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Blankers! Find your sun hat, stab that beach umbrella into the sand, and break out the Banana Boat — this is Five Round Reviews: Summer Edition. We have 13 short reviews for you–from Jim Harrison & Dorothy B. Hughes to David Heska Wanbli Weiden & Nick Kolakowski. (See the full list below.)
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Books reviewed (full list)
No Room at the Morgue by Jean Patrick Manchette
The Prone Gunman by Jean Patrick Manchette
Timber Beasts: A Sage Adair Historical Mystery by S.L. Stoner
The Great Leader by Jim Harrison
The Big Seven by Jim Harrison
Paradise Palms: Red Menace Mob by Paul Haddad
The So Blue Marble by Dorothy B. Hughes
Maxine Unleashes Doomsday by Nick Kolakowski
Noir by Christopher Moore
White Tears by Hari Kunzru
Palm Springs Noir ed. by Barbara DeMarco-Barrett: ARC
Someone to Watch Over Me by Dan Bronson
Winter Counts by David Heska Wanbli Weiden
I was delighted to hear you praise the writing and the authenticity of SOMEONE TO WATCH OVER ME, Justin. I do wonder if your feeling that the story’s a bit slow at the beginning is simply a reaction to the fact that it breaks the noir mold. Most noir novels announce the mystery in the first chapter. A beautiful woman shows up at the detective’s office and requests his help with a missing person, a case of blackmail, a stolen object. I deliberately did not do that. Instead, I took my time, establishing my world and its denizens before moving on to the mystery. I was confident that both were colorful and interesting enough to hold the reader until things started popping in the plot. That confidence was obviously misplaced as far as you’re concerned, and it’s just possible you’re right. But I think if you go back and look at that early material, you’ll find that, as we say in the screenwriting profession, I laid a lot of pipe, setting up key elements of the plot as well as introducing the reader to some rather engaging characters. I’d love to have Kurt take a look at the book and see if he agrees with you. In any case, I thank you for your thoughtful comments.