RECOMMENDED READING

CORRUPTION'S CHILD by John R. Lindermuth, is the third entry in the "Sticks" Hetrick series. Hetrick is the retired police chief of fictinal Swatara Creek, Pennsylvania, but he continues to get drawn back into local police investigations by the current chief, Brubaker, who lacks Hetrick's experience and self-assurance. They are backed by an ensemble cast of recurring characters, all colorful, likable, and well realized. The situations and subplots interwoven amongst this cast --- along with the crimes to be investigated --- are well plotted, and very well written. Not hardboiled to the extreme, yet surely containing enough action and nasty characters (especially in this entry) to satisfy. Well worth checking out.

SAND'S GAME by Ennis Willie is a collection of material (two complete novels and three short stories) first published in the early 1960s in what was then considered the "sleaze paperback" and men's magazine markets. The protagonist here is known only as Sand --- "the man nobody walks on". He was a former mob enforcer who walked away when the corruption and crummy deals got to be too much for him. But, as everyone knows, nobody walks away from the mob on his own terms. So in the adventures and various encounters that make up this collection, Sand --- armed with his trusty .45 --- must always be on guard against mob-sent hitters who are out to get him. There are dames, bullets, chases, double-crosses ... everything you'd ever want from good old-fashioned hardboiled storytelling. The writing is exceptionally good; lean, tough, and pitch-perfect.

Both titles are available on Amazon, where you can also find a more detailed review of each by yours truly (along with others).
Trust me, you won't be disappointed by these fine writers and their work.

Persevere --- WD