Just after Thanksgiving, I ordered a few new books online. Well, not "new" since I used a Discount Site but you know what I meant. While I waited, I dipped in and out of several others that were either in my "To Be Read Pile" or "Off The Shelf" but nothing held my interest. Thankfully, the ordered books arrived early in the month and I dove right in. They are from different authors but all fall within the same genre. (Side Note: I ordered several other books after these arrived and, according to the P O. Tracker, they appear to have been sucked into the Black Hole of Kearney, NJ. Hopefully they'll show up soon.)
Series
Cop Hater - Ed McBain ($3.50/$3.98, copyright 1956, 150 pages, Paperback)
This is the first book in Ed McBain's 87th Precinct Series. I read several of them back in the early '70's in Hardcovers that I got from The Book Of The Month Club. Since I was placing an order for the other 2 books listed here, I thought I'd check back in. What I remember about the series is that these are Police Procedurals set in the early '50's so it's mostly hands-on, basic, cops doing all the work stuff without the help from any Lab or Technician. Another interesting aspect is that it's set in a Precinct which means that there is more then 1 detective in the Squad and McBain has spread the wealth among all of them. This one is centered on Detective Steve Carella, one of the more frequently used characters. One of his fellow officers and frequent partner is murdered and he sets out to find the culprit. While he and the squad are working the case, 2 more cops are murdered and it becomes a race to see if they can catch the murderer before he strikes again. McBain has created some interesting characters, although some of them are stereotypes, and he's built the city of Isola around them. It's McBain's version of NYC and the various neighborhoods that comprise it. It's so well defined that it's almost another character in the story. It wasn't too hard to figure out who was responsible but it was fun watching Carella reach the same conclusion. It's a short book and, as I've inferred, somewhat dated. It was OK.
Murder On The Yellow Brick Road - Stuart Kaminsky ($1.95/$5.01, copyright 1977, 197 pages, Paperback)
I've written about Kaminsky's Toby Peters series before. He's the Everyman of down-on-his-luck Private Eyes who's scratching out a living in 1940's L. A. He is quickly building a reputation among the movie studios and their stars as the man to call when there's a problem. In this one, Toby is called to M. G. M. by Judy Garland. Even though "The Wizard Of Oz" was finished over a year ago one of the Munchkins has been found dead on what remains of the Yellow Brick Road. Even stranger, the midget is dressed in his Munchkin costume. Another midget is pegged as the killer but Toby has his doubts so he keeps digging. To me, the element that makes this series a stand-out is that Kaminsky likes to add real people into the mix and he comes through again. In addition to Judy Garland we also get Victor Fleming, Clark Gable, and William Randolph Hearts (at Hearst Castle). At one point, he even gets some help from a young writer named Raymond Chandler. Add in the regular supporting cast that includes Shelly the Dentist who shares his office with Toby and Toby's brother Phil, an LAPD Lieutenant who has a grudge against him. The killer was easy to figure out but the real fun is in what Kaminsky puts Toby through. I enjoyed it. (NOTE: The inside front cover was stamped "San Francisco Mystery Bookstore. We Buy/Sell/Trade Used Books. 24th @ Diamond, S. F. 282-7444" with an autograph on the facing page, basically a scrawl that I couldn't make out. It doesn't look like the author's though.)
Miscellaneous
The Thin Man - Dashiell Hammett ( $2.95/$3.98, copyright 1933, 180 pages, Paperback)
I'm a big fan of Hammett's and have read a number of his Hard-Boiled Detective novels. I've even read Joe Gorres' fictional biography and his prequel to "The Maltese Falcon". This is nothing like those. Hammett gives us the married couple Nick and Nora Charles (and their dog, Asta). She's a young heiress and he's an older retired detective who now spends his time managing her assets. They are spending Christmas in New York and get involved in a murder. The secretary of one of Nick's past clients has been found dead by the ex-wife of the client, who's gone missing. Everyone wants to find him and everyone wants Nick to do it. Nick doesn't want to get involved because he thinks the client and his family are all nuts and he just wants to be left alone. Nora, of course, changes his mind. I remember seeing this movie back when I was a kid, probably on a Saturday or Sunday afternoon on a Black-and-White TV so when I think of the main characters I see William Powell and Myrna Loy. It's been suggested that they are based on Hammett's real-life relationship with the playwright Lillian Hellman. The mystery here takes second place to the dialog and Hammett has pulled out all the stops, throwing wise cracks and straight lines all over. Plus, there's a lot of drinking involved. Like I said, not your typical Hammett but I liked it. (NOTE: Inside, I found a bookmark from Coliseum Books, 1771 Broadway at 57th St., NYC TE 757-8381 and a receipt dated 1/28/86 for the purchase that included 2 other books [which I had to order] for a total of $11.40 paid with a $20 Traveler's Check. Probably by a Tourist.)
That's it for December.
We had a nice Christmas out here though different from previous years. Next up is January and a New Year. Just in time, if you ask me. This one got old fast.
Stay warm.
Wash your hands.
Wear your mask.
Keep socially distant.
And ...
Keep Reading.
