Zelda by Carter Brown

Earlier this year I was able to acquire a bunch of Carter Brown (Alan Geoffrey Yates) paperbacks for a fantastically cheap price.  To be honest I was mostly interested in the cover art by Robert McGinnis which have become collectibles all on their own.  But I happen to be one of those people who can’t stand to have an unread book in their house (which is a real problem considering my TBR shelves currently top 1800 books…owned but not yet read…) so I went ahead and plunged into this one, a random selection from the bunch.

This is reportedly the first of the Rick Holman series, although I have seen references to it being number two.  It was published in 1961, an era I’ve been reading quite a lot of recently although not necessarily by design.  Rick Holman is a Hollywood PI, a cool cat who tends to know more about what is happening than he lets on.  He is hired by one of Hollywood’s hottest glamour queens, Ms. Zelda Roxane to be a sort of keeper of the peace/bodyguard during a weekend retreat at her house where she has invited five men, including three ex-husbands to a blackmailing party.  Seems Zelda is short of cash and…well, it seemed like a good idea at the time.  One of the five men gets murdered and it is up to Rick Holman to solve the case.

Parts of this novel were exactly what I expected: a good mix of characters, some innocent, some dumb, some downright slimy, lots of titillating tease scenes, and oozing 1960’s culture.  At first it seemed to be a straight-forward crime story but then it morphed into almost a Hercule Poirot locked-room mystery story with Rick Holman even spilling the results of his investigation to the room full of suspects.  But in the end it morphed one more time into a twist ending that I didn’t see coming but endeared the character of Rick Holman to me quite nicely.

Happily, I still have about 20 more of these Carter Brown novels with McGinnis cover art to make my way through and I shall look forward to them for quick reads when the mood strikes me.

Men's Adventure Quarterly, Vol 2 by Bob Deis & Bill Cunningham

The second volume of the continuing quarterly publication of stories and essays from the golden age of what are known as “MAMs” or Men’s Adventure Magazines continues the excellent content and visual representation of the first. MAMs were magazines mostly from the 1950s-60s that were geared toward men, often violent and with pulpy adventure style yarns. More often than not, the stories were accompanied by colorful art that featured scantily clad women. The publishers, after all, knew their target audience. This time around the subject is espionage and this value is packed full.

Once again, this is a large, slick, high-quality product. It’s chock full of reprinted stories and articles from the original MAMs as well as wonderful introductions by Bob Deis and Bill Cunningham. The stories presented are from the likes of “Man’s Action, “Man’s Illustrated”, and “Male” magazines complimented by impressive original full color and B&W artwork. It’s absolutely gorgeous. Additionally, there are a couple of in-depth articles as well as a full color art gallery of classic covers.

Just as in the first issue, what really drives it over the top are the introductions to each story and article. Often when I read anthologies, I feel lucky when a story is introduced with a paragraph or two providing some background. But here, we get two and three pages of intro, describing each story’s origins, the author’s life, the artists involved and even the publishing background. The folks behind this publication really know their subject and their passion for all of it shines through once again in spades.

Hopefully Robert Deis and Bill Cunningham can put their considerable knowledge of the MAMs to work for our enjoyment for a long time to come. This will have a permanent place on my shelves, right alongside every issue that is published in the future.

Flash Gordon: War of the Citadels by David Hagberg

The second book in the Flash Gordon: Citadels series picks up right after the events of the first book (Flash Gordon: Massacre in the 22nd Century).  Flash, Dale and Dr Zarkov find themselves caught up in a war between two super-advanced machine worlds that have been at war with each other for many thousands of years.  When they acquire knowledge of a weapon named “Ultimus” that seems likely to tip the balance, the trio travel to a communications center planet to retrieve it.

David Hagberg once again pens this entry in the series.  He’s known for his techno-thrillers featuring super-spy Kirk McGarvey and has also written numerous thrillers under the pseudonym Sean Flannery.  That writing style is on full display here, combining lots of technical detail with a plot that leads the main characters through one harrowing escape after another.  In fact, the middle two thirds of this novel is practically nothing but running and escaping various pitfalls as they fight their way through enemy androids. 

I was pleased to see Dale briefly leave her damsel-in-distress role for a moment when she assumed a warrior persona and bravely sliced two androids in two.  Unfortunately, she immediately resumed her former approach to life by bursting into tears and throwing herself into Flash’s arms.  Oh well.  This was published in 1980 but perhaps the author felt this was one area in which he could emulate the more traditional story from the 1930s. 

Once again, the book spends the final few paragraphs setting up the next volume.  It’s one long hi-tech adventure throughout the series so don’t expect much resolution to the plot elements in each book.  One can't help but wonder if our heroes are truly fighting for the right side or if that might be a revelation still to come. I'm enjoying these books so far though, in spite of minor annoyances.  It's not exactly a traditional take on the Flash Gordon mythos but as long as readers can live with that, it's a decent action-oriented space opera story.

Children of Amarid by David B. Coe

The people of Tobyn-Ser have a long history of trusting and relying upon the benevolent actions of an order of mages known as the Children of Amarid. But now, this trust is rapidly eroding as crops are destroyed, villages are burned, and innocent people are being killed, seemingly at the hands of these same mages. Are these renegade mages at work or is it something more dire? A young man named Jaryd, newly recognized as a mage, finds himself at the center of the effort to unmask the nature of the evil invading their lands.

I was introduced to the works of author David Coe through his Thieftaker novels and stories, written under the name D.B. Jackson. I liked them so much that I’ve wanted to go back and try his more traditional fantasy and I’m very happy I did. This book is actually his very first published novel and is the first part of the “LonTobyn” trilogy. I found it to be an excellent read with vivid characters and an interesting plot. The world building is nice, as is the magic system. It is not without the sort of flaws that one might expect from a first novel, however. For example, I thought it could have used a bit more focus in some areas and occasionally the plot was uneven and meandered a little too much. There was also quite a bit of background presented in fairly large info dumps, but he handled this in clever ways such as through a story from somebody or a lesson for Jaryd, allowing us to learn about some of the history right along with him. 

But these are nitpicky issues, far outweighed by the sheer fun of reading a traditional fantasy novel filled with as much hopefulness as peril. It’s not “grimdark” fantasy or hard-boiled; you’ll find no f-bombs here. In style it resembles Raymond Feist’s “Riftwar” series. I like almost all kinds of fantasy and relish variety so have no problems with grimdark, etc. But it is nice every once in a while, to read a smooth-flowing fantasy yarn that doesn’t leave you with a feeling of dread.

So, I offer my strongest compliment I can ever give to a first book in a series: I can’t wait to read the next one.

Updated: The version I read is dated 1998 but per the author, all three of the LonTobyn Chronicles have been re-released from Lore Seekers Press. After a thorough edit, making improvements to prose, syntax, etc. but not to story or character development, some 20,000 words have been pruned from this first volume. My comments about a meandering and uneven plot are likely no longer relevant. 

Easy Company and the Suicide Boys by John Wesley Howard

On the high plains of Wyoming Territory in the 1870’s sits Outpost Number Nine. It’s home to the fictional “Easy Company”, a unit of mounted infantry (don’t call them cavalry) in the days after Lieutenant Colonel George Armstrong Custer lost at the Battle of Little Bighorn. Easy Company is charged with maintaining the fragile peace with the Indian tribes in the area but also stand ready to fight, should that action be called for.

This is the first novel in the Easy Company series of 31 westerns written by a number of authors using the John Wesley Howard pseudonym. This time (and apparently the only time), the author is Lou Cameron, the author who brought us 'Longarm' as well as the 'Renegade' series and the 'Stringer' series among many others. The “suicide boys” of the book’s title refer to a group of young, untested, would-be Indian warriors out to prove their bravery, and their actions in the novel lead to conflicts with the outpost.

I thoroughly enjoyed this first book in the series.  The main characters of Easy Company, including the commander, his officers, 1st Sergeant, and a handful of enlisted men are all introduced as the story unfolds, as are the various leaders of the Indian tribes. An additional source of conflict arrives in the form of an IG inspector, a by-the-book man who struggles to understand why Easy Company finds it necessary to interpret the regulations creatively from time to time in order to preserve the peace.

If this first book is an indication of the quality of the entire series…well, I only have 30 more to read and I’ll enjoy each one of them.

Fancy Anders Goes to War by Max Allan Collins

In 1942 Los Angeles, a young socialite named Fancy Anders finds herself in charge of her father’s famous detective agency when he is called back to active duty. She is only supposed to be a caretaker of the agency, routing incoming cases to other agencies. But when a young female worker named Rose at Amalgamated Aircraft, who had been chosen to pose as a model for a new line of patriotic posters is found dead, Fancy’s suspicions are aroused. Was it an accidental death or was she murdered? Fancy goes undercover at the factory, working as a riveter alongside a diverse group of other women, to get to the bottom of it. But as the story moves along, Fancy (and we readers) soon come to realize there is far more going on here than a simple murder mystery, likely with massive consequences.

Fancy Anders is a great new character and building her into this novella form is a real treat. It’s a tight, lean story and serves well to not only set up Fancy as a well-rounded character but also provides an interesting detective yarn in a cool historical setting. As always, Collins’ proves adept at interweaving a good plot with historical figures including, in this case, no less than FDR. 

This is the first novella of three (so far) to feature the adventurous tomboy. She has classical Hollywood beauty mixed with a keen intelligence and over-the-top confidence. Sort of a combination of Phryne Fisher and Nancy Drew. Comparisons to Brenda Starr and Max Allan Collins’ own Ms. Tree would not be out of line. But she is also smart enough to know she doesn’t have the street savvy to go it alone so makes good use of friends and confidants, including LA homicide cop, Rick Hinder. She’s no wallflower to be sure, having lived an adventurous life already. 

The novella reads like a prose version of a graphic novel and indeed, there is a wonderful illustration at the beginning of each chapter by artist/illustrator Fay Dalton, known for her James Bond folio work and Titan’s Hard Case Crime graphic novels. The entire package is a wonderful combination of retro noir art in all its forms.

Can’t wait to read more of Fancy Anders!

70,000 to 1 by Quentin Reynolds

On May 21, 1943, Gordon Manuel was serving  as bombardier aboard a B-17E and was shot down by a Japanese night fighter. He bailed out over the island of New Briton, the only survivor. His leg was broken, and he had few supplies. He did have a .45 but only five bullets. He would be stranded there for almost nine months, evading the hordes of Japanese forces on the island. This book is a fictionalized account of his true story, told from his first-person perspective.

The author, Quentin Reynolds, was an American journalist and World War II war correspondent. The book was first published in 1946, using the same sort of language the GI’s used, meaning a bit coarse for that era but pretty mild by today's standards. The first few chapters read much like a Robinson Crusoe story, with Manuel figuring out how to find food, water, and shelter and to care for his broken leg. Eventually he befriends an island native who speaks a sort of pidgin English and ultimately takes him back to his home village where he is well cared for. The natives dislike the Japanese presence on their island so are happy to protect Manuel and even scout out Japanese locations. By the end they are even finding other downed airmen and bringing them back to Manuel so they can organize a rescue.

If you’re going into this one expecting a Rambo-style plot with one man fighting his way through groups of Japanese soldiers with cool tactics and edge-of-your-seat suspense, then you will need to look elsewhere. I remember just two times when Manuel was even close to the enemy and both turned out to be anti-climactic. This despite several mentions that he has been living just 100 yards from an enemy encampment for much of the time. It is, however, an interesting read, partly because it is based on an actual event. Anytime a man can get shot down and survive for nine months on an enemy-controlled island is bound to be of interest. Additionally, Manuel’s first-person perspective of his adventures is told in a plain-language style that endears him to the reader and you can’t help but want him to succeed.

Men's Adventure Quarterly, Vol 1 by Bob Deis & Bill Cunningham

Color me impressed!

This is the first volume of what I sure hope is a continuing quarterly publication of stories and essays from the golden age of what are known as “MAMs” or Men’s Adventure Magazines. These were magazines mostly from the 1950s-60s that were geared toward men, often violent and with pulpy adventure style yarns. More often than not, the stories were accompanied by colorful art that featured scantily clad women. The publishers, after all, knew their target audience.

Now, Robert Deis and Bill Cunningham have put their considerable knowledge of the MAMs to work for our enjoyment. Each volume will focus on a single theme. This first one focuses on westerns and the second revolves around the world of espionage while the third devotes itself to the world of vigilantes. I own them all will be posting reviews of them as well, shortly.

This is a large, slick, high-quality product.  The cover alone makes my mouth water. But it is the contents that really blow me away. It’s chock full of reprinted stories and articles from the original MAMs as well as wonderful introductions by Bob Deis, Bill Cunningham, and guest editor, Paul Bishop. There are nine stories presented from the likes of “MALE”, “Man’s Life”, and “All Man” magazines complimented by impressive original full color and B&W artwork. It’s absolutely gorgeous. Additionally, there are a couple of in-depth articles as well as a full color art gallery of classic covers.

All of that would have added up to a sure-fire winner. But, for me, what really drives it over the top are the introductions to each story and article. Often when I read anthologies, I feel lucky when a story is introduced with a paragraph or two providing some background. But here, we get two and three pages of intro, describing each story’s origins, the author’s life, the artists involved and even the publishing background. The folks behind this publication really know their subject and their passion for all of it shines through in spades.

This will have a permanent place on my shelves, right alongside every issue that is published in the future. Highest recommendation!

Doc Savage: Spook Hole by Kenneth Robeson (Lester Dent)

Originally published in August 1935, this was the 30th Doc Savage story to be let loose upon the world. (Bantam has it as number 70 while the Sanctum reprints list it as number 43). Relatively speaking this falls much nearer the beginning of the series than the end and was written by the series’ creator, Lester Dent. 

Overall, this is more of a straight mystery adventure without as many potentially supernatural occurrences (or even the perception of such), as most Doc novels. The real mystery throughout most of the book is, “What exactly is Spook Hole?” What is it? Where is it? Why are so many people interested enough to kill for it? 

All but one of Doc’s crew makes an appearance in this one (another indicator of it falling in the first half of the series).  Even Doc’s cousin Pat Savage gets in on the action, as if you could keep her out of the fray once she’s gotten a whiff of an adventure to be had. One of Doc’s aides spends most of the novel undercover, but I won’t spoil that by naming names. 

The novel spends a bit too much time spinning its wheels in the first half, with various individuals or groups chasing after one another and trying to avoid Doc and friends. This is still fun reading because a lot of “Docisms” are on display such as various disguises, infiltrations, 86th floor lab break-ins, Monk/Ham insults, the upstate criminal college, and gadgets galore. However, it fails to advance the plot much. When we finally get around to Spook Hole, the plot develops nicely, and the guest character build-ups pay off. The final McGuffin reveal was a little under par but that’s OK. These books aren’t really about that anyway. The story does feature one of my favorite character names in the entire Doc Savage series: Hezemiah Law. Whether or not he is a good guy or a bad guy…well, you’ll have to read the book to find out.

Sepulchre by James Herbert

Originally published in 1987, this novel was written in the middle of James Herbert’s career, an author who has been referred to as the British Stephen King. It features a professional bodyguard and hostage negotiator named Liam Halloran who works for a company named ‘Achilles Shield’. He is assigned to protect the most valuable asset of the Magma Corporation who turns out to be a man named Felix Kline. Why is Kline so valuable? Halloran is told the man is a psychic researcher whose paranormal abilities allow him to locate undiscovered mineral mines. Halloran is skeptical to say the least but as events unfold, he is soon convinced. There have already been several failed attempts on Kline’s life by rival companies but now, the psychic has had a premonition that he will soon be in even greater danger.

The novel is basically a thriller novel for the first three-fourths of the book as Halloran works to increase security around Kline. He is introduced to the man’s personal bodyguard, a woman named Cora Redmile but soon realizes she is not trained well enough and security measures for Kline are inadequate. He does have four hired thugs but they are brutes of the worst sort. When Kline decides to be moved to his luxurious personal estate named ‘Neath’, hidden away in a small valley near London, Halloran’s tasks magnify. We see a few glimpses of something supernatural going on, although neither Halloran nor the reader is quite sure what it is. These glimpses certainly attracted me further and kept me turning the pages. The characters’ backstories are developed thoroughly as the buildup continues and eventually leads into the final quarter of the book where the horror aspects are fully unleashed. 

I haven’t read much by this author but based on this one, I am intrigued and will surely sample more of his work. I enjoyed the bodyguard/physical security aspects of the novel, especially Halloran’s workman like approach to his job in spite of a less than appreciative client. And when the horror comes out it really comes out. I felt the barrage of revelation after revelation as Herbert ties in earlier clues, including ancient Sumerian mythology and biblical themes. The plots and subplots are layered one upon the other and not fully appreciated until the dramatic and fitting conclusion.

Herbert’s incorporation of a thriller/horror crossover, I understand, is not unique to this novel. I thought it worked very well, with the corporate aspects providing a way to become truly invested in the characters before the major horror elements were let loose. I’m looking forward to my next Herbert novel.

Rattler's Law, Volume One by James Reasoner

Lucas Flint is the new marshal of Abilene, Kansas, an experienced lawman but a man that had no plans to resume his career, much less in the notoriously wild town of Abilene. After all, to fill the shoes of the last marshal, Wild Bill Hickock would be no easy task. But his moniker of “Rattler” describes his lightning-fast draw, as fast as a rattlesnake and that reputation serves him well when facing down the bad guys.

This volume compiles the first eight novels in the series and each one of them is a joy to read. These are traditional westerns. If they were movies, they would be rated PG. Flint makes for a fine protagonist as the first novel sees him tame the town and subsequent tales depict situations where he must maintain the peace. Whether it's a circus that's come to town or a fiery visitor from the Women's Temperance Society looking to banish all whiskey, you can be sure Flint will find himself in the middle of it and having to use his fast draw to solve the problem. But he’s far from alone in his efforts, supported by major characters such as his loyal but rough-around-the-edges deputy Cully Markham, and a Scottish saloon proprietor named Angus MacQuarrie who can wield a mean shotgun. Other characters include the female town doctor, the school master, and Cully’s brother Joshua who also happens to be the town pastor. 

Each story stands on its own but it’s a joy to return to the setting each time and revisit these characters. In some ways it reminds me of a television show like Gunsmoke, albeit with longer movie-length episodes. Prolific author James Reasoner has described these novels as rewritten and expanded versions of some of his early Western novels.

Wonderful stuff all the way through. Happily, I already own Volume 2, consisting of eight more novels. Can’t wait to get back to them.