This week’s column title is about as cheery as things are going to get, with three dark and bleak little tales to cover. All the names will look familiar to regulars, but be forewarned: Keep the razors and sleeping pills away while reading. The first two books covered are considered classics, while the third is a hidden gem that is truly the grimmest novel ever covered in this column.
A KILLER IS LOOSE by Gil Brewer — As you might know, I’ve become a big fan of Brewer while writing for BOOKGASM, mainly through the releases of Stark House Press and Hard Case Crime. And therein lies the problem: His books are not the easiest to come by. So I’m thrilled to cover one of his best-known works, from 1954.
KILLER is all about a man with a gun and a vendetta. Bar none, this is a story of a total psychopath named Ralph Anger, who comes into possession of a Luger and is not afraid to use it. The story focuses on Anger and his two hostages, for lack of a better term, as he terrorizes a small little town. For those looking for a high body count, you might be disappointed.
The story is all told through the perspective of Steve, one of the aforementioned hostages, as though he is relating what just took place to commit it to memory. What starts out simple enough grows into a reign of terror really quick. Brewer does not go for the grotesque aspects of violence; he keeps it clear and concise, so it’s all there in black and white, all while moving the plot to the only conclusion possible for all involved.
At one point, this was going to be reissued with Brewer’s unpublished ANGRY ARNOLD, but sadly, I’ve heard no progress in that development. Hopefully, everything will work out and this will get the reissue it deserves. By the way, ANGRY ARNOLD is terrific and fans of DEXTER would be surprised at some similarities.
THE GRIFTERS by Jim Thompson — This 1963 novel is one of the few Thompsons I did not read in my Thompson phase, when I was reading one of his books a week. I started with THE KILLER INSIDE ME and went from there, but didn’t read everything. So, after all these years, I finally got to THE GRIFTERS.
The story is basically one bizarre triangle. You have Roy Dillon, a man in his mid-20s who makes his life as a salesman living in a rundown hotel. What is not known by the people he associates with is that he is a con man. Then there is Roy’s somewhat older girlfriend, Moira, who has her own shady past. And there is Roy’s mother, Lily, who works the track angle for bookies, but suppresses the odds. She was 14 when she gave birth to Roy, and this closeness in age plays a central role.
All three of them are criminals and on the make. When Roy is asked to take a more prominent position at his work, he thinks of ways to deflect, even thinking about moving out of L.A. and starting over. Both Lily and Moira pull at Roy for their own reasons, plus there’s a nurse that Lily hires to take care of Roy after an incident early in the story. You get the sense Lily wants Roy for herself for some weird and warped reasons.
To go further into plot points would ruin the story, but things get bleak and there is no light at the end of the tunnel. My only problem is that it’s very hard to read this book without thinking of the Oscar-nominated movie, which shares some key plot points, but not all. Still, this is a Thompson novel, first and foremost. His style reads as fresh as when first published.
GRIMHAVEN by Charles Willeford — Unless you are a die-hard Willeford fan, you’ve probably never heard of this one. That’s understandable, since it was never published and most likely never will be. Written in 1984 or 1985 as a direct sequel to MIAMI BLUES, it’s also a complete 180 from that novel in ways that are jaw-dropping.
This follow-up finds Hoke Mosely retired from the police force, working for his father at a hardware store, and living in a rent-free tiny apartment. Hoke just wants to be left alone and work at the never-busy store. Then, out of the blue, his two teenagers turn up to live with him, since his ex-wife is moving off to California with her new boyfriend, a pinch-hitter for the Dodgers.
This probably sounds familiar to those who have read NEW HOPE FOR THE DEAD. Willeford literally reused a good portion of this into that book, including whole pieces of dialogue. But that is where the similarities end.
Hoke is given an opportunity to become part of the local police force, but rebuffs it, because he likes living a spartan lifestyle. The book takes such a severely dark turn that it feels like one giant middle finger to the reading public. And yet it gets even darker to its fitting conclusion. I can’t stress how much of a turn Willeford throws at the unsuspecting reader; you may even do some rereading to make sure you’re not imagining things.
This book shows how bleak Willeford could get, in ways that make other writers who claim they are noir simply pale in comparison. Of course, this one never saw the light of day. It’s kept as a manuscript with Willeford’s other works at Florida’s Broward County Library with a note saying it’s never to be published, sold or copied. Well, early on, a group of collectors passed around a Xeroxed copy. Let’s just say I came across one through the help of a little “demon” I know. —Bruce Grossman
OTHER BOOKGASM REVIEWS OF GIL BREWER:
• A DEVIL FOR O’SHAUGNESSY / THE THREE-WAY SPLIT by Gil Brewer
• THE VENGEFUL VIRGIN by Gil Brewer
• WILD TO POSSESS / A TASTE FOR SIN by Gil Brewer
OTHER BOOKGASM REVIEWS OF JIM THOMPSON:
• THE GETAWAY by Jim Thompson
OTHER BOOKGASM REVIEWS OF CHARLES WILLEFORD:
• THE BLACK MASS OF BROTHER SPRINGER by Charles Willeford
• MADE IN MIAMI by Charles Willeford
• NEW HOPE FOR THE DEAD by Charles Willeford
• PICK-UP by Charles Willeford
• THE SHARK-INFESTED CUSTARD by Charles Willeford
Related posts:
- BULLETS, BROADS, BLACKMAIL & BOMBS >> A Trip to the Fair
- BULLETS, BROADS, BLACKMAIL & BOMBS >> Sinners’ Crossroads
- BULLETS, BROADS, BLACKMAIL & BOMBS >> Eat, Drink and Die
- BULLETS, BROADS, BLACKMAIL & BOMBS >> Shelf-Clearing Shorts
- BULLETS, BROADS, BLACKMAIL & BOMBS >> Everyone’s a Winner
{ 1 comment… read it below or add one }
Grimhaven really is spectacular, and the title very apt. The Grifters is great also (I have one Thompson novelization that I haven’t been able to get my hands on, otherwise I’ve gone through his complete works). I’m now going to have to search for both Brewer books–I only recently started reading him with the Hardcase Crime reprint, Vengeful Virgin, which I enjoyed a lot.