Pulp Fiction discussion

Working on Dark Hollow right now, the second book in the Charlie Parker series. Just finished a great trio of books Fadeout, The Magdalen Martyrs and Death of a Citizen. Have The Big Blowdown and Guild waiting in line.

Speaking of Ed Gorman. Came upon this Gorman interview on The Rap Sheet website.

I finished "Bloody Secrets" by Carolina Garcia-Aguilera.She is a Cuban American former private investigator from Miami. I thought it could be good.

The set-up was good--a recent Cuban refugee lands in Florida and seeks out his father's former partner. They were wealthy back before the Revolution. The partner got out and became rich and prominent in
Miami. The other was thrown in jail, dies there, and his wife and son(the recent refugee) live in poverty. The son comes to claim his family's portion of what the partner was able to smuggle out in diamonds. The son is rebuffed and he hires the woman PI.

A somewhat interesting inside view into Cuban American family life and anti-Castro politics. The author's attempts at local color leads to too much filler then lapses into cliches. If you can't write at the level that Elmore Leonard and Carl Hiassen do about Florida and its people, then try to learn from them or not do it at all.

One redeeming aspect of her writing is that she is probably portraying a fairly accurate account of what a real PI does when conducting investigations. She isn't good enough to pull it off though because
she conveys how boring and routine it is without being able to pluck out the interesting parts of such routines.

Im reading The Killer is Dying by James Sallis, a book that is so far an improvement on Driven which was weaker than what i expect from a writer of Sallis quality.

The prose, the imagery, the poetic different noir story reminds of the best Sallis writing that is Lew Griffin books.

I'm reading Death's Sweet Song by Clifton Adams -a Gold Medal Original from the late '50s-early '60s via Amazon's Kindle.
Gripping paperback cheap thrills filled with a sense of dread and inevitable dead ends.
Truly awesome stuff!

Anyone heard of Theodore A. Tinsley? I just got a copy of Jerry Tracy, Celebrity Reporter

Col wrote: "Anyone heard of Theodore A. Tinsley? I just got a copy of Jerry Tracy, Celebrity Reporter"

He's got a story in "The Black Lizard Big Book of Black Mask Stories." That's the extent of my familiarity.

Started Gil Brewer's A Killer Is Loose (Prologue Crime Books- Kindle edition) last night. First 2 chapters started out kind of slow but by the 4th or 5th chapter things took a terrifying turn I had not anticipated.

One of the best Gil Brewer novels I've read!

Listening to Mike Hammer: Lady, Go Die! on audiobook at the moment. Narrated by Stacy Keech. So far it's pretty good.

Currently reading Waging Heavy Peace by Neil Young.

So far- no murders; no crimes to investigate.
It's just like Neil dropped by the house to rap a while about his interests and his career/s.

Amazon just sent me the new reprint of The Silencers, one of the Matt Helm books. The other book I'm reading is a drag, so I'm abandoning it for this one.

Jim wrote: "Amazon just sent me the new reprint of The Silencers, one of the Matt Helm books. The other book I'm reading is a drag, so I'm abandoning it for this one."

What is the name of that drag book? Crime,noir book or another genre? If it is a weak book we might enjoy the warning.

Another genre by Steve Vance called The Asgard Run. It's SF, but not a good adventure like Planet of the Gawfs which is a lot of fun.

Just finished Hard Bite which was great and am starting Smoke.

Ctgt wrote: "Just finished Hard Bite which was great and am starting Smoke."

I loved Hard Bite!
Did you write a review?
Love to get your impressions of it.

Mantan wrote: "Ctgt wrote: "Just finished Hard Bite which was great and am starting Smoke."

I loved Hard Bite!
Did you write a review?
Love to get your impressions of it."

Not yet. I usually stew for a few days before I post. I'll let you know.

Finally finished my review of Crime Wave: Reportage and Fiction from the Underside of L.A.. Next thing in the genre I'll read will probably be either Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's A Study in Scarlet or Joseph Conrad's The Secret Agent.

Almost done with The Seducer by Fletcher Flora

Eight Million Ways to Die Lawrence Block and the main character besides Scudder is a pimp...who's really a very cool dude. I like a pimp! What's with me?

I'm re-reading all of Elmore Leonard's crime novels from Stick onward.
This afternoon I finished LaBrava.

I'm about to leave tomorrow on what my wife refers to as a "vacation".
Basically I'm driving & hunting down used vinyl records and used books shops.
She's looking for vinyl & 78s.
Her best finds have been discovered in nondescript junk stores.

I'd forgotten how good LaBrava was.
Might not be up to other fans' standards but I'm ok with it.

Don't know if I'm going to pack the next title in the Leonard canon - Glitz -or opt for reading Kindle editions of Gold Medal reprints.

Mantan wrote: "I'm re-reading all of Elmore Leonard's crime novels from Stick onward.
This afternoon I finished LaBrava.

I'm about to leave tomorrow on what my wife refers to as a "vacation".
Basically I'm dri..."

Great Elmore Leonard Books. I always preferred the old ones to the new ones.

That sounds like a great "vacation" Mantan!

Madness is something I fear. I worry I have it, am nervous I might break down into complete madness or worry that those around me might suffer because of my thinking patterns. A long spell in therapy helped me out with this, but the unease still lingers.

This might help to explain why the opening passages of ‘I Was Dora Suarez’ were so difficult for me. Looked at another way, I’m entirely within normal parameters of human sanity and those chapters would be difficult for anyone. They may also be particularly difficult for male readers given the subject matter, but I’m not sure on that one.

It’s a brutal beginning, the killing of Dora and her landlady, but it’s more the description of the killer’s actions and trains of thought that are particularly sinister. I’m not sure I’ve been to such extremes before.

So, killer acts and police respond.

The police response is rather amazing. It’s rooted in a brutality of its own in a period of time not so very long ago when the actions of the force were certainly more openly callous and anything went. When such techniques are applied today, I’m sure they’re a little more hidden and covert. It’s based in The Factory, a place with a foreboding name in itself. The Factory is run by The Voice. The Voice calls back a sergeant who was fired a while before to take up this particular case, reason being he’s the best copper they have even if his methods and manners are problematic.

Our police sergeant is a brilliant mouthpiece. He is inside the mind of Suarez courtesy of her diaries. He’s also in the mind of the killer and the suspects and has an amazing insight into humanity. The only thing he lacks is any sense of manners or etiquette – he sees little need for warmth or politeness as they simply serve to hide a lot of hypocrisy.

The Factory to on about their business and shake up the London underworld.

It’s brilliantly done. The territory is very familiar in terms of the rugged application of threats and violence of the police, but the way it’s handled is wonderfully different. The dialogue is the best example of this. It’s hammed up as far as it can be. Has a very theatrical feel to it. An absurdist one. It’s direct, circular, unconventional and hugely entertaining.

The sergeant slowly wears down the obstacles to finding his man and leads us to a startling climax.

I loved the book and it brought me a lot of pleasure in terms of the structure, the characters and the uncertainty of anyone’s sanity. Good and bad have to mix so that black and white come together to make a grey which seems to turn into some kind of pink.

I did also find some elements extremely difficult to read and that should be a warning to some as I can usually handle some pretty dark material.

Lovers of crime fiction or of literary examinations of the human condition should pick this one up straight away, but make sure your wearing your bullet-proof vest when you open the pages.

Nigel wrote: "Madness is something I fear. I worry I have it, am nervous I might break down into complete madness or worry that those around me might suffer because of my thinking patterns. A long spell in thera..."

Nigel, the fifth and final entry in The Factory series, Dead Man Upright finds the detective sergeant still reeling from the aftershocks of the Dora Suarez case.
It's more of an epilogue to the series (and the previous entry) than a stand-alone.

I encourage all readers new to Derek Raymond to start at the beginning with He Died With His Eyes Open and continue on to The Devil's Home On Leave and then How The Dead Live and finally I Was Dora Suarez to end The Factory series with Dead Man Upright.

I intend to re-read this series and soon as I'm off this current Elmore Leonard jag that I'm on.

The Factory Novels are unforgettable and there is nothing I've found in the hardboiled/crime genre that measures up.
These novels sear the mind and touch us all where our darkest fears reside.

That sounds like good advice Mantan.

I jumped in in the middle, but I'll be back without doubt. It's reather special and well deserving of its reputation.

Nigel, I liked your review vert much. Its got me really interested and taking Mantan's advice, I shall start with the first in the series.

I've just ordered the first one and can't wait for it to arrive.

I just finished the first 2 of Lee Child's Jack Reacher series. I'd read the one once before & it didn't wow me, but so many of my friends liked it that I had to give it another shot. I gave them both 2 stars. My reviews are here:
Second Son
http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/...

Killing Floor
http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/...

Jim wrote: "I just finished the first 2 of Lee Child's Jack Reacher series. I'd read the one once before & it didn't wow me, but so many of my friends liked it that I had to give it another shot. I gave them..."

Maybe we should start a group called...something like "Not Fond of Reacher"...ok, it would be small but I like small groups.

I've only read one Reacher. I had a strange reaction to it in that I didn't really like or believe in the man. He's so invincible and lone that it didn't seem at all possible that the outcome mattered. The funny thing was, I couldn't put it down - I'm not used to such a contradiction. I do have another couple of the shelf, but they don't really call to me. I will read them one day and the jury will stay out till then.

Nigel: We've been posting on Jim's review, that's where this is coming from.

But Jim...we're pulp readers, so no surprise some here are not all that enthused about Reacher. He's more thriller/action, I would guess. Not close to pulp in my mind.

I'm reading Die Trying right now. I really like it. One of my favorites but I don't see the books as pulp fiction.

Nigel wrote: "I've only read one Reacher. I had a strange reaction to it ..."

Ha! I'm listening to the second novel right now. After such glowing reviews, why?!!! I guess because I'm sick, am not functioning well, & these are about my mental speed right now. The overall story is kind of fascinating as well. Also, I don't have anything else I want to listen to more. I tried a Louis L'Amour, but I'm not in the mood for a western.

Cathy, the stories aren't tight enough to be pulps, certainly. I'm terrible about genres, though. I don't really know what makes a pulp.

I read 2/3rds of the 1st Reacher novel Killing Floor after acquiring used copies of the first 5 or 6 in the series through various used book shops.
I put it down and sold the entire collection as a "lot sale" on eBay.

Oh- I'm currently reading Bandits by Elmore Leonard.

A little more than 2/3rds thru Bandits I paused this morning after after coming across this discussion on GoodReads:
http://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/1...


Any thoughts?

Not sure if you knew but there have been some people on Goodreads that have been making inappropriate remarks about some indie Authors. It's called Bullying on Goodreads. Here is a link. You can see some other threads on a google search

http://www.salon.com/2013/08/21/debut...

I thought the link I mentioned was really awful and I felt bad for that author. It's the kind of thing that's happening on twitter also to a lot of people. I think it's one thing to be civilized but it's another to be extremely harsh to people like the ones in that link. In the end, it spoils it for others like us.
In the end, I don't think it should effect us since we are not like the ones on the link.

Ronhummer wrote: "I thought the link I mentioned was really awful and I felt bad for that author. It's the kind of thing that's happening on twitter also to a lot of people. I think it's one thing to be civilized ..."


Interesting link!

Hadn't any idea such assholery has been transpiring. And for such a long time.

Thanks, Ron

No problem. It's much worse in many ways on Twitter. It started with Josh Thole when he was with the Mets. He wasn't doing well and people on Twitter started making all kinds of remarks. One of them said I hope you die.
I know someone on Twitter. He likes the Mets but criticizes them. So there are people on there that make fun of him, call him all kinds of names, even make fun of his weight. There were two occasions where I tweeted him and two people told me not to tweet him. I blocked them. That's sad and pathetic.
Unfortunately, there are all kinds of people in the world and on the internet, there are lots of lunatics. That author isn't the only one who got that treatment.
In the end, civilized people like us have to deal with the consequences of other people's actions. It's a shame because there are a lot of good people on Twitter and Goodreads and we don't need other people spoiling it for people like you and me. I found a lot of good books to read because of Goodreads and that's what makes it a great community when I can join groups like yours.

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2012...

http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/bas...

Ronhummer wrote: "No problem. It's much worse in many ways on Twitter. It started with Josh Thole when he was with the Mets. He wasn't doing well and people on Twitter started making all kinds of remarks. One of..."

That "block" command on Twitter can be a godsend! Some people just weren't brought up right! Fortunately, though, I've met a lot of nice people on Twitter, too.

David wrote: "Ronhummer wrote: "No problem. It's much worse in many ways on Twitter. It started with Josh Thole when he was with the Mets. He wasn't doing well and people on Twitter started making all kinds o..."

Right on David

Just finished Queenpin and having trouble focusing on anything new. I think I have a book hangover.

I just finished Teardrops in an Ocean by Phillip Thurlby and highly recommend it. Read my review (link below) and give this new author's first novel a look.

Review

Gavin Lambert's 'The Slide Area'. Not sure that falls within the remit here but had just finished Horace McCoy 'I should Have Stayed Home' and it seemed a natural follow up.

Peter Leonard's Back From The Dead as well as Nicolas Freeling's King of the Rainy Country

I started reading Frank Kane's Fatal Undertaking.

Alberto wrote: "
I've just read The Suspect (El Inocente), written in 1953 by Mario Lacruz. I'm very impressed because it's probably the earliest effort of writing a noir novel by a spanish author, and actually, i..."

Thanks for letting me know about this. There's a pulp fiction show in October at the Holiday Inn and I'll have to look for this.

Thanks for the rec. Alberto. There seem to be a few used translated copies available.

Alberto wrote: "
I've just read The Suspect (El Inocente), written in 1953 by Mario Lacruz. I'm very impressed because it's probably the earliest effort of writing a noir novel by a spanish author, and actually, i..."


Thanks for the info, Alberto. I especially appreciate that you posted the cover.
I'd snatch that one up in a second if I came across it in a used books shop.

Digging back into the far corners of our bookshelves and pulling out a paperback collection of Dashiell Hammett's Continental Op stories. Going back to the source for inspiration. ;)

Just finished reading "The Bottoms" by Joe R. Lansdale. It's a great novel; I liked it as much as "The Killer Inside Me", but it's a very different book. It's mystery, not hard boiled PI, but I'm sure most people here would love it.