Category: Books

Dark Duet by Eric Beetner / Z-View

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Dark Duet by Eric Beetner

TPB: 224 pages
Publisher: Down and Out Books

Dark Duet  consists of two crime novellas, White Hot Pistol and Blood on Their Hands.  You get two Eric Beetner yarns for the price of one!

First sentence of White Hot Pistol…

Nash remembered the first time he escaped this town.

The Overview of White Hot Pistol:  Beware of Spoilers…

Nash had a plan.  He was going to sneak back into the town that he’d left years before.  He’d then get his sister, Jacy, out and away from her abusive step-father.  It was supposed to be easy…

It should have been easy despite the fact that Nash was wanted for questioning in a homicide and her step-father was the town sheriff.

It could have been easy had Nash and Jacy not stumbled onto a drug deal gone bad.

On the run from the cops and the drug dealer’s crew, with bodies piling up and no hope for help, now nothing would be easy.

—

First sentence of Blood on Their Hands…

Garrett had no idea breaking and entering would be so easy.

The Overview:  Beware of Spoilers…

Garrett, against his better judgment, joins his two high school buddies when they break into the Smart Mart late one night.  The plan is to scarf some beers, grab some snacks and slip back out.

Things go sideways when the men who own the store show up with the body of the guy they just killed.  As the killers discuss how to dispose of the stiff, the boys make a run for it.  Unfortunately, they’re seen and the chase is on.

What chance do high school kids have against grown killers?  Not much.  Blood on Their Hands takes place in the same town as White Hot Pistol and features a few of the same characters.  Bravo to Beetner for a couple of twists that were logical but totally surprising.

If you like pulp, noir and stories that move, then Dark Duet is for you.

Rating: 4 of 5 stars.

The Far Empty by J. Todd Scott / Z-View

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The Far Empty by J. Todd Scott

Hardcover: 448 pages
Publisher: G.P. Putnam’s Sons

First sentence…

My father has killed three men.

The Overview:  Beware of Spoilers…

J. Todd Scott pulls us in from the first sentence and proceeds to unfold his story from the perspective of believable characters with a slow burn to a dramatic conclusion that leaves us satisfied and yet hoping for more. (Rest easy, more stories are coming about those who survive.)

The Far Empty is a modern day western-noir wrapped around a mystery (mysteries) with enough action and suspense to satisfy the most critical reader.

 When Chris Cherry, a new deputy in Murfee, Texas, finds the handcuffed, skeletal remains of a body in a remote area not far from the Mexico/Texas border, he starts an investigation.  It’s an investigation that will uncover secrets best left hidden and may cost him his life.

The Far Empty hooked me from the first sentence.  I loved every page and give it my highest recommendation.  J. Todd Scott is the real deal.

Rating:

RIP – Stephen Verona

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Stephen Verona died on Saturday after a year and a half long battle with lung cancer.  Readers of this site probably know Verona best as the Producer, Co-Writer and Director of Lords of Flatbush, but Verona was much more than that.

Verona got his start creating commercials.  He met and became friends with John Lennon which led to Verona getting to animate the Beatles song I Feel Fine.  Next came a music short with Barbara Streisand.  He went on to work with Natalie Cole, Chicago, Simon & Garfunkel and many others.

Verona was a screenwriter, an award-winning  director of feature films, television episodes and specials, an  an award-winning painter and photographer.  A renaissance man, indeed.

The Hollywood Reporter posted that “When Stallone learned that Verona was ill, he sent him an email saying that his career would not have been the same without him.”  The same could be said for many other celebrities.

Had Stephen Verona only been known as the talent behind Lords of Flatbush, it would have been worth noting here, but I hope fans know he was so much more.

Our thoughts and prayers go out to Stephen Verona’s family, friends and fans.

The Last Good Guy by T. Jefferson Parker

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Coming on August 13th from T. Jefferson Parker is The Last Good Guy.

In this electrifying new thriller from three-time Edgar Award winner and New York Times bestseller T. Jefferson Parker, Private Investigator Roland Ford hunts for a missing teenager and uncovers a dark conspiracy in his most personal case yet.

When hired by a beautiful and enigmatic woman to find her missing younger sister, private investigator Roland Ford immediately senses that the case is not what it seems. He is soon swept up in a web of lies and secrets as he searches for the teenager, and even his new client cannot be trusted. His investigation leads him to a secretive charter school, skinhead thugs, a cadre of American Nazis hidden in a desert compound, an arch-conservative celebrity evangelist–and, finally, to the girl herself. The Last Good Guy is Ford’s most challenging case to date, one that will leave him questioning everything he thought he knew about decency, honesty, and the battle between good and evil…if it doesn’t kill him first.

Love that title and T. Jefferson always delivers.  The Last Good Guy is on my to-buy list.  If it makes yours, then click here.

Trouble is What I Do by Walter Mosley

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Walter Mosley is coming back with a new Leonid McGill yarn.  Trouble is What I Do is such a classic title.  Here’s the synopsis…

From innovative bestselling novelist Walter Mosley comes the return of the beloved Leonid McGill detective series featuring a morally ambiguous P.I. who solves crimes and whose victims are society’s most downtrodden.

Leonid McGill’s spent a lifetime building up his reputation in the New York investigative scene. His seemingly infallible instinct and inside knowledge of the crime world make him the ideal man to help when Phillip Worry comes knocking.

Phillip “Catfish” Worry is a 92-year-old Mississippi bluesman who needs Leonid’s help with a simple task: deliver a letter revealing the black lineage of a wealthy heiress and her corrupt father. Unsurprisingly, the opportunity to do a simple favor while shocking the prevailing elite is too much for Leonid to resist.

But when a famed and feared assassin puts a hit on Catfish, Leonid has no choice but to confront the ghost of his own felonious past. Working to protect his client, and his own family, Leonid must reach the heiress on the eve of her wedding before her powerful father kills those who hold their family’s secret.

Joined by a team of young and tough aspiring investigators, Leonid must gain the trust of wary socialites, outsmart vengeful thugs, and, above all, serve the truth– no matter the cost.

Trouble is What I Do is available for pre-order now.   Deal me in.

Dark Duet: Two Noir Novellas by Eric Beetner

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I just put in my order for Dark Duet: Two Noir Novellas by Eric Beetner.

For the first time in print two novellas in the pulp paperback tradition of fast and no-punches-pulled noir.

In White Hot Pistol Jacy needs to get out of town and away from her stepfather, Brian. The only one she can turn to is her estranged brother, Nash. But getting away won’t be easy. Throw in a bag of cash, dark family secrets and a town cop who doesn’t want them to leave–who also happens to be the very man they’re trying to escape–and you’ve got a pulpy ride down the dark alleys of Noir. First time in paperback.

In Blood on Their Hands Garret and his friends get more than they bargained for with a teenage prank gone wrong. Now killers are after them and the one man who could help them can never know. Friendships will be tested and these young men will see what they’re really made of and if they’ll even make it out of their teen years alive. It’s a violent coming-of-age story and pulp fiction at its action-packed best. Never before published.

If this sounds like something you’d dig, here’s your shovel.

Frank Miller Talks “Cursed”

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I’m not particularly a big fan of young adult novels or the King Arthur legend, but I may just have to get on board when Cursed by Frank Miller and Thomas Wheeler comes out later this year.

Cursed…

…approaches the legend of King Arthur from a very different angle, focusing not on the destined King of the Britains, but the “Lady of the Lake” herself, Nimue. Featuring color and b&w illustrations from Miller, its an all-ages tour de force not to be missed!

You can learn more and see additional art at the PREVIEWSworld Q&A With Frank Miller.

Deep Silence by Jonathan Maberry / Z-View

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Deep Silence by Jonathan Maberry

Hardcover: 480 pages
Publisher: St. Martin’s Griffin

First sentence…

“We’re coming up on it,” said the pilot.

The Overview:  Beware of Spoilers…

A series of earthquakes rock the eastern seaboard and are accompanied by outbreaks of temporary madness causing people to attack each other or commit suicide.  Joe Ledger and his team soon learn that terrorists using advanced technology are behind the strikes. The terrorist have plans that will leave the United States and much of the world helpless unless they can be stopped and the clock is ticking!

Maberry’s latest outing for the DMS team is perhaps their toughest yet and will lead to the end of the Joe Ledger series as we know it.  As you can imagine, series regulars (who survive) will be forever changed.

Deep Silence is another great Joe Ledger tale and like all of the others in the series is highly recommended.

Rating: 5 of 5 stars.

HeroesCon 2019 – Craig’s Report

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It’s hard to believe that it’s been a week since HeroesCon 2019 kicked off.  We’ve been going to the show for decades and it’s always a treat.  Here are the highlights…

I went to the show hoping…

Friday
My first stop was Richard Cox’s table.  My buddy, Little John had told me that Richard’s list filled up on Thursday night.  I thought LJ was messing with me and it turns out he was.  I was able to get on Richard’s list.

I was also able to get on Pan Quinn’s and Dan Panosian’s lists.  Matthew Childers’ had my sketch ready and also shared some cover commissions that he was doing for fans.  Little John had ordered a cool one to add to his Search for Superman theme.  Matthew also was working on a Batman & Godzilla cover.  Inspired pairing, that one!

I met Shane Douberly for the first time and commissioned a Rocky head sketch from him.  I then spent the bulk of the day visiting with old / new friends and walking the convention floor.  My sketch commissions were set up, so the pressure was off.

Little John and his wife Patricia, along with my better half, Doralya, and son Chris headed over to the Red Ginger for a great hibachi dinner.  LJ repeated his feat of draining the saki sprayed from the bottle.  Luckily, there were no college kids at our table this year to try to replicate this feat.

After dinner we headed over to the HeroesCon Drink and Draw for charity.  LJ and Patricia scored a few very nice pieces.  Chris Flick created 3 sketch cards for the charity.  LJ picked up two and I scored the other (Stallone from Expendables).  Yeah, Chris knows what I like.

Saturday

Because of flight issues (detailed at ME’s blog), Mark Evanier and Sergio Aragones weren’t able to arrive until Saturday.  So ME was my first stop.  I was able to meet Mark Evanier and get his autograph in my Kirby hardcover.  I also attended a panel that ME moderated.  The panel featured my best bud, John Beatty along with Mike Royer and Klaus Janson.  The panel was informative and it was nice to see so many people there to hear inkers talk about their craft.

Today was art pick-up day.  Richard Cox had a great Rocky (III) painting waiting for me.  Dan Panosian’s piece was ready as well (Rocky II).  Dan’s sketches are second to none. (By the way, Dan was turning all of the proceeds of his head sketch commissions over to the Heroes Initiative charity.)  When I picked up my sketch, I also purchased Dan’s second sketch book.  Pat Quinn created a very cool Jack Carter sketch for me.  Chris Visions was still working through his sketch list but assured me it would be ready by Sunday.

Hainanu Saulque goes by the name Nooligan.  I’d never met him before, but after seeing his Rocky: Once and Future Champ print, I knew he was an artist I wanted to meet.  Nooligan is an amazing artist with a unique style.  We spoke about Stallone, films, comics and more for the better part of an hour.  I usually don’t buy prints, but I purchased both Nooligan’s Rocky and John Wick prints.  Hopefully some day I’ll get a Nooligan original for my Stallone art collection.  Meeting Nooligan was a definite HeroesCon highlight this year.

Dinner that evening was at the Redeye Diner with my wife, son, Little John & Patricia, Richard Cox and his wife.  My only regret about eating at the Redeye Diner is that we only made it there once this trip.  Great atmosphere and food.

Our next stop was the HeroesCon Art Auction.  LJ showed a lot of restraint purchasing just one piece — a painting by Josh Greathouse.  I made it most of the way through the auction but called it a night before it was over since we were heading home early Sunday.

I proud to say that I was able to complete all of the things I had hoped to get done.  It was great meeting Mark Evanier after following his blog daily for nearly 20 years.  I was happy that my son Chris joined me at the show on Saturday.  Comics aren’t his thing, but he had fun at the panel (he’s known John Beatty his whole life) and art auction.

It was great seeing old friends and meeting new.  The art on display was, as always, jaw-dropping.  I need to give a special shout out to Casey Jones.  His art book was filled with page after page of beautiful art ranging from sketches to inked pieces to published pages.

I’ll be posting my art pick-ups in the coming weeks.

A few years ago, we began going to Charlotte on Thursday night to meet with friends before the show starts on Friday.  Sadly, we usually cut out before the show ends on Sunday.  Little John has convinced me that we need to stay for the full experience.  Starting next year, that will be the plan.  Let the countdown begin!

McKay’s Used Books and Collectibles Stores!

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Today my wife and I are going to do something we really enjoy.  Any guesses?

No, not that.  Get your mind out of the gutter.  Try again?

Good guess, but HeroesCon doesn’t start until Friday.  Give up?  Ok, I’ll tell you.

Today we’re going to go to two McKay’s Used Book Stores.  We’ll be swinging by the Greensboro and Winston-Salem locations.  Later this week we’ll go to the Knoxville location.  Yeah, we’re used book store junkies, but especially McKay’s Used Book Store junkies.

McKay Used Books was founded in 1974. The idea was that it would be a…

…book store that would contain a wide variety of books that an individual could obtain cheaply, keep as long as they wanted to, and return for credit on other books in the future… Since that time, the brand split ownership and McKay’s was born in Tennessee. In 1985, the first Tennessee location opened in Knoxville. Since then, two more TN locations have been added: McKay’s Chattanooga opened in 1990, and McKay’s Nashville opened in 2007…  During this time, the original idea of a bookstore has expanded to include music, movies, electronics, games, musical instruments, collectibles, and more!

We love McKay’s not only because of the wide variety of books, music, movies and other things that they carry, but because we can trade in similar items we no longer want for either cash or store credit.  (Give us store credit, please!).  Plus McKay’s prices are reasonable and they always have sales.  (Where you will usually find my wife.)  I love finding books I need for my collection and discovering new authors thanks to McKays.  The only thing that would make McKay’s Used Book Stores better is if they had a central Florida location.

Maberry’s & Milnes V-Wars: God of Death Preview!

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Jonathan Maberry’s V-Wars is being adapted into a Netflix series starting this fall.  V-Wars concerns humans facing a potential apocalypse not of zombies but of vampires!

As a companion piece and direct tie-in to the V-Wars series, creator Maberry and IDW Publishing are teaming up once more for a fanged foray into this horrific universe with the V-Wars: God of Death one-shot coming to comic shops May 29.

If this sounds like something you’d like SyfyWire has an advanced look: EXCLUSIVE: THE VAMPIRE APOCALYPSE GETS REAL IN IDW’S V-WARS: GOD OF DEATH.

Brubaker & Phillips Have a Bad Weekend

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Ed Brubaker and Sean Phillips have been killing it with their Criminal stories.  Coming on July 16th…

… JUST IN TIME FOR CONVENTION SEASON-the ultimate comic con crime tale!

Comics won’t just break your heart.

Comics will just kill you.

Hal Crane should know, he’s been around since practically the beginning. Stuck at an out-of-town convention, waiting to receive a lifetime achievement award, Hal’s weekend takes us on a dark ride through the secret history of a medium that’s always been haunted by crooks, swindlers, and desperate dreamers.

BAD WEEKEND – the story some are already calling the comic of the year from its serialization in CRIMINAL #2 and 3-has been expanded, with several new scenes added and remastered into a hardcover graphic novel, in the same format as BRUBAKER and PHILLIPS’ (KILL OR BE KILLED, FATALE, CRIMINAL) bestselling MY HEROES HAVE ALWAYS BEEN JUNKIES. This gorgeous package is a must-have, an evergreen graphic novel every true comics fan will want to own.

Collects CRIMINAL #2-3 with expanded content.

Criminal: Bad Weekend is available for pre-order now!

“L.A. Confidential” Gets the Cinephilia & Beyond Treatment

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L.A. Confidential is a great film and in The Sunny, Seedy ’50’s Underbelly of Curtis Hanson’s L.A. Confidential it gets the Cinephilia and Beyond treatment.  Click over and you’ll get…

  • A larger version of  Vlad Rodriguez’s L.A. Confidential poster
  • L.A. Confidential screenplay
  • Brian Helgeland: Screenwriters Lecture (Video)
  • L.A. Confidential audio interview with James Ellroy & Curtis Hanson
  • L.A. Confidential: Off the Record – Behind the Scenes Video
  • Rare behind-the-scenes photos
  • and much more!