The Case of the Sulky Girl (Perry Mason) by Erle Stanley Gardner

The second of the Perry Mason novels is the first to take on the familiar traditional approach of having lengthy courtroom scenes dominate the end of the book. An enjoyable plot revolving around Perry's client, a young woman who is accused of murdering her Uncle in order to get her full inheritance.

I really enjoyed the way Erle Stanley Gardner combines two major mystery elements here.  The first is the expected mystery of whodunit. But the second, more subtle mystery involves Perry Mason's courtroom tactics and trying to figure out how he is going to turn the tables on the huge pile of evidence against his client. Cleverly done, of course.

Looking forward to more of this series.

Me, Hood (Mike Hammer) by Mickey Spillane

I picked this up in honor of the 100th birthday of Mickey Spillane but to be honest, that was just an excuse.  This is actually my very first Mickey Spillane experience and I’ve been itching to try one.  A couple of friends suggested I start with something other than a Mike Hammer book because they preferred his standalones and since I had this on the shelf it was an easy pick.

This volume includes two short novels: “Me, Hood” and “Return of the Hood”.  Ryan is a hoodlum, a man who skirts the law and frequently crosses the line but is smart enough to get away with it almost always.  He is often called, simply “Hood” or sometimes “Irish”.  In the first story he is conned by the police in order to bring justice to a situation that is beyond the rules of proper police procedure.  His brand of violence and his connections provide just the spark that’s needed.  The second story has a bit of an international espionage flavor to it as Hood is randomly entrusted by a desperate female spy with a capsule containing top secret microfilm.  Unfortunately, he has simultaneously been accused by a gang leader of offing his little brother and during the resulting chaos, Hood loses the capsule.  

These novellas were almost exactly what I expected from Spillane.  Lots of hard boiled crime, violence, femme fatales etc.  They are told in that wonderful first-person POV that works so well and allows for many a glib one-liner.  I’m not sure how these two stories rank on the Mickey Spillane quality index but they worked well for me as an introduction and I feel confidant they won’t be my last.

Hard Target (The Zone series) by James Rouch

The Cold War has turned hot. World War III is upon us. But this time around, the art of war includes harsh tools like chemical and biological weapons and tactical nukes. Rather than let such things loose worldwide, NATO and the Warsaw Pact agree to limit the fighting to a large swath of West Germany called ‘The Zone’. 

First published in 1980, almost ten years before the fall of the Berlin Wall, “Hard Target” is the first of ten books in “The Zone” series by British author James Rouch. The novel opens by dropping readers right in the middle of the action with a Soviet T-84 tank bearing down on a small group of what will become the main characters. Such small, tactical scenes are the norm throughout the novel, never widening up the scope of the action to really understand the greater strategies at work. Nor are we treated to much in the way of how or why the war began. Team leader, American Major Revell, together with British Sergeant Hyde, must somehow create a cohesive unit out of a bunch of misfit ‘Dirty Dozen’ style mavericks, each with their own unique and often bizarre and even unlikable personalities.

The plot involves one of many post-apocalyptic refugee enclaves located in The Zone where the Soviets have placed, against the rules of war, an elite tank salvage unit charged with refitting enough Soviet armor to enable a successful counter-attack in the coming months. Revell and his team must destroy it in order for NATO to be able to keep the Reds at bay. The story moves along nicely, and the final covert op sequence is a fun ride. While that mission does wrap up in this first book, most readers will want to turn to book two to find out what happens next to this motley crew.

The Awful Egg (Doc Savage) by Kenneth Robeson (Lester Dent)

The 88th novel in the Doc Savage series (#92 by Bantam publication order) is representative of the later Doc stories, published during the WW2 years. This one was the second published in 1940 and features a plot that hints at the kind of fantastic elements from earlier novels but reveals itself to have a much more mundane plot. Perhaps the publisher wanted more realism by this time in the face of the growing war as well as to better match up to the competition.

But no matter, this book has most of the “Doc’isms” I hope for including appearances by all of Doc’s five aides. (But no Pat Savage in this one, alas). The plot features what appears to be the discovery of a dinosaur egg, with a Little one still alive inside and about to chip its way out. Even Johnny, master archeologist and geologist is convinced of its authenticity. But when the egg is stolen Doc and his crew must chase down the mystery before it eats its way through man and beast. 

The plot quickly turns from a dinosaur hunt to a murder and stolen gold plot but it was another fun read. It’s written by the creator, Lester Dent and not one of the handful of ghost writers working on the series in the 1940s.

The Doomsday Affair (The Man From U.N.C.L.E.) by Harry Whittington

The plot in this second novel in the Man From U.N.C.L.E. Television tie-in series jumps right into the middle of the action when a young woman (and THRUSH defector) removes a lei from around her head that she had recently received from Honolulu airport.  Unfortunately, there is an explosive device within the lei and her movements trigger the bomb which kills her immediately.   This happens right in front of Napoleon Solo and literally blows the action wide open in the first paragraph.  It all leads to a diabolical plot by a mysterious entity named Tixe Ylno ('Exit Only' spelled backward) to blow up a major American city with an atomic bomb and pin the deed on Russia, thereby launching World War III.  

Yes, we’ve seen this plot numerous times before but since this was published in 1965, perhaps it was a newer concept then.  For this second book in the series, author duties were handed over to Harry Whittington, who is known as one of the most prolific pulp authors of all time, managing to churn out 85 novels in the space of only twelve years.  That sort of churn and earn approach, unfortunately, is quite evident in this book, and its quality is not nearly as high as in book one, The Thousand Coffins Affair written by Michael Avallone.  Lots of action sequences but all crammed together with little expository or explanatory effort.  The ending is especially representative of this as it all ends rather abruptly.  I turned the last page expecting to see at least a couple more paragraphs but no, nothing there.  No extraneous words wasted on what the consequences of that final scene were or how the characters dealt with it.  Also, the big reveal of the identity of Tixe Ylno is handled just as obviously as thousands of novels before, as well as practically every episode of Scooby Doo you've ever seen.

There was one scene that I was happy to read.  As I watched the television series I kept wondering about the guy who ran the tailor shop that doubled as the secret entrance to U.N.C.L.E. headquarters.  Was he simply a tailor?  Was he a retired agent?  In this novel, Napoleon Solo wonders the same thing but even though we don’t get an actual answer, at least it was good to know that Napoleon and I think alike.  

I did find it interesting that this volume did include Illya in a major role (unlike in book one where he is clearly a minor character).  But he is still obviously subservient to Solo, telling me the book was written based on early scripts or shortly after the first couple of episodes had filmed.  It only took the TV series 5 or 6 episodes before these two characters began to be almost equal in skills, experience, and air-time so I’m expecting the book series to evolve that way as well in short order.

Looking forward to book 3 which is written by yet another author, John Oram Thomas who seems to have been anything but prolific.

The Gallowsman by Will Cade

Will Cade is not exactly a household name among Western writers.  But if this novel serves as an example of his work, he should be.  He wrote just a handful of books, all published by Leisure Books in the late 1990’s to early 2000’s. His work generally deviates from the traditional western yarn in that he adds a great deal of mystery and suspense to his stories rather than a bunch of flying lead and fisticuffs. Often there is a sense of defending the rights of innocents.

This novel opens with Ben Woolard arriving in the small mining town of Ferguson, Colorado, ready to start his life anew. We soon uncover his backstory, his job as a Union spy during the Civil War, infiltrating Bushwhackers (Confederate guerrillas), and feeding intel to his brother. It was a job that didn’t sit well with him, forcing him to lie and turn his back on people who thought him loyal. However, his critical testimony at the trial of murderer Henry Champion led to a successful conviction and hanging. In addition, we also unfortunately learn of the terrible loss of Ben’s wife and children to the dreaded measles at about that same time resulting in his nosedive into heavy drinking.

But now Ben has joined his successful brother in Ferguson and been grubstaked for a silver mine. All was well until the rumors started. Henry Champion had been seen alive, right there in Ferguson. That couldn’t be true, of course – they’d seen him hang. But then some of Champion’s gang was spotted and Ben’s brother’s business is set afire.  How could this be? Ben would have to solve the mystery while juggling his mining concern, look out for his new friends, and avoid the bottle. 

This one really kept me turning the pages. Cade writes in a smooth, campfire-story-telling style and Ben Woolard makes for a relatable, sympathetic hero. A side plot involving a pretty girl who disguises herself as a grubby man in order to avoid her abusive/killer brother was an added bonus. Mysterious deaths, mistaken identities, kidnappings, and colorful characters all combine to make a fun read with a satisfying (and not at all predictable) finish. I definitely want to read more from Will Cade.

The Stochastic Man by Robert Silverberg

Every once in a while I like to read one of the Grand Masters of Science Fiction and this time it was Robert Silverberg’s turn.  He always provides a good ol’ fashioned science fiction yarn, and doesn’t forget to add the science. He’s always good at playing the what-if question and then constructing a story around it, often including some intriguing concepts to ponder along the way.

The story here is about a man named Lew Nichols who uses stochastic methods to accurately predict outcomes and probabilities.  He is so good at it that he is recruited by a team of people dedicated to electing the next mayor of New York, with the ultimate goal of getting their charismatic man all the way to the White House.  Lew soon learns of another man who is even better at predicting events though…a man who is 100% accurate because he can “see” the future.

Silverberg uses the concept of alternate realities and parallel universes in a pretty cool way in this novel.  His what-if scenario is, “what if our timeline brushed up against a parallel universe’s timeline so we could “see” what’s happening over there?  Only that other timeline is flowing in the reverse direction…”  So when we see into that other life we are seeing what is still to come in our own lives. A lot of questions arise in Lew’s mind, including the inevitable questions of time paradox and what happens when one witnesses their own death, but Silverberg handles them deftly.  Ultimately, he explores the idea of prediction leading to predestination vs. any sort of free will to change our own paths.  Intriguing concepts to be sure.

This novel was written and published in the early 1970’s and the plot takes place in the late 1990’s.  But just as Silverberg doesn’t forget about the science, he also doesn’t forget about the story and the characters, a problem that seems to routinely crop up in many science fiction novels I’ve read from that era.  Curiously, for a novel about accurate predictions of the future, his own view of what life would be like in the late 1990’s was way off.  It’s easy to look back from our vantage point now and smirk but much of what Silverberg postulated is similar from book to book and in common with other science fiction authors from that time.

This book was nominated for a number of awards including the Nebula, Campbell, Hugo, and Locus SF awards.  I enjoyed it and look forward to reading a few more Silverberg novels that I already have on my shelf.

The Thousand-Headed Man (Doc Savage) by Kenneth Robeson (Lester Dent)

The 17th Doc Savage novel, (as originally published, and 2nd in the Bantam publishing order) has long been a fan favorite, frequently listed among the top 10 and even on top 5 lists. And it's no surprise considering the avalanche of pulp adventure that lies within. 

The plot revolves around an explorer who’s gone missing somewhere in the jungle forest of Indochina while searching for a strange cult. Originally published in 1934, the novel takes full advantage of “Yellow Peril” themes that had become popular with the Fu Manchu novels, making use of a mysterious Chinaman character named Sen Gat who prides himself on his incredibly long fingernails. Ultimately, it’s a race between Sen Gat and Doc Savage to see who can discover the secrets behind what appears to be an all-too-real Thousand-Headed Man.  The novel has all you could ask for in a pulp adventure story including a lost civilization in a mysterious land, perilous plane rides, river boat adventure among crocodile infested waters, an attractive yet desperate girl who needs help rescuing her father, and plenty of twists and turns. All five of Doc’s aides participate and are actually useful this time out with their individual skills, especially Monk and his chemistry expertise.

For me, this was a nostalgic re-read. I can remember the summer after the sixth grade when my family moved to a new town. I was filled with trepidation. My older brother and I had no friends yet so when we discovered the first dozen or so Doc Savage paperbacks in the local bookstore, we bought them all. It turned out to be a pretty good summer after all.

Assignment to Disaster (Sam Durell series) by Edward S. Aarons

A couple of weeks ago I came across a bunch of vintage paperbacks by Edward S. Aarons, all with the word “Assignment” in their title.  I had never heard of these books or the author, but they looked to be spy thrillers from the 1950s and 60s and since they would cost me all of 25 cents each, I took a small chance and bought a boatload of them.

And so it was that I picked up this first novel in the “Assignment” series.  This novel came out just after Ian Fleming’s first Bond novel 'Casino Royale' was published and so many people today seem to regard this series as a Bond rip-off.  But since this novel was published before 'Casino Royale' had a chance to make much of an impact yet, I would disagree.  The main character in this series is CIA agent Sam Durell and yes, he is sort of like an American version of Bond. But in its day, the books in the Sam Durell series were very popular.  There are 48 novels in the series; the first 42 were written by Edward S. Aarons and the final 6 were reportedly written by his brother although there is speculation that the name Will B. Aarons was just a house name for Fawcett. All were published over a span of 28 years.  That’s quite a successful run by any standards.

The novel itself is a hoot.  Of course, the reader must keep in mind the age in which it was written and so, like the Bond books, you’ll see some cultural references and attitudes that may seem odd today.  What we would call male chauvinism today was treated more like chivalry in the 1950s.  World War II is over and the world’s concerns tend to revolve around rockets and the power that can be unleashed at the whim of a mad scientist.  Durell is on the lookout for a missing American scientist, one of the brains behind the world's first man-made satellite, named Cyclops, a bomb of dramatic proportions. With just a few hours to go before launch, it is vital that Durell find the man and put an end to the sabotage.

Another nice thing about the series is that they really don't have to be read in order.  There are no overarching story lines that I am aware of that reach across individual novels but I understand Durell's relationship with Dierdre does run through the books.  The publisher usually lists the books in alphabetical order rather than by published date.  I am a stickler about reading series in order if at all possible but with so many in a series it would be a shame to hold up reading them just because you can’t locate book #2 in your local used book store.

Largely, because of the Bond movies, series like this Sam Durell set have fallen by the way side.  I’ll definitely be reading more and doing my best to spread the word about their existence. If you’ve enjoyed Bond or other spy novel series of that era, I recommend you give these a try.

Stinger by Robert R. McCammon

An alien spaceship crashes near a small Texas border town, its occupant a bounty hunter on the trail of another alien of a different species who has recently escaped from a prison planet.  That certainly sounds more like science fiction than horror but the way Robert McCammon unfolds this plot is pure horror.  Trust me.  The nature of the bounty-hunter alien (nicknamed “Stinger”) is a scorpion-like, mucus producing, monster with the ability to rapidly replicate allies using spare machine parts and captured human bodies.  In effect it can build its own army in its effort to capture its quarry.  Awesome!

Most of the novel is devoted to developing the many characters of the small town of Inferno.  It’s a town that is on its last legs due to the local copper mine being played out so all of the citizens are being forced to close up shop, finish their last few days of the school year, and prepare to move elsewhere.   There is a wide variety of characters in this town, from all walks of life.  The town also suffers from a racial divide due to its proximity to Mexico and a perception that illegals are taking local jobs.  But a common enemy can bring even the most viral enemies to work together and begin to understand one another a little better.  My only quibble with this novel is that there may have been too many characters.  That served to lengthen the novel a bit and slow down the build-up to the action sequences.

A UFO/alien/horror story can be pretty standard fare but in the hands of this author, it truly shines.  I first discovered Robert McCammon through his historical mystery novel, "Speaks the Nightbird", a novel that was so impressive that it made my all-time favorite list.  Subsequent novels in that series did not disappoint.  But I also knew his roots lay in the horror genre so I sampled his masterpiece, "Swan Song" and was, once again blown away by the quality of his writing.  So now he is on my list of must-read-everything-he-has-ever-written-including-his-grocery-list authors.

Monstrosity by Edward Lee

My first Edward Lee horror novel and based on this one, likely not my last.  Nice plot, good pacing and nicely done horror mixed with a lot of over-the-top craziness. Sort of like watching a car crash...repulsive in many ways but I can't look away. Reminds me a lot of Richard Laymon and since I've read most of his books, Lee might serve well as a replacement.

One problem with this novel, however, which struck me a lot more than it will most readers. The author's biography tells of some time served in the US Army. However, his characters in this book are almost all ex-Air Force security forces people. Unfortunately, the author made quite a few assumptions that the AF is the same as the Army. It's not. For example, his AF characters refer  to shopping at the PX ("Post Exchange" in Army terms) instead of the "BX ("Base Exchange for AF). He references security platoons (sorry, no platoons in the AF). I could list more examples but you get the idea. Minor points to be sure but it represents lazy writing. These are all easily researched items, even way back in 2003 when this was published.

I intend to sample more of Lee's work from time to time.

South of Sulu by George F. Worts

This collection of five short stories revolves around the character of Samuel Larkin Shay, otherwise known as “Singapore Sammy”.  Sammy is an American who has spent the last six years (1920’s) roaming around the Asiatic tropics, (the South Seas), trying to catch up to his no-good scoundrel of a father.  See, Sammy’s grandfather has left him a fortune in his will, but his father has absconded with the document, preventing the estate from passing on to Sammy.

Each of these five stories was a wonderful adventure yarn, packed full of exciting pulpy shenanigans.  An adventure in every port, you might say. Sammy isn’t afraid to let his fists do the talking when he spots an injustice.  Interestingly, each story is subtly different from one another.  For example, one is a heist story while one is a revenge story, and another is more of a mystery with supernatural elements.  But they all tie together in Sammy’s unending quest to catch his father and gain the upper hand.

George F. Worts was a prolific pulp writer, probably most famous for his character, Peter the Brazen. During the first World War, Worts was a wireless operator throughout the Pacific and later worked for Collier’s, visiting and writing articles on China, India, the Philippines, and Malaya.  The vivid landscapes he describes in these stories are evidence of his knowledge of the locations, the people and their culture.

These Singapore Sammy stories first appeared in "Short Stories" but the character eventually made his way into "Argosy" with another handful of stories, all of which were highly regarded at the time according to the Letters to the Editor.  I need to track those down now too, both for the sheer fun of reading them but also to find out if Sammy can ever wrestle away that only copy of the will from his father.

Deliver Us From Evil by Allen Lee Harris

Fourteen years ago, in the small rural town of Lucerne, Georgia, a horrible even occurred: the rape of a young insane girl by a mentally defective man.  The offspring was abandoned, orphaned, and spends his childhood bouncing through the foster care system.  His name is Jamey.  And now, 14 years later, there’s something about Jamey that makes people believe he just might be the anti-Christ.

Thanks to the good folks at Capricorn Literary, this horror novel from 1988 has been resurrected, as it were.  The author, Allen Lee Harris, attended Harvard Divinity school as well as studied for a PhD in Philosophy so it’s hardly surprising that this is a smartly written novel with deep philosophical themes.  The plot surrounds several key players in Lucerne who act as POV characters, including the sheriff, his 14-year-old son, his wife, and several members of the local church.  It is through their eyes that we meet Jamey and slowly work out what is transpiring.  The author’s background in divinity studies serves him well as a means to write about an alternate view of the Book of Revelations.

The writing is excellent and exudes atmosphere of small-town southern America.  It was interesting to see the way the writing style changed here and there depending on which POV character was active at the moment.  Not just in dialog but in the actual style of the prose.  It was subtle, but very effective.  As for the horror element, it built slowly through the entire book, creepy at times, scary at others, and downright horrific during the climactic scenes.

Overall, I do wish that the prose had been tightened up a bit.  Some scenes dragged out too long and some of the dialog was repetitive in what seemed to be an attempt to build up the suspense over a longer span.  I’m not a big fan of the religious fervor that some characters demonstrated so perhaps that made me wish it had moved along a little quicker. But overall, this is a quality read.

Nightmare in Pink (Travis McGee) by John D. MacDonald

The second Travis McGee novel finds our self-described boat-bum doing a favor for an old army buddy who has been confined to a VA hospital and, sadly, is unlikely to live much longer.  The man’s young sister, Nina, needs help as it seems her fiancé has just been murdered in an apparent mugging gone bad.  Travis’s investigation takes him to New York and leads him from one contact to another, the trail eventually leading to a high-priced call girl and an incredible scheme to steel millions from wealthy businessmen.  Along the way, despite trying not to, Travis falls for young Nina, and she for him, although they both know it won't be a lasting thing.

John D. MacDonald was still forming his character Travis McGee in this second book in the 21-book series, a decidedly different sort of protagonist than what the marketplace at the time was used to.  Travis has flaws and, generally speaking, being around him isn't always the safest place to be.  Collateral damage occurs and innocent people sometimes get caught in the crossfire (or by poisoned coffee in this case).  Most people agree that it is not until the third novel, "A Purple Place for Dying" that the general pattern and style for the rest of the books is laid down.  Regardless, this novel was an enjoyable read despite the drugged-out LSD tripping scenes at a 1960’s era lobotomizing horror factory masquerading as a mental hospital.  The title of the novel is most apropos!

Needle by Hal Clement

My brother was cleaning out his bookshelves in anticipation of his upcoming move, and so I "inherited" about 100 of his books.  A nice haul all the way around and among them, were about 30-35 science fiction books, many from the so-called classical era.  I haven't really read all that much of the older science fiction for many years now but have wanted to get back into it and thought this the perfect opportunity.

So this book was my first to read out of that whole collection from my brother.  I had read one other Hal Clement book, "Mission Of Gravity" but that was at least 25 years ago.  This one, I believe, was Mr, Clement's first published work, written in 1949.  Unfortunately it shows.  The book opened delightfully, with the nice hard science that the author is known for.  A protoplasmic alien creature has crash landed on earth while chasing another of the same species who has committed some sort of crime.  The "hunter" alien absorbs into a 15 year old boy and uses him to function and chase after the criminal alien.  Yeah I know it sounds a bit hokey but the first 1/3rd of the book was quite riveting to see how the biology of the alien species worked.  This was just the sort of hard science I was looking for.  Unfortunately, the actual "story" took off from there and turned into a detective story that seemed aimed at younger readers, reminiscent of Heinlein's juveniles only not nearly as good.

The book spawned a sequel several years later, which I may read, but I may have to get through those other 99 books from my brother first.

The Thousand Coffins Affair by Michael Avallone

THRUSH is nearing completion of a new super weapon that is capable of killing off whole cities in savage fashion.  It’s chemical warfare at its finest.  Napoleon Solo, U.N.C.L.E.’s best agent is dispatched to deal with the crisis.  

This is the very first book in The Man From U.N.C.L.E. novel series and I’ve been itching to get to it ever since I finished watching all four seasons of the TV show a couple of weeks ago. I was heartened to learn that these books are not just reincarnations of specific episodes but rather complete, stand-alone stories.  I found it to be a fun read with a lot of good background presented on the main characters, especially Solo and Mr. Waverly that you really can’t do easily in a TV show.  It also provided some good intel on the U.N.C.L.E. headquarters building that was only hinted at on TV. Illya Kuryakin, does have a small role here but is mostly confined to lab work.  This tells me that the book was conceived and written based on the TV script outlines of the first couple of episodes before the popularity of David McCallum’s character elevated the role.

“The Man From U.N.C.L.E.” TV show first aired on September 22, 1964.  It was a time of turbulence in American history, with news headlines including reports of a place called Vietnam where US Government forces had just inflicted “heavy casualties” on Communist forces invading South Vietnam.  The Warren Commission was on the verge of announcing its verdict that Lee Harvey Oswald had acted alone.  In the South, the Heart of Atlanta Hotel was asking the US Supreme Court to overturn the 1965 Civil Rights Act.  This was the backdrop from which this TV show sprang and a series of paperback novels were generated as part of an aggressive and ingenious marketing plan for its time.  Cold War themes prevail throughout the novel.

Noted mystery writer, Michael Avallone was recruited to write the series but after great success with this first novel, (for which he was paid a measly $1000) his handshake deal to write the rest was undercut and other writers were signed to do the rest.  However this novel’s healthy reception and success opened doors for him and he went on to write over 200 novels, many of them TV and movie tie-ins.

So, all in all, this was an excellent first start to the series.  I think it stands well on its own even for readers who have never watched the TV show. Note that the cover of the book I read (pictured) simply bears the title "The Man From U.N.C.L.E.". I suppose it's because this was the first. Later printings changed it to "The Thousand Coffins Affair". With different authors writing the other books, I look forward to seeing how they compare.

Brak the Barbarian Versus the Sorceress by John Jakes

The second book in John Jakes’ Conan tribute series continues Brak’s journey southward toward Khurdisan only to have his path forced into a side adventure by the powers that be.  Nordica is a beautiful sorceress intent on capturing Brak’s life force to further her own evil ends but just in case that isn’t enough, there is something deeper behind her sinister plot.  Events from previous stories converge as Brak finds himself in the lair of none other than the followers of Yob-Haggoth, the big bad of the series.  Brak’s old nemesis Septegundus as well as Ariane have prominent roles to play in this adventure as well.

I enjoyed this novel quite a bit more than the first book, probably because this was a single novel-length adventure (even though originally published in serial form) instead of a series of connected short stories. It allowed for much better character development and that “getting-to-know” Brak serves the series well.  I almost always enjoy these sorts of sword and planet adventure stories and am willing to overlook the occasional over-the-top writing or plot hole.  Jakes does a better job than most however and it was clear even back in 1963 that he would have a nice writing career ahead of him.

Robert E. Howard - The Complete Action Stories

“I weren’t to blame for what happened. Breaking Joel Gordon’s laig was a mistake, and Erath Elkins is a liar when he says I caved in them five ribs of his’n plumb on purpose. And I don’t take no blame for Jim Gordon’s ear which Jack Grimes shot off, neither.  I figger everybody was more to blame than I was, and I stand ready to wipe up the earth with anybody which disagrees with me.”  -- Brekinridge Elkins

Robert E. Howard is, of course, well known for creating the epic characters of Conan the Barbarian, Bran Mak Morn, Solomon Kane, El Borak, and many more.  His fantasy worlds are legendary.  But far fewer people are aware of his other creations and perhaps may not appreciate his versatility as a writer.  

This volume reprints all 23 of Robert E. Howard’s stories ever printed in “Action Stories” pulp magazine.  They are presented in order of publication from the original dates of 1931 to 1937, including the original accompanying artwork.  Five stories feature his boxing hero Sailor Steve Costigan while the remaining 18 are about western mountain man, Brekinridge Elkins.  These yarns are filled with humorous situations and packed with glorious fights that tend toward tickling the funny bone rather than brutal violence.  

Howard should get credit for inventing a whole new type of story, especially with the Brekinridge Elkins stories. They can probably best be described as “Tall Tales”, with  characters displaying extremely over-the-top abilities (like Brekinridge getting shot directly in the chest with a shotgun blast but with skin so tough it serves only to make him think the gun-wielder must have been sore at him).  Both Brekinridge and Steve Costigan are far from the brightest bulbs but their lack of intellect is more than balanced with skill with their fists.  Best of all, these tales are pure fun to read.  More than once I laughed out loud and I had to stop and read aloud so my wife could be in on what was so funny.

Robert E. Howard certainly knew how to tell a tale and these are no exception.  Fans of his more famous works will want to be sure to give these a go as well.

The Living Shadow by Maxwell Grant (Walter B. Gibson)

I’ve read a number of pulp adventures with a wide variety of main characters but have never sampled one of the greatest of all time.  The Shadow. High time I corrected that. 

First published in 1931, “The Living Shadow” is the very first pulp novel in The Shadow series. It was written by Walter B. Gibson, the creator and main writer of the series under the name "Maxwell Grant." The character would evolve considerably over the years, branching out into all forms of media entertainment but many of the character’s traits are already found in this first story, including the red-lined black cloak and slouch hat, and of course his uncanny ability to hide by blending into shadows.

Throughout the book The Shadow remains an extremely nebulous character.  We tend to learn about him through other characters and their reactions to what they encounter but never The Shadow himself.  Certainly not his name or who he actually is.  Instead, the story’s main character is Harry Vincent, a man down on his luck who has decided to commit suicide by jumping off a bridge in New York.  A mysterious man prevents this and extracts a loyal promise that Harry will work for him from now on. The Shadow, of course.

Harry becomes the foil for the reader, accepting circumstances as they are no matter how strange.  We follow along in his shoes as he assists his mysterious benefactor in solving a case involving a Chinatown mastermind, a murdered millionaire, and missing jewels.  Harry knows no more about The Shadow than we do.

There are a number of “firsts” in this book; characteristics that would become hallmarks of the series.  These include The Shadow as a master of disguise, messages written in disappearing blue ink, verbal messages with emphasized words, and The Shadow’s Fritz the janitor identity.  Harry is the first of an entire network of recruited agents that work for The Shadow and we also meet Claude Fellows who is more of an administrative desk man.

All in all, I was fairly well impressed with the quality of the writing and the complexity of the mystery tale that unfolded. I’ll be reading many more of these books to be sure.

The Deep Blue Good-by (Travis McGee) by John D. MacDonald

I first read this novel back in High School and was ill-prepared to appreciate its style.  I had read science fiction, fantasy, and books like Doc Savage almost exclusively and I thought it was high time I branched out.  In fact, I think this was the first book of the hard boiled crime/noir/PI genre I had ever read.  It seemed dull to me at the time but as I grew older (and older) and sampled more and more of the genre and came to love it even, I knew that someday I would get back to Travis McGee and see what it was that I had missed all those years before.

Turned out I was correct.  This time around I thoroughly enjoyed it and will now plan to read the rest of the entire series over the next several years.  The fascinating thing about this book is not so much the plot (although it’s a good one), or the setting (also good), but rather the character of Travis McGee himself.  I really enjoy his approach to life and his ability to thumb his nose at what “traditional” society expects, choosing to live how he wants.  Accumulating money is not his end goal.  He looks out for those that are getting bullied or become innocent victims of the powerful so we readers want to root for him.

The author’s prose is also great fun to read, something else that I under-appreciated in my youth.  He could turn a phrase with the best of them and say so much with a single sentence.  Yes, I look forward to my journey with Travis over the entire 21 novel set.  Overall I give it 4.5 stars, rounded up to 5 because of the sheer joy I experienced at proving my youthful opinion so very wrong.

Usher's Passing by Robert R. McCammon

For my Halloween read this year, I chose an author that I can always count on for a great read (not just a great horror read but a great read in general).  This one certainly fulfilled my hopes and expectations.

For those that remember the plot of Edgar Allan Poe’s "The Fall of the House of Usher" (and if it’s been a while, I suggest you review a plot synopsis at the very least), Roderick Usher suffers from a condition that is part hypochondria and part acute anxiety that is triggered by sensory overload.  He also believes the house he lives in to be alive, and that this sentience arises from the arrangement of the masonry and vegetation surrounding it.

These themes play out in all their intriguing and horrific glory in this “sequel” novel.  Rix Usher is a descendant of the Usher clan and he has reluctantly returned to Usherland, a huge compound worthy of the family behind the enormously rich and powerful Usher Armaments Company. Along with his brother and sister, they await the imminent passing of the current patriarch, Walen Usher. While the brother and sister vie for selection as the heir to the company leadership, Rix, a former best-selling horror author is struggling to recapture that magic and wants to turn his focus toward writing a family history. 

I really enjoyed how the author shows us how Rix uncovers the history of his family.  While Rix researches old letters, journals, newspaper clippings etc. from the secretive family archives, we get to live those scenes and learn of all five prior generations, all the way back to Roderick.  While lots of juicy details and intrigue are uncovered, it all becomes a complex puzzle as we continue to learn about more pieces throughout the book.  Along with all of that is an assortment of supporting characters, many of which are…a little odd.  

The horror aspects through the first 3/4ths of the book are pretty much confined to odd happenings such as some disappearing children, rumors of “The Pumpkin Man” and his giant black panther pet in the woods, references to the King of the Mountain, etc.  Also, we get to witness the real-life horror that can happen when greedy siblings compete for untold wealth. McCammon masterfully builds the suspense and the horror until it explodes in truly scary fashion.  The horror combines aspects of traditional haunted house scariness, witchcraft-style magic and bestial attacks. He weaves in the historical themes from Poe’s original story along with the historical puzzle pieces we’ve learned through Rix’s research. It is, indeed, a complex structure but McCammon pulls it off, just as I had hoped.

A great choice for reading late at night and into the wee hours of an October morning.  But I recommend leaving the lights on.

The Dead Stay Dumb by James Hadley Chase

Out of the 5 or 6 novels I’ve read by James Hadley Chase, this one is my favorite so far.  I understand that this author turned to full-time writing after his very first novel was published (No Orchid for Miss Blandish) and since this is only his second novel, the quality is really quite remarkable.

Make no mistake, this is one hard-boiled crime story.  It’s a gangster novel through and through and is often violent and even brutal in its approach.  Dillon is a hardened criminal but never content with his level of power.  He works his way up the mobster ladder through deceit, double-cross, and murder.  And the more power he gets, the easier it is for him to take the easy way forward and simply eliminate his competition.

The story is rounded out with a handful of important characters that are associated with Dillon.  While most of them are also criminals, they tend to have at least some sort of redeeming quality that makes the reader root for them in hopes they will finally give Dillon what he deserves.   Many times, they actually feel like the main character of the story, particularly Myra, who becomes a gun moll for Dillon. 

This novel is certainly not for everyone.  It was written in the early 1940's so the violence and degradation is pretty mild by today’s standards.  Nevertheless, some characters’ stories are tragic, and you really get gut-punched a couple of times.  For me, it was a worthy reading experience even if I do feel the need to go read something akin to Winnie-the-Pooh next, just to provide balance to my outlook on life. 

Devil Take Her by Fan Nichols

Fay Adams is a lounge singer, and a pretty good one.  She has the looks, a nice singing voice and the kind of sweet personality that keeps her fans and admirers coming back for encore performances.  The only problem is, she’s got a secret.  She didn’t choose the backwater town of Bayport Florida as a way to jump-start her career, but rather as an out-of-the-way locale that would keep her hidden from her former life in New York, one step away from a role on Broadway, and a double-murder rap.  She didn’t commit the murders but she was there and the evidence all points to her…so she ran.

This sounds like a set-up for a movie-of-the-week melodrama but it was far better than I expected it to be.  The character of Fay Adams is certainly a flawed one, allowing herself to be ruled by greed for fame and fortune and not at all leery of using other people for her own ends. Her choices grow riskier as she tries to make fast money and she grows more and more desperate as she gets in over her head.  But as the protagonist of the story you can’t help but root for her to overcome it all, and turn herself around.  

Several years ago I acquired a huge box of beat-up old paperbacks from the 1940s-1960s and occasionally I pull one out at random and give it a whirl.  I had never heard of this one before (or the author) so it was very surprising when I found myself completely absorbed after the first few pages.  My research indicates that the author, Fan Nichols, began her career as a mainstream novelist but then dabbled in romance and then moved towards crime fiction.  She evidently enjoyed writing career driven female characters and thus most of her work was sold to genre paperback original publishers like Popular Library.  I don’t know that this one was ever picked up for re-publication but it should be.  Hard Case Crime or Stark House Publishing should take a look.

ll need to be on the lookout for more Fan Nichols stories.

Quantrell's Raiders by Frank Gruber

Frank Gruber, one of the most prolific pulp writers of all time, is also famous for saying there are only seven different plots for westerns.  One of those is the “Outlaw story” in which outlaw gangs dominate the action.  This book, although heavily influenced by historical events, is just such a story.

The novel opens in 1861 with new West Point graduate, Second Lieutenant Doniphan “Donny” Fletcher on his way home to Kentucky to await his first posting. While Donny’s loyalties lie with the Union, most of his family, hometown friends, and an especially attractive young lady next door are slaveholders and either pro-South or just trying to remain neutral. But no sooner does he arrive when trouble between Jayhawkers and Bushwhackers boils over onto his home turf forcing Donny to kill a couple of Union guerrilla fighters in self-defense. Under arrest and about to face a firing squad, Donny manages to escape, but has nowhere to run. He wants revenge and the answer, at least for now resides in becoming a guerrilla fighter himself, ultimately joining up with William Quantrill and “Bloody” Bill Anderson.

This novel is historical fiction disguised as a western.  The story of Quantrill’s Raiders (I’m not sure why it’s spelled “Quantrell” throughout the book) and how it became known as the breeding ground for outlaws after the Civil War’s conclusion, including such luminaries as Cole Younger, Jesse and Frank James, and others is an exciting one. The action, particularly in the second half of the book is bloody and brutal, and all the more horrifying because it is factual. These men are outlaws at their worst. The scenes involving the massacre of Lawrence, Kansas are especially disturbing as some 450 guerrilla fighters swoop in and murder numerous innocent noncombatants including women and children.

The character of Donny Fletcher undergoes a sweeping transformation, from loyal Union Army officer to wanted Southern guerilla fighter and criminal.  Ultimately, no longer willing to participate in such atrocities, he works with the Union once again to turn on Quantrill and the other guerrilla leaders helping to bring an end to their reign of terror.  This is largely a tragic tale, watching one man get caught up in circumstances beyond his control but it does end on a positive note. 

Definitely worth reading, especially for readers interested in this period of history.

Brak the Barbarian by John Jakes

John Jakes, of course, is well known today for his popular historical fiction sagas such as the Kent Family Chronicles (Bicentennial series), the Crown Saga, and the North and South trilogy.  But before he turned to that genre he was a pretty successful science fiction and fantasy author.  As a great fan of Robert E. Howard, Jakes began writing his first Brak the Barbarian story in the 1960s, a Conan pastiche and homage to Howard. 

Apparently it was fun to write so he continued on to write quite a few more. This volume contains five stories that cover a time when Brak journeyed from his birth place in the northern steppes towards the warm, rich lands of Khurdisan in the South.  But by the end of this volume, he still hadn't reached his goal and I have to wonder if he ever does make it.  I'll need to read the rest of the volumes to find out.  Regardless, this journey gives a great excuse for Brak and his broadsword to get mixed up in one wild and weird adventure after another. The stories here really do stand alone and only occasionally mention a character or location from a previous story. I believe I’ve read all of the available Conan stories by Howard and these stories are certainly written in the same vein, using a similar story-telling style.  Pure sword and sorcery adventure and fun to read.

Collision Course by Robert Silverberg

I’ve been on a bit of a Robert Silverberg kick in recent months and have generally enjoyed them.  This novel is no exception.  First published in 1961, this novel takes place in the 26th century after planet Earth (Terra) has developed instantaneous transport via “transmats” making colonization of additional planets much easier.  Now, during Terra’s expansion into the galaxy, they’ve encountered an alien race which appears to be very closely matched to human evolution and level of technology and whom also happens to be in the midst of expanding into the galaxy.

This is essentially a first contact novel but also examines the nature of human-kind’s perceptions of their own place in the universe.  What appears to be a friendly alien race turns out to be rather bossy and ultimately a third, extremely powerful alien race intercedes and forces the two “child” races to negotiate an equal solution and avoid armed conflict.

Unlike many “classic-era” science fiction stories, Silverberg tends to write very approachable stories rather than utilizing obtuse and overly-scientific prose.  He does, however, convey an excellent competence in the nature of the science he uses, especially space travel and the reader comes away with a feeling that it is all entirely plausible. The overall novel was fun to read although the ending seemed a little bit like Silverberg wasn’t sure where to take it.  It does conclude, but the major characters are left fundamentally changed but with no comments on what that would mean for them.

Gone North by Charles Alden Seltzer

We have largely forgotten the name Charles Alden Seltzer these days outside of pulp fiction aficionados, but back in the 1920s and 30s, he was one of the better-known authors who contributed to serial publications, magazines, and quite a few movie scripts. Known mostly for his westerns, he did deviate once in a while, such as with this novel, originally serialized in 6 parts in "Argosy" pulp magazine during March and April of 1930. It was his 30th published book.

This novel takes place in the Hudson Bay country and features Jim Fallon, an adventurer recently come from the Klondike where he made a fortune in gold. And it’s pure adventure.  Fallon is on the trail of a missing man who happens to know the location of a valuable gold mine. Just imagine a plot that includes things like a huge stone castle in the middle of the forest with secret tunnels and housing a nest of high-seas pirates. Add in a beautiful young girl, a formidable Indian who acts as a sidekick, a group of Europeans who are also looking for this gold mine, sword fights, massive fist fights, and much more.  One can certainly tell this was originally published as a serial, with cliff-hangers spaced evenly throughout, always coaxing a reader to come back for the next installment.

Thankfully, Altus Press (now Steeger Books) has reprinted this story as part of its "Argosy Library", rescuing it from obscurity. Readers looking for a good old-fashioned adventure yarn are sure to love this one.  I certainly did.

The Stars My Destination by Alfred Bester

I’ve long wanted to fill in some of the holes in my science fiction reading and this one was prime among them.  First published in 1956, it is often regaled as the single best sci-fi story of all time.  I’m not sure I would go that far but it does provide a substantial number of “firsts”, including what is probably the first salvo in the cyberpunk movement.  And despite the year in which it was written, it still stands up surprisingly well today.

A central concept of the novel is the idea that a couple of centuries from now, mankind has learned to use part of their brains to transport themselves over distances of 100-200 miles or so.  Speculating on how this would impact human society is the gist of great sci-fi and the author certainly provides a lot of potential scenarios.  But to properly tell a story, you need characters and here we have Gulliver “Gully” Foyle who ranks right up there with some of the best iconic sci-fi characters of the past.  His story somewhat mirrors the Count of Monte Cristo…but in a very raw form.

I will confess to probably missing some of the weird wild trippy stuff sprinkled throughout, especially at the end, but still, I found myself quite enjoying the read.  I can finally count Alfred Bester among the authors I’ve read and enjoyed and no longer just think of that name in context of Babylon 5.

Force 10 From Navarone by Alistair MacLean

As far as I know, this is the only Alistair MacLean novel that is a sequel, a follow-on to "The Guns of Navarone".  But, strangely, it’s a sequel to the movie version of that novel rather than the novel itself and consequently a little bit confusing given the changes to the characters.

This book picks up immediately after the events of the first (movie version).  And I do mean “immediately”.  Perhaps 10 minutes have passed and the survivors of that first mission, (Captain Keith Mallory and Corporal Dusty Miller) now on the rescue boat, are told to turn back to shore in order to take on a new mission.  They recruit their Greek comrade Andrea Stavros for the mission, code named “Force 10”. This time around, together with three redshirts British Royal Marine Commandos, they parachute into Nazi-occupied Yugoslavia.  Their mission: to aid the Yugoslav Partisans in their battle against the Nazi German occupiers.  Of course this is an Alistair MacLean novel so there is a hidden mission, hidden even from the British Commandos.

Aside from the slight confusion of this being a sequel to the movie version of a prior novel, it is actually a pretty decent read. There is more confusion however, due to multiple layers of deception.  The main characters act as double agents…and then triple agents and sometimes the characters themselves are unsure of who to trust.  It does, however, all make sense…as long as you can follow it all.

Bottom line:  not quite as good as Guns of Navarone but still worth reading, especially for MacLean fans.

The Case of the Velvet Claws (Perry Mason) by Erle Stanley Gardner

When a self-absorbed woman named “Eva Griffin” comes to Perry Mason claiming her powerful

husband is blackmailing her, Perry’s intrepid secretary Della Street doesn’t trust her. That’s our first clue that neither should we. Later, when Eva overhears her husband arguing with a man just before being shot, she claims it was Perry’s voice she heard arguing with the murdered man. A trustworthy client she is not!  But in true Perry Mason style, he vows to fight for his client no matter the cost.

This is the very first Perry Mason novel, originally published in 1933.  The Perry Mason series consists of over 80 novels and is currently the number 3 all-time best-selling fiction series, following only “Harry Potter” and R.L. Stine’s “Goosebumps”.  I thought it about time I sampled one.

Before reading this book, I knew very little about Perry Mason and have never seen the TV series starring Raymond Burr.  As an attorney who takes on clients in trouble, he works diligently to gather all relevant facts using his own considerable powers of observation and intellect as well as hiring private detective Paul Drake to work on his behalf.  While later books will include dramatic courtroom scenes, this first book does not but instead follows a more traditional detective novel format, albeit with some nice plot twists thrown in.

To be honest, I was somewhat surprised at the character of Perry Mason.  He has no qualms about bending and even breaking the law as long as it leads to helping his client.  He will lie about what evidence he has in order to trick somebody into revealing more than they should.  He will intercept personal mail and even a legal summons, read it and then use it to trap people into confessions.  In fact, a large part of his technique, at least in this first novel, is to set up elaborate false situations to trick people into telling him what they know. But because he is a lawyer, he knows just what he can get away with and he deftly pulls out the legal buzz words to impress the right people at the right time.

Overall, I enjoyed this book even more than I thought I would. The plot was nicely complex with several surprising twists, but it was fairly easy to keep track of who’s who and follow Perry’s thought process as he went.  Looking forward to reading more of this series as well as sampling Gardner's other work.

The Guns of Navarone by Alistair MacLean

During World War II, five men are recruited to achieve the impossible:  destroy a German fortress that threatens Allied Naval operations in the Aegean Sea and prevents over 1,200 isolated British soldiers from being rescued. These five men are all experts at various specialties required by the commando operation, including demolitions, engineering, and most provocatively, mountain climbing since access to the fortress is impossible without scaling a sheer cliff face.

Even though the Greek island of Navarone does not actually exist, the story takes place within the real historical context of the “Dodecanese Campaign”, (specifically the Battle of Leros), the Allies' attempt to capture the German-held Greek islands in the Aegean Sea in 1943. Only the second novel by Alistair Maclean, this 1957 World War II novel has been considered a classic of the genre for decades now.  These days, of course, stories or movies about a handful of talented men, each with specific specialties, teaming up to pull off a near-impossible task are a dime a dozen but I dare say many of them owe quite a bit to this book.  In 1961, a classic film was produced staring Gregory Peck, David Niven and Anthony Quinn, among others.

I’ve read a number of Alistair MacLean books over the years and usually find them OK, but notice they do tend towards the “slow-burn” style, taking quite a while to build to their climax.  This one, however, kept me riveted throughout.  It’s easy to see why this has become a classic: excellent characters, plenty of edge-of-your-seat suspense, and wonderful pacing.  MacLean didn’t believe in much of a wrap-up after the major climax and this one is no exception.  The big story payoff was literally on the last page of the book.

I’m very glad I finally got around to reading this one, and now have my sights set on the sequel, [book:Force 10 from Navarone|149608].  I’m also planning to see the Guns of Navarone film this week so as to fill another hole in my WWII film history.

The War Chief by Edgar Rice Burroughs

Edgar Rice Burroughs has created some of the finest adventuring heroes in all of literature, including house-hold names like Tarzan, John Carter, David Innes, and more.  But many readers are surprised to learn ERB also wrote several fine westerns, including the “Apache novels” which consist of only two books. As a young man, Burroughs enlisted in the 7th Cavalry and saw active service in southern Arizona so he had some first-hand experience with the setting of the Apache Indians. First published in 1927, “The War Chief” is the first of the two books and is centered around the character Shoz-Dijiji or “The Black Bear”.

The novel opens swiftly with a pioneer family getting ambushed and slaughtered by a band of Apaches.  All, that is, except for a young baby boy who doesn’t even cry when dangled by the ankle for all to see.  Go-yat-thlay, the leader of the band of Apaches (and who will go down in history as “Geronimo”) thinks the young babe is unusually brave so decides to raise him as his adopted son. The first half of the book is a coming of age story as young Shoz-Dijiji learns the ways of the Apache, including hunting and tracking skills, extreme patience, religious beliefs and especially, their hatred for the Pindah-lickoyee (“White Eyes”).  He grows to young adulthood, becomes an accepted warrior and eventually War Chief, still operating under the ultimate leadership of Geronimo. A central theme of the book revolves around the Apache way of bringing maximum fierceness through mutilation of their foes even after death and the purposeful slaughter of women and children, all for the purpose of becoming so feared that the white men will leave. Shoz-Dijiji, however sees no honor in doing this, choosing to define bravery by his actions against enemies that can fight back. The resulting strife combined with his white origins lead to all sorts of misadventure.

The novel is written in Burroughs’s unmistakable style and includes quite a few of his typical plot devices.  In fact, for the first couple of chapters I thought I was reading “Tarzan among the Apaches” with very similar origin stories, (including earning his name by killing a black bear at the age of 10).  Just substitute Apaches for the Great Apes.  But soon, it became its own story and I was fully absorbed in its complexities. Reading through the various skirmishes from the Apache point-of-view was absolutely riveting.

Burroughs, I think was ahead of his time when it comes to describing the plight of these indigenous peoples and how both sides reacted to the other.  Written in the 1920’s it is, of course, not entirely politically correct by today’s standards.  But as long as readers can adjust to complex names like “Nakay-do-klunni”, “Be-don-ko-he” and “Chi-e-a-hen”, this one is definitely worth reading.