BEYOND THE RUE MORGUE Edited by Paul Kane & Charles Prepolec Titan Books 332 pages This is such a marvelous idea for an anthology. Editors Kane and Prepolec open the collection with their short essay on arguably literature’s first true fictional detective; Edgar Allan Poe’s C. August Dupin. Then they
THE MIDNIGHT GUARDIAN (Hour of Darkness) By John C. Bruening Flinch! Books 408 pages The traditional classic pulp novels that appeared in the 30s magazines generally ran 60,000 words. In them one would find a fast paced narrative that would explode across the pages in colorful, purple prose. Over time
THE MINISTRY OF THUNDER By Davide Mana Acheron Books 340 pages Shanghai in 1936 is overrun by foreign agents all vying to align themselves with various political factions they believe will survive the coming global conflict and emerge victorious. Amidst this cauldron of intrigue and espionage, Italian mercenary pilot Felice
THE LEGEND OF CALEB YORK By Mickey Spillane & Max Allan Collins Kensington Publishing 229 pages Say the words Mickey Spillane and most readers will immediately Mike Hammer and hardboiled mysteries. Perhaps the furthest thing from anyone’s thoughts would be a classic western adventure. Which is exactly what this book
PULPSPLOITATION Edited by Nicholas Ahlhem Metahuman Press 177 pages Exploit – A notable deed or act. To use to best advantage. To make use of selfishly or unethically. The word exploit didn’t attract any particular attention until the folks in Hollywood got hold of it and then we were given
SO NUDE, SO DEAD By Ed McBain Hard Case Crime 223 pages Available July 25, 1915 As both a reviewer and writer, I am often asked who my favorite writer is…or was. With over fifty years of reading behind me, there are many writers who’ve entertained me and I follow
KILL ME, DARLING By Mickey Spillane & Max Allan Collins Titan Books Available in March 2015 241 pages Every now and then the universe offers up such an unexpected surprise, we are left with such a euphoric rush as to describe the feelings as miraculous. That was our experience just
THE ADVENTURES OF FORTUNE McCALL By Derrick Ferguson Pro Se Press 149 pages One of the problems faced by any reviewer is simply not having enough time to read all the books delivered to us over time. In our attempts to examine a wide variety of pulp fiction, we often
QUARRY’S CHOICE By Max Allan Collins Hard Case Crime 227 pages If you’re a fan of hard-hitting crime novels, a new Quarry book is always a case for celebration. “Quarry’s Choice,” is no exception. In this one, Collins takes us back in time to the early 70s when our Vietnam
MOONLIGHT WEEPS (A Dick Moonlight Thriller) By Vincent Zandri In & Out Books 236 pages Dick Moonlight is Private Eye working in Albany, New York. At one time he tried to take his own life by blowing his brains out. Against all odds, he survived only to learn that the
THE GODS OF GOTHAM By Lyndsay Faye Berkley Books 427 pages One of the joys of reading any Arthur Conan Doyle Sherlock Holmes mystery is their settings. It is unlikely Doyle’s purpose was ever to offer an historical travelogue but nonetheless we are given such in each and every tale.
THE SHOTGUN ARCANA By R.S. Belcher Tor Books 396 pages One of our favorite books of last year was “The Six-Gun Tarot,” by R.S. Belcher which we reviewed at that time as one of the most original, audacious weird western novels ever written. Now comes its sequel and we totally
