Joe Bain #01 - The Fox Valley Murders

John Holbrook Vance (1916-2013) published most of his literary work under the name Jack Vance. As a respected science-fiction and fantasy author, Vance wrote many series titles like Dying Earth, Lyonesse, Demon Prince, and Durdane. While those two genres occupied most of Vance's career, he still wrote mystery novels as Ellery Queen, Peter Held, and Alan Wade. My first experience with the author is his two-book series of mysteries starring Sheriff Joe Bain. I started with the first novel, The Fox Valley Murders, originally published in hardcover in 1966. 

In the fictitious California locale of San Rodrigo County, the long-serving Sheriff dies in a freak swimming accident. His replacement is deputy Joe Bain, a one-time troublemaker that has worked his way through the ranks to become a semi-respectable lawman. However Bain is serving in interim role until the county elects a new Sheriff. Bain, enjoying the freedom of a supervisory role, throws his hat in the pool as a nominee. A protagonist running a tight political race may not be an electrifying read. To combat the boredom the author throws in a riveting murder mystery with a robust body count. Now we're talking.

The author offers an explanatory – and disturbing – flashback highlighting events that transpired in San Rodrigo 16 years ago when a young man named Ausley was sentenced to life imprisonment for the rape and murder of a middle school girl. There were a half-dozen residents that testified they saw Ausley at the scene of the crime. However, those residents are now being murdered one-by-one after Ausley is released from prison for good conduct. 16 years have passed and Ausley now says he is a changed person and isn't committing murders or any crime whatsoever.

Vance inserts Joe Bain's brief history to build validity to the character. He joined the U.S. Army after high school and saw action in the Korean War. He was then transferred to the Military Police and wound up as a sergeant. He used his GI benefits to attend the Chapman Institute of Criminology which resulted in his position as county deputy. Bain has an estranged wife somewhere and he lives with his mother and teenage daughter. Bain is rough around the edges and comes across as barnyard dumb in a likable way. His pleas for a vote come at the most inopportune time and his problem solving skills are a little late for the dance. But, these are purposeful characteristics that set Bain apart from the cookie-cutter good guy with a badge that dominated media of that era.

If you are looking for a police procedural that is a little unusual then Joe Bain is the man for the job. He's the star of this quirky small-town murder mystery with a bite. Your only disappointment will be coping with the fact that only two of these Joe Bain books were published. You get a copy of the reprint HERE and listen to our podcast episode about the series HERE.

Hammond Innes Paperback Collection Visualized Feature

Today we feature an exclusive video showcasing Eric's Hammond Innes paperback collection. The video features paperback covers by Frank McCarthy and publishers Avon and Ballantine. Check it out below or by clicking HERE.

Simon Ark #01 - Village of the Dead

Edward D. Hoch was a prolific writer that penned hundreds of shorts across several different genres in dozens upon dozens of magazines. He was a big deal for publishers and editors looking for content for their monthly or weekly books. While there have been several memorable characters in Hoch's bibliography, ranging from Ben Snow to Captain Leopold, the one that fascinates me the most is the bizarre occult detective Simon Ark. 

Simon Ark debuted in “Village of the Dead”, a short story featured in Famous Detective Stories in December 1955. In fact, Ark's first six appearances were in that magazine before spilling over into magazines like Crack Detective and Mystery Stories, Double-Action Detective and Mystery Stories, and Tightrope!. Eventually, the character would become a fixture in Ellery Queen's Mystery Magazine and Alfred Hitchcock's Mystery Magazine. There were at least 45 stories featuring Simon Ark between 1956 and 2008. 

In “Village of the Dead”, an unnamed narrator (he is never named) recounts a strange event that occurred in a small American town – The Gildaz Horror. In first-person, the narrator explains that he was working as a reporter scoping out political stories when a teletype hit the newsroom about a mass suicide occurring in the tiny village of Gidaz, just south of the narrator's location. He quickly gets to the scene and discovers that a majority of Gidaz's population took a fatal jump from the top of a hundred foot cliff. 73 people now lay in bloody shreds on sharp rocks lying at the cliff's base. What would make all of these people commit suicide together?

As the narrator begins researching the story he enters one of the abandoned homes and meets another investigator – one of a different sort. He introduces himself as Simon Ark, but advises the narrator that his name is not important. He is described as not appearing old, yet there were tiny lines of age if you looked close enough. The narrator says in a way Ark was a very handsome man, yet he couldn't imagine women ever being attracted to him. He later describes Ark as seemingly from another world or another time.

The two team up together to learn more about the suicide and eventually meet another reporter named Shelly that was originally from the small town. Ark discovers a book in town called The Confessions of Saint Augustine that looks as though it was burned. Later, they discover that a man calling himself Axidus came to town two years ago and began a new religion for Gidaz. The population trusted him to a fault, which may have been their downfall. Through the course of the investigation the narrator and reader learns more about Simon Ark – he may be 2,000 years old, he speaks Coptic, hints that he knew Saint Augustine himself, and that this Axidus may be an evil figure from long ago. How does it all tie together?

There are readers that absolutely love the Simon Ark stories and others really hate them. I've had the fortune of reading a lot of them and I really enjoy the character. “Village of the Dead” by itself isn't strong storytelling and ends with a Scooby-Doo type ending. That's the thing about the Simon Ark stories, they have a bizarre menace theme that eventually leads to a logical explanation instead of some far-flung supernatural one. However, what makes the stories cool is there is always a lingering thought that maybe there was something supernatural occurring. Like in this story Axidus is probably just a quack fanatic that got rich quick or he really was some ancient enemy from centuries ago. 

The thing with Simon Ark stories is that he is on a mission to find the Devil. It is his goal to combat evil across the globe and to eventually bring the ultimate fight to the Devil. But, he isn't a pulpy over-the-top hero. Instead, he solves mysteries in a Sherlock Holmes way with the narrator playing Watson. As the series progresses forward the narrator becomes a book publisher and then eventually partners with Ark as a detective agency. The supernatural and bizarre menace possibilities tend to lessen as the series matures in the 60s and 70s. 

Many Simon Ark stories have been reprinted in physical and digital collections. A passing glace on Amazon will net you a handful of titles with this story included. Start here as a base and then work your way forward. I'll bring you more Simon Ark reviews to guide your way through the darkness. 

Get Simon Ark books HERE.

A Matter of Adultery

A Matter of Adultery was first published by Newsstand Library as a mass market paperback in 1961. The cover was painted by artist Robert Bonfils, a name synonymous with the sleaze paperback era. The author is listed as Don Lee, a name that I don't recognize or know. Cutting Edge Books have performed a remarkable service by offering vintage paperbacks in new editions for the modern consumer. The book now exists in digital and paperback versions. It is also collected in a digital omnibus titled Vintage Sleaze #5: 12 Forbidden Novels from the 1950s and 1960s. 

The book stars Chris Howard, a public relations executive that absolutely loves the look, feel, and aura of women. He's obsessed with women and has made it a steadfast vow to never marry. Whenever he gets too close to a woman he immediately plants the smell of baby diapers in his mind and then quickly scampers out of the intimate relationship. It is a game he plays with himself and others that aligns with his career choice of backing ambitious men for various public official roles.

Howard's newest client is a politician named Morley. However, his contact for Morley is the man's sexy wife Jen. She's a tramp who imposes her will by expertly seducing men. Howard takes the contract to plan Morley's campaign for governorship of his state. However, Howard must walk a balance beam between sleeping with Jen, which is a must, while also supporting Morley in his political endeavors. Needless to say a talented man like Howard can juggle both jobs very well. However, there are three main issues confounding his position.

The first issue is a racketeer that doesn't want Morley elected. To stop the proceedings they put a price on Howard's head. After numerous attempts to kill him Howard buys some protection in the form of an ex-OSS (that's today's CIA) agent and war hero named Amy Downs. She takes the job to investigate the killers to protect Morley and Howard. The second issue is that Amy and Howard have a physical chemistry that is electric. While Howard is resting from his sexcapades with Jen he has to make room for Amy in his bed. Which brings us to the third issue and what I consider the real focus of the book – Howard's secretary and business partner Darleen.

Howard's daily work routine and very existence is plagued by the sexiest woman in the novel. Darleen is a beautiful, loving, highly-charged virgin that adores Howard. Darleen's love for the man extends to forgiving trust that no matter how many women Howard sleeps with he will ultimately choose her someday. Howard himself knows this but fights his urges to sexually engage with Darleen. His battle is an emotional and physical test of willpower and inner fortitude.

Like most of these mid 20th century sleaze novels A Matter of Adultery is far better than its reputation as disposable fiction read with one hand. This book, like many others of the era, is a melodrama packed with tantalizing romance that is void of any graphic sex. I will say this book may be the first one of this era that states “orgasm” in the lovemaking...but it doesn't get much hotter than that. The central theme rests in the conflict between Howard and his strict bachelorhood and Darleen with her eyes on the prize. As a romance novel the author nails it. As a crime-fiction story it mostly works with just enough action to keep it breezing by. It is mostly an original story and plot but I did see a twinkling of a White Christmas plot-point that may have been recycled. Otherwise, A Matter of Adultery is worth pursuing. Recommended. 

Buy a copy of this book HERE.

Kid Crimson #01 - Gunpowder Mountain

According to his bio, Jarret Keene is an assistant professor in the Department of English at UNLV where he teaches American literature and the graphic novel. His published books include Hammer of the Dogs, and the middle grade books Decade and Survive: The Attack on Pearl Harbor and Heroes of World War II: 25 True Stories of Unsung Heroes Who Fought for Freedom. His newest venture is a series of westerns starring a Nevada fighting man deemed Kid Crimson. The series debut sports the explosive title of Gunpowder Mountain.

Needless to say, I've read my fair share of action-adventure books. Occassionally I'll find one line in a book or novel that describes the intensity of both the story and the character. Keene places this literary gem in the middle of the pages:

"I'd never fought for my life outnumbered during an evening windstorm alongside a stone killer with only one good arm."

This quote from Kid Crimson speaks volumes and loosely summarizes one of the more harrowing scenes in the book. 

Keene introduces Crimson to readers by providing dark snippets of his childhood in Georgia. His father is described as a ruthless adversary (I'm anticipating an epic future showdown) that taught him that violence was the only language spoken. Due to Crimson's harsh upbringing, he now serves as a gun-for-hire in Virginia City, a westward mining town.  To know Crimson also means you know his colorful friends, the townspeople he is sworn to protect, and his lover.

First, the closest thing Crimson has to a real father is the town's undertaker, an older man named Grover. Crimson sleeps in Grover's storage shed and enjoys reading Homer's Iliad by the dim light of a kerosene lamp. His friend is a Native-American warrior named Snake. His lover is Poppy, a businesswoman who gently cures illness at an opium den (aptly titled Sure Cure) she owns and operates. Crimson is like a father to a young shoeshine boy named Ezra. Crimson's lifegoal is to save enough money so he can bring Poppy and Ezra to California to buy an orchard and peacefully grow fruit for the rest of his life. But, there's plenty of blood and bullets before that goal is reached. Crimson's Colt Army Model 1860 and a Sharps 50 will bring the pain.

The debut novel's central plot has the town preparing for the surprising arrival of President Lincoln. His appearance in town is to motivate the miners and community to work harder supplying more silver - more silver means more Union guns. While Lincoln will supply his own guard complete with U.S. Marshals, the town's premier businessman has hired Crimson to employ his own small task force to provide additional security on the street. This will hopefully extinguish any potential security breaches. Thankfully, Keene provides those security breaches to allow Crimson plenty of iron-fisted action. 

However, Gunpowder Mountain is stuffed with another exciting plot. Before Lincoln's arrival, another businessman has hired Crimson to be a stagecoach agent. But, this isn't any ordinary stagecoach. This is a hydrogen-generating inflation wagon that the man hopes to use with a giant balloon. In an interesting history lesson, it's explained that the balloon was a failed project by the Confederacy to enhance their spy intelligence. Their failure will now generate a lucrative entertainment industry by providing balloon rides to paying customers. But, as you can imagine, things don't go as planned and Crimson ends up teaming with a sadistic nemesis to retrieve the wagon from outlaws. 

As much as the term "action-packed" is strewn around, I have to utilize the term here as a valid description of the book.  It isn't the traditional western, but more of a Wild Wild West televison theme crossed with Ben Haas's Fargo. I believe that is the best approach considering the restraints and redundancy of the common 125-year old genre tropes. This series debut is one long action sequence from beginning to end. Whether Crimson is fighting drunks at the Bloody Nugget, firing off a unique bow-and-grappling hook weapon to retrieve a speeding wagon, or diffusing explosive devices set to topple a rugged mountain, Keene's combination of lovable characters and dastardly villains makes for a rip-roar reading experience. This one is highly recommended.

Get your copy HERE.

Paperback Warrior Podcast - Episode 104

On this thrilling NEW episode, Eric takes listeners on an extensive bookstore tour throughout New England, including a stop at one of the largest buildings in the world dedicated to rare books. In addition, Eric visits the resting places for two astounding authors. You can watch the video of the bookstore tour HERE. It's also a double-feature with a look at the vintage stories starring occult detective Simon Ark and an examination of a two-book 1960s series starring a California sheriff. Download the episode HERE. Be sure to subscribe to our podcast and follow us on Facebook, X, and YouTube.  

Listen to "Episode 104: Simon Ark & Sheriff Joe Bain" on Spreaker.

Paperback Warrior Primer - Sammy Gomez

Author George F. Krull (1911-1963) utilized the pseudonym Dean Evans to author shorts for the pulps from 1948 through 1954. During his short writing career (and abbreviated lifespan) Krull churned out 30 stories for magazines like Black Mask, The Phantom Detective, and Detective Tales. From my research, I was able to find one lone paperback authored by Krull, This Kill is Mine, published in 1956 by Graphic Mystery that also uses the Evans name. 

Krull created two characters during his pulp career, both of which are of the detective variety. The first was Edward Gates, a private-eye beating the street for clients in Reno, Nevada. He first appeared in “Need a Body Cry?” in New Detective Magazine's May 1949 issue. He then re-appeared in the subsequent issue, a cleverly titled story called “I.O.U. - One Grave”.

The second of Krull's character creations, which we are examining today, was Sammy Gomez, a Lieutenant Detective working for the Carson City, Nevada police department. The fact that both characters are in Nevada makes me think Krull was a Nevada native and/or resident. Gomez's appearances were “The Man Behind the Gun” in Detective Tales July 1950, “Margie – It's You!” in Detective Tales September 1950, and the novelette "Immanuel" in 5 Detective Novels Magazine Summer 1952.

A look at Gomez and his three appearances:

“The Man Behind the Gun” - The story begins with Gomez arriving at the Club Drake casino to investigate a fatal shooting. The initial interview and evidence shows that a disgruntled gambler barged into an accounting room and started firing off shots. Drake, behind his desk, ducks and pulls a .45 and kills the gambler. Despite the evidence and City Hall's praise that this is an open and shut case, Gomez doesn't buy it. Despite his superior, the recurring Captain Hart, Gomez digs in further to learn about Drake's business practices and connections. His determination to seek justice leads to Gomez giving Hart his badge when the pressure is on to bring Drake to trial for murder. The story had a fast-pace, quick character development, and provided the traits and skill-set to establish Gomez as a viable and durable hero. I enjoyed it.

“ Margie – It's You!” - Gomez begins with a scolding from Captain Hart about his inability to find a murderer named Hamil. He interrogates Gomez and wants to learn what the delays are. Gomez is working the case hard by going after Hamil's honey, a woman he finds at a nearby bar called The Queen Bee. The bulk of the story relies on dialogue as the woman expresses her discontent with Hamil, an emotion that is only rivaled by her undying love for him. Eventually Gomez gains the scoop on what type of vehicle Hamil is driving and his plans to escape town. The story ends in a subjective manor as Gomez pulls a gun and begins walking into a laundromat that Hamil is occupying. As I flipped the page I was wanting more, but then I thought better of it and decided the story didn't need the shootout or cuff. I was happy with the pursuit, which is where Evans' writing centers consistently. This was a great story. 

“Immanuel” - This story concerns a dying man's last words. When a bank heist occurs, the police erroneously shoot an innocent bystander. Now, City Hall is cracking down on the department and Captain Hart is feeling the heat. He wants Gomez to learn more about the incident and what exactly led to the citizen's death. Gomez, of Hispanic ethnicity, interviews the man's family and friends, all of which share his same ethnicity. As the pieces come together the man's innocence is severely questioned. Again, this was a fantastic story and I appreciated Gomez's determination. Like the first story, Gomez once again threatens to give Hart his badge when the criminal fires begin to heat up. Hart, in a role-reversal, is often found serving Gomez more often than not. 

Unfortunately, there were no other Gomez stories. The author's death at just age 52 abbreviated his writing career and diminished his contributions to the pulps. His run is rather short compared to other writers of the time like Edward D. Hoch, Bruno Fischer, and John D. MacDonald. Like so many of these pulp authors, Krull's literary work is mostly forgotten now. Hopefully, this primer will provide some new light on the author, his stories, and maybe more information about his personal life. If anyone has more information please feel free to post it in the comments. You can read these stories and more HERE.

Nick Hockaday #01 - Sea of Green

Thomas Adcock's writing career began with the Detroit Free Press. As a journalist, he authored articles for newspapers like Chicago Today, Toronto Telegram, and the New York Times. Between 1981 and 1982 Adcock authored the five-book series Ben Clayton, T-man, starring a U.S. Treasury Department agent. The books were slim men's action-adventure novels published by Warner Books. In 1982 Adcock expanded to the 300-400 page counts with his six-book series starring New York City Police Detective Neil Hockaday. The series' second installment, Dark Maze, won him an Edgar award in 1992. I never like to jump ahead so I'm beginning this series with Sea of Green, the 1989 debut published by The Mysterious Press.

Neil Hockaday is an Irish plainclothes detective working the streets as part of New York City's Street Crime Unit – Manhattan out of Midtown-North. He calls it SCUM Patrol. Hockaday grew up in Hell's Kitchen and was an altar boy. Later, he worked his way through the police ranks and is quite comfortable roaming the streets and avenues of his native stomping ground. Most of his collars are small-time swindles, a few drug busts, and the occasional shooter. For the savages, he carries a .44 Charter Arms Bulldog in a shoulder holster, a .32 Beretta Puma on his left ankle and a .38 police special in a belt snap holster. 

In Sea of Green, Hockaday, in first-person perspective, explains that he recently became divorced (no kids) and has moved into a tiny apartment house on West Forty-third Street and Tenth Avenue. After the brief history and introductions the book kicks off with Hockaday discovering that one of his snitches has been murdered. When Hockaday investigates the murder he interviews the man's landlord, a sketchy guy named Howie. A few days later Hockaday returns home and discovers Howie's naked body in his bathtub – dead as Elvis. 

Next, Hockaday's superior, Inspector Tomassino Neglio puts him on the case of The Most Reverend Father Love of the Healing Stream Deliverance Temple. It turns out the preacher, a guy named Waterman, has received numerous death threats in his offering plate. During the investigation an unknown shooter assassinates Waterman right in front of Hockaday. Somehow the murder of Waterman ties into a real-estate swindle involving the very dead Howie, the snitch, and a huge swath of land deemed The Jungle. 

I have a number of problems with the book. First, Hockaday doesn't have a violent bone in his body. There is absolutely no action whatsoever. He spends his time bar-hopping while contemplating his romantic ties with a cabaret dancer named Mona. Second, this book is a heavy tribute to New York City. Adcock spends pages and pages detailing the city's buildings and landmarks. That's fine, but the book is painted to be crime-fiction. I can read thousands of other cosmopolitan books dedicated strictly to New York. Third, Adcock inserts too much political garbage and personal opinions into the novel. He takes shots at Reagan, the U.S. government, and highlights so many social issues that really don't need to be here. It's like reading new Stephen King novels where he injects his over-the-top anger towards Donald Trump. I don't really give a shit if any author is an elephant or a jackass. Just write stories for people to escape their current environment or situation.

Despite my issues with the book and author, which began to take their toll by page 250 of 312 pages, I soldiered on. The story is a fine one when the author focuses on actually telling it. The limited investigation was still a pleasant reading experience and the tie-in of the story's central murder to the romantic fling was see-through but rewarding. I enjoyed Hockaday's perspective on his childhood as an altar boy and the personal connection he had with the church in attempting to solve the reverend's murder. 

If this bloated book was trimmed to 200 pages it would have been a fast-paced winner with plenty of upside. Give me the meat and potatoes, spare the parsley. Mild recommendation. 

Buy a copy of the book HERE

Sergeant Cluff #01 - Sergeant Cluff Stands Firm

British author Geoffrey Horne (1916-1988) used the pseudonym Gil North to author an 11-book series of crime-fiction novels starring Sergeant Caleb Cluff, a detective working in the Yorkshire Dales for the Criminal Investigation Department. The books were published between 1960 through 1972 and spawned a BBC TV show that ran two series between 1964-1965 starring Leslie Sands in the titular role. Lately, I've been sipping tea a lot and reading British novels, so I acquired the series debut, Sergeant Cluff Stands Firm. 

Although no age is provided, I gained the impression that Cluff is in his late 50s or early 60s. He is single, walks with a cane, and has both a cat and a dog. Each morning a woman comes to his small cottage to bring him breakfast and to attend to small chores, although I'm tempted to believe she comes there just to be sure he is still alive. He's a recluse. He does have a brother who took over the family farm after the death of their mother. The brother, John, has a wife and a daughter. 

The novel begins with Cluff being summoned to a house in the village. It is there that neighbors have reported that a 20ish woman hasn't been seen outside of her home in a few days. With Inspector Mole, the two break into the house and find the woman has committed suicide by turning on the gas stove and taking a nap. However, her husband – a much older man – has seemingly disappeared.

Cluff begins the hunt for the woman's husband, a man named Wright. He checks the man's employer as well as two other women that Wright has been laying with. Despite the possibility of a criminal charge, the coroner finds no signs of foul play. Yet Cluff, a seasoned veteran, feels it in his bones that Wright just isn't right. There's a catch here somewhere. After his superiors squawk over his never-tiring approach, Cluff calls in a leave of absence to go on holiday. He spends his time watching Wright like a hawk until the case breaks.

I really enjoyed the Cluff character. He doesn't say much. His dog Clive is nearly in every scene with him, a type of Lassie sidekick that comes into save the day at one point. Clive's demeanor is rather cold and could be perceived as off-putting. When it comes to the suspects and criminals Cluff is notorious, summoning Mike Hammer's internal fortitude to scare and intimidate before getting physical. Also, I liked the book's location which apparently is a mainstay through the series. Cluff was born and raised in the fictional village of Gunnershaw and he serves that region's law-enforcement. Gunnershaw is a densely wooded area with rural farms and a small-town demeanor. There is also a humorous interaction between Cluff's colleagues – the aforementioned Inspector Mole and a bungling Constable Barker, both of which feel that Cluff is a neanderthal worthy of prowling the forest with his dog. Alas, that's the appeal of the character and story. 

If you enjoy the British sleuths and gumshoes then this book and series should entertain you. It does have a uniqueness about it that drifts from the quilted comfy zone of the dry British whodunit. Give it a try. Buy the books HERE.

Paperbacks from Hell Visualized Feature

Way back on Episode 65 we covered the horror sensation of Paperbacks from Hell. This remains one of our most beloved features. What better way to celebrate this feature's popularity than a visualized enhancement!?! We've repurposed the segment into an awesome visual experience complete with dozens upon dozens of full-color horror vintage paperback covers and photos from our own personal collection. Enjoy the show HERE and be sure to subscribe. 

The Maze and the Monster

The August 1963 issue of Magazine of Horror and Strange Stories featured stories by powerhouse authors like Robert Silverberg, Frank Belknap Long, Ambrose Bierce, H.G. Wells, Donald A. Wollheim, and Robert W. Chambers. I've been reading a lot of Edward D. Hoch stories recently and wanted to try a stand-alone short by the writer. I found his story “The Maze and the Monster” included in this issue. The story is also included in an anthology collecting 52 shorts called Devils and Demons, edited by Marvin Kaye and published by Doubleday in 1987.

The beginning of “The Maze and the Monster” begins with a tourist named William Nellis traveling from London's West End to the wild waters off the Atlantic Coast of North Africa. Like the typical pulp nautical adventure things go awry quickly and the ship Nellis is aboard crashes on an island during a storm. Alone on the beach, washed up and in distress, William is delighted when two men wearing a sort of greenish uniform appear. But, they level their rifles at him and march him to an island fortress.

After his half-day stay in a dungeon, William is brought in front of Captain Cortez. It is explained that William has arrived on the Island of Snails. He discovers that Cortez owns the entire island and controls all of the people. He has also devised a wicked game for his prisoners to play. William is brought to a dark underground level of the fortress and explained the rules of his game.

Before him is two miles of passageways that form a dark maze. The door behind William be sealed and and his only choice is to enter the maze with no weapons. Inside, he will find two possible exits – one leads to a paradise of pleasure beyond his wildest dreams and the other leads to a savage beast. To instigate things Cortez has his men enter the maze and pull out the remains of the last prisoner that entered. Then, the door shuts and William is left in darkness.

This was a creepy short read that showcased Hoch's penchant for placing ordinary people into extreme circumstances. The writer thrived for decades and penned numerous stories for the pulps and digests. The ending is a slamming door that surprises the reader (and the main character) and it left me feeling something after reading the last line. Recommended. You can read the story below. 

Haggard Chronicles #01 - Haggard

Many of Guyana-born, British author Christopher Nicole’s historic adventures take place in England’s Caribbean colonies in the 1700s and 1800s. His 1980 novel, Haggard, was a historical epic that launched a trilogy tracking the family of the Haggards, an English plantation family on Barbados in the West Indies. The novel is available on Kindle, but copies of the vintage paperback are plentiful if you know where to look.

Barbados became a British colony in 1625 and quickly became a plantation economy with the labor provided by imported African slaves. Slavery wasn’t outlawed by the Brits until 1833. When the novel begins in 1780, the Haggard plantation is staffed by hundreds of black slaves growing sugar cane, corn, rum and various grains.

Our protagonist is John Haggard who is the wealthiest planter in all Barbados after inheriting his father’s 150 year-old farm four years ago at age 23 coinciding with the premature death of his wife. He’s handsome and charismatic hero who is kind and respectful to his slaves (I know, I know) and adept with a sword and pistol.

There’s a category of humans in the novel (and history) called Indentured Servants who were basically white prisoners (thieves and such) forced into slavery for a ten-year period before being reintroduced into free society. As the novel opens, John hasn’t been laid in many years and makes the impulsive decision to buy himself an indentured bedmate for a couple bucks. He chooses a super-hot, feisty redhead named Emma straight off the penal boat from Virginia. Their sex scenes are pretty graphic and don’t always meet the modern standards of consent we practice today. Consider yourself warned.

Of course, the unlikely romance between Haggard and Emma is a large storyline in the novel. If you’ve seen the film, Pretty Woman, you pretty much know the beats. As starcrossed love stories goes, it’s a good, if uncomfortable, one.

But getting laid isn’t Haggard’s only preoccupation. Not far away in the newly-minted USA, there is a war of independence being waged against England. Haggard is having trouble guaranteeing the integrity of his ships holding the sugar en route to England as his shipments are being intercepted and diverted to Boston. Meanwhile, the French have been taking island after island in the Caribbean with an eye on Barbados. This causes tension between Haggard and other gentry on the island who want to take collective action to protect their interests while Haggard is more of a go-it-alone kinda guy. These would’ve been great storylines if the author had developed them more, but they fall by the wayside quickly.

Although he is technically British, Haggard has never been to England but plans a trip with Emma and a handful of his slaves in the novel’s second act. There are a lot of fun “fish out of water” scenes where Haggard is clueless about British high-society customs.

In England, Haggard is also confronted with the realities of slavery. You see, slavery has been outlawed in England, with the exception of the distant colonies, such as Barbados. Haggard showing up on British soil with his slaves in tow, becomes a major conflict of the novel with thought-provoking narratives rationalizing and condemning the practice.

Another thing to understand about this novel, is that the author could write his ass off. Some of the dialogue among characters was awestriking. The character of Haggard is a very nuanced guy. Sometimes he comes off like a total hero, and other times he comes off like a total dick. Just like real people. There’s lots of problematic teen sex, meaning sex with teens that would land someone in jail today. However, this behavior is clearly intended to be morally dubious.

The plotting is really all over the place. And that’s the problem. Interesting things happen, and then they move onto the next vignette from Haggard's fictional life. Haggard never really holds together as a well-crafted novel. The author worked so hard to craft a historical epic that he forgot to make it about something. There were so many excellent missed opportunities here, but unfortunately I can’t recommend it in good conscience. At least the American plantation novels knew what they were doing with their interracial titillation and violent slave uprisings. This one was just a well-crafted slog.

I love Christopher Nicole’s writing, so I’m not giving up on him. This one, however, is not his masterpiece. 

You can get this book and the other series installments HERE. 

Fred Fellows #01 - Sleep Long, My Love

In the non-fiction book Hillary Waugh's Guide to Mysteries & Mystery Writing, Waugh, a Mystery Writers of America Grand Master, focuses the tenth chapter on police-procedural writing and some of the catalysts that drove him to write some of the best novels of that sub-genre. He says he was influenced and deeply moved by Charles Boswell's They All Died Young, which he remembers reading in 1949. He refers to books by Ed McBain, John Creasey, Roger West and Maj Sjowall and how the business of moving toward the police instead of away from the police was a radical shift in the character of the mystery story. Waugh's recognition of the police procedural genre, and it's creation, elevated his writing to the upper echelons among his contemporaries. Nothing exemplifies that more than his Fred Fellows series. 

I read the second installment of Waugh's Fred Fellows series in 2019, a book called Road Block. I remember liking it, but felt that it was too much of a procedure instead of a compelling narrative. Even though I gave the book a less-than-stellar review, I've always kept Fred Fellows in mind when I've read other police procedural books. No matter how many books I read that Fred fella just kept returning. After halfheartedly searching for more of the Fred Fellows novels I finally found some. I wanted to try Fellows again from the beginning with the series debut Sleep Long, My Love. It was originally published in 1959 and was later adapted into a British film titled Jigsaw (Pan reissued the book under that name in 1962). 

Fred Fellows is the Chief of Police in the small fictitious city of  Stockton, Connecticut. Not much is known about his background or personal life other than he is married, has a couple of sons, and only drinks his coffee with sugar and milk. His police force includes about 20 officers, of which the key characters being Fellows' right-hand man, Detective Sergeant Sidney Wilkes, as well as Sergeants Unger and Gorman. Fellows and his force sometimes work with the nearest big city, Bridgeport. 

In Sleep Long, My Love, Fellows and Wilkes investigate a possible tenant skipping out on a rental house lease. Upon investigation they discover body parts that were morbidly charred in the furnace as well as a human torso stuffed into a trunk. There are scummy blood stains in the bathtub and the remnants of a hacksaw and knife in the ashes of the fireplace. This is a 1959 novel that appears to be very modern based on the disturbing crime scene. The questions are two-fold: Who is the killer and who is the victim? That's the investigation that haunts the two men and the entire town of Stockton.

I've read my share of these procedural stories and I feel comfortable being thrust into the investigation. By having very little knowledge beyond what the police possess I was knee-deep in analyzing clues, evidence, suspects, and motive. The interesting part of the story is that there are two major mysteries here, who was killed and who's the killer. By having very little information the investigation has to comb a lot of streets, towns, and occupations to gather information. As tiny clues are presented the detective work eliminates them. Often I was left with at a dead end just like Fellows. Who was this girl? Why was she killed? The mystery was just so compelling and the various leads seemed so promising. 

This may be one of the better police procedural novels I've ever read. I love the Fellows and Wilkes characters and their system of bouncing ideas off of each other. Wilkes is the second-guess type and Fellows is a bit more diligent in never dismissing any little thread of detail. I couldn't put the book down and read it nearly in one sitting. After completion I thought more about why I didn't like the second installment, Road Block, as much. That novel is based on traffic and patterns of traffic after a heist places robbers somewhere on the real-life Merritt Parkway in Connecticut. I just found the “road work” dull and uninspiring where Sleep Long, My Love is a totally different type of narrative. If you love police procedural novels then look no further than this one. High recommendation. 

Buy a copy of the book HERE

Paperback Warrior Podcast - Episode 103

Today's episode examines the intriguing police procedural sub-genre of crime-fiction. Eric presents an exciting feature on one of the genre's most iconic authors, Hillary Waugh. In addition, Eric reviews the first installment of the vintage detective series Neil Hockaday and discusses some new book aquisitions. The episode also includes an audible story by crime-noir writer Jimmy McKimmey. Stream below or download the episode directly HERE. 

Listen to "Episode 103: Hillary Waugh" on Spreaker.

Paperback Warrior Primer - Doctor Death

The Doctor Death pulp character has a rather strange history. The first incarnation was in the pages of All Detective Magazine where the dastardly Doctor Death appeared in July through October of 1934 and again in January 1935. In these novels, the nemesis is Nibs Holloway, but that character actually debuted a year prior in the pages of Rapid-Fire Detective Stories. The 1934/1935 Doctor Death stories were authored by Edward P. Norris, although that could have been a pseudonym. No one really knows. After the January 1935 story, things change for the character.

All Detective Magazine folded with the January 1935 issue and that was the end of that particular version of Doctor Death. Then, February 1935 sees the shocking launch of Doctor Death Magazine with Norris replaced by prolific writer Harold Ward (using the bizarre pseudonym Zorro) and nemesis Nibs Holloway replaced by detective Jimmy Holm. This new version of Doctor Death debuts in the novel “12 Must Die”, the lead for the first issue. Then comes “The Gray Creatures” for the next issue followed by “The Shriveling Murders” for the very last issue of the magazine in April. That's it, February, March, April of 1935 – three total issues. Weird, right?

Thankfully, fans of the pulp got two additional novels that weren't originally published in the magazine - “Waves of Madness” and “The Red Mist of Murder”. These appeared in the 1980s in Nemesis Incorporated and Pulp Vault. Note that a publisher called Pulp Classics also reprinted at least one of the Doctor Death Magazine issues in 1979.

In 1966, a paperback publisher called Corinth Regency reprinted the three Doctor Death Magazine novels as paperbacks with amazing artwork by Robert Bonfils. These books were titled the same as the novels – 12 Must Die (CR118), The Gray Creatues (CR121), and The Shriveling Murders (CR125). But, the publisher also threw a fourth book in there titled Stories from Doctor Death and Other Terror Tales (CR129) which included the various shorts that were included in the three issues of the magazine.

In July, 2008 the Altus Press reprinted the Spring 1956 issue of Triple Detective Magazine. This issue featured a novel titled "Doctor Death Returns". It was authored by Steve Mitchell using the pseudonym Son of Zorro (clever). This same issue had also been reprinted in 2002 as Double Danger Tales #56.

But, wait..there's more. In 2009 Altus Press (now part of Steeger Books) published Doctor Death Vs The Secret Twelve Volume 1 which includes the three novels from Doctor Death Magazine with an awesome introduction by Will Murray. The same publisher released Doctor Death Vs The Secret Twelve Volume 2 which featured the two novels that were published in the 80s by Nemesis Incorporated and Pulp Vault. Then, there is also a combination of both volumes in one larger collection called The Complete Exploits of Doctor Death. In that edition there is also a treatment for an original comic strip that Harold Lamb had pitched.

What's Doctor Death all about? The backstory for the Doctor Death Magazine version of the character is that he is really a scientist named Rance Mandarin. He earned his education at Yale and became a Dean of Psychology there. But, somewhere along the way Rancine loses his mind and gets the notion that he himself is more superior to Albert Einstein. With his superior mental prowess he incorporates a fanatical religious crusade into an apocalyptic plan. As a mission from God – he claims – he will work to eliminate all of his contemporaries and completely destroy modern civilization. By returning Earth back to the Dark Age humanity can grow and evolve in different ways under his leadership.

To combat Doctor Death's attempts to destroy Earth with things like death rays and zombie armies the President of the United States forms a Secret Twelve committee made up of leading scientists, government leaders, and even the Mob boss. But, there are law-enforcement agents that do all of the heavy lifting.

Policeman Jimmy Holm is Doctor Death's main foe, an iron-fisted hero that reports to Inspector Ricks, a “policeman of the old school and head of the greatest body of manhunters in the world”. Holm is also engaged to Doctor Death's niece and former assistant Nina Fererra. There is also a psychic thrown in the mix named Elise Lando and the wealthiest man in America, Secretary Hallenberg.

If you are familiar with the “clearly good guy” versus the “clearly bad guy” then this pulp really isn't much different. It resembles many of the other villain-led pulps and stories of the time like Fu-Manchu. The Doctor Death novels are over-the-top and wildly entertaining if you simply suspend disbelief – which is the obligatory stance for reading any pulp material. You should know that if you've read this far. How does it rank with the pulp giants of the time? I'd say middle of the pack. There's nothing spectacular here, but nothing completely disposable. It serves the purpose of escaping our hectic troubled modern world and takes us back to more innocent times. Who can ask for anything more?

Murder's Old Maid

Donald Bayne Hobart (1898-1970) began his writing career in the pulps. He authored shorts for magazines like Popular Detective, Texas Rangers, Masked Rider Western, and The Phantom Detective. He also wrote filler stories for the mid-20th century comics like Thrilling Comics, The Black Terror, and Exciting Comics. He used pseudonyms like Lew Martin, Hobart Donbayne, Bayne Hobart and also house names like Jackson Cole. There is an excellent write-up on the author HERE. Anxious to read more Hobart, I found an online copy of Famous Detective's October 1956 issue which features his novel Murder's Old Maids. 

This sinister mystery stars Mark Creston, a doctor visiting an old-fashioned country hotel in New England in late September. Due to the tourist population's decrease, the hotel is nearly empty aside from a handful of characters. Creston is there to meet his wife Martha in hopes of repairing their strained marriage. The two have been separated for some time and Creston feels that Martha may have moved on to another lover.

Upon Creston's arrival things begin to unravel at a frantic pace. First, a man that Martha was boating with has died from a gunshot. Next, Creston discovers that the gun used in the murder has been deposited in a drawer in his guest room. The sickly hotel owner dies the night of Creston's arrival and a woman named Fern accuses Creston of physically mauling her in the nearby forest. Creston, dumbstruck by the insanity of the evening, begins to question three mysterious elderly women that live at the hotel.

Eventually the story enters the locked room mystery formula as Creston, the hotel's bellboy, and the county's Chief of Police begin a comprehensive investigation into the night's festivities and the short list of suspects. Who is behind the murders and why? Could Creston's wife be on a murderous rampage? The fascination is the obligatory unveiling of crime and motive, but the journey to get there is the real satisfaction. 

Creston is a likable character thrust into some really hard decisions that ultimately propel the narrative and central mystery. The writing is done in a way that the reader feels like a guest in the old hotel. The late summer season sets up a unique atmosphere that provides a gloomy isolation for the survivors. 

Needless to say these sort of Clue murder mysteries appear in hundreds of 20th century magazines and novels. What sets them apart is the originality of the story and the writer's prose. Hobart was a prolific author for a reason – he had a knack for the murder mystery no matter what genre he was writing. Murder's Old Maid is a terrific novel that buzzes with energy and showcases Hobart's ability to spin a gripping mystery.

You can read the novel online HERE or by streaming it below.

Dan Fortune #01 - Act of Fear

Dennis Lynds (1924-2005) was born in St. Louis, grew up in New York, and later earned a Bronze Star and Purple Heart for his service during WWII. He became a full-time author in 1965 and wrote 80ish novels and hundreds of shorts. Using the pseudonym Michael Collins, Lynds created one of the most popular modern literary detectives, Dan Fortune. 

The Dan Fortune series began in 1967 with the novel Act of Fear, a work that earned Lynds the 1968 Edgar Award for Best First Novel. The character's success led to 18 more installments until 1995. The background provided in the series debut is that Fortune's original name was Daniel Tadeusz Fortunowski of Polish-Lithuanian ancestry. His family's last name was shortened. Fortune, a 5'-10” 160-pounder, grew up in the Chelsea district of New York City and his father was a cop. Fortune would later live in places like London, Paris, Amsterdam, San Francisco, and Tokyo. He's worked as a seaman, waiter, tourist guide, farmhand, private cop, actor, and newspaperman. His best friend is bartender Joe Harris, a relationship that Fortune has kept since childhood. He also has a steady girlfriend, a showgirl named Marty.

When Fortune was a kid he straddled the line of criminality. With the help of Harris, Fortune tried looting a ship's hold but fell and broke his left arm. The appendage was shattered in so many places that the surgeons, working under a sense of urgency, had to amputate. Thankfully, Fortune is a really smart private-eye that is right-hand dominant. He isn't a knock'em sock'em type of hero, instead the author focuses more on Fortune's mental fortitude in solving challenging crimes.

In Act of Fear, Fortune is approached by a young man named Pete to find his buddy Jo-Jo, who has only been missing a day or so. Pete states that Jo-Jo would never leave their employer, an old garage specializing in fixing up cars and motorcycles, and that Jo-Jo was just obsessed with engines. No drugs, no girlfriends, no trouble. Fortune takes a mere $50 to help the kid out. 

As Fortune digs into the possible whereabouts of Jo-Jo he begins to suspect that Jo-Jo is on the run from a variety of likely suspects. The first clues may be two girls that were chasing after Jo-Jo. The other option is something related to a cop being mugged and his summons book, gun, and wallet all taken. But, there is also a local kingpin named Andy that Fortune ran around with as a kid. As the case changes from cloudy to clear, the investigation pushes Fortune into the backgrounds of two dead women. Oddly, Jo-Jo's family of fierce and proud Norwegians seem to hold the secret.

Fortune is extremely likable and I love the fact that Lynds doesn't incorporate some of the more stereotypical private-eye stuff from the mid 20th century – overly glib, heavy on satire, sarcastic dialogue from the hero, and the romancing of every damsel in distress. Fortune is a vulnerable hero who can't engage in too many fisticuffs with the bad guys. It also is a unique premise that Fortune already has a girl. These things are fresh ingredients for a late 1960s gumshoe novel. 

The lone stereotype I did enjoy was the “police pal”. Every private-eye has one. The law-enforcement officer that allows the detective a long leash to dig into cases and gain inside clues from the precinct house. Fortune has Captain Gazzo, an elderly veteran cop that likes and respects Fortune. Their chemistry together is something really special and often humorous. 

Act of Fear was an entertaining read that is well-equipped for the smarter PI audience. Brains over brawn is such a clique but it certainly describes this detective quite well. I loved Dan Fortune and I'm excited to wade into this series. 

Buy a copy of the book HERE  

Pleasure Ground

Orrie Hitt (1916-1975) was an Upstate New York author of sleaze paperbacks who made a living writing a lot of books very quickly. The upshot is that he became a very good author and often incorporated crime and noir among his PG-13 sex scenes. Pleasure Ground was a 1961 Kozy Book that has been reprinted as a Kindle release by Fiction Hunters Press. 

Our narrator is a 6’6” human giant named Bert Forbes, and he’s new in town looking for a fresh start as a farm worker after learning that his beloved wife was faithless and gave birth to another man’s child. After spending a year as a drifter, Bert lands a gig on Flint Collins’ farm. Old Man Collins is 50 and just met a much-younger woman on a cattle-buying trip and married her immediately. She will be arriving to the farm soon on a bus and the farmhands have been warned to keep their distance. 

With that set-up, the novel pretty much writes itself thereafter. Bert meets a beautiful, stacked girl at a community dance, and she lives next door to the Collins Ranch and refuses to sell her land. Bert sees her naked in the woodsy swimming pond adjacent to the farm (as depicted on the cover), and the two develop a sweet interest in one another. Meanwhile, the new Mrs. Collins arrives and her breasts are even bigger and more voluptuous than the reader anticipated. How can Bert resist?

The new lady of the house seems to have the hots for our hero, Bert. His boss is a dick (who gets worse as the novel progresses), so Bert isn’t too worried about the ethical dilemma. He just wants to get paid without becoming the victim of workplace violence. There are other women in his orbit and the horny farmhands make it quite a compelling little soap opera. There’s plenty of off-page sex as well. 

Hitt’s presentation of the lives of these broke-ass farm people felt like the author was channeling the down-and-out urban blight of his literary contemporary, David Goodis. Both writers did a fantastic job of portraying society’s losers and the circumstances that drive them into self-destructive behavior and criminality. 

There’s nothing in this paperback that you won’t see coming, but Hitt does an admirable job of making it compelling nonetheless. The violent crime that encompasses the novel’s non-sexual climax is well-developed and earned through careful character development. 

Hitt was the best at this type of book from the soft-core sleaze paperback era, and Pleasure Ground is one of his finest works. If you’ve never read one of his novels, this is a fine place to start. Buy a copy of the book HERE.

Railroad Stories #12: The Silver Switch Key

Railroad Stories #12: The Silver Switch Key was published by Bold Venture Press in late 2023. I've enjoyed the publisher's efforts on producing these compilation volumes containing vintage stories from the railroad pulps. The lead novel in this book is The Silver Switch Key, a serial that was originally published over a five-month period in the 1931 issues of Railroad Man's Magazine. It was authored by Wilson Wells, a writer that contributed five short stories to the magazine in 1931 along with the novel serial.

Protagonist Bob Martin is employed by Gila County as sheriff. But it's a job that Martin doesn't particularly enjoy or want. When the book begins Martin has been in the lawman role for four months watching fruit trains climb the two-percent grade out of town daily. The partial reason for Martin's dejection is that he was born a railroad man. For 15 years Martin rode the rails as an accomplished and experienced railroader. However, Martin was fired by the railroad committee after liquor was found in his possession. This event is the key element to the novel – Martin's ultimate redemption from being framed by a criminal.

Through a conversation with his friend Frank, Martin explains that he was in love with Janet, the daughter of the railroad's vice president. But, a wealthy land baron named  Thomas had his eyes on Janet in a way to politically attach himself to the lucrative railroad. By making a play for Janet while simultaneously framing and disgracing Martin, Thomas set himself up as Janet's fiance.

Martin receives word that Janet, Thomas, and his family are arriving in town on a private car. But, Janet sends word to Martin that she desperately needs to meet him on the train. Once the narrative gets steamrolling a murder mystery is unveiled involving a railroad detective and the passengers on the private car. With Martin's help, Janet hopes to learn more about Thomas and his family and who is killing who. It is Martin's chance to not only redeem himself by exposing Thomas as a criminal but also a new lease on life to reacquire his former lover and job.

I'm not sure how prolific Wells was as an author but he certainly had a talent for writing an interesting murder mystery. This long train ride is ripe with scandal, intrigue, and enough suspicion to fill an ocean. Martin's good-guy persona isn't overdone and the fact that his redemption is central to the story was a clever addition. I really enjoyed riding the rails with all of the characters and the frenzied race to uncover the secrets behind the prized silver switch key was well worth the price of admission. Recommended. Get a copy of it HERE.

Deadly Travelers

By 1980, New Zealand author Dorothy Eden (1912-1982) was considered one of the 10 best-selling novelists in the world. She specialized in suspense thrillers and gothic romance and served on the committee of the English Crime Writers Association. I own several of her paperbacks including The Deadly Travelers, printed by Ace in 1956 and disguised as a gothic.

London resident Kate Tempest has a really odd job. She works for an agency that employs her to do things like shopping for a birthday present for someone, reading a book to a client, or shopping for a customer. In this novel she has been assigned the task of traveling to Paris to retrieve a young child named Francesca. The child is involved in a divorce case. Kate is asked to simply pick up the child from her father's house in Paris, then travel with Francesca by train to London, and then to deliver the child to the mother. Simple, right? Well not so much if Francesca's existence is seemingly erased.

On the train, Kate and Francesca go to sleep in their small cabin. When Kate awakens she is shocked to discover another child is sleeping in the cabin and Francesca has vanished. After searching the train, Kate can't find any trace of Francesca other than the girl's tiny doll – which plays a large part in this book. 

Back in London, Kate is fed a story that Francesca rejoined her father during the night at a random train stop. But Kate isn't buying that story. She takes it upon herself to investigate Francesca's whereabouts and suddenly becomes entangled in a really bizarre mystery. Not only does Francesca's mother simply vanish from existence, the people that Kate remembers having contact with during the job have seemed to be erased from history. It seems that someone, or some agency, has erased all footprints of Francesca as well as Kate's efforts to retrieve the child in Paris.

At 230 pages, this book should have been trimmed down to a smooth and entertaining read at about 180ish. There are so many twists and turns that puts Kate back and forth from London to Paris. Along the way she has three men in her life – two of which seem to have nefarious motives. Repeatedly Kate manages to avoid being killed in random “accidents” while interviewing people that claim to have no knowledge of Francesca. Her only hope is the doll that proves she was really with the child that night on the train. 

Despite Ace's best efforts, including the traditional cover art with the one light shining in the darkness, this isn't a gothic novel. The story is void of mansions, family inheritances, and any genre tropes like mysterious paintings or supernatural vibes. The Deadly Travelers is an international mystery that dips both feet into the world of crime-fiction during the third act. 

If you enjoy the dense international flavoring of danger, intrigue, and death, then The Deadly Travelers is a winner. I enjoyed it and found Eden's writing superb. This was a mid-career entry for the author and my first experience with her. I'll be back for more. Recommended. Buy a copy of the book HERE.

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