Review: Needles of Death

Needles of Death by Paul Edwards
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Manning Lee Stokes wrote paperback pulp fiction using many pseudonyms in the adventure/espionage genres, of which this novel is a good example. John Eagle, possessing the strength and brutality of a Scotsman, and the stealth and speed of an Apache, is recruited by a secret government spy agency known as Expeditors, to destroy a deadly Chinese weapon that threatens the security of the world. Most of the novel takes place in the Gobi desert in Asia where John Eagle battles marauding bandits, Mongols, and Chinese soldiers aided only by an attractive Mongol woman and her brother, a spy who has been captured. Eagle is equipped with a large arsenal of spy gadgets, much like James Bond, and puts them to good use. Non-stop action drives the linear plot at a fast pace to an exciting conclusion. I came across the first five books in this series, three of which are written by Stokes, and am looking forward to reading them.

View all my reviews

Review: Crow Bait

Crow Bait by Robert J. Randisi
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Randisi is a throwback to the pulp writers of old - having published over 500 novels with more than 400 of them in the Gunsmith Western series. He knows how to write entertaining books and this is no exception. The short novel opens with the protagonist beaten and left to die in the desert, saved only by finding a dilapidated horse that he names "Crow Bait". What follows is essentially a revenge novel, with several interesting characters and some unexpected situations. A quick and entertaining read.

View all my reviews

Review: Let Me Kill You, Sweetheart!

Let Me Kill You, Sweetheart! by Fletcher Flora
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Flora’s well written and elegant prose is marred by a unusual plot device that is based on the coincidence that one of three men may have impregnated and murdered a young woman, all be intimately involved with the town rich girl, and all hang around at the same bar with the main character in the book, an oddball train nerd named Pervy Stubbs. All three of the suspects seem somewhat interchangeable, or maybe I wasn’t paying enough attention, so after the big reveal at the end I had to page back to refresh myself on the significance of the character. Well written, but flawed, it could have been a great book - 3.5 stars.

View all my reviews

Review: Kiss Me Hard: A Wildside Mystery Classic

Kiss Me Hard: A Wildside Mystery Classic by Thomas B. Dewey
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Kiss Me Hard starts with a bang as an alcoholic piano player inadvertently rescues a missing heiress from carnival sex slavery while being pursued by an extremely angry husband. Doubts about the authenticity of the attractive and damaged young heiress preclude an eventful trip across the country in an attempt to return her to family - who don't seem very enthusiastic about the return of the missing sister. The protagonist was exceptionally well portrayed with insights into his blatant alcoholism, self-doubt, and loneliness as his relationship with the helpless young heiress evolves from good samaritan, to responsibility, and then to love.

View all my reviews

Review: Empty Saddles

Empty Saddles by Burt Arthur
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Clearly marketed as a Western, the novel is instead a character study of a young lawyer named Joe who has recently returned from World War II, his difficulties getting reintegrated into his former small town life, and his quest to unseat the popular, albeit corrupt, politicians running the town. Joe has two love interests, the former flame and girl-next-door type Mavis, and a young and neurotic ingenue with the wonderful name of Avril Fawcett, whose fathers both happen to be corrupt politicians. The novel is a solid small town drama, perhaps a bit slow moving, with interesting characters and prose. It wasn't what I was expecting, however I liked it a lot.

View all my reviews

Review: Ambush on the Mesa

Ambush on the Mesa by Gordon D. Shirreffs
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

A superb Western noir that tells the story of a crew of soldiers and a pair of women who are holed up in some ancient abandoned cliff dwellings without food and surrounded by blood thirsty Apaches. The dramas unfolding within the doomed prey run the gamut of human emotions - rage, jealousy, greed, and deception with bullies, cowards, leaders, and lunatics squaring off in a desperate battle for survival. An exceedingly dark and violent novel that kept me riveted throughout. I'm going to be seeking out more of this largely forgotten authors work.

View all my reviews

Review: Small Town Nurse

Small Town Nurse by Harriet Kathryn Myers
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Harry Whittington wrote nurse romance novels using this pseudonym. The novel starts out following the conventions of the genre, but eventually goes off the romance novel rails and turns into a murder and courtroom drama. No complaints from me. Young nurse Ann Wellington, burned out from the stress of a big city hospital is encouraged to transfer to a small beach community. Once there she meets and falls in love with Bruce Grayson, a medical intern with a Batman inspired name who recruits her to care for his crippled, depressive, and beautiful cousin Emily who lives in a secluded and shuttered beach house that seems out of a Bruno Fischer novel. Emily lives with Cousin Hester, a damaged and hateful woman who says something nasty every time she speaks. Hester becomes increasing domineering and violent as she resents the young lovers and the unwelcome changes that they bring to try to make Emily happy. From there a death, murder investigation and courtroom trial with a nice twist that I didn't see coming. Small Town Nurse is a odd book that tries to be both a nurse romance and a crime novel, but succeeds better as a crime novel. Exceeded my expectations.

View all my reviews

Review: Morgan

Morgan by Frank Roderus
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The novel tells the story of Morgan, an old man who reminisces about his life in the post Civil War American West. The story is told chronologically starting when Morgan was orphaned at 15 years old as he begins a journey west to find gold, but finds that life gets in the way. The novel is a well told coming-of-age tale that then proceeds to tell Morgan's story as he grows old and the Old West, once wild and untamed becomes more advanced and civilized before his eyes. Morgan is not infallible and makes some egregious and unsavory mistakes during his long life. This is probably true of most of us. Frank Roderus, an old man himself, passed away in 2015 not long after this book was published making it even more poignant in my opinion. This was the Group Read of the American Westerns community this month and a fine selection.

View all my reviews

Review: Split Decision

Split Decision by Jack Tunney
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This is the first book that I've read from Eric Beetner, who has garnered much acclaim for his neo-noir stories. Split Decision takes place in 1953 and it does a great job capturing the pulpy feel of a paperback from that era. The short novella builds quickly to a furious pace and is nearly impossible to put down. I am looking forward to reading more from Mr. Beetner.

View all my reviews

Review: Trouble Rides Tall

Trouble Rides Tall by Harry Whittington
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Another tightly plotted gem from Whittington. Marshall Bryant Shafter was paid good money to clean up a lawless town, now that he's succeeded he has become expendable. As the town bosses conspire to get rid of him he relentlessly pursues the killer of a saloon girl, a crime that no one seems interested in solving. The novel works well as a dark study of an aging gunslinger who tires of his role of cleaning up troubled towns, and as a whodunit mystery that keeps you guessing until the explosive ending.

View all my reviews