Domernic Stansberry - Chasing the Dragon (2004)

This is the first book in Domenic Stansberry's North Beach Mystery series. My first Stansberry novel was The Confession released by Hard Case Crime the same year as this. I enjoyed that one, and this one did not disappoint either. I'm looking forward to reading more in this series.

Day Keene - Framed in Guilt (1949)

Day Keene's first novel is a brilliant "Whodunnit" which has me very anxious to read more of his novels. Everything piece of the puzzle fits perfectly here, and this is one of those books where everything just comes together so perfectly at the end. I am going to try to track down his second novel - one of later novels is out on Hard Case Crime as well.

Max Allan Collins - Quarry's Greatest Hits (2003)

In anticipation of the new Quarry novel coming out on Hard Case Crime later this year, I've been going back and reading some of the pre-HCC Quarry novels. This book includes the novel "Primary Target" which I believe was the last of the original Quarry novels, written in 1987, as well as three Quarry short stories, one which precedes the novel and two which follow it. The stories and novel all revolve around Quarry's attempts at retiring from his business (which happens to be professional assasinations,) and the complications that go along with trying to retire in a profession such as his.

Lawrence Block - Markham (1961)

AKA "The Case of the Pornographic Photos" AKA "You Could Call it Murder"

This was a tie-in to television series that didn't last long enough to see the book's release. This is one of several Block-written novels to come out in the early sixties, and one of the few to come out under his own name. This is also one of the few that hasn't been re released by Hard Case Crime yet, and would be a good candidate for a back-to-back release as this one is short by even HCC standards - my copy was exactly 140 pages.

Paul Malmont - The China Death Cloud Peril (2006)

I thought I'd check out this book after Hard Case Crime announced they would be releasing a new never before published Lester Dent novel later this year. Prior to this I was not real familiar with Lester Dent and his "Doc Savage" series or even Walter Gibson and "The Shadow." This book helps fill in some of the blanks. L. Ron Hubbard also is also featured prominently, and everybody knows who he is today, but this book gives a peek into his early history as well. I should mention also that this book is as wildly fantastic as most of the pulp that the authors who are featured as it's main characters are, and where the line is drawn between fact and fiction is blurred although one can be sure the lies far outweigh the truth in this novel and I think that might just be the point of it all......

Lawrence Block - Grifter's Game (1961)

This was reissued as the first ever Hard Case Crime novel in September 2004. The first edition was published under the title Mona by Gold Medal in 1961.

Robert Bloch - The Scarf (1947, rev. 1966)

Robert Bloch is best known as the author of Psycho, and also has had books reissued by Hard Case Crime, but I thought I would start with his first novel, which also has many fans. I picked up the 1966 revision, which from most accounts, including the author's own, is the better of the two versions.

Donald Westlake - The Cutie (1960)

Just got the latest Hard Case Crime novel, which is Donald E. Westlake's The Cutie. This is actually the first book I've gotten since I joined up with Hard Case that I've actually read before. What is interesting is I've actually read this book twice before- of course, the edition I've read was published under the original published title, The Mercenaries. Being that I've already read this one (twice,) I've decided to read the first of Westlake's "Tucker Coe" novels instead. I'll probably get around to read this one a third time eventually as well, but I'm going to pass on it for now.... and maybe give it to a friend to read in the meantime!

Latest Quarry novel announced from Hard Case Crime

Quarry in the Middle by Max Allan Collins is set for release by Hard Case Crime in November. I am hoping with all the interest in the new titles, maybe Hard Case will start reissuing the original series as well. I've read a couple, but haven't been able to find them all.

The Follower, by Jason Starr

Just finished Jason Starr's most recent novel The Follower. That brings me up to date with his full-lengths, with the exception of Fake I.D. which will be coming out on Hard Case Crime later this year. I've also a few of his short stories to track down as well, but I've read several of those already also. This book will not disappoint fans of Jason's other work!

Roger Zelazny: The Dead Man's Brother

Another instant classic from Hard Case Crime for 2009. This is a true "lost novel" written in the early 70's by Sci-fi/Fantasy author Roger Zelazny. Needless to say, being on the hard-case label, there is little Sci-Fi or Fantasy to be found within these pages. True there is a little hint that the lead character may be the genetic equivalent of the character Bruce Willis potrayed in the movie Unbreakable, but I think that is about as close to sci-fi as this gets. Other than that, the great characters that keep you guessing, diplomacy, and interaction that is key to all great Zelazny novels is found here as well. I believe this novel succeeds as both a novel that longtime Zelazny fans, as well as a novel that fans that read the hard-boiled fiction of Hard Case will both apreciate. I know I count myself in both cateogories and found plenty to like here. This is also one of my favorite covers amongst the many greats to be found in this line and I will say that if nothing else, it captures the intensity of the books final moments, and like many other aspect of this book, (including the title,) will keep you guessing until the end.

For another opinion, check out this review courtesy of Bill Crider's Pop Culture Magazine:

The Dead Man's Brother -- Roger Zelazny

Lester Dent's Sail

I love books.google.com- if you haven't check it out yet, it's a huge library of published and unpublished work available at your fingertips!
And it's supposed to be getting even better....

I had previously mentioned an upcoming unpublished novel by Lester Dent coming out on Hard Case Crime. Many other blogs also have been talking about this and a couple have mentioned a few short stories out there featuring the character "Oscar Sail"- well, while looking around the internet I happened to find the complete text of the first Oscar Sail short "Sail" from the anthology Murder on Deck! available in it's complete form on google. So anyway, if you are curious to check it out for yourself, you shouldn't have any trouble looking it up and reading it for yourself! Enjoy.

Richard S Prather: The Peddler

This book is incredible - I had high expectations going in and it absolutely did not disappoint. This book literally had me hooked from page one to the very last word on the very last page. For one thing, Christa Faust, whose Hard Case novel Money Shot, blew me away last year, has sited Richard S Prather as the whole reason she signed on to Hard Case to begin with. I think if you liked Scorcese's Goodfellas you would love this book - which reminds me I've been meaning to track down the books that inspired that film and Casino. Interestingly enough, Richard S Prather was an avocado farmer at one point in his life, and an organic one at that- which although has nothing to do with this book, is yet another amazing reason why I've got to check out more about this guy.... I'm going to go back and check out his series books now, starring private eye Shell Scott... it's one of those books that got Christa Faust into Prather to begin with- and that's reason enough for me! What an amazing book to start the new year with.....

New Hard Case Crime Title announced

Coming out later this year on Hard Case Crime, a never published before novel by Lester Dent, creator of "Doc Savage." The October release date gives me time to familiarize myself a little bit more with this author in time for it's release.

Russell Atwood: East of A

I thought I would check this one out in anticipation of a sequel later this year on Hard Case Crime. The intriguing thing is this one was written in 1999, the sequel is coming out in 2009, ten years later. I am curious about the history behind this one, if the sequel was written years ago but not published, or if this is a new novel the author just waited ten years to publish?

Richard Powell: Don't Catch Me

Richard Powell's first, from 1942, and also the first in a series of five novels starring wife / husband team Arab and Andy Blake. This one involves a Nazi plot involving counterfeit antique furniture. Lots of guns, knives, and action. A later novel by this author, Say it with Bullets, was reissued by Hard Case Crime a couple years back.

Erle Stanley Gardner: The Case of the Velvet Claws

I finished this one today- I thought I'd start with the first!
I'd also like to check out Erle Stanley Gardner's other series- which includes the book Top of the Heap re-released recently via the Hard Case Crime label. I'll probably try to start with the first book in that series as well, if I can track it down- that is.

Lawrence Block: Killing Castro

Originally released in 1961 as Fidel Castro Assassinated by Lee Duncan, Hard Case Crime starts out the new year with a bang with this forgotten book written by Lawrence Block. I've been reading a lot of early Block and have been enjoying these books immensely. I have yet to read any of his later work, but I've heard that a lot of these earlier books have been categorized as inferior compared to the later ones, which, needless to say, leaves me with high expectations for the author's later work.

David J. Schow: The Kill Riff

After reading Gun Work (Hard Case Crime) earlier this year, I thought I'd go back and check out some of David J. Schow's earlier novels. The Kill Riff is his first full-length novel. He also has several short-story collections which I plan on checking out as well. Although I didn't like this one quite as much as Gun Work, there were plenty of guns, knives, and explosions to keep one entertained. Plus a good dose of Rock and Roll as well! I'll definetly be adding some more Schow to my reading list.

New Hard Case Title Announced

Appears to be a new book from an author I am not familiar with - although notes indicated that the book is "by the author of the cult classic EAST OF A, and featuring the same detective, Payton Sherwood" which appears to be a book from 1999. I'm not able to find out much about this author online. Since the book won't come out until next September, that should give me plenty of time to check out the other book first!