Noteworthy Reads: BULLET FOR ONE & FOX FIVE

Following are two recent Kindle releases that I have read and highly recommend.
I was previously unfamiliar with either of these authors but both bylines are now definitely on my BOLO list.
I suggest you put them on yours too.

"John Coburn is a private eye who won't let the law stand in the way of justice!"

So reads one of the tag lines for this new mystery thriller by Brian Drake.

Another says: "If he fails, can he live with another ghost? … If he succeeds, can he live with the consequences?"

These are great come-ons and, for me at least, did exactly what they were supposed to do—make me want to read this book. Tag lines for books, however—like movie trailers —are often the best part of what follows. One always needs to keep this in mind and I have to admit that, as I hit the "Buy it with 1-click" tab on Amazon, I was wondering if this might be another such case.

Well, it wasn't. If anything, the tag lines might actually be guilty of soft-peddling the balls-out, full-throttle reading experience that Bullet For One delivers. Drake writes action sequences about as good as any you'll find, and the book is loaded with them. Chases, gun fights, fist fights, knife fights, beatings, escapes … it's all here and vengeance-seeking PI John Coburn is right in the thick of every minute of it. This is definitely Spillane territory, and I mean that as a compliment. The character of Coburn himself doesn't have a lot of depth in this particular outing (one hopes there will be more in a series) because his focused so keenly set on solving the murder of his partner and making sure punishment is meted out. But several of the secondary characters are well drawn and the plot has plenty of twists and turns and surprises before Coburn wraps things up—to his own satisfaction and also that of the reader.

If you like your tough guys tough and your action fast and furious, you don't want to miss this one!

This five-pack collection of short stories is about as good as it gets in the crime thriller genre. Protagonist Charlotte "Charlie" Fox is a truly memorable—not to mention formidable—heroine. Author Sharp writes cleanly, cleverly, and convincingly as she spins these tales of Charlie, ex Special Forces soldier turned "close-protection" bodyguard.

The stories here are arranged in sequence and follow Charlie as she progresses from a time just prior to becoming a bodyguard to a point where her professional skills are honed to their finest—and must be, as they are put to the test in circumstances as explosively dangerous and up-to-the-minute as today's headlines. This range and growth allows us to see Charlie in a quieter, almost sleuth-like mode early on and then evolve into the calculating, ultimately cool—yet compassionate—protector she was born to be.

Perhaps the strongest entry in this collection is focused somewhat less on Charlie than on a woman named Layla … a disturbed soul hell bent on a mission that Charlie, in the end, must try to keep from succeeding. The back story on Layla and her deceased lover Bobby is troubling, brutal … yet hauntingly poignant.

In the end, though, it is Charlie Fox and the stiletto-sharp (no pun intended) writing skills of Zoe Sharp that will stick with you after reading these stories. I was unaware of this excellent series (there are eight novels so far, a ninth due in 2012) before now; but you can damn well bet I will be seeking out more.

Highly recommended!

Until next time, as always ...
Persevere --- WD
 

WHERE SELDOM IS HEARD A DISCOURAGING WORD ...

In the past couple of weeks, my work in the Western genre has garnered some very encouraging words from a variety of sources.

Such as:

Wayne D. Dundee (see Righteous Reading) has been nominated for more awards than you could imagine, but few know that he was the innovator in giving new writers their chance to be read ... a little magazine called Hardboiled that was hand-typed, mimeographed, and mailed with stamps. Yeah, that was eons ago ... all the way back to 1985. Even ... wait for it ... before the Internet. But although Wayne made his bones with so-called "PI fiction," his real love has always been the West. And now, with the publication of Dismal River, Big Wayne is where he belongs, and doing it just right. Anyone who believes there's no such genre as "Hardboiled Western" would be well-advised to check it out for themselves.

From: Andrew Vachss's web site The Zero (http://www.vachss.com) 8-03-11 Update.

I've mentioned here before that Wayne Dundee's DISMAL RIVER is one of the best Westerns I've read in a long time, and now he has a new Western e-book out, THE GRAVE OF MARCUS PAULY. It's a really fine story, too, with sharply drawn characters, some very evocative writing about the frontier landscape, and a poignant sense of melancholy about the passing of time and people's dreams. Plus some excellent action scenes and a very powerful ending. All in all, this is a splendid piece of work, as we've come to expect from Wayne Dundee. Highly recommended.

From: James Reasoner's blog, Rough Edges (http://jamesreasoner.blogspot.com)

James was also gracious enough to post a 5-Star review for The Grave of Marcus Pauly on Amazon.

What an outstanding first western novel by hardboiled great, Wayne D. Dundee. Here's hoping he turns his masterful skills to another novel in this genre.

From: A 5-Star review for DISMAL RIVER posted on Amazon by David Cranmer — a busy and talented guy who heads up the fine web zine Beat To A Pulp (http://www.beattoapulp.com) and blogs at http://davidcranmer.blogspot.com

These kind and very gratifying statements, coming on top of the Peacemaker Award from Western Fictioneers back in June from my 2010 Western short story "This Old Star", certainly make me feel like I have turned down the right trail by venturing into the Western genre, as I have long wanted to do.

I am deeply appreciative.

(Personal note: This does not mean, however, that I will be abandoning my old pal Joe Hannibal—the two of us still have plenty of trails to go down together as well. The link between the hardboiled "tarnished knights" of the early 1900s pulp era and the hard-bitten Western heroes of the late 1800s dime novels has been well documented by numerous sources … Joe is merely a descendant of both traditions, so there really is no conflict at all.)

 Persevere --- WD

NOAH MILANO NOW ON KINDLE

Tough As Leather by Jochem Vandersteen is a collection of short stories featuring Noah Milano, an L.A. security specialist/private investigator. Milano is cut from fairly standard fictional PI cloth yet has his own distinctions; he's young, hip, digs rock and roll music … oh yeah, and he's the son L.A.'s most popular mob boss. At one time he was his father's top "fixer" for mob problems. But now, as the result of a promise made to his dying mother, Noah has broken away from the family business and is operating on the right side of the law … mostly.

Vandersteen is a Dutch writer who does a nice job of capturing the L.A. scene. Once in a while there is an awkwardly-turned phrase, but these are few and far in between. Other-wise The stories are fast-paced and exciting, with some clever plot twists. Milano is engaging, can be tough when he needs to be, tender when it's called for, and he gets off some good wisecracks as well. The author (who also puts out a very informative blog — http://sonsofspade.blogspot.com ) has done his homework on the genre, is clearly enamored of it, and has created his own noteworthy "son of Spade".

The twelve stories presented here as a Kindle eBook are bound to be appreciated by hardboiled PI fans and the price is a steal almost worthy of hiring Milano to investigate the crime.

Recommended.

Jochem has also just released a one-shot Milano story, Honey Trap, which deals with blackmail and theft within the perfume industry, an interest and seldom-used plotline.

If you have not yet discovered Vandersteen and/or Milano via their many appearances on various web zines, either or both of these eBook releases are a good way to correct the oversight.

Persevere --- WD

COWBOYS & ALIENS - my take

Saw COWBOYS & ALIENS a couple evenings ago and found it to be a rousing adventure film that I liked a whole lot.

The title pretty much tells the story—an alien spaceship arrives in 1873 to take over the earth and their starting point is the Arizona Territory just outside the town of Absolution. They begin rounding up (literally) humans for scientific studies and experiments while at the same time sucking up all the gold they can get their greedy, slimy fingers on (because, it is explained, gold is as precious on their planet as it is on ours).

At first they strike sporadically in outlying areas so the sense of alarm is slow to spread through the populace in and around Absolution. Then one night they hit the town itself with a swarm of flying attack crafts, wreaking general havoc, blasting things to hell, and making off with several citizens. Only one man—a mysterious stranger with an even more mysterious bracelet attached to his wrist—is able to fight back effectively, thanks to the power contained in said bracelet. He manages to shoot down one of the attack crafts and in the aftermath three things are abundantly clear: 1.) Absoultion and the surrounding area are up against a threat like nothing they've ever experienced before; 2.) They need the myserious stranger and his powerful bracelet if they are going to have any chance at all against these invaders; and 3.) The occupant of the shot-down craft who escapes in the night, leaving a trail of blood, must be tracked back to wherever it came from so that retaliation can be mounted against him and the rest of his kind. So a posse is formed to head out at first light, hell bent on regaining their abducted loved ones, saving their town … and, just incidentally, saving the whole world in the process.

All of this is done in high style, with great action sequences, special effects, and well-seasoned performers (headed up by Daniel Craig, Harrison Ford, and the lovely Olivia Wilde) playing their parts to the hilt. Plots and subplots and several surprising twists are encountered as the story plunges forward until eventually all key points are revealed. Humor and genuine poignancy are also in the mix.

I was surprised at how strong the straight Western element was in this film. For over half its length—with only a couple of quick what-the-hell-just-happened scenes as the alien presence gradually starts to emerge—this is a good, gritty, old-fashioned Western. Then the pace picks up and we veer off into something a whole lot more. But both genres—Western and science fiction/horror—are given their props and handled with respect, and maybe only a slight bit of tongue-in-cheekiness.

Like I said at the outset, this is a rousing adventure that I really liked and recommend.

One final personal note: The audience on the evening I attended consisted of about 60% middle-aged-plus viewers. A higher percentage, I venture to say, than you'd generally find at a more traditional science fiction/horror/action thriller of this ilk. I submit this is yet another indicator that there is an audience out there hungry for some good old-fashioned Westerns … to the point of seeking one out, even if it means dealing with a few nasty aliens in order to do so.

Persevere — WD

Available Now - THE GRAVE OF MARCUS PAULY

 

My new Western novella—The Grave of Marcus Pauly—is now available from Western Trail Blazer on Amazon Kindle (click link).

It is also available on Smashwords (https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/78026)  and Lulu (http://www.lulu.com/ebook/the-grave-of-marcus-pauly/16383615).

Within a couple weeks, it will be on The Nook at B&N, Apple iStore, Kobo, Diesel, and ScrollMotion as well.

All reasonably priced at 99 cents (except for Lulu where it is $1.99 – still a good buy).

The teaser blurb reads:

An old grave …

A determined woman …

An ex-con with a conscience …

"Annabelle Heath travels west on a mission to fulfill her mother's dying wish. To do so, she needs the help of a man once imprisoned for bank robbery.

For Ramsey needs his current job and has no time to take off on a foolish errand. But something about this woman makes him rethink his first inclination.

Together, they ride into wild country to look for a long ago grave and find more than either ever bargained for."

I think that sets the stage well.

The story has action, grit, emotion, and a hint of romance.

I hope you'll give it a try.

I don't think you'll be disappointed.

Persevere — WD 

YELLOWSTONE KELLY - 1959, starring Clint Walker

This often overlooked and somewhat underrated film is actually a solid, very entertaining Western that, if you've never seen it or haven't seen it lately, is definitely worth checking out. It was released on DVD last year and has played a few times on cable, on the Western Channel.

Clint Walker plays the title role of Luther "Yellowstone" Kelly—a real-life trapper, explorer, Indian fighter, and Army scout. He is most noted for his time spent in and around the Yellowstone River Valley, where he was the first white man to venture and from which his nickname originated. Kelly also soldiered in the Civil War, fought as a Captain of Volunteers in the Philippines, and later in life led two expeditions to Alaska. In short, his life and exploits offered much to draw upon as the basis for an action movie … As far as I can tell, however, few—if any—of his actual adventures were used for the storyline of this film.

Nevertheless, as noted at the outset, this is still a darn good Western. For starters, it has Clint Walker whose screen presence is little short of awesome. Montgomery Clift once said of John Wayne, after starring with the Duke in Red River, "Whenever he comes on screen … I just disappear." The same could be said of Walker. The massive shoulders, the catlike grace of his movements, the deep, slow drawl … you can't not watch him when he's in a scene. It's hard to understand why Walker's movie career never climbed higher than it did. From 1955 to 1963, as TV's Cheyenne Bodie, he was one of the most popular stars of the era. So much so that Warner Brothers hastened to cash in by putting him in films like Yellowstone Kelly, Fort Dobbs, and Gold of Seven Saints shot during the hiatus periods. At that point in time if you'd been inclined to bet on which of the two "Clints" appearing weekly on TV (Walker or some gangly kid named Eastwood who had a co-starring role in another oater called Rawhide) would go on to become a mega movie star, I'd venture your money would have been placed on Walker. Such was not to be, though. While Walker did appear in a number of good films (The Dirty Dozen, None But The Brave, Night of the Grizzly, to name a few, and also a couple of other short-lived TV series) his star never again shined as bright as it did during the Cheyenne years. As for the other Clint, that Eastwood fella, well you're probably well aware how that turned out to be a different story.

Anyway, getting back to Yellowstone Kelly … The storyline of the film is basically a cavalry vs. Indians tale set in the months right after Custer's massacre at the Little Big Horn. Kelly, having been trapping and co-existing with the Sioux in the Yellowstone Valley for several years, turns down a revenge-seeking major's request to scout for him on a campaign in pursuit of the Sioux. His refusal segues into a nicely staged brawl with several troopers before he departs to resume his trapping and seclusion away from whatever conflict he can see is brewing. In the process he is reluctantly saddled with a young tenderfoot named Anse who wants to travel into the wilderness with him. It soon becomes evident that the peaceful life Kelly had been leading will not continue … He is  tested by Anse's inept ways, his relationship with Gall, the Sioux chief whose life he once saved is strained by the advance of the cavalry and also by a beautiful captive Arapaho girl whose life-threatening wound Gall forces Kelly to treat, much as he did the chief's own wounds years earlier. Kelly saves the girl and this only leads to further complications. Kelly, Anse, Gall, and Gall's nephew Sayapi—who initially captured the girl and intends to still claim her as soon as she is well—all fall in love with the captive. As the four men's feelings and jealousies build toward an explosion, the cavalry arrives and a series of bloody battles takes center stage. When all is said and done and many have died, the cavalry is turned back and allowed to retreat without being completely wiped out and Kelly and the captive girl (her name is Wahleeah) are allowed to ride off together because she demonstrates bravely in the midst of battle that it is only his love that she returns.

The production values of the film are excellent, especially the color photography of the lush setting, and the directorship of Gordon Douglas is that of a solid veteran. A Western screenplay by Burt Kennedy is always a plus and you knew there will be some memorable dialogue. The cast is made up almost exclusively of Warner Brother's TV contract actors such as John Russell, Ray Danton, Gary Vinson, Rhodes Reason, Andra Martin, and teen heartthrob Edd "Kookie" Byrnes (from 77 Sunset Strip) in the role of Anse. He actually does a pretty decent job, as do the others. Veterans Claude Akins and Warren Oates (in a very early role) round out the players.

It is strongly rumored that the film was at one point scheduled to be another teaming of director John Ford with John Wayne in the starring role. They reportedly opted instead to make The Horse Soldiers. With that in mind, it's sort of hard to watch Yellowstone now without a few "what-ifs" drifting through one's mind … wondering what Ford's touches might have been and how the Duke would have handled the role. The physical statures of Wayne and Walker are certainly similar enough, and the terse dialogue given the Kelly character Wayne could have done in his sleep. Plus there are other aspects of the film I found relatable to Wayne … The river crossing where the cavalry is in flight from the unexpectedly large Sioux force is shot with a large, bare-limbed fallen tree trunk in the foreground that looks almost identical to the scene in The Searchers where the squad of Texas Rangers under Duke and Ward Bond also stand off an Indian attack; and when Anse prepares to take Wahleeah back to her people against the wishes of Kelly, he tells her: "He's wrong … I just hope I'm right."—straight from Red River, when Matt decides to take over Dunson's herd. These and a few other things struck me. Just observations, not fault-finding; hell, maybe only a movie nut like me would even notice.

At any rate, Yellowstone Kelly is a highly entertaining, well-crafted movie. Certainly worth your time and even worth going to a little trouble to seek out. It may be Clint Walker at his best, which only serves to make one wish he'd done a hell of a lot more.

Persevere — WD

JOE PUMA - PI

            William Campbell Gault's Joe Puma has long been one of my favorite fictional private eyes. All it took was a reading of NIGHT LADY, some time in the early 60s, for me to be hooked. Although I've stayed on the lookout for any Gault/Puma title I could get my hands on ever since, a few in the series have still eluded me. Nevertheless, the impact was strong enough so that when it came time to name my own fictional PI in the early 80s, the choice of "Joe" as his first name came partly from the influence of Gault's Puma. (Other contributing factors were: "Joe" was the type of common, basic name I wanted for my character; as a kid, one of my nicknames—I accumulated many—for some reason was "Joe"; and the only other fictional PI I could think of at the time with that monicker was Joe Mannix, on TV.)

            In retrospect, I think Puma also represented the first step in the evolution of my reading tastes and writing aspirations from the two-fisted/blazing-gun/relentless avenger style of Spillane (though the Mick still rates at the top of my favorites list) to stories with a bit more depth, richer characterizations—but still with plenty of action and, of course, a generous sprinkling of sexy dames.

Joe Puma is tough, testy, horny, a big "paisano" with more than a few rough edges, quick to throw a punch but a bit more reluctant when it comes to gunplay. Still, he is down-to-earth and likable, the kind of guy you'd probably enjoy having a few beers with at a neighborhood tavern. He operates against the familiar backdrop of LA/ Hollywood, but at its lower echelons ("not the carriage trade", as he puts it). Any movie stars he encounters are likely working for the lower-ranked studios on B-movie Row and the agents or studio moguls who seek to hire him are usually more interested in hiding facts than uncovering them. Puma sees his world for what it is, admits to his shortcomings, aspires to walk a straight line and be a better person, yet makes few apologies and in the end goes after justice in his own way.

Gault is also the creator of another, more acclaimed fictional private eye—Brock Callahan. I, for one, have never understood why the Callahan titles are perceived as the superior series … But that's a discussion (or argument, perhaps) for another time.

The main point of this post is to bring attention to JOE PUMA – PI, a fine collection of Puma short stories (originally published in the mid- to late 50s) now available from the Wonder Publishing Grop via Kindle. There are 5 stories here (of only 7 that Gault ever wrote, appearing mostly in Manhunt magazine).

The titles are:

           The Unholy Three

Deadly Beloved

Death of a Big Wheel

No Client of Mine

           Stolen Star

If you're unfamiliar with Joe Puma, these stories are a terrific way to get introduced to him. If you're already familiar with the big paisano, then this is an equally terrific way to rediscover why you liked him to begin with.

Highly recommended!

Persevere --- WD