Category: Crime

CRONE by Keith Rosson / Z-View

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CRONE by Keith Rosson

First sentences…

The van is blue.

Okay, Hannah thinks the van is blue, with the rain beading her glasses, and the way, even in the best of times, that nighttime diminishes her vision, presses everything into vague smears of flattened color, it’s hard to tell.

The Overview:  Beware of Spoilers…

Eli Lamp used to be a respected police detective.  But that was years ago.  Before his wife died in childbirth.  Before he began drinking too much.  Before he started using.  Before he lost his job.

Eli loved his daughter Hannah, but his parenting sucked.  Then when Hannah was fifteen, walking home at night from a party with a friend, she got into a van… and was never seen again.

That was thirteen years ago.

Eli spent every penny he had in his search for Hannah.  But it was his run-in with the Brother Night motorcycle gang that cost Eli the most. Dave Novak, the leader of a rival gang, the  Crooked Wheel motorcycle gang helped Eli.  Now to pay off his debt Eli works as an enforcer and bag man for Novak.  Eli busts heads, makes the weekly drop to the corrupt Sheriff and whatever else Novak needs done.

When Novak’s grown son is found brutally murdered with his body mutilated, Novak wants revenge.  He orders Eli to use his detective skills to find the killer.  Eli reluctantly agrees when Novak says Eli’s debt will be cancelled if he finds the killer.

Eli’s investigation leads to Avery Bryant.  Avery was his daughter Hannah’s best friend.  As Eli digs deeper, he uncovers a conspiracy that goes back decades.  It may provide the key to his daughter’s disappearance and something that defies rationale explanation.

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Keith Rosson is a relatively new author to me.  Earlier this year I read his FEVER HOUSE, followed it with the sequel DEVIL BY NAME and now CRONE.  Each book has been a winner.  His other books are now on my to be read list.  If you haven’t already, consider giving him a look.

Rating:

“Desperado” (1995) written & directed by Robert Rodriguez, starring Antonio Banderas, Joaquim de Almeida & Salma Hayek / Z-View

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Desperado (1995)

Director: Robert Rodriguez

Screenplay:  Robert Rodriguez

Stars:  Antonio Banderas, Joaquim de Almeida, Salma Hayek, Steve Buscemi, Cheech Marin, Carlos Gómez, Carlos Gallardo, Danny Trejo and Quentin Tarantino

Tagline: He came back to settle the score with someone. Anyone. EVERYONE.

The Plot…

A man known as El Mariachi arrives in a small Mexican border town. He’s come to kill the drug cartel crime lord Bucho.  As Mariachi works us way up the chain of command, it becomes clear, he’ll kill anyone and EVERYONE who gets in his way.

As one of the taglines says, “When the smoke clears, it just means he’s reloading.”

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

Antonio Banderas directed the bathroom scene that takes place before the second tavern shootout.

Robert Rodriguez and Danny Trejo are second cousins.

Desperado is a remake of Robert Rodriguez’s earlier film El Mariachi.  Rodriguez self-financed El Mariachi using credit cards and his personal finances.  The budget was just $7,000.00.

Carlos Gallardo played the title role in El Mariachi and also plays one of the two musicians who comes to assist El Mariachi in Desperado.

Desperado (1995) rates 4 of 5 stars.

“Chandler” (1971) starring Warren Oates / Z-View

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Chandler (1971)

Director: John Sacret Young

Screenplay:  Don Mankiewicz, Russell Rouse; story by Paul Magwood

Stars:  Warren Oates, Leslie Caron, Alex Dreier, Mitchell Ryan, Charles McGraw, and Gloria Grahame.

Tagline: Chandler is a private eye. It’s a hard way to make a living… and an easy way to die.

The Plot…

Chandler is hired to protect a government witness from gangsters.  She’s beautiful and the cops are crooked.

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

I wanted to like Chandler.  I’ve tried to watch it twice and never get past the 35 minute mark.  Perhaps your mileage will be better.  As for me…

Chandler (1971) rates 1 of 5 stars.

NIGHT SQUAD by David Goodis / Z-View

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NIGHT SQUAD by David Goodis

First sentence…

At 11:20 a fairly well-dressed boozehound came staggering out of a bootleg-whiskey joint on Fourth Street.

The Overview:  Beware of Spoilers…

Corey Bradford is a thirty-four-year-old ex-cop on a downnward spiral.  His wife left him.  Still no steady job.  He drinks too much.  All because he took a small handout from a gambler.  It wasn’t a big bribe to cover up evidence.  It wasn’t to let a hardened criminal walk.  It was just a sweetener because Bradford was a decent cop.  And it cost him everything.

Then one night Bradford, with just a couple of bucks to his name, headed to Grogan’s bar. Walter Grogan ran a nightly poker game in the back room and Bradford hoped to get in and get lucky.  That all changed when two masked-wearing and pistol-carrying men busted in.  They weren’t there to rob the game.  No, they came to kidnap Grogan.  Before they could Bradford stopped ’em cold.

Grogan was impressed.  He knew Bradford’s reputation and now had seen him in action.  So he offers Bradford a job.  $15,000 if Bradford can find out who sent the kidnappers.  Bradford accepts the job.

That evening Bradford is picked up by Detective-Sergeant Henry McDermott.  McDermott runs the Night Squad, a team of cops working the night shift who target and take down the city’s worst. The Night Squad’s tactics are brutal and extreme.  They get the job done. McDermott wants Grogan behind bars.  Walter Grogan runs the part of town known as The Swamp.  Grogan has his fingers in everyt illegal racket there.  But he’s too smart to get caught.

So McDermott offers Bradford a chance at redemption.  If Bradford works undercover and gathers evidence to bring Grogan to justice, he can get his badge back.  Refuse and the Night Squad will target him.  Bradford accepts.

Bradford is playing a dangerous game.  Working both sides against each other can get him dead.

And someone besides Bradford knows the score…

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David Goodis takes us on another journey to the seedy side of town.  I’m surprised NIGHT SQUAD was never adapted into a movie.  It would have made a good one.

Rating:

THE PROTECTOR by Arnold Schwarzenegger & James Patterson is Coming!

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Arnold Schwarzenegger is teaming with James Patterson to co-author THE PROTECTOR.  Here’s the scoop…

The world’s bestselling author and the global icon, actor, former governor, and seven-time Mr. Olympia are co-authoring a new novel.

Father Viktor Brennan is a parish priest. He’s also The Protector.

At Saint Dominic’s in East Los Angeles, Father Viktor Brennan — a spiritual leader with a murky past — builds a soup kitchen, and a gym with a boxing ring. He is determined to protect his flock from both moral and physical harm, and to keep his new congregation safe from gang violence.

LAPD Detective Sandra Reyes’s beat covers the same local territory, and she’s strictly by the book. Reyes is keeping a wary eye on the new priest—and both she and Brennan are watching a kingpin known as Cera.

When an innocent victim is caught in murderous crossfire—and as revenge becomes a conversation with God—will good win out over evil?

THE PROTECTOR drops on October 4, 2027.  Pre-orders are available now.

“The Last Run” (1971) starring George C. Scott / Z-View

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The Last Run (1971)

Director: Richard Fleischer

Screenplay:  Alan Sharp

Stars:  George C. Scott, Tony Musante, Trish Van Devere and Colleen Dewhurst .

Tagline: In the tradition of Hemingway and Bogart.

The Plot…

Harry Garmes was a getaway driver.  And a good one.  But he left his life of crime years ago.  After his son died.  And his wife left him.  Now Garmes lives alone in a small fishing village in southern Portugal.

When Garmes is unexpectedly offered a job, he accepts it.  Garmes is to drive Paul Rickard, an escaped convict, across the border.  Garmes wasn’t expecting Rickard to show up with his girlfriend.

Or that he would fall for her.

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

The Last Run had a troubled production.  The original director was John Huston.  Huston and George C. Scott repeatedly clashed.  Within a few weeks, Huston walked.  Richard Fleischer came on as director.  The original leading lady, Tina Marquand, was replaced with Trish Van Devere.  Despite these problems and more, the film finished one week and just $30,000 over budget.

Colleen Dewhurst and George C. Scott were married during the production of The Last Run.  Dewhurst completed her scenes and returned to the US.  As production continued George C. Scott and Trish Van Devere fell in love.  After filming completed Scott divorced Dewhurst and married Van Devere.

George C. Scott said he made this film because it felt like something Bogart would have done.  It does have an “old time” feel.

The Last Run (1971) rates 3 of 5 stars.

“Neagley” Season 1 starring Maria Sten / Z-View

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Neagley: Season 1 (2026)

Based on: Characters by Lee Child

Developed by: Nick Santora, Nicholas Wootton

Directors: Sam Hill (Eps.1–2); Gary Fleder (Eps. 3–4); Phil Abraham (Eps. 5–6);  MJ Bassett (Eps. 7–8)

Teleplay: Nick Santora & Nicholas Wootton (Ep. 1-2; 7-8); Adam Higgs (Eps. 3; 6); Kyle Long (Ep. 4); Lacey Herbert (Ep. 5)

Starring: Maria Sten, Greyston Holt, Adeline Rudolph, Jasper Jones, Matthew Del Negro, Damon Herriman, Rebecca Liddiard and Alan Ritchson

The Overview:  Beware of Spoilers…

Frances Neagley, an ex-Military Police Investigator, now works as a Chicago Private Eye.  When a childhood friend turns up dead, police rule it a suicide.  Neagley doesn’t believe it and starts to investigate.  Clues point to Echo Farm, a new age cult led by Lawrence Cole.

Neagley is sure Cole has sinister motives for creating Echo Farm.  But what?  And why was her friend murdered?  As Neagley digs deeper she becomes a target.  Neagley will learn too late that someone with money, power and influence is pulling Cole’s strings… and trying to eliminate her.

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

Maria Sten is perfect as France Neagley.

Dewey Crowe will always be my favorite character played by Damon Herriman, but he’s also great as Lawrence Cole.

I loved this season of Neagley.  However, I thought much of the decisions made by Keno at Echo Park were dumber than they needed to be.  With that said, I must also add that I do like the character.

The Frances Neagley personal subplot was a nice addition that added depth to the character.

It was cool having Alan Ritchson make cameo bookends in season one.

Bring on Season 2!

THE BOXER by Tom Reilly!

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I’m a sucker for a good crime story.  Especially ones with a tough guy who refuses to bow down to mobsters.  Way back in 2019, I’d never heard of Tom Reilly (or seen his art).  I came across the pieces above and below and was SOLD.  I thought they were preview art for a new series.  I immediately e-mailed Tom to find out where/when I could purchase the series.

Tom wrote back to say, that there wasn’t one.  He created the art for himself… just toying around with ideas.  I asked Tom if he took commissions.  He did and so I requested Sly Stallone as Jack Carter teamed with Keanu Reeves as John Wick. (No surprise, right?).

Tom came through with a winner.  He also surprised me by gifting me the art above and below.  I was (and remain) blown away.  What a wonderful, kind thing to do.

Maybe someday Tom will return to the idea that sparked these drawings.  You just KNOW it would make for an awesome story.

“Icefall” (2025) starring Joel Kinnaman / Z-View

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Icefall (2025)

Director: Stefan Ruzowitzky

Screenplay:  George Mahaffey, Steve Isles

Stars:  Joel Kinnaman, Cara Jade Myers, Danny Huston and Graham Greene.

Tagline: None.

The Plot…

Harlan, a loner, is on a remote frozen lake preparing to ice fish.  His plans change when he finds a case full of money. Harlan decides to keep the cash and sets out across the ice.

Ani, the local Game Warden, sees Harlan out on the ice and decides to see what he’s up to.

When the plane carrying the stolen loot went down, everyone on board died in the crash.  The transmitter on the case didn’t.   The thieves on the ground have been on a mission to retrieve the case of cash.

As Ani questions Harlan, the crooks show up.  A gunfight ensues.

Ani and Harlan barely escape into the wilderness with the criminals closing in.  Ani and Harlan are utnumbered and outgunned.

As the temperature drops so do their odds of survival.

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

Graham Greene has a small role and sadly it was his last feature film appearance.

Icefall can accurately be described as Cliffhanger Horizontal or Cliffhanger Lite.

Icefall (2025) rates 2 of 5 stars.

A VIOLENT MASTERPIECE by Jordan Harper / Z-View

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A VIOLENT MASTERPIECE by Jordan Harper

First sentence…

He tells them, “This place is a crime.”

The Overview:  Beware of Spoilers…

Jake Deal makes his living live-streaming nightly from L.A.’s dark, dangerous, crime-ridden hot spots. Jake takes his subcribers “live” to scenes of murders, crimes in progress, or whatever location that needs a police response. Jake’s car is loaded with a police scanner, cameras, wifi, and more. Jake planned to livestream the locations of the LA Ripper, a serial killer still on the loose.  That changed when Jake was hired to follow and compile dirt on a list of powerful and influential folks.

Doug Gibson is a lawyer for the common man.  Gibson’s clients are the under-served, the poor and the powerless.  So you can imagine Gibson’s surprise when Eric Alger contacts him. Alger needs a defense attorney and wants Gibson.

Eric Alger became rich as the producer of tween television shows.  Alger became even richer with his behind-the-scenes sex trafficking of youngsters.  He also served as a conduit to others with similar tastes.  Now Alger is behind bars.  Alger says if he’s not released, he’s going to name names.  If he’s going down, he’s taking rich and powerful sex deviants (like himself) with him.

Kara Delgado works for an underground concierge that gets the super-rich whatever they want. It could be the location for a private sex party, drugs, men, women, whatever the customer wants and can afford.   When Kara’s best friend goes missing and her apartment is scrubbed clean, Kara decides to investigate.

When Eric Alger is found dead in his jail cell, Jake, Doug and Kara’s paths cross.  Now they’re on the wrong side of powerful people with the money and contacts to make them disappear… and perhaps even the LA Ripper.

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Jordan Harper has another winner. A VIOLENT MASTERPIECE is a great follow-up to EVERYBODY KNOWS and gets my highest recommendation.

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