Solomon Kane - The Hills of the Dead

The August 1930 issue of Weird Tales featured a Robert E. Howard story titled “The Hills of the Dead”. It starred Howard's Puritan hero Solomon Kane. The story was later reprinted in Arkham House's Skull-Face and Others (1946), Donald M. Grant's Red Shadows (1968), and the Bantam paperback The Hills of the Dead (1979). The story is also included in Del Rey's The Savage Tales of Solomon Kane (2004). 

This story is an important one in the overall lore of Kane. It is this story where the character receives the juju staff (aka The Staff of Solomon), an iconic weapon used to fight the supernatural. Often, artists create artwork with Kane holding this mysterious staff. In later stories, the staff is described as having been used by Moses and King Solomon, two historical and biblical figures. This story also marks the return of N'Longa, the African shaman who appeared two years earlier in Howard's “Red Shadows”. 

As the story begins, Kane is in Africa talking with N'Longa. The shaman explains to Kane that the jungle is deadly, filled with nefarious creatures that will more than likely kill him. While it isn't named, N'Longa provides Kane a sharpened stave, which is ultimately the Staff of Solomon. As readers learned in “Red Shadows”, N'Longa can astral project his body. He advises Kane that this stave can summon N'Longa from far distances.

Kane travels deep into the jungle, rescues a girl from a lion, and then builds a shelter for the two of them in a cave. It is there that Kane and the girl are attacked by two vampires. After stabbing one into dust, Kane learns that the entire region is populated by vampires. Later, Kane summons N'Longa (in a rather contrived way), and the two use magic to summon vultures and bats to kill countless vampires. 

This story is rich with atmosphere, a frenzied second-half pace, and a satisfying, action-packed finale. This may be one of my favorites of Howard's Kane stories as it follows a horror formula built for the vampire saga – these undead creatures, bats, gloomy isolation, a storied history, and of course, an explanation on how humans can kill vampires. As I alluded to earlier, the inclusion of the gifted staff makes this an important chapter in the character's mythos, but also helps build the unique bond between N'Longa and Kane. 

“The Hills of the Dead” was adapted into comics by Marvel in Kull and the Barbarians #2-3 (Jul, Sept 1975) and The Sword of Solomon Kane #5 (May 1986). Dark Horse published an adaptation in The Saga of Solomon Kane (July 2009). 

Get The Savage Tales of Solomon Kane HERE.

Horror House

Paul Fairman (1909-1977) became the founding editor of If in 1952. He later became the editor of Amazing Stories, Ellery Queen's Mystery Magazine, and Fantastic. He authored several novels under his own name, as well as the pseudonyms of Ivar Jorgensen and F.W. Paul. Using the name Paulette Warren, Fairman wrote at least nine gothic paperbacks, with two of those consisting of the series titles Bitter Hill Saga and Ravenkill. I stumbled on the author's 1972 gothic titled Horror House. It was originally published by Lancer.

Terry Lawrence, a young writer living in New York, hits it big when she writes a critically-acclaimed biography. Her agent, clamoring for more exposure and work for his client, shares some good news with her over an unexpected phone call. One of America's wealthiest men, Jonah Garth, wants to employ her talents to pen his biography. He signs a contract to pay Terry $10,000. The catch is that Terry must journey to Garth House, the man's home, and interview him and his family of sons and daughters-in-law. Terry reluctantly agrees.

Garth House is in a sleepy upstate New York town that harbors the family's robust mansion and the family business – a myriad of labs and manufacturers producing various items for the federal government. Terry settles into a local hotel in town, awaiting a train that will take her to Garth House's front door. In town, she meets Deputy Bob and the two instantly fall in love. Bob shares the town's disdain for Jonah Garth, referring to him as a slave-driving monster that terrorizes his workers and competition.

Once Terry arrives at Garth House, she begins meeting the various family members, including a flamboyant beauty named Lisa, who is married to Garth's oldest son. There are two other sons, their wives, and the obligatory mansion helpers like the maids and servants. Jonah has prepared for Terry's arrival by recording several reels of tape for her to transcribe. While she's busy with dating Bob, transcribing the reels, she is approached by two mysterious men – each with their own plan to frame Jonah for his dubious misdeeds. Terry declines participation, but learns something detrimental to her safety at Garth House. Apparently, Jonah has murdered at least one man who meddled in his business affairs. Terry uses a great deal of caution when Jonah is around. But the tension and stress increase to the breaking point when Terry discovers the family's dark secret. 

Is Horror House a gothic? Yes. But does it have all of the trimmings to make it a full-fledged gothic? That's debatable. Fairman employs the same concept he used in his 1965 novel Ravenkill – placing the vulnerable beauty as a guest in a mansion as opposed to inheriting one. That's a change of pace that he apparently used frequently. 1972's Hazard House and 1967's The Nurse of Brooding Mansion are his other examples of “guest ventures”. Additionally, there's not much gaslighting, which is typically paramount to the gothic plots. It does feature other gothic mandatory elements like romance, hints of the supernatural and, of course, the “one-lighted window” cover art. I'd also add that Fairman injects one of the most overused tropes of gothic storytelling: an abandoned wing of the mansion. This is a huge part of the story.

Terry hears snarls and footsteps at night, a combination that is explained by the family as sounds made by the dog. Yet rumors abound that Jonah had a fourth son, a “monster” that lives deep inside the house's guarded walls. Fairman's intriguing narrative blends a corporate mystery, a racy love affair, the aforementioned “monster”, and eventually, murder. The book's finale includes the 'ole “daddy's dying but who's got the will” bit to add an element of surprise. I really enjoyed the characters of both Terry and Bob, and genuinely found the book to be a bit eerie in parts. 

If you love these old gothic paperbacks, then Horror House is an easy recommendation. Good luck finding a copy!

Ken Holt #01 - The Secret of Skeleton Island

In the U.S., Grosset and Dunlap published the Ken Holt series between 1949 and 1963. There were 18 total installments, with the first 17 issued in hardcover with a dust jacket. The last installment was issued in a picture cover only. The series was published in the U.K. by World Distributors in hardcover with dust jackets. The series was authored by the married couple Sam and Beryl Epstein using the pseudonym of Bruce Campbell. Series Books for Girls has an excellent page about the series, including reviews.

Lately, I've been on a young adult kick, and I've sampled various series titles like Alfred Hitchcock and the Three Investigators, Tom Corbett, Space Cadet, and Fighting Four. The Ken Holt series is discussed in collector circles as being very tight with descriptive detail, gripping investigations, and lots of action. I decided to try the book's debut, The Secret of Skeleton Island. (Note that this title was also used for the sixth novel in the Three Investigators books)

As the novel begins, it's explained that Ken is away at school when he receives a letter from his father, Richard. In the letter, Richard has invited Ken to join him on a fishing trip. While working as an investigative journalist for Global News, Richard has stumbled on a mystery in New York concerning two shipping vessels that seemingly come and go without any freight, events that he describes for Ken in the letter. As Ken is set to meet his father, he is intercepted by two strangers, one of whom is pointing a gun at him.

Ken's capture and then escape from the two baddies kicks off an exciting action sequence as Ken, paired with another boy named Sandy Allen, attempts to locate his father. Of course, Richard is being held by criminals because he's close to revealing their smuggling operation. Ken and Sandy dig into the investigation, prowling New York City stops like a large harbor, a hotel, and Richard's apartment. Eventually, they sneak on board one of the ships to learn more about the operation and ways to bring the empire to its knees. 

This novel introduces both Ken and Sandy, the two characters who will be the series' stars. Sandy's father is a journalist serving the family's small-town newspaper, the Brentwood Advance. Since Richard will be on assignment quite often, Ken goes to live with the Allens and, in turn, becomes an investigator for the newspaper. Ken's investigative techniques combine with Sandy's photography skills to allow the duo to tackle all of these tough mysteries. It's a solid setup that kicks off the series.

The Secret of Skeleton Island is written well, but in my opinion is way too descriptive for my tastes. Something as simple as boarding a ship is met with pages and pages of overly described steps, play-by-play action, and an abundance of tension that doesn't always mesh well with the scenario. It didn't ruin the reading experience, but it definitely had me impatient as I waited for the pace to quicken. There's 100-pages of running around pursuing criminals and clues, so the descriptions became tiring. 

I also found some of the details of the plot a bit confusing at times. The series has very little criticism from fans other than some of the more convoluted plots involving multiple characters. I've become accustomed to that after reading countless paperback whodunits over the years. I've written out a Game of Thrones-esque org chart just to keep up with who's who in those old stuffy mansions. 

Overall, I enjoyed this series debut and will continue reading more installments. This novel ends with a brief mention that the boys won't have long to settle in with their new roles, as a new mystery is at hand in Colorado with The Riddle of the Stone Elephant. 

Get The Secret of Skeleton Island HERE.

The Abductor

Stark House Press has reprinted eight of Dolores Hitchens novels, including two short stories and analysis from literary scholars like Nicholas Litchfield and Curtis Evans. Admittedly, I've been behind on reading the Hitchens novels (her real name was Julia Clara Catherine Dolores Robbins) and needed to catch up. I read and enjoyed her 1958 novella Strip for Murder and decided to try her 1962 novel The Abductor, originally published in hardcover by Simon and Schuster. The book is now available in a SHP twofer that includes the author's 1965 novel The Bank with the Bamboo Door. 

The Abductor takes place in a quiet California beach town. In the eerie opening, a substitute teacher is standing on an elementary school playground when she hears a man whispering “Marion” from the bushes. He quickly takes off, but his message is puzzling. The teacher's own name is Marion, and one of her students is also named Marion. She reports the incident to the principal, and he dismisses it (different era).

Hitchens then welcomes the reader into three households, very distinctive from each other. The first is the Trent family, who have a daughter named Marilyn. This family has some weird security quirks, appearing overprotective of their daughter. They consistently ask about her whereabouts, if she has spoken to any strangers, and if she has anything odd happening at school. It is immediately clear that the Trents are running from someone. This is reinforced when a man calls their home and declares he has dialed the wrong number. This sets off panic alarms for the family as they contemplate where to move next. 

The second unusual household is that of the substitute teacher, Marion Kennick. After her minor investigation into the puzzling school whispering, she dresses up and hits the town's jukejoints despite having a man in her bed at home. Is she married? Living with a boyfriend? What's his story?

The third home is that of Mrs. Charles, an alcoholic widow who spends her day at the nearby bar. Her motherhood is the opposite of the Trent family – often, she has no idea where her daughter Marion is. Further, she tends to write off her own daughter in an effort to please her wealthy boyfriend. He sees Marion as an obstacle. 

All of these households and family members spiral into oblivion when an abductor captures both Marions – little Marion Charles and her substitute teacher Marion Kennick. He takes them both to an abandoned hotel. This scene was very disturbing as the tormentor questions whether to murder them both or use them as fodder in his grand scheme of torturing the Trents. In one of the most clever setups, the abductor actually meant to capture Marilyn Trent in a revenge plot against the Trent family. However, a misprint in a newspaper article had Marilyn Trent's name listed incorrectly as “Marion”. So this strange kidnapping takes place – the abductor captures the wrong kid and torments parents who know their child is perfectly safe. But they have to play along to rescue the kid. Brilliant!

The Abductor is an absolute masterpiece. The setup, characters, locale, and eerie nature of this kidnapping gone wrong were perfectly penned by Hitchens. I can't imagine how difficult it must have been for this novel to come to fruition. I became confused at times with the character names being similar, but I completely understood that this was necessary. The name snafu is such a pertinent portion of the plot and surely required a great deal of patience on the author's part to keep this plot tight and suspenseful.  Additionally, this was a bold undertaking for Hitchens, writing a disturbing novel about child abduction. I'm sure even as late as the 1960s, the subject was a bit taboo. 

There are some unsettling scenes with the phone calls that reminded me of John Farris's excellent 1967 novel When Michael Calls. As I mentioned, the abandoned hotel locale was fitting as well as the author's description of thick fog that permeates the air, draping the entire town in a bleak blanket of “unknown”. There's no doubt that writers like Hitchens helped propel the 1970s and 1980s suspense market, that hotbed of bestseller lists ruled by the likes of Mary Higgins Clark.

For all of the above reasons, you should be reading The Abductor next. Highest recommendation. You can get the book HERE.

Conan - Savage Sword of Conan #03 (Titan)

Titan's new The Savage Sword of Conan launched its third issue in July 2024. I've slowly been devouring these issues, and wanted to continue my reviews with this one. The A cover is by Alex Horley (B by Cary Nord) and features artwork that highlights the magazine's feature, “The Wolves of the Tundra”. This cover story is written by Frank Tieri (Iron Man, Wolverine) with interior art by Cary Nord (Daredevil, X-Men), who returns to Conan after a successful run with Dark Horse Comics. 

It is an odd choice to have a werewolf-themed story for this installment. First, Solomon Kane has already been featured in the first two issues in his own werewolf story, “Master of the Hunt”, which continues in this issue. Second, I've never really encountered many werewolves in the Hyborian Age. It seems goofy to have Conan not only tangle with this horror concept, but also to eventually transform into a wolf. The artwork is great, the story not so much. I found this just a little too odd for my tastes. 

“The Wolves of the Tundra” is followed by an excerpt from Conan and the Living Plague, a John C. Hocking narrative that is featured in the Conan: City of the Dead book. This was included to promote that book's release, which has been well-received by most fans. The excerpt also includes commentary from Hocking on his experience writing Conan novels and stories. 

As I mentioned above, “Master of the Hunt” continues with this final chapter. The three-part story features Kane searching for a werewolf in a small village. The story and artwork were created once again by Patrick Zircher. It's a fitting end to the story as Kane and the small heroic boy ultimately confront the man-beast. 

Alan Quah's “Lure of the Pit Creature” is a unique, wordless story showing Conan fighting an aquatic beast. 

Pinups for this issue include artists Alex Horley and Roberto De La Torre. There is also a short Conan poem by Jim Zub. 

Get the issue HERE.

Haunted Island

Joan Lowery Nixon (1927-2003) was a celebrated novelist of juvenile fiction and mysteries. She won four Edgars and had five additional nominations. She also won the Western Writers of America's Golden Spur Award twice. All of this has me scratching my head as to why I've never read her novels before now. Breaking the ice, I chose Haunted Island as my first sampling of her writing. It was originally published as a YA Apple Paperback by Scholastic in 1987 with a gorgeous Rudy Nappi cover (Nancy Drew, Hardy Boys). 

Chris and Amy, teen siblings, are working with their Aunt Jennie to restore an old hotel in Missouri. Across the river, there's an ominous island that is strictly off-limits, partially due to the dense foliage, wildlife, and deep caves, but also because of a rumored ghost that still prowls the shoreline. Of course, Chris and Amy are fixated on this mysterious oasis and the mythology associated with the island's prior owner, a deceased farmer named Joshua Hanover. 

One evening, Chris and Amy confront a laborer upstairs in the hotel. He confesses that the island was created during a massive earthquake. Nixon allows this character introduction to flourish, introducing a long flashback scene in which the man, in first-person narration, explains how he grew up in the area and his experience working with Joshua. This is an entertaining portion of the story, complete with treasure, romance, and of course, a tragedy that fuels the ongoing mystery – does Joshua's ghost now haunt the island?

Oddly, as I was reading this, I couldn't quite understand how the man could have been alive in the 1800s to present this first-person account of life under Joshua's employment. Later, during a surprise twist, Chris and Amy learn the truth about the old man. This reveal sets up a fantastic second half in which the two teens are left stranded on the island. Admittedly, the locale of an old farmhouse at twilight on an uninhabited island was unsettling. Nixon's description of tattered curtains blowing in the wind, the old creaking sounds of the dilapidated house, and the dark recesses of the hallways and cellar were downright creepy, even for this YA novel. These two kids left on the island – a haunted island – were worth the price of admission.

Eventually, the finale becomes a bit rushed as the author had a strict 200-pages to wrap up this story. It felt a little hectic as Nixon revealed the mysterious circumstances affecting nearly 150-years of island life. But the frantic pace builds into a long chase scene as Joshua's ghost (yes, there are ghosts!) and the teens run wild through the forests and caves. The search for revenge and redemption, and the drive to survive, was a smooth blend of action and fright. Nixon's writing is superb and flexible enough to entertain all ages. This is an easy recommendation.

Get Haunted Island HERE.

The Girl in Green

Los Angeles native Staci Layne Wilson authored the Rock & Roll Nightmares series, featuring 12 books of music-related horror short stories and non-fiction. She also produces films like Cabaret of the Dead (2017), The Ventures: Stars on Guitars (2020), and The Second Age of Aquarius (2021). Her newest novel, The Girl in Green, is out this month on Sinister Smile Press, an imprint of the award-winning publisher Crystal Lake. 

The book, set in 1980, features a unique look at motherhood and adolescence, a dark blend of cruel irresponsibility, morbid curiosity, and the pangs of guilt. Beth, the single mother, is striving to keep her 10-year old daughter Amy safe as the two drift across the U.S. seeking shelter, food, and companionship. This nowhere trip takes the two into menacing places like seedy towns, lowly dives, and dirty motels, yet seems counterfeit compared to Amy and Beth. This lethal duo is authentic death-dealers; Beth serving to protect Amy, the psycho serial-killer.

In the book's opening chapters, Amy is shown fatally stabbing a young bookstore clerk. Later, she kills a man at a roadside stop. It is immediately clear that Beth is aware of Amy's uncontrollable violence, but she seems to nurture these tendencies instead of preventing them. This is an interesting thread throughout Wilson's narrative, the idea that Beth is killing innocent people as much as Amy. “See something, say something” isn't in Beth's parental makeup. Instead, she coddles this bloodthirsty child and seemingly feeds into the butchery. But from her perspective, she is a good, supportive parent. 

The relationship teeters on a breaking point when Beth's boyfriend Cecil, appears. He isn't aware of Amy's murderous trek and journeys on with the duo from town to town. When Cecil's ex-wife begins to pal around with the trio, emotional conflict begins to tarnish these relationships. Beth begins to doubt Cecil's affection as Amy begins to distrust her mother. The book's first half closes with a harrowing scene that permanently changes the family dynamic. 

The novel's second half moves the narrative to Las Vegas as Amy is reunited with her biological grandfather. He's a morally corrupt alcoholic who works as a card dealer in a local casino. Amy is searching for a parental figure, but finds an alarming diary written by her mother during childhood. Amy's grandfather has some dark secrets of his own. His mysterious past, the relationship he had with Beth, and how it impacts Amy's murderous traits are all plot-propulsive devices that highlight the book's bloody finale. 

The Girl in Green is a disquieting descent into some really dark places. It is saturated in violence, bloodshed, and uncertainty, but all written with a purpose. It isn't graphic violence for the shock factor. These murders, as troubling as they are, define this mother-daughter relationship - as unsettling as that might be. The shifting environments from shabby, dilapidated places to the afterglow of Las Vegas was the best stage for this murky familial drama to unfold. Wilson's writing, while overly descriptive, tells the tale well. She's an experienced storyteller who brings these multi-faceted characters to life...and death.

You can purchase The Girl in Green HERE.

Lady Cop

The name J.T. Pritchard is associated with a handful of sleaze novels published by Beacon in the 1950s and 1960s. As Janet Pritchard, the author wrote paperbacks like Warped Women (1951), One Hot Night (aka Sin Ship, 1960), and Station-Wagon Wives (1963). Using the J.T. Name, the author wrote Lady Cop (1955). Cutting Edge Books has committed to offering all of Pritchard's novels, including Lady Cop, in new editions that include physical and digital. Additionally, the author's novels are included in several of the publisher's digital omnibus collections like Noir at Sea, Vintage Sleaze, Suburban Sins, and High Seas Adventure. New to this mysterious Pritchard name, I decided to read Lady Cop. 

Peggy Malone is the Lady Cop. As the book begins, Peggy is cuffing a pervert making advances in a seedy theater. From that opening chapter, Pritchard takes readers back to Peggy's innocence – her time as a school teacher in France and her sensational romance with a man named Jacques. However, this seemingly perfect life is shattered with a phone call. Peggy's father was found dead.

The funeral scene and time spent with her father's family and friend offer a glimpse into Peggy's distinctive childhood. Both she, and her brother Duke experienced their mother's death. Their father, Mike, a dedicated police officer, was forced to raise the two of them, often sacrificing his own wants and desires to support the family. Peggy and Mike had a special bond, something she compares to more of a marital couple than a traditional father-daughter relationship. Pritchard skirts around any sexual promiscuity, but her relationship with her father is a driving force in her inability to commit to a man.

Mike's death is ruled as suicide, but Peggy feels there is more to this. The suspects are plenty – local gamblers that Mike was leaning on, a political best friend, and even Duke himself, now a wayward college dropout involved in car theft and drugs. Peggy takes it upon herself to become a police officer, and with the help of a high-ranking city official, is enrolled into police academy. Her graduation concludes a solid, well-written first half.

Unfortunately, the second half of the novel is rather subdued. Peggy's day-to-day work, arresting criminal teens, lowly thieves, and tailing her brother's crime enterprise, doesn't make for a lively reading experience. The book was originally published by Beacon, so a few tepid sexual escapades are included as Peggy flirts with losing her virginity. The book's finale was satisfying with a grand reveal of Mike's murderer, as well as an undercover F.B.I. agent who took me by surprise.

Lady Cop provides an insightful, educated glimpse at the difficulties faced by female police officers in the mid 20th century. Malone's ability to navigate these unfamiliar waters, while seeking revenge for her father's murder, is a satisfying premise that gains momentum through the book's first half. Overall, this is an enjoyable crime-noir and an excellent choice for a Cutting Edge publication.

Get Lady Copy HERE.

Night Boat to Paris

I've really enjoyed Stark House Press's recent spotlight on author Richard Jessup. He wrote over 60 novels, including the excellent five-book series of spy adventures starring Monty Nash. Additionally, Jessup experienced success with his western, The Cincinnati Kid, which was adapted into a Steve McQueen-led film. Along with reprinting Jessup's Port Angelique and Wolf Cop, Stark House Press also released the author's 1956 Dell paperback Night Boat to Paris as a Black Gat Book. 

Jessup's formula uses a familiar setup, often found in westerns, to drive the plot. The concept is the retired gunfighter, bandit, or bounty hunter wrangled back into “one more job”. By the mid 20th century, imaginative authors had transformed the idea into a more contemporary setting, often in crime fiction, as con-artists, heist specialists, and other seedy fellows are convinced “one more job” will score the grandest prize of all. Under the hands of thrilling writers like Lionel White and Dan J. Marlowe, those novels thrived with threads of desperation and treachery while the anti-hero judged his self-perception and worth.

Night Boat to Paris is unique in that it combines this same concept, the retired gunman back on the trail, with a sweeping European spy chase. Jessup's superb plot, melding heist and espionage, recalls the high-adventure cornerstones like Jack Higgins and Hammond Innes. Yet his prose is comparable to the conversational tone of Donald Hamilton's memorable Matt Helm novels. 

In the book's opener, Reece, a former British secret agent, is minding his own business running a small bar in England. His former boss calls him back into action to chase down a microfilm that every country in the world is clamoring for. While the details of the microfilm, its current owner, and the nefarious parties involved are all dense and too specific, the mission is simple: knock over a highly influential dinner party and steal the microfilm from the Russian. 

Reece and intelligence design a heist operation, one that is disguised as a simple hit and run, stealing money and jewelry from all the suits and ties. Under this operation, Reece hits the streets to recruit the best heist guys in the business. The lucrative payout is enticing, and soon Reece and his gang of thieves are training at a farmhouse in France. This is the best part of heist novels for me – the organization of who does what and where. I just love how these jobs come together in vintage paperbacks. Any author worth his salt can infuse so much characterization and subplots into this portion of the heist build-up. Jessup introduces a clever rivalry between the men and two Italian specialists. This will pay dividends in the book's stirring finale. 

Soon, Reece and the men are in full-swing and begin the heist. As always, complications ensue, and changes are made on the fly. The book's second half morphs into getaway mode as the team escapes into the French countryside to avoid the law. It's here that Jessup plays a few more wild cards by introducing a female character who will play a hand in Reece's escape strategy. Additionally, a surprise twist reveals that one of the men is a secret Russian operative.

Night Boat to Paris is the best book I've read thus far in 2026. Jessup was just a phenomenal storyteller, and his stand-alone crime-fiction, spy, and heist novels are top-shelf entertainment. This is an easy recommendation. Get on this Night Boat to Paris as soon as possible. 

Get the book HERE.

Earth vs The Lava Spiders

In 2022, authors Candace Nola, Lucas Mangum, and Judith Sonnet contributed horror novellas to a trilogy series titled Earth Vs, a homage to the 1950s drive-in movie culture. Mangum's was Earth vs The Star Mummy, Sonnet's was Earth vs The Nudist Camp Freaks, and Nola's was Earth vs The Lava Spiders. The covers for all three books were created by Christy Aldridge of Grim Poppy Design. A friend let me borrow Nola's novella, which was my first experience with the series and the author. The book was published by Nola's own Uncomfortably Dark Horror and edited by both Nola and Mort Stone. 

Earth vs The Lava Spiders is set in Pine Grove, California, in 1958. Teenagers are making out in the car when they see strange lights over the bay. Soon, the landscape is glowing as fireballs erupt from the nearby mountainside. As a volcano erupts, the teens realize that the embers and lava aren't the only thing pouring from the mountain – there are also flaming spiders ready to pounce on human flesh! Then, the feast begins.

Each chapter of the book features a 1950s song title, like "Jailhouse Rock", "Blueberry Hill", and "Oh, What a Night!". Nola uses each of these early chapters to focus on one character or set of characters who are experiencing the spiders. These attacks occur in the suburbs, on the highway, at a nearby prison, and at a police station. By the sixth chapter, a story arc develops as an elderly man named Jonas escapes prison and begins a lively escape from the burning arachnids. 

Nola candidly admits on her website that Earth Vs The Lava Spiders isn't great. But, she explains, “it is a good story that is meant to be funny, wild, fast-paced, and corny.” She definitely achieves that in this 50-page novella. It is never too serious, and it hearkens back to the day when horror didn't have to say or mean anything. It's just a fun distraction from life's everyday horrors – mortgages, jobs, social angst, etc. I also borrowed Nola's book Bishop: Man vs Monster, and I am now anxious to read it too. 

Get Candace Nola's books HERE.

The Last Snow

Nine years before his retirement, Jon Messmann (Revenger, Nick Carter: Killmaster) authored a stand-alone western titled The Last Snow. The book was published as a paperback in 1989 by Random House using Messmann's real name. It's odd that Messmann, a lifelong New Yorker, wrote the novel, considering he was ultra-productive in the 1980s with his tremendously successful adult-western series The Trailsman. By 1989, Messmann, writing as Jon Sharpe, had completed 84 installments of that series for his publisher Signet. In true pulp fashion, these novels were published nearly every month on a firm schedule. Additionally, Messmann was also writing the Canyon 'O Grady series, again as Jon Sharpe. The Last Snow is one of only two stand-alone novels that Messmann wrote in the 1980s, the other being Jogger's Moon (aka To Kill a Jogger) in 1980 for Penguin.

The Last Snow is presented in an epistolary style with 19 journal entries ranging from October 1846 through April 1847. The opening pages of the novel advise readers that these documents were found among the family possessions of Daniel Culver by his granddaughter. It's an old-school storytelling approach that has been used by the likes of Bram Stoker, Edgar Rice Burroughs, and Stephen King. 

Culver is a thirty-something mountain man who makes a living as a trail guide, but has been known to gamble, gunfight, and perform as a type of mercenary. He's the proverbial “everyman”, yet Messmann rarely places Culver in action scenes. Instead, Culver is more of a messenger or consultant. When he arrives in the frontier town of Stoddard, he discovers families brutally massacred in their cabins. Citing the work of the Cheyenne, Culver enters the city to warn the settlers of a coming invasion. His cries fall on deaf ears.

In Stoddard, the U.S. Calvary has a small encampment of 200 soldiers led by a half-dozen officers. The town feels safe and immortal despite Culver's pleas. As the snow begins to fall, Culver realizes the town will be cut off with no way to cross Snowshoe Pass, the only passage through the harsh mountainside. As Culver jockeys as a mouthpiece for the town, he also rediscovers an old relationship he once had with a widow and her son. Further, Culver begins a romance with the daughter of one of the officers.

As the snowfall begins, Culver risks staying with the town in an effort to fortify it from attack. Unfortunately, the military doesn't take his efforts seriously until it is too late. As Cheyenne and other factions begin the invasion, Messmann cranks up the action with gritty violence, savage acts of murder, and the familiar bloodshed of battle. 

The Last Snow is an unusual western, brimming with non-formulaic traits from the protagonist. Culver is a sensible, no-nonsense adventurer, but realizes his efforts to fight the Cheyenne are pointless. The town is ripe for slaughter, the military's strategy is lacking, and the town's chief politicians are clueless. In many ways, Messmann exercises a liberal political fusion of words versus action as this tiny frontier town collapses from internal and external pressures.  

Thankfully, Cutting Edge Books has made The Last Snow available in a new paperback and digital edition. The book is also included in the publisher's western omnibus The Big Bold West #12, featuring novels by James Warner Bellah, Michael Carder, and Riley Ryan. If you enjoy Messmann's writing, Cutting Edge has also made available the author's Logan series, originally written as Alan Joseph, and his gothic-romance novels, originally written as Claudette Nicole. 

Get The Last Snow HERE.

Tom Corbett, Space Cadet #01 - Stand by for Mars!

According to the Tom Corbett Website, Grosset & Dunlap began publishing the Tom Corbett Space Cadet juvenile novels in 1952. These were a tie-in to the established television character and the Rockhill Radio IP. There were eight books in the published series from 1952 to 1955, all using the house name Carey Rockwell. There has never been a definitive answer on who actually wrote the books, but speculation is that it could have been Richard Jessup or G&D editor Joe Green.

Tom Corbett first appeared on CBS television in 1950 before moving to ABC in 1951. The show remained on air, with various networks, through 1955. Corbett also appeared on the radio in 1952, in 14 Dell comics from 1952-1955, and in Sunday newspaper strips between 1951 to 1953. My only experience with the character, like most readers, is the G&D books, which I still see from time to time in used bookstores. 

I decided to try the character out with the series debut, Stand by for Mars!, originally published in 1952. 

The setting for the series is the 24th century, 2350. All of the inner planets have been colonized by humans. Earth is a commonwealth shared by Mars and Venus. Solar Guard units are stationed in different parts of the universe, each monitoring shipping and passenger commutes while conducting various experiments. Somewhere in the North American Midwest, there's an academy to train men and women vowing to join the Solar Guard. This is where we first meet Tom, on day one of his training as a cadet. 

Roger Manning, like Tom, is from Earth. As a fellow cadet, Roger is consistently tormenting Tom and a man from Venus named Astro. This conflict is the central plot of the book – the trio's ability to work together cohesively through training and actual operations. Roger seems to have a great burden on his shoulders, one that he distributes emotionally and physically to his cadet mates. At one point, Tom and Roger have a fistfight in the facility gym. Awkwardly, Roger strives for companionship, but simply doesn't know how to coexist with his teammates. This is a mystery that permeates the book's second half – Roger's secret. Fortunately, the reveal pays off in the book's emotional finale.

As I was reading Stand by for Mars!, I kept thinking of other series titles that shared similarities with the book. The trials and tribulations heaped on Tom during training reminded me of R.A. Salvatore's The Legend of Drizzt series of Forgotten Realms novels. That character is forced to make alliances while also combating other students during his training. The debut, Homeland, featured Drizzt's time in the Academy. Another similar title is the Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling, complete with the alliances and rivalries forged at Hogwarts, a school of magic. Like Stand by for Mars!, that series features a combat sport in which the students must rely on each other to score goals and win for their team (or house). 

Most of Stand by for Mars! features Tom, Roger, and Astro working as a trio to overcome mathematical and engineering problems during their training classes and final. However, their education pays off when they are thrust into a real scenario of answering a rescue beacon from another ship. The action also includes a shipwreck, an 8-day survival quest through a hot desert, and some intense battle planning as the trio is forced to make quick decisions to defend a faux invasion. 

Overall, this Tom Corbett debut was highly entertaining. I connected to the character, enjoyed Astro's comical scenes, and found Roger detestable. All three characters, and their emotional baggage, helped elevate the storytelling. I'm all in. Stand by for the next installment!

Get Stand by for Mars! HERE

Gil Cohen: Inside/Out - The Archive Collection

I've covered countless books and stories here at Paperback Warrior that feature artwork created by the legendary Gil Cohen. My first experience with the Philadelphia native was his exceptional paperback covers for The Executioner series, created by Don Pendleton. His detailed brushstrokes defined the imagery for Mack Bolan for several decades, including the spin-off titles associated with the character's rich history. 

In 2020, Robert Deis and Wyatt Doyle collaborated on a visual collection of paperback covers, One Man Army, featuring hundreds of Cohen paintings, most central to The Executioner and Mack Bolan mythos. That book, which was available in hard and soft covers from New Texture, focused solely on Cohen's paperback artistry. However, Cohen was extremely prolific in the pages of men's action-adventure magazines, often referred to as MAMs. 

There isn't a duo on Earth more skilled in telling the history of the MAM era than Deis and Doyle. Both have made it their mission to highlight and document this unique, storied tradition of vintage magazines. Both have excelled in presenting coffee table, awe-inspiring volumes that capture the essence of the MAM. Books like Weasels Ripped My Flesh!, He-Men, Bag Men, & Nymphos, Barbarians on Bikes, and artist portfolios including legends like George Gross, Mort Kunstler, and Samson Pollen.

The two have once again created a beautiful coffee table book titled Gil Cohen: Inside/Out - The Archive Collection. This is a deluxe, full-color hardcover (150ish pages) featuring Cohen's magazine covers and interior illustrations found in MAMs from the 1950s through the 1970s. I haven't counted them all yet, but according to MensPulpMags.com, there are 160 high-resolution images. Considering MAMs are very rare, this may be one of the only times a casual fan and reader will even see these paintings. 

My favorites include the book bonus artwork, including Force 10 from Navarone (Alistair MacLean, Male 1970), The Executioner (Don Pendleton, For Men Only 1969), and Thunderball (Ian Fleming, Argosy 1961). I also enjoyed reading Deis's foreword on Cohen's legacy as an artist and his contributions to Martin Goodman's Magazine Management Company, arguably the birthplace of Marvel Comics. 

Deis and Doyle promise that this book is the first in a planned four-volume series showcasing Gil Cohen's MAM art. Based on the quality of this volume, I can't wait to see more. 

Get your copy of this fantastic book HERE.

Cavern of Rage

African-American author W. Warner Jackson was born in Spur, Texas, and worked as a railroad porter, painter, mail carrier, machinist, and cook, among other jobs. He spent most of his life in Kansas City, although no other details are really known about him. Jackson wrote three novels, beginning with The Birth of the Martyr's Ghost, a 1957 hardcover published by Comet Press. He followed with the paperback Lust for Youth (1960), and Cavern of Rage (1961). Cutting Edge Books has all three of Jackson's novels available in new paperback and digital editions. As a newcomer to the author, I decided to read Cavern of Rage. It was originally published by Newsstand Library with cover art by Robert Bonfils. 

The book, set in Kansas City, features the common tropes of sleaze fiction – adultery, greed, and guilt. David and Nora have experienced six years of marriage, highlighted by their elevated social status in the community. Yet David's work has suffered a tremendous collapse, leading the couple to financial ruin. As the novel begins, Nora is hosting one more extravagant party to cement their status as pillars of the community. David knows this is the last grand event before things spiral into ruin.

The party featured a performance dancer, Peggy, that has eyes for David. In his weakened state as both a husband and provider, David is enthralled with Peggy. The two leave the event, exploring each other's bodies in David's car. Meanwhile, as the party ends, Nora is flirting with the band leader, a vile individual named Vincent. He drugs Nora's drink and rapes her, but already has plans to violate one of Nora's friends that he met earlier in the evening.

The book's second half is a roller-coaster of events that thrust these four individuals into some very dark places. Readers learn that Vincent is a serial rapist and killer, a revelation that Jackson twists and turns as Nora is held in torturous captivity. It is this aspect of the book that really elevates the anxiety and tension – will Nora submit to this maniac or fight back? Also, there is a flood that isolates both David and Peggy in a cave, forced to fight for their own survival. This leaves time for David to contemplate his life. Continue with Peggy? Return to Nora? It's a balance beam of emotion for both the character and the reader.

I wish I knew more about Jackson, because his literary work certainly deserves more recognition. Cavern of Rage is an excellent crime-noir that reveals humanity's eternal desires – sex, money, and power. Jackson's ability to shift perspectives allows readers to view these seedy quests from different communities and financial platforms – the criminal, the underfed, and the powerful. It's clever storytelling that exposes these morally bankrupt characters and their motives. It's also highly entertaining. Cavern of Rage gets a strong recommendation.

Get this book and the other Jackson novels HERE.

The House of the Nightmare

Edward Lucas White (1866-1934), who was educated at Johns Hopkins University, worked as a teacher at University School for Boys in Baltimore for nearly his entire life. While teaching, White was committed to being a writer. He authored short stories, novels, and poetry, some of which have been celebrated in countless horror and mystery anthologies. My experience with White is his beloved ghost story, “The House of the Nightmare”. It was first printed in The Thrill Book in 1919. Later, it was included in White's collection, Lukundoo and Other Stories.

This story uses the “roadside ghost” that is often affiliated with the dark traveler or dead hitchhiker shtick. We've all heard the campfire stories, or watched one of many horror films use the concept of an average person traveling a dark road and finding solace with a mysterious stranger. In some cases, the traveler will pick up a girl hitchhiking, only to later learn at a local truck stop or diner that the girl had previously died in a tragic accident and now exists as an apparition left to wander the highway for eternity. 

This idea spills into songs like Alan Jackson's (w/ Don Sampson) “Midnight in Montgomery” or David Allan Coe's “The Ride” (written by John Blayne Detterline, Jr. and Gary Gentry). The concept is often called the phantom hitchhiker, but it can be used for other occurrences, too. In White's case, it concerns a traveler meeting a young boy on a dark roadside.

The story is told in first-person by an unnamed narrator. He is traveling through the mountainous countryside when he spots an anomaly in the road. Ahead of him, he sees a large stone on the right side of the lane, yet as he gets nearer, it seems to have changed location to the left. As he struggles to understand this strange positioning, he runs off the road and into a tree. A young boy arrives and offers to assist the man, but is hesitant to shelter him.

After some back-and-forth, the man convinces the boy to allow him to sleep at his house overnight. The boy confesses that the home is messy, his mother is dead, and his father hasn't been home in months. There's very little food, and plenty of other excuses for the man to avoid this house. But he insists, and the boy welcomes him inside. The boy warns the traveler that he experiences nightmares concerning a large pig that is devouring him. That night, the man has the same nightmare and flees the house. Down the road, he learns the awful truth about the boy and the haunted house.

This was a familiar setup for me, but I still enjoyed White's storytelling. He adds a few clues throughout the short narrative about the boy and his living conditions. The cool, dark house offers plenty of eerie atmosphere, and there's a mystery about the boy's family that begs for answers. The nightmare scene was told vividly, with enough fright to warrant the character's quick departure.

I loved this story, and I often enjoy these phantom formulas. One of my favorites is an episode of the CBC radio show Nightfall. It's called “Windchill”, and it was written by David McCaughna and aired on September 19, 1980. You can listen to that audio presentation HERE.

Breeder

Author Jim Morris served three tours with The Green Berets during America's participation in the Vietnam War. His memoir of the experience, War Story, won the Bernal Diaz Award for military non-fiction. He's authored the books The Devil's Secret Name, Fighting Men, and The Guerrilla Trilogy, among others. My experience with the author is his unusual men's action-adventure paperback, Breeder, originally published by Tor in 1988. The cover artist is Luis Royo.

In the opening pages is a letter inscribed to Gary Dexter from his father. “Dad” advises Dexter that he isn't his real biological father. He explains that he served with another soldier Jeff, in ground forces, and that Jeff is Gary's biological parent. He then continues, explaining that this book is a manuscript he had been working on chronicling both his, and Jeff's exploits during the war and the aftermath of the campaign. In the book's faux Editor's Note, readers learn this book was found in the personal effects of an Airborne Ranger, Gary Dexter, who was killed during the assault on Orly Airport on June 6th, 2042. 

The book begins with these three and a half pages, which is a bit ambiguous because readers have no idea who these characters are. However, after the book's 306-pages, it all makes perfect sense. It was a satisfying way to tease the set-up and then slowly build to that early revelation. It's just another unique element in the way Morris tells this story.

Breeder is a tough book to review without giving away spoilers. However, I feel that by giving the concept away, it might encourage you to track the book down. It works like a post-apocalyptic novel, but can serve as science-fiction and action-adventure in the use of purposeful machismo, over-the-top fighting scenes, and the brisk pace. The novel is also set during a new American Civil War, although some of the more intricate details of this war remained unclear. 

Jeff Clendenning and Duncan (who might be the author of the letter) are serving as cadets in a rugged ROTC somewhere in America – they think. But the rules of this ROTC program are bizarre, allowing cadets to murder officers in hand-to-hand combat and run wild with sexual urgency. Jeff, who is described as the perfect man, typically has sex with a randomly chosen woman every day and a half. Females are powerless to resist his pheromones. While Jeff is learning the fine art of war and the lay of the land, Duncan is romancing a young woman named Lauren. Jeff ends up sleeping with Lauren as well, which creates animosity between the two cadets. 

There are a number of interesting events within this ROTC program, but ultimately, Jeff decides to escape the facility after receiving his graduation orders to stay on base and instruct future cadets. Jeff replaces another soldier and is transported to Texas to fight Mexican gangs and the NRA (yes, that NRA). It is during this battle that Jeff confronts an officer at gunpoint to learn more about who he is and what the ROTC's goals are. This is the wow moment in the book as Jeff learns he was grown in a lab by the Soviets in a super-soldier plot. The ROTC program has been in the Soviet Union the entire time, though dressed up as an average American military town. Further, Jeff is a “breeder”, meaning he can impregnate women and replicate his supersoldier self. Jeff loses his mind upon discovering all of this head-spinning intel and flees.

The second half of the book is a fish-out-of-water tale as Jeff learns about America, romances a woman, and joins a trio of criminals on a bank heist spree. There are letters inserted every few chapters from “Dad” - Duncan – that fill readers in on his military experiences piloting a helicopter. As the book marches to the finale, both Duncan and Jeff are reunited to crush an anti-American rebellion fueled by the Soviets. The last pages of the battle help explain the book's opening three pages, and the letter.

Clearly, Morris was writing Breeder as a condemnation of Hollywood macho-films, spoofing the ability of action heroes to ride tall, shoot straight, speak the truth – and get laid by the most beautiful women. It possesses all the stereotypes and is laugh-out-loud hilarious at times. Proof of this is the John Wayne Bobbit moment that blew my mind (which didn't even occur until five years after this book's publication). Morris was having an absolute blast writing this book, and I'm shocked that it isn't more popular. This is a cult-sensational novel that just waited for an audience that never arrived. If you love the aforementioned genres, or just the idea of this high-concept, then you owe it to yourself to get this book. I will never forget Breeder. 

Get the book HERE.

The Only Good Secretary

Jean Potts specialized in cozy mysteries that quietly rivaled the best of Margaret Millar and Charlotte Armstrong. Her literary catalog, spanning 1954-1975, featured fourteen novels; the most celebrated being her debut, Go, Lovely Rose, which earned a 1954 Edgar Award for Best First Novel. Stark House Press are all in on Potts, rightfully so, and have published seven twofers collecting her mysteries. At the time of this writing, the publishers has just unveiled Jean Potts: The Complete Short Stories. I've been a little behind on my Stark House reading, so I took a road trip opportunity to devour the workplace mystery, The Only Good Secretary, which was first published as a paperback in 1965 by Ace (G-608). It exists in both physical and digital editions as a combined SHP collection with The Man with the Cane (1957)

The Only Good Secretary reads as if Agatha Christie has invaded Mad Men. It's a tight, expertly woven mystery centered around an employee, Fern, who is found with a fatal scissor wound in a business office. The unnamed detective is brought in on the case, but quickly is disposed of in a quest to present an amateur sleuth duo – in this case a combination of Louise, the office secretary, and High Dudgeon, the office owner/operator.

Potts has a unique way of presenting her stories conversationally. You won't find the author describing a room, or spending much time on trivial character activities. Instead, Potts uses her pagecount wisely by allowing the characters to tell the complete story. Its all fair play for the reader, as these characters possess no information that would reveal the identity of the murderer. Instead, the conversations – and there are a lot – ebbs and flows as suspects are revealed, red herrings are dismissed, and the elimination of motives increases. The reader doesn't need to commit any guesswork, although that part of the reading experience is very rewarding. 

Another interesting aspect to Potts' writing style is the way she turns characters against each other. This formula worked exceptionally well in The Evil Wish (1962), pitting two thirty-something sisters against each other in suffocating living quarters. In this novel, Potts uses a young college student and a teacher, with each of them throwing the other under the proverbial bus. It is this consistent shifting in their testimony and actions that keeps Louise and High digging into the changeable narrative. There is a killer – but the Devil's in the details. 

If you enjoy the tight whodunits of the mid 20th century, then The Only Good Secretary should be your next read. Get the book HERE.

Conan - Savage Sword of Conan #02 (Titan)

In February 2024, The Savage Sword of Conan was relaunched by Titan Comics through a licensing agreement with Heroic Signatures. I reviewed the first issue back in late 2024 HERE, but have been preoccupied with other Conan things. I'm finally getting back to this series with the second issue, originally published in May 2024.

The cover artist is Dave Dorman (Star Wars, King Kong), with variable covers including artist Nick Marinkovich (Dead Romans). The lead Conan story is “Conan: Leaving the Garden”, which is written by Canadian native Jim Zub. He has been the primary author of Titan's other Conan title, Conan the Barbarian. My previous experience with his writing was the Wolverine miniseries, Mystery in Madripoor. The story features artwork by Richard Pace (New Warriors, Pitt). 

“Conan: Leaving the Garden” is weird. The opening pages have the titular hero rising from a grave. Then we get a story that tells of how Conan was seemingly buried alive. It begins with him leading a wagon train across Shem into the trading ports of Argos. In the barren stretches of the journey, Conan and the travelers are attacked by “a misshapen terrifying throng of humanoids”. I don't know what these things are, but they attack and slaughter most of the caravan. They drag Conan off to a garden, wrap him in a burial cloth, and bury him.

After Conan awakens and climbs his way to freedom, he stumbles upon a little makeshift shed. He is then found by a small boy who explains travelers are killed and buried in the garden. The bodies then transcend into ghosts that rise into a swirling mist. The whole thing is some sort of worship ritual for a monster that lives in a village barn. As Conan heals, he begins plans to go to the village and destroy the monster. 

This story suffers from a number of issues, mainly in that it just isn't that interesting. Conan, recalling his greatest adventures to the boy, was touching, and it has a greater impact when we learn the fate of the kid. But the art is horrendous in some scenes. It reminds me of a below-average comic strip. Conan, swaddled in a fur blanket was a scene I wish I could have erased from my consciousness. I get that it is trying to evoke the spirit of Weird Tales, but it did nothing for me.

Next up was the real reason I even wanted to pursue this issue, the continuation of Patrick Zircher's Solomon Kane story from the first issue, “Master of the Hunt”. 

In the beginning, Kane is in a Welsh village tracking a werewolf that's preying on farmers. He is staying with a woman and her son, as her husband is on a “great hunt”. As this second part continues the story, Kane is attacked by the werewolf and his elderly partner is killed. In the man's dying words, he urges Kane to take a pagan horn to use for protection. This is a key part of the story as it places the Puritan hero at a spiritual crossroads. 

Page 58's artwork is the highlight of the issue. Zircher's full page displays Arawn, the Lord of the Underworld, complete on horseback, wearing antler horns and leading a pack of Devilish dogs. It's the proverbial “master of the hunt”, yet whether any of this actually exists or not is in the eye of the beholder. The scene reminded me of Howard's Kane poem, "Death's Black Riders". Perhaps Kane is simply speculating that if he blows the horn, he will embroil himself in Deviltry. The story sort of ends there in this wild cliffhanger. 

I love the Solomon Kane story, and I feel that Zircher really gets this character. His faith, devotion, and prevalent need to serve the people is captured exceptionally well. Zircher's stellar artwork is the chef's kiss. 

As always, the magazine features several pinups – two Conan pages by Rafael Kayanan and Gerardo Zaffino and a Solomon Kane page by Nick Marinkovich. 

Doomsday Warrior #02 - Red America

The second Doomsday Warrior installment, Red America, was published in 1984 by Zebra Books. The series began with both Jan Stacy (The Last Ranger) and Ryder Syvertsen (C.A.D.S.) collaborating on the concept and writing the first four novels. Syvertsen solely took over writing duties for the remaining 15 installments. 

As I summarized in my review of the debut (HERE), the series is set in 2089. The nuked-out United States is now controlled by the Soviet Union, and most of the larger cities are ruled under a red iron fist. However, pockets of resistance still thrive across the country, partially led by a rebellion group called the American Free Cities. One of these liberated areas, Century City, is home to the Doomsday Warrior himself, the Ultimate American, Ted Rockson. 

As the novel begins, Rockson is leading this team of commandos on a mission to test a new laser rifle designed by Century City's premier scientist. Rockson's team is introduced like an episode of a G.I. Joe cartoon:

Detroit – African-American fighting man, second in command to Rockson
McCaughlin – Scotsman, the big brawler
Chen – Chinese-American ninja
Lang – The Kid, like a younger version of Rockson

The new rifle pays huge dividends as the team decimates over 100 Soviet vehicles and countless enemy soldiers and agents. But, through intel, Rockson learns that a secret red headquarters in Pavlov City is conducting a biological weapons campaign to turn Americans into fighting zombies. Yep. Fighting zombies.

After some graphic sex with girl Rhona, Rockson takes on a mission of locating and infiltrating Pavlov City. It is this early portion of the book that portrays Rockson like a lone cowboy, riding a hybrid beast creature across the wasteland, only to be captured by the bad guys. He gets a dose of unique torture – a powerful aphrodisiac that makes him extremely horny. He's then placed in a jail cell right next door to a beautiful naked virgin, a gymnast named Kim. She's begging for it, Rockson is juiced up. But, there are the steel bars and everything. The ultimate cockblock.

Eventually, Rockson upends the headquarters, frees the slave zombies, and gets some backup from his team. However, just like the debut, this is just the first mission of two. These books tend to place two adventures in each novel, so we aren't done with just the zombie stuff. 

In the book's second half, Rockson meets up with some wild beatnik Native American bikers (high concept) that pit Rockson and his team against a mutant dragon-thingy. The bikers are obnoxious, and remind me of the same setup of motorheads and Cheyenne warriors that Stacy used on War Weapons, the fifth installment in his post-apocalyptic The Last Ranger series (which is better than Doomsday Warrior). 

Red America is seriously like an episode of G.I. Joe. If that's your thing, then jump all over this book. You can also listen to the “movie in your mind” with the Graphic Audio edition. 

Get the book HERE.

The Haar

I really enjoyed David Sodergren's horror novel Night Shoot, but it has taken me over two years to find myself submerged in another of his books, The Haar. It was independently published by the author in 2022. The book is available in both hardcover and paperback, as well as a 7-hour Tantor Media audio narration by Mhairi Morrison. 

The novel stars an 84-year old widow named Muriel McAuley. Muriel lives in a cottage on the remote Scottish seaside. Land developers, led by an unscrupulous baron, have bought or bullied their way through the small village in a grand effort to create a golf community (side note – I despise golf). Muriel refuses to sell for any amount of money. She loves her little place, partly because she has lived so many years of her life there with her husband. He died years ago on a fishing expedition – this is important.

Often, Muriel journeys down to the rocky beach to enjoy a small watershed cave there, a place where she spent magical moments with her husband. In the opening pages of the novel, Muriel is in this place when she discovers a wounded sea creature lying on the jagged rocks. In an effort to heal the beast, she scampers back to her house and places the creature in her bathtub. Only there's a small problem with its healing...the creature doesn't just need water – it needs blood.

Soon, Muriel embarks on an emotional adventure with this strange creature residing in her bathtub. In a shocking revelation, the healed creature confesses to Muriel that it can appear as anything. It can also read her mind and cull from it her most precious memories – memories of her time with her husband. Muriel allows the creature to “become” her deceased husband, and the two cherish her memories together. Yet, Muriel knows this facade can only be temporary. The creature needs human blood in order to remain alive. 

The Haar is the best book I've read thus far in 2026. It is a combination of horror, dark fantasy, action, and romance. At a short page count of just 200 pages, Sodergren took me through different levels of emotion as Muriel experiences the ultimate reunion and is forced into some really dark decision-making. I described the book to a friend, and he immediately caught the Hellraiser comparison, but I'd also mention other influencing films like Splash, Lady in the Water, and maybe, to a lesser extent, Swamp Thing. It is a fish-out-of-water story, but it incorporates so many different aspects. It is violent, beautiful, gory, and wholly unique. 

The best compliment I can give to any book is how it made me feel afterwards. This book makes you feel something, and for that, I can't recommend it enough. You need to read this book.

Get The Haar HERE.