Category: Crime

Drive Sequel Due in April 2012

Posted on by

Just a little over five years ago I posted about two great crime noir novels I’d just read.  One was Drive by James Sallis.  [The other was The Wheelman by Duane Swierczynski.]  Drive was the story of a get-a-way driver brought in on a heist that was a set-up from the start.  It went on to become a major motion picture that fans and critics loved.  This coming April, James Sallis and the Driver return in the sequel, Driven. 

Six years later – Phoenix.  Out of nowhere someone wants Driver dead.
Who?  Why?  Big mistake.

I’m looking forward to the novel and would love to see the team that made the movie return for the sequel.

Max Allan Collins, Chris Mills & Nolan

Posted on by


Don’t you love the look of the new editions of Max Allan Collins’ Nolan crime novels coming for Perfect Crime Books?  For those not in the know, Nolan is an aging thief and Max Allan Collins is the author of the Nate Heller series, the Quarry series, and many, many other books.  I’ve never read anything that wasn’t excellent that was written by Max Allan Collins.   

Oh, by the way, our buddy, Chris Mills designed the Nolan covers and did a fantastic job.  Take a bow, Chris!

Justified Three Times Over

Posted on by


Justified. 

If you’re not watching it, you should give it a go. If it’s not my favorite show it’s definitely in the top 3 [Breaking Bad and Walking Dead are right there, too].   The new season starts in January, but FX has released three new teasers to get our attention,

The first teaser is the weakest of the three, but still makes me want more.  The second teaser is my favorite.  The third teaser is the most creative in that it makes you think one thing and then realize that you’re totally wrong… the third teaser also hints at what could be a major plot point of the third season.


Rare Marilyn Monroe + Nate Heller

Posted on by

Would you like to see some rare photos of Marilyn Monroe taken in 1953 when she was filming [my favorite] Monroe film, River of No Return [with Robert Mitchum]?  Thanks to The Huffington Post, you can.

If you have any interest in Marilyn Monroe and/or  historical fiction you should check out Bye Bye, Baby by Max Allan Collins.  It’s one of my favorite Nate Heller books and they are all excellent.

 

The Punisher in Name Only

Posted on by

Deadline Hollywood announced today that FOX has a commitment for a tv series based on the popular Marvel comic book character The Punisher.   According to the article…

  • The Punisher is described as an hour-long procedural with a Marvel signature and a new take on one of the comic book giant’s iconic characters, Frank Castle, a rising star detective with the New York Police Department who moonlights as the vigilante Punisher, seeking justice for those the system has failed.

Let me break it to you gently, that ain’t The Punisher.  A “rising star detective” who moonlights as The Punisher?  Sheesh.   Why in the world are they calling the series The Punisher?  Why take one of comics’ most “iconic characters” and change what made him iconic?

The [real] Punisher drawing by Mike Zeck.

Fun and Games with Duane Swierczynski

Posted on by

I’m a huge fan of Duane Swierczynski.  His novels are  fun, full of twists and never follow a familiar path.  Fun & Games is the first in his Charlie Hardie trilogy and although I just finished it a few days ago, I’m already chompin’ at the bit to read Hell and Gone.

Hardie makes his living as a house sitter.  There’s not a lot of dough in that line of work, but as an ex-cop with baggage, it’s been a good way to spend the last couple of years.  All that changes when Hardie finds a semi-famous actress hiding in the house he’s supposed to be sitting.  Is she crazy or could there really be a hit team coming to kill her and everyone in the house?

If my description makes Fun & Games sound like your typical ex-cop coming to the aid of a hot but endangered woman, let me assure you that it’s not.  Give  Fun & Games a read and if you don’t like it I’ll buy ya a Diet Coke or a Mocha Frappe.  If you do like it, you owe me nothing.   Deals don’t get much better than that, amigo.

So why do I have “A Texan’s Motto” post card along with my praise for Fun and Games?  Read on, friend.

In the interest of full disclosure [and the fact that I’m always happy to hear from people whose work I admire], I want it to be known that received a post card from Duane Swierczynski this summer.  He sent a personalized card to all of his fans who had pre-ordered Fun & Games.

How do I know it was personalized?  Well, do you think he wrote every fan of his calling them a fellow Stallone fanatic?  Yeah, I didn’t think so either.

How do I know Duane Swierczynski is a Stallone fan?  Well, Duane is from Philly and everybody there [or from there] loves Sly.  Oh, and Mr. Swierczynski used a couple of quotes from Sly as chapter headers.  Only a true fan would go THAT far.