Spillane: King of Pulp Fiction by Max Allan Collins & James L. Traylor

Mickey Spillane was a complicated man. Known by many as the creator of the iconic and influential character Mike Hammer, he is known by others primarily for a lengthy series of Miller Lite beer commercials. He earned a reputation as an edgy, hard-living, man’s man and yet was known to friends and family as kind, considerate, and willing to give a stranger the shirt off his back. His sense of humor was as evident as his legendary hard-punching, revenge-oriented, justice-delivering hero Mike Hammer.

I grew up after Spillane’s zenith and really only knew him via his reputation. In fact, I came to this biography not because of any great desire to learn about him and his work, (although I felt that would be interesting) but rather because I am a big fan of co-author Max Allan Collins (MAC) and his large body of work. I knew MAC had completed many of Spillane’s novels and stories after Spillane’s passing, a huge undertaking based on Spillane’s partially completed manuscripts, outlines, notes, interviews, and verbal knowledge passing.

Reading this biography was a real eye-opening experience. I confess to having only sampled the first three Hammer novels and one non-Hammer title so far but after completing this volume, I now have a desire to greatly expand my consumption of his writing. This biography is far more than a regurgitation of Spillane’s factual data, his writing, and the events of his life. MAC, along with co-author James L. Traylor have done a tremendous job of showing us the man himself. We come to understand how a fast-rising star of cutting edge, censor-baiting crime novels became an overnight pariah, despised by many of his peers. A ten-year absence from writing Mike Hammer novels, at the very pinnacle of their commercial success, may not have been due to his joining the Jehovah’s Witnesses as many people conclude. We get to ride along as Mickey combines an adrenaline-charged interest in adventurous hobbies like under water diving, racing cars, and collecting guns but the real joy here are the numerous insights into his writing processes, his complicated involvement in numerous movies and TV series, his self-parody, and his sheer joie de vivre.

Looking back on his incredibly popular fiction, Spillane referred to it as “the chewing gum of modern literature.” Maybe so, but along the way he was perfectly comfortable with and even seemed to relish in laughing all the way to the bank. And as the authors point out in this book, the evidence for him caring deeply about his writing, the “poetry” of his descriptive passages, and the masterful plotting is evident with each story he produced.

Included as appendices in this volume are a number of interesting additional items, not the least of which is a nice fragment of his own autobiography, a task that he had always planned to get to someday. It covers his childhood up until age 14 and provides some cool insights into his outlook on life. Also included is a timeline of key events in Spillane’s life which incorporates the dates of all his major publications and other media output. Several lists detail his novels, short stories, collections, etc. as well as a compilation of the Mike Danger comic book series titles. Pulp expert Will Murray provides input to an essay on whether or not pulp author Frank Morris was really Frank Morrison “Mickey” Spillane and I must say the evidence is compelling. Perhaps my favorite “extra” is MAC’s own resuscitation of his efforts to complete each of the Spillane unfinished manuscripts and how that process works.

Ultimately, the definition of a good biography of any author, is that it provides the reader with a full understanding of the subject while driving a burning need to read more of his work. By that standard, this is a great one. I must stop writing about this book now so that I can open up my copy of Kiss Me, Deadly and plunge once again into that rain-soaked New York world of Mike Hammer/Mickey Spillane.

The Seventh Scroll (Ancient Egypt #2) by Wilbur Smith

"The Seventh Scroll", by Wilbur Smith is the follow-up to "River God", one of the best historical novels I have read in a very long time. "The Seventh Scroll" was meant to be read after "River God" but it is not exactly a sequel. It actually takes place in the present day with a couple of archeologist types who are out to discover the hidden tombs that were depicted in the first book. What an intriguing concept! What we got to live through before is now seen through the eyes of history, including all the distortions of history that are bound to happen. After all, what we assume to be true through archeological research isn't necessarily the way it really happened. 

The author does another intriguing thing in this book. He inserts himself into his own fiction, having a main character refer to Wilbur Smith as having authored the fictional "River God" from information uncovered in the first 6 scrolls found in the tomb. Of course it is the 7th scroll that the characters are after in this second book. This leads to some funny moments as the two main protagonists argue about just how accurate Wilbur Smith was in the first book; one of them goes so far as to dismiss Mr Smith as a hack writer who changes the historical record in order to include more sex and violence. It's a twisted loop whereby an author actually negatively critiques his own work...I guess you have to be pretty secure in your own writing career to do that. Regardless, it works wonderfully here. 

The novel itself is just as good as the first book in the series. When you get right down to it, this is a pretty straightforward adventure/treasure hunting story along the likes of "Romancing the Stone". But Wilbur Smith is an outstanding writer who has a knack for making you read just a little more and then still more despite any deadlines you may have to deal with. You know the two main characters will hook up by the end but it's not predictable how that happens. The dangerous scenes in the book are really dangerous and the suspense is spot on. As for historical accuracy...everything sure seemed to be accurate based on my limited knowledge of ancient Egypt and my trip to that country a few years ago.

I've read all the "Ancient Egypt" series (at least those written by Wilbur Smith himself) and count this one among the best. I've tried a couple of others, reportedly written with co-authors but frankly I believe Smith's only contribution to those may have been outlines or notes due to his advanced age. They're still coming out now, after his passing. Unfortunately, while they're "not bad", they sure don't live up to Smith's abilities. From here, the series returns to the past and the further adventures of Taita. Good stuff!

The Humbug Murders by L.J. Oliver

Intriguing concept here: Taking place in 1833, Ebenezer Scrooge, at 30 years of age, acts as an amateur detective to solve the murder of his own boss, Mr. Fezziwig. I had high hopes for this novel, given the setup and they were mostly fulfilled. I especially enjoyed the character of Miss Adelaide Owen who comes to work as a clerk for Mr. Scrooge and demonstrates a keen mind along with a refusal to put up with the antics of men who feel themselves superior to women.

The authors work hard to insert Dickens references and characters throughout the story, not the least of which is Dickens himself in his role as a reporter. Also included are cameos by Mr. Pickwick, Miss Havisham, and the Artful Dodger among several others. In addition, there are plenty of new characters thrown in which have a major impact on the plot and who also seem like genuine (i.e. odd) Dickens characters. In the end the novel works well. I did not quite solve the case on my own but when the big reveal occurred, I felt I should have seen it coming. That's pretty much an ideal result for a mystery novel as far as I'm concerned.

Reportedly, this was to have been the first in a series. That seems unlikely now since one of the two authors behind the "L.J. Oliver" pseudonym, Scott Ciencin, passed away around the time of publication. (The other is E.A.A. (Elizabeth) Wilson). There do not seem to have been any more published since this one in 2015 either. That's too bad. I would have happily read the next and the next...

Dune by Frank Herbert

This won’t be a real review as I can’t imagine I have anything to offer that hasn’t already been said by millions of fans worldwide. 

For me, this is a rare re-read. I first read Dune back when I was a teenager. I read it because my older brother had read it and I pretty much did everything he did. I remember him talking about the sandworms and about life on a desert planet where water (or moisture) was in such short supply that residents had to wear body suits that captured and recycled their own body sweat. In fact, that is really about all I remember from my own first read way back then, nearly 40 years ago.

I’ve known for many years that I’ve wanted to re-read Dune. I was simply too young back then to appreciate it. As a lifelong science fiction fan, I felt it necessary to re-visit this classic, often considered the greatest in the history of the genre. It is to science fiction what The Lord of the Rings is to fantasy. Not only did it win the Hugo award in 1966, it also won the very first Nebula award for best novel. It is considered a landmark of “soft” science fiction rather than the typical novel of the time that relied heavily on technology. Reportedly, Herbert deliberately down-played technology in his Dune universe so he could write about the politics of humanity, as opposed to the future of humanity's technology. 

Now having completed my second read through of this classic I almost hesitate to call it science fiction. There are any number of classic fantasy themes and in fact I would almost call it mythological. I have not read any of the sequels and am not sure that I will as I understand the character of Paul Atreides undergoes further transformation, not all of which is admirable. 

I’ve long had this on my incredibly short list of novels to re-read, a true rarity for me. I kept telling myself that “one day” I would finally do it. Well, “one day” finally arrived and I am so very glad I took this journey once again.

Highly recommended for all three of you out there who haven’t read it yet.

Dr. Thaddeus C. Harker - The Complete Tales by Edwin Truett Long

Dr. Thaddeus C. Harker, along with his two assistants, the lovely Brenda Sloan and the muscular slow-witted Hercules Jones, travel the country in the guise of a travelling medicine show, selling their cure-all, “Chickasha Remedies”. But it seems that at every stop, they encounter crime and thus Doc Harker is obliged to utilize his considerable sleuthing skills, his forthright and charming personality, and his trailer that doubles as a criminology laboratory to solve the crimes.  His plans to thwart the criminals are quite complex and make good use of Brenda, (often as bait), and Herc as the muscle.

This book collects all three of the Doc Harker novellas ever published by the author Edwin Truett Long, a prolific pulp writer in the 1930s and 1940s, under a wide variety of pseudonyms. Altus Press (now Steeger Books) did their usual wonderful job in reprinting these stories from yesteryear. The stories are as follows:

Crime Nest, originally appearing in the June 1940 issue of Dime Detective Novels (Volume 1, Number 1)

Woe to the Vanquished, originally appearing in the June 1940 issue of Red Star Detective (Volume 1, Number 2)

South of the Border, originally appearing in the June 1940 issue of Red Star Detective (Volume 1, Number 3)

All are part of the Munsey-owned pulp mags (probably best known for Argosy) and in fact Doc Harker was used as the primary drawing card for the brand new launch of Dime Detective Novels pulp magazine in 1940 (not to be confused with the very popular Dime Detective Magazine).

The novellas themselves are filled with adventurous action, dangerous situations, and a variety of pulpy characters.  I found the plots to be a little on the convoluted side and felt like I wasn’t always privy to the clues that Doc Harker had available to him.  The stories probably are not as polished as what we might read today but given the sheer number of stories that this author turned out that is hardly surprising.  But in the end, they are good, hearty stories and good for an evening’s entertainment.

Wild Night (Lucas Hallam #1) by L.J. Washburn

Lucas Hallam used to be a cowboy, but the 1920s finds him in the role of private investigator. His beat is the rising acreage of Hollywood, complete with prima donna film producers, shady backlots, and plenty of greedy folks wanting to get in on the profits. But when an obnoxious firebrand preacher gets accused of murder, Lucas reluctantly takes him on as a client, despite his distaste for the man. Lucas comes to believe the man was setup but just who and why…well, the possibilities are endless.

L.J. Washburn has created an intriguing character in Lucas Hallam. He’s an authentic throwback to the stalwart western cowboys of the previous century, complete with a Colt 45 and a hunting knife on his hips. A former Texas Ranger and Pinkerton agent, he spends his spare time as an extra in Western pictures. He has all the skills required for dangerous PI work and plenty comes his way in the first novel in the series.

But despite the western trappings, this is actually a nicely developed mystery/PI yarn to be sure. I’ve always been drawn to old Hollywood and reading this book was just what I was yearning for. I found the characters to be realistic and their interactions fun to watch. Historical Hollywood stars like Tom Mix and William S. Hart make an appearance here and there which just adds to the fun. The mystery plot itself is sufficiently complex without being mind boggling, lending an air of intrigue with every page. Originally published in 1987, it is not surprising to learn that it won the Private Eye Writers of America (Shamus Award) for best paperback original as well as the American Mystery award. Quite an accomplishment for her very first mystery novel. Thankfully, Rough Edges Press has re-released it, along with the rest of the series in handsome new covers.

Above all, reading this first novel in the series served well to whet my appetite for more. As of this writing, there are two more novels as well as a collection of short stories so I can guarantee there will be more Lucas Hallam in my future.

The Eagle (Camulod Chronicles #9) by Jack Whyte

Sigh…and so this wonderful series, very likely my favorite series of all time, comes to its conclusion. 

The 9th and final novel in “The Camulod Chronicles” is centered around and told from the point of view of Clothar, the Gaul from the previous book in the series, and who we know today as Lancelot.  While books 8 and 9 form a duology within the larger series, this one really zeroes in on Clothar’s loyalty and love for Arthur and Camulod (Camelot) with much of the book detailing events of Arthur’s reign as King.  Arthur’s primary goal of uniting the myriad kingdoms, tribes, and factions of Britain into a benevolent and peaceful whole is the background for the novel although we are also treated to Clothar’s activities in Gaul as he acts as Arthur’s representative in building up alliances there as well. It was fascinating to watch how the concepts of knighthood and the games of competition (later to become jousts) developed.

Truth be told, I had long been fretting over this approaching final volume.  The previous books all number among my favorites (with the slight deviation that was book 8) and I was dreading the end.  Not only would it bring to a conclusion, one of my all time (if not THE all-time) favorite series, it would also have to deal with the epic, sad conclusion that we all know from the legend of King Arthur.  Indeed, Mordred is introduced in this volume and the Arthur-Lancelot-Guinevere triangle is dealt with but I will not spoil just how this all plays out.  Suffice it to say that the ending is quite emotional but in an amazingly satisfying way.  The author of this series, Jack Whyte, proves yet again how to take an established mythology, extract the best parts of what makes it a story, make it incredibly realistic (this really might have happened!) and leave a little on the table to grow into its very own mythology.

After closing the final page on this long series of long novels, I simply leaned back in my chair, sighed… and smiled.  I will cherish these books always and never hesitate to recommend them to one and all.

A Friendly Place to Die by Michael P. Faur, Jr.

Cord is an American, captured during the fighting in Korea and later escaping from a POW camp, only to be captured again in China during a failed cross-country escape attempt. After escaping yet again, he is this time saved by a group of monks and taken to a temple where he spends nearly twelve years, learning almost a dozen languages as well as all sorts of other subjects, including martial arts and philosophy. This is all back story that takes place prior to the opening scene.

The novel opens with Cord in Mexico, about to cross over in to the US, making his way back home. He is approached by a Bond babe nice young lady with the marvelous name of “Weary Nowe”. Cord feels sure she is a secret agent of some kind but nevertheless they use each other to enter the US. Cord makes his way to Washington DC where he meets “Control”, the leader of some sort of super-secret government agency. Seems Fidel Castro will be entering the US and plans to make a speech before the United Nations. Control wants to hire Cord to prevent his assassination, which he believes would lead to escalating conflict around the world. Since the suspected killer is none other than Mao Ling, a Korean officer who had murdered every man in Cord’s unit during the war, Cord is happy to take on the assignment.

This novel, published in 1966 by Signet, appears to have been planned as the first book in a spy series, which were, of course, hugely popular during the 1960s. However, there were never any more published. The author, Michael P. Faur, Jr., similarly, appears never to have published another book either. That’s too bad. While this is not a fantastic novel, it is at least equal in quality to most other spy yarns I’ve read from that era. Cord (no first name given) has an enormous array of skills and knowledge from his background, many of which are used over the course of this story. But there is so much more that could have been unveiled over a series. Cord’s exacting verbal wit is constantly on display although his prominent use of Chinese proverbs, while fun to read, is probably a bit overused. The novel, much like Cord himself is intricately assembled with lots of twists and turns. Misdirection is a tool on full display. The ending is a bit odd in that it details exactly what actually happened, proving what Cord (and the reader) thought was happening was all wrong. An interesting technique.

Too bad there weren’t more of these published. I, for one, would have certainly carved out time to read them.

Doc Savage - Death's Dark Domain by Will Murray

Another fine Doc Savage adventure written by the inestimable Will Murray. This one features Long Tom more than most Doc adventures and it’s nice to see him get a major role for a change. This book is best read after reading The Fortress of Solitude from the original series run. The fate of John Sunlight from that novel looms over this one, mostly in regards to his having stolen a number of diabolical weapons and devices from Doc’s arctic workshop. Now it seems possible that one or more of them have found their way into the hands of two opposing countries in the Balkans, each of whom are intent on claiming a strip of land between the two and are not hesitant to use these unusual weapons.

Neither Renny nor Johnny make appearances in this one, both being off on projects of their own. Doc’s cousin, Pat Savage, only barely makes an appearance, just long enough to be exposed to anthrax and be thrust into quarantine and miss all the fun. So, it’s just Doc, Monk, Ham, and Long Tom who find themselves facing a variety of weird menaces including a bunch of invisible hairy cyclopes, vampires, unexplained patches of extreme blindness-rendering darkness, and hordes of aggressive giant leathery-winged bats. A nice assortment of other characters round out the cast and we are kept guessing as to who is really who they say they are and which are trying to get away with something. All the gadgets and seat-of-your-pants escapes that you hope for in a Doc novel are here. Perilous adventure abounds.

One of my least favorite parts of the original Doc Savage books are the endless squabbles between Monk and Ham. It just gets so repetitive and annoying. I think Will Murray feels the same. Of course, he must leave in the banter between the two and indeed, channeling Lester Dent seems to come second nature to him. But he really ratchets up the imagination when it comes to their insults and actually makes them fun to read. 

Looking forward to more of these Wild Adventures.

Seldom Disappointed by Tony Hillerman

I enjoyed reading this memoir although I confess to not having read very many Tony Hillerman books. (A quick database check reveals I've read three Leaphorn & Chee novels, one nonfiction anthology, and one fiction anthology that he edited). It's a true memoir, meaning it's based on his complete life, up until the age of 75 when he wrote it. That means there is a lot of material that does not directly relate to his books or writing process. Lots on his WW2 experiences where he earned recognition as well as some nasty wounds in battle. There is also quite a bit from his post-war journalism career followed by his his time in academia. 

I was born and raised in Albuquerque, NM and so I have many memories of Tony Hillerman's celebrity status for New Mexicans. While it's interesting to read of his life, I wish more of this memoir was devoted to his writing. He does make the point quite well, that all of his lifetime experiences did, in fact, feed his writing. Characters, even Joe Leaphorn, were based on people he'd encountered along the way. Probably more importantly were the plots and situations that his characters encounter which almost always grew from experiences in his own life. His insights on modern-day Indians (and yes, I deliberately use that term -- not "Native Americans" or "Indigenous Peoples" which many Indians consider derogatory) are especially interesting. Throughout the book, he is humble and isn't afraid to be self-deprecating. The book comes across as honest, even when he looks bad in hindsight from time to time. 

It's always fun for me to read autobiographies by authors and this one is a good one. And of course it served its purpose in that I now really feel the need to read more of his fiction.

The Big Bundle (Nate Heller #18) by Max Allan Collins

In 1953, six-year-old Bobby Greenlease, the son of a multi-millionaire auto dealer was kidnapped from a Catholic pre-school located in Kansas City, Missouri. The ransom demand was the largest in American history at the time, $600,000 (the titular “big bundle”). Enter private investigator Nathan Heller, who’s worked with movie stars, mob bosses, and presidents and been on the periphery of some of the biggest national secrets and scandals of U.S. history. Heller quickly works the case on behalf of young Billy’s parents, following the money to solve it and find some sort of justice for Billy’s family.

But not complete justice as it turns out. Five years have passed and less than half of the ransom money has been recovered. It’s now 1958 and Nathan Heller once again finds himself working the case, this time to try and discover what happened to the missing dough. Can it be tied up in Jimmy Hoffa’s exploits even as Robert Kennedy seeks to find some way to charge Hoffa with a crime? Or perhaps a cab driver who took one of the original kidnappers to the Coral Court Motel had tipped off local mobster Joseph G. Costello. Or maybe a couple of dirty cops are behind it all.

This is the eighteenth book in Max Allan Collins’ Nate Heller series. The very first novel, True Detective, was written back in 1983 and won the Shamus award for best PI novel that year. While there might be some benefit in reading them in order, they were not written/published in chronological order so each novel can easily stand alone. These books are hard-boiled, true-crime detective novels with a fascinating protagonist. Indeed, Heller himself, doesn’t always take the high road but tends towards shades of gray. Regardless, he’s a man seeking justice, even though, just like in history, he doesn’t always find it. These novels are extremely well-researched and to read one is to absorb real history of the middle of the American 20th century in a very readable and enjoyable way.

Despite this being the eighteenth novel in the series it is the first to be published by Hard Case Crime which seems like the perfect match. I had a wonderful time reading it and am now kicking myself for not having read each and every one of the others in the series. But, I will be sure to remedy that.