Hard Case Crime discussion

How and when do those happen? I've been on Goodreads for a while but never participated in a reading discussion. Are we still reading HCC #42?

Atman wrote: "How and when do those happen? I've been on Goodreads for a while but never participated in a reading discussion. Are we still reading HCC #42?"

42's been the current read since I joined in 2008.

We did a few group reads last year. If you want to get another one going, start a thread and ask for suggestions. I'm sure some people would be up for it.

I'm REALLY behind on my HCC to-read stack. So yeah, I think it'd be fun to do a monthly. Or even weekly.

I went ahead and started the thread for group read nominees.

Think I'm going to read "Murder is My Business" next.

I read Grave Descend and Somebody owes me Money this week. Both good. Grave Descend's characters are pretty good, the book ends quite blandly though. Still the setup was cool.

Somebody owes me Money is entertaining and amusing all the way through. The world of the book is interesting. Everyone is basically the same person, they are all so pragmatic. Economists would enjoy with this book because of the rationality on display. Everyone is playing the percentages rationally. Good ending.

I know, I know, it's off topic but for you hardboiled fans and Parker lovers, I just read my way through the Donovan Creed series by John Locke. Just great! They're .99¢ on Kindle. Check them out...

I'm reading Deeper Than The Dead by Tami Hoag. She's one of my favorite suspense authors, and she doesn't disappoint with this book. It's set in the 80s, pre-DNA and when profiling was just getting going. Very good!

Tyler wrote: "I read Grave Descend and Somebody owes me Money this week. Both good. Grave Descend's characters are pretty good, the book ends quite blandly though. Still the setup was cool.

Somebody owes m..."


Maybe thats why Somebody qwes Money is one of few Westlake novels i didnt really enjoy. It was lacking humor or just good enough suspense.

I finished Dead Street and 361 recently. Both were solid but I haven't really thought about them since I finished. 3 stars each, 2nd tier HCC.

361 would be pretty good Westlake in hardboiled style if he hadnt written so many much stronger novels in his Richard Stark name.

Just Finished:
Little Girl Lost

Great book. His two novels are two of the best modern noir I've read. No problem giving them 5 stars. They have everything I want in a novel. The story isn't about huge ideas or anything but I haven't read many mystery novels any better.

Tyler wrote: "Just Finished:
Little Girl Lost

Great book. His two novels are two of the best modern noir I've read. No problem giving them 5 stars. They have everything I want in a novel. The ..."

The two Richard Aleas books are easily in my Hard Case top 10.

This probably isn't the place for it, but I just got an email from Dorchester books. I dropped them when HCC left, but thought this might be of interest.

We're writing to tell you that after a careful review of our publishing program, it was decided that our Book Clubs be cancelled, effective April 2011. While we are sorry to see the paperback Book Club go, our commitment to our valued subscribers remains as strong as ever. We are hoping to begin an e-book club in the spring of 2012, and if you would like to be the first to be offered membership in this exciting new venture make sure you're signed up for Dorchester's free e-newsletters.

Dorchester will continue to honor the 30% member discount on all web orders through September 30, 2011.

I'm not reading it yet, but I thought I'd let everyone know that the Matt Helm novels are being reissued. You can pre-order the first two on Amazon now. They'll be released 5Feb2013. Death of a Citizen & The Wrecking Crew are the books.

The great news is they're planning on re-printing the entire series, so in a few years they should get to the final novel that Hamilton wrote before he died. The last Matt Helm novel that was finished, but never published. I can't wait!

As it is, it will be great to have new books to read. My originals are just that - original paperbacks, many almost 50 years old. It's a great series.

I see this thread is old, but I just found this group.

My most recently read HCC was Kill Now, Pay Later, which was also one of my favorites.

Slide was also pretty good.

I look forward to updates here.

Read a couple excellent ones lately: The Girl With the Deep Blue Eyes by Lawrence Block, (probably my favorite current Hard Case Crime authors) and The Knife Slipped by Eric Stanley Gardner.

I'm reading Money Shot for the Pulp Fiction group book of the month, and it is pretty good so far.

I've just been going throgh Mickey Spillane's books - all great te latest was "I, the Jury".

Just wondered if anyone else has pondered on the resemblence to Rowling's Strike series ?

Reading HCC's The Comedy is Finished
If not for Max Allan Collins having discovered a carbon copy of the manuscript given to him by Westlake in a box in his basement, it might never have seen the light of day.

I've enjoyed the book so far... but I've enjoyed other HCC Westlake novels considerably more than this.