than that of course, but to say any more would spoil the many surprises and twists it contains. Next up, I'm looking to read The Feral Detective by Jonathan Lethem, The Fountain in the Forest by Tony White and The Third Hotel by Laura Van Den Berg, but they'll have to go some to surpass Ezra Maas.
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Geoff wrote: "Ezra Maas looks a bit too smart for me! Interesting idea though."I think you'd be surprised honestly. It reads like a page-turner. I don't think it's any more challenging than Chandler or Macdonald etc in its language and certainly no more literary than Cormac McCarthy. The complexity of the book is probably more in its ideas than in its telling. I read more detective fiction than literary fiction and it really worked for me.
For anyone interested, here is a link to a great article written by the author of Ezra Maas, Daniel James, a few years ago talking about his favourite detectives in literature and film. He's clearly a major fan of the genre himself.https://deadinkbooks.com/post-truth-d...
Welcome Lewis and thanks for the recommendation. I’m going to check that one out.
Thanks for the welcome Kurt. I'm glad to have discovered this group as I love detective fiction, especially hardboiled noir.
Justin wrote: "Paul wrote: "Just finishedThe Watchman
. Review here: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...and am a third of the way through [book:Black Mass: Wh..."
Sorry. Try; https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Just finished This Storm
. The follow up to 'Perfidia'. This Storm is the second book in the new Quartet.Review here; https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
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I haven't read My Sister Is A Serial Killer yet
Hey Justin, Kurt & yourself have picked some great reads! I've enjoyed all of them...I'm stuck in non-fiction land till Labor Day...9/11 and all that...I'll listen to your podcasts though...Thanks again for your picks & podcasts!
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Hello Paul, I've read most of Ellroy...yes, I agree, you need to read the LA Quartet & American Underworld & Perfidia first...but, I'll admit that's asking alot! :-) If one could get by with The Big Nowhere > Bloods A Rover > and Perfidia that would almost work...I've got a signed 1st edition This Storm James signed for me at a recent book signing, gonna read it in Sept it's looking like...enjoyed your review, Joe
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The Unauthorised Biography of Ezra Maas by Daniel Jame is now on my list, thanks Lewis!
Joe, I noticed Sleep with the Devil on your list. It's a Day Keene I hadn't heard of, and it's available for 99 cents as a Kindle e-book on Amazon, if anybody is interested.
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Thanks Girard...my copy is the Kindle three-for-one...but I see it's gone up in price to $5.99, as has all the Kindle titles I've noticed latley...Day Keene is a Great noir-suspense writer...I couldn't put Sleep with the Devil down, a page turner...
Earlier this year, I picked up a boatload of Ed McBain's 87th Precinct books on Kindle for .99, but they've all gone up since then. I've got the rest of them listed in a wish list, and check it regularly to see if any of 'em go down to .99.Between the public library and my personal library (anybody want to post pix of their crime libraries?), I don't EVER have to buy another book. Yet - it keeps happpening!
Has anybody read The Elephant of Surprise by Joe Lansdale? It's the latest in his Hap and Leonard series and I'm looking forward to starting that soon. Big fan of Lansdale's writing, and Hap and Leonard are always welcome to my money.
I have been making my way throught the Victor; The Assassin srs with surprising results;The Final HourI recommend the series with a few reservations.
I'm about half way through Native Son by Richard Wright. I had no idea that it was a noir thriller until I started reading it. Great story/fantastic writing so far. Has anyone else read this?https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1...
Rob wrote: "I'm about half way through Native Son by Richard Wright. I had no idea that it was a noir thriller until I started reading it. Great story/fantastic writing so far. Has anyone else read this?http..." So, it ended up being a gripping noir crime thriller for the first 2/3s, then it switched to an often brilliant philosophical courtroom drama for the last 1/3 in which the racist American social system of the 1930s is placed on trial. The argument is that the system in which the murderer was raised has some of the
blame for his crime. Unfortunately, most of the argument in favor of justice took the form of a 20-page speech by the defendant's communist lawyer, by the end of which I was less convinced of his position that at the beginning.
Nonetheless, it's an important book as not much has changed in Chicago since 1940. I recommend this book.
Thanks for sharing. I hate when books take a several chapter detour into the courtroom.
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Bad Bastards by Paul Heatle...fun quick read...murder & mayhem in the Bad Bastards MC family...similar to Jason Starr but not as good...that doesn't mean I didn't like it though because I did like it, lots!...3.0 outa 5!2.
The Force by Don Winslow.....NYC (Harlem) Dirty Cop story...ehhhhhhhh...tough one for me rate....I liked it but I didn't like it...it was well written but I felt like I had read it all before...it was gripping but also over-dramatic...I didn't like any of the characters except “Nasty Ass” and he was minor at best...gotta vote the downside...1.75 outta 5.0....sorry Winslow fans...
Joe. I completely agree with you on The Force. After recently reading The Cartel this was a major disappointment.
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Red Thread (2019) by Diana West...West was born and raised in Hollywood, CA, but you'd never know it. She hates, I mean HATES commies. Red Thread is a collection of her recent magazine & on-line articles on Communism sweeping the west...Diana West is an intellectual and Jewish, so it makes you wonder how she feels about the 'J' question when comes to Trotsky-ites, Bolsheviks, etc, unfortunately she never goes there...but, she takes a deep-dive on creeps like CIA director John Brennan. For those who want some insight...4.0 outa 5.02.
American Betrayal (2013) by Diana West...West's history of commies infiltrating the U.S. Government from the '30's through scum-bag G.H.W. Bush 1990-ish. Excellent book and well written (entertaining)...learned a lot about FDR, Stalin, McCarthy, through Daddy Bush. Diana West got HAMMERED by the intellectual jet-set when this book was published, so much so that she released a book called The Rebuttal: Defending 'American Betrayal' from the Book-Burners...the chick's got cajones...4.75 outa 5.0!3.
Pale Horse (2017) by Jimmy Blackmon...spend a year in the Afghan War with the 101st Airborne Division helicopter group. Well written and very exciting....you really get the feel of copter combat. There is a fair amount of soldier blow-hard rah-rah-rah, but the action over-rides that...3.75 outa 5.0.4.
A Lie To Big Too Fail (2019) by Lisa Pease. The be-all, end-all, last word on the RFK assassination June, 1968 in L.A. Lot's of space given to CIA MK-Ultra mind control, and, she lays out Shirhans path from getting injured by the horse to recovery/rehab stays in the hospital to the day & night of the assassination. Very cool book...but, needed more on the identity of the-girl-in-the-polka-dotted-dress because she is a major part of the case. 4.5 outa 5.0.5.
Valis (1978) by Philip K. Dick. I'm gonna read the Valis trilogy...Valis is book one and presents PKD's Exegesis along with the novel of Phil and his double Horselover Fat. At one point of the story there is five Phil's talking....Phil, Horselover Fat, Phil from the past, and two Phil's from the future! LOL Pretty heavy sci-fi....the next two books are The Divine Invasion (1980), and The Transmigration of Timothy Archer (1982). 3.5 outta 5.06.
Inside the CIA (1991) by Ronald Kessler. Kessler is only a fair writer, he's on par with Big-Foot & UFO authors...here he gives an overview of the CIA as an organization....each Directorate, etc...a little history and a look at the past Directors (Colby, Casey, Bush), especially Webster. One odd/funny thing about the book...Kessler gives the CIA a favorable view, until, the epilogue where he just hammers the organization! What's Up With That??? I learned a few items, a quick read...2.0 outa 5.0.Noir next time, I promise!
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The Chatham School Affair (1996) by Thomas H. Cook – This is the best book I've read in quite a while...it's just over 300 pages and I read it in two sittings, I couldn't put it down...Told in flash-back it follows the Cape Cod town of Chatham, 1926, and the uproar over the arrival of the new, mysterious but Hot, art teacher. Told by a 14-year old boy who is both a student of the art teacher and son of the school's Head Master, it's a dark psychological thriller that leads to murder. Part witch-trial, part Scarlett Letter, part Hot For Teacher, a great story...Enough said....the book won the Edgar for Best Novel in 1996 and deserved it...flawlessly written. Last year I read the Frank Clemmons trilogy by Cook, it was overall OK, but it's like Cook became a new writer for Chatham...a completely different style, voice, etc...5 Stars!2.
Following Tommy (2012) by Bob Hartley - Intense, short read, very well written...the characters, mainly two brothers, are very well drawn out, the setting, downtown Chicago, 1962, is fully realized...it's a family story of sorts, as well as a coming of age tale...era is when ethnicities still had their own portion of city surrounding the local church, in this case the Irish area of Chicago...BEFORE...migrants from down south pushed the Irish, Polish, Germans, Ukraines, etc, out of the city, to the suburbs to become wholly "whites", the ethnicity of each group left behind...a companion book to Following Tommy would be Slaughter of the Cities by Dr. E. Michael Jones...I felt the ending of Following Tommy to be rather abrupt, but, it works and sums up the novel...I liked reading it, a lot...4 outta 5 Stars!3.
The Silence of the Rain by Luiz Alfredo Garcia-Roza (2002) -Although not great, I really liked this book...a lot...it sticks with you...Why-? Because Luiz is a really great word-smith...he's very cool how he puts together a sentence, a paragraph, etc., and how he changes pov throughout the book. He's like an artist who writes, an individual...think Ian Fleming or Don DeLillo. The story-line of Rain is a murder & possible insurance fraud in Rio...mild mannered Police Inspector Espinosa investigates, police procedural-wise, a cast of characters in Rio.Issues with The Silence of the Rain...there is a distance between the reader and most of the characters, you don't feel fully in-touch, maybe that's due to the artsy writing style...and, the over-all plot-line is not much of a mystery...BUT, this book is the first of a trilogy and I liked it enough that I'm going to read the other two, which are, Lost and Found and Southwesterly Winds...The Silence of the Rain is a strong 3.5 stars! -Thanks to Kurt for the recommend!
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Midnight Plus One (1965) by Gavin Lyall has a cold-war, espionage, mid-'60's feel to it, BUT, the plot is actually quite different...a Brit operative & a young alcoholic American gun-man are hired to drive, and keep alive, a business man who needs to get from Brittany, France, to Lichtenstein for the signage of some documents...and certain factions want them halted! Sooooo, this novel is actually a road trip with danger at every turn...and it's very exciting when they are in fact traveling, but the plot bogs down each time they stop for an extended period, like in Montreux...Midnight also has a Parker feel to it, but I must say Midnight is written much better than any Parker I've read...Also, I enjoyed reading this book because other than Brittany, I have traveled through all these areas, so it was a fun read for me personally...I give it 3.75 stars!5.
The Devil's Country (2017) by Harry Hunsicker – Arlo Baines, former Texas Ranger, Mr. Trouble-Follows-Me, arrives into a West Texas town just in time to fight the baddies and the wack-o religious cult outside of town...Fun modern western..we.ll written, moves right along...a fun read...3 Stars!6.
The Rain (1989) by Keith Peterson (aka Andrew Klavan) – Andrew Klavan was a very successful author...now...he's made a name for himself as a very successful political analyst/humorist and has produced nearly a 1,000 shows...maybe you've seen his show or ads. Anyways, in the late '80's he wrote a four book series featuring grizzled tough-guy reporter John Wells...I've really enjoyed reading the first two...the third book, The Rain won the Edgar for the Best Paperback Original is good, not great, not bad (and not as good as the first two books in the series)...but, I know why it won the Edgar, Klavan picked up his game as a word-smith..the writing is fuller, expanded, and more dramatic...BUT...the plot of The Rain is very thin, and there are elements of Chandler snitched (think Moose Malone). As well, the plot line is rather boring...so...I'll give it 2.75 stars.
I am reading The Force by Don Winslow. I'm quite the fan of Winslow but all of the books of his I've read are those that take place in Southern California or in Mexico - surprised at how well Winslow here captures the feel of all the cultural and ethnic divisions in New York City which has a totally different atmosphere.The plot is also very interesting, the main character is basically the type of ultra-corrupt police officer who'd be the villain in a typical detective novel. Other than the setting being NY rather than LA "The Force" basically feels like L.A. Confidential as told from Dudley Smith's viewpoint!
In addition to that, I am re-reading Ghost in the Shell by Masamune Shirow, a work which I still consider the gold standard for futuristic police procedurals, for the third time. There's a ton of nuances in the political drama that I missed the first couple times I read GITS.
Simon, good analysis. Thanks for the Recs.
Finally finished Don Winslow's The Force last night. Almost took an entire month to finish thanks to the long, complicated story with tons of characters and subplots as well as the disturbing subject matter. It's hard to read it and not come away with a very cynical view of politics and society, but it's also quite funny in its own bleak way.
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Wake Up to Murder (1952) by Day Keene...Wake Up to Murder by Day Keene I found to be just OK...it doesn't come anywhere close to his Sleep With The Devil which is one of my noir faves...2 stars2.
Country Dark (2018) by Chris Offutt...Country Dark was a good crime fiction read...takes place in country Kentucky from 1955 to 1970....entertaining with enough action to move it along...but nothing great...it is a fairly short novel so reading it won't take much time or effort, so, I recommend it...3 stars...side note: IDK why but I was expecting a whole different novel after reading the advert blurb...I thought it was going to be in the realm of Winter Bone by Daniel Woodrell...oh well...3.
Boldt (1976) by Ted Lewis...Just OK...Ted Lewis wrote Get Carter...I bought Boldt then was told it's Lewis's weakest book...High points: the main plot is pretty good, Boldt is a hard nosed detective whose brother, a politician, is coming to town and is marked for assassination...OK, not a bad idea...but the story-line veers off a number of times into ultra-violence & kinky sex, plus a stop at a wild gay bar -??? But, I must say that every-time the story gets off track it returns...and the ending is pretty good...but, yeah, over-all just Ok, I would only recommend reading it if you are a Ted Lewis completest...2 stars...side note: very racist!4.
The Expendable Man (1963) by Dorthy Hughes...The Expendable Man (1963) is pretty good...a modern day mystery taking place in Phoenix, AZ...where the desert & heat are almost a character itself...almost a sociological tale as much as a mystery...similar to In A Lonely Place, the climatic point of the ending happens in a flash, which for a 246 page book is a little bit of a head-scratch-er, but not a biggie...otherwise well written and the reading flows well...4 stars.5.
Mortal Stakes (1975) by Robert Parker...I read a few Spenser's years ago and found them to be OK and mildly entertaining. Recently I've run across a number articles highlighting Robert Parker and his body of work...all with praise. In particular Paperback Warrior gave a highly favorable to the 3rd Spenser book, Mortal Stakes (1975), saying "Mortal Stakes was a riveting, explosive chapter in this long-running series. Highly recommended." Sooooo, I bit the hook and read Mortal Stakes...and I found Parker's writing to be just like it was years ago...just OK and mildly entertaining. There's a lot to recommend...a plot centering around a pitcher of the Boston Red Socks who might be throwing games...some goofy characters including sarcastic Spenser...a breakout of intense violence for the series...but I just find his prose to be well below the standard set by Chandler & Macdonald. I would recommend Mortal Stakes to be read on a long flight maybe from the States to Europe...an easy to read crime-fiction you can complete in a matter of hours...2 stars
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