Book Reviews

[Theli]

Another great review. I have American Noir 30's and 40's, and I knew of the 50's volume, but I hadn't realized they were released together in a slipcased set. They are great copies with tons of great stories.

[bugen]

Pick-Up - Charles Willeford

Sober, I was always embarrassed about my appearance, but I didn’t intend to stay sober very long.

(Posting this here because, while it's decidedly crime, not horror, it's one of the darkest books I've ever read.)

An extraordinarily bleak tale, even for the noir genre, Pick-Up is the story of a failed artist, now a grill man in San Francisco, working just enough to make sure he’s able to keep up his gin habit. A beautiful, drunken young woman walks into the diner and Harry quits his job in order to drink with her, immediately and constantly. The two have a crash of a relationship at the bottom of the bottle, and enter into a suicide pact to rid themselves of the world and be together eternally.

There’s a lot more to it than that, but it unfolds much better naturally than in summary. The story is dark, suggesting things about life that are generally best left unsaid, though much of this occurs between the lines; it’s dangerous to look too closely, and much of this book does exactly that. Some are going to consider this book a meditation on the negative effects of alcoholism, but those guys just missed the story, and if you listen closely you can hear the whoosh as it sails over their heads. Alcohol wasn’t the disease, it was the treatment. And that’s exactly why this book was so dark.

This is a fascinating subject, but delving any deeper isn’t really suitable for discussion in writing. These things are best discussed in bars where they can be quickly forgotten.

Another champion entry from Library of America’s American Noir set, Pick-Up is an outstanding novel. Anyone whose thoughts even occasionally, remotely approach suicidal, you might want to stay out of this one's way, for here lies the bottom rung of the world's ladder.

In that instant I loved her more than I had ever loved her before. Such faith and trust were almost enough to take the curse out of the world. Almost.

4+ stars

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[mhatchett]

Well, the Keller series, at least in the beginning, feels like a collection of short stories, so it's easy to pick up and put down. The guy is prolific for sure. I like most of his stuff and many of his series books read as stand alones to me.

[RonClinton]

Hitman, though, I have a copy but have not tackled yet. I will eventually . . . The thing with extended series is that I rarely come back for more

If I were a betting man, I'm going to bet that the Hitman/Keller series will be the exception to your rule.

[Theli]

A while back I'd tried reading Collins' Quarry's Ex, at the time I didn't realize it was part of a series, and maybe it's just a weak point in the career, but it was terrible. I read maybe 2 or 3 chapters and Collins' writing was so weak an uninspired I couldn't force myself to read more. I know that's not a lot to read of a novel, but it is a enough to feel an authors style. One day I may tackle his work again, as I did like the Ms. Tree and Road to Perdition graphic novels.

Hitman, though, I have a copy but have not tackled yet. I will eventually, as I did enjoy Burglars Can't be Choosers. The thing with extended series is that I rarely come back for more, but I do enjoy at least reading the first novel.

[RonClinton]

Thanks for the tip on Enough Rope. I've been toying with reading Block's Hit Man and the other John Keller books while I'm on my crime spree. Any yeas or nays on that series from you guys?

Remember I said I avoided series fiction, Block included? The exception to that is Block's Hitman/Keller novels...I love that series, and have bought and enjoyed each and every one. Max Allan Collins' QUARRY series -- another hitman series, kind of a favorite mystery niche of mine -- is also quite good, but I do prefer Block's Keller. Highly recommended.

And Ron, I'm with you on Woolrich. I'm loving the Black novels, with The Bride Wore Black my favorite so far. That girl was a refined predecessor to The Terminator.

Woolrich, by any standards, can be wildly uneven and at times ridiculous in his plotting and, let's face it, falls short on creating female characters to a pretty unhealthy degree (the fantastic bio, FIRST YOU DREAM, THEN YOU DIE (F. Nevins), shines light on some of the reasons why (recluse, antisocial closet homosexual, domineering mother, etc....pretty tragic life)), but even at his worst there's something undeniably compelling about his work...and at his best few of his generation can touch him for pure gothic-tinged, paranoiac suspense, of persecution by fate and noirish circumstances. Great stuff.

[bugen]

Thanks for the tip on Enough Rope. I've been toying with reading Block's Hit Man and the other John Keller books while I'm on my crime spree. Any yeas or nays on that series from you guys?

And Ron, I'm with you on Woolrich. I'm loving the Black novels, with The Bride Wore Black my favorite so far. That girl was a refined predecessor to The Terminator.

[RonClinton]

My favorite Block is When the Sacred Gin Mill Closes. Great writer, one of the last of the Gold Medal gang!

I'm more a fan of his standalones than his series (of which I've read a few Scudders and Bernie Rhodenbarr volumes, but not many), but that's just my aversion to series fiction showing through...by all reports, his series work is just as good as his standalones. His short fiction is fantastic; anyone who hasn't yet read his short-fiction omnibus, ENOUGH ROPE, needs to remedy that asap!

[mhatchett]

Another great review. I'd read my first Lawrence Block book earlier last year, and quite liked it, so add the mix works by King, Lansdale and other big name authors and this anthology is quite enticing. For whatever reason I haven't ordered it yet, but I hope to rectify that.

My favorite Block is When the Sacred Gin Mill Closes. Great writer, one of the last of the Gold Medal gang!

[Theli]

I've read a couple Brown short stories and enjoyed them. Normally a bit more light hearted than many of his contemporaries. Thompson I give top props to, love everything I have read from him and plan to read more this summer.

[RonClinton]

Woolrich is one of my favorite authors of all time. I was so pleased to see Centipede take up the Woolrich project, and have both sets. Looking forward to more (and more Thompson and Brown!).

[Theli]

Sounds like quite an interesting concept. I suppose the connections are superficial, but the plot reminds me a bit of Poe's Murders in the Rue Morgue. Great looking book from CP as usual too.

[bugen]

Black Alibi - Cornell Woolrich

“When the laws of nature conflict with indisputable evidence like this, the laws of nature go into the discard. Who is to say what they are anyway—you? I?”

Manning, a recently successful promoter, convinces Kiki, his recently successful starlet client at the top of her game, to brandish a jaguar on a leash at a restaurant as a publicity stunt. The great cat becomes agitated and causes a huge uproar, escaping in the process, and a hunt for the cat ensues. Over the next few weeks mauled corpses begin cropping up, and the frustrated police aren’t getting any closer to capturing the beast. The promoter makes a nuisance of himself by second-guessing police efforts and inserting his opinions into their investigation. As the body count rises, a lone survivor from one of the attacks is approached by Manning, and together they hatch a dangerous plan to bring an end to the killings.

The incipient maleness of the boy rose to take the emergency in its stride. That was what men, big and small, were meant for: a sudden crisis like this, a flurry of violence.

Notably, after the shocking jaguar escape, the story morphs for a few moments into the absurd hilarity of the police chasing the cat and the manager trying to explain and justify himself. (In the span of a few pages I had to put the book down twice in order to finish laughing before resuming the read.) When you’re into an intense story involving the potential deadliness of a great cat, and what follows is a little buffoonery, the swing between the two extremes seems like genius. Then the reality settles in and wipes the smile off your face. Still, in regards to the first sixty pages or so, it’s rare to see a story move from intensity to hilarity to horror, each element bold but managing to flow gracefully to the next.

Woolrich’s third ‘Black’ novel is a serious affair despite some of the early levity. The great cat takes on supernatural characteristics as it continues evading its pursuers, and the population is either completely terrified of the escaped beast or refuses to acknowledge it’s out there killing at all, believing the entire affair is some brand of macabre hoax.

The living have no time to look at death; they cannot see it even if they try.

Language use is wonderful, as is consistent with the author's other works. Quotable phrases permeate the book, and his influence on snappy, witty noir monologue and dialogue becomes clearer with each novel under the belt.

“It will do no good. It never has from the beginning, it never will to the end of time. One can’t change the world.”

Black Alibi is an incredibly interesting story that not only hops back and forth over the line between crime thriller and horror, but contains four smaller, fleshed out stories within, each cut short when the overarching framework asserts itself. These four stories bring the terror up close and personal to the reader so the encompassing frame can present a much more vivid picture. Crime and horror fans both will find what they’re looking for here.

A breathless hush hung over everything, awaiting the arrival of the greatest killer of them all: night; remorselessly tracking down day and slaughtering it, every twenty-four hours, over and over again. The eternal murder, unpunished, unprevented.

4+

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[bugen]

Thanks Theli, I bet you'd really like the book.

And Ron, that's awesome you got so many sigs! What a cool book to have. I had to look up each picture individually online, which was a bit of a pain but still worth it.

[RonClinton]

The limited edition will be signed by the editor, Lawrence Block, but I was fortunate to be able to pick up a copy of the trade hard cover that was signed by 12 of the contributors at a mass signing at the Mysterious Bookshop. I agree it is a fine anthology, I enjoyed it very much. The trade edition, by the way, has the same full color plates that the limited edition will have… I think the only difference between the two will be the size of the book and likely the paper stock. Whichever edition one chooses it is a great read. I think I also heard that Block is planning a follow up volume...can't wait.