BULLETS, BROADS, BLACKMAIL & BOMBS >> Variety Pack

This week, it's a mixed bag of material, all from authors I've covered before. We have the return of the lawyer who can do no wrong; a Gold Medal writer trying out his new set of spurs; and finally, an early adventure from a character whose series is slowly drawing to a close. Also, for those who come here for the covers, that first one is a personal favorite. I mean, hotsie-totsie! PERRY MASON SOLVES THE CASE OF THE DARING DIVORCEE by Erle Stanley Gardner — Sometimes I wish I could go back into time to the 1970s and pick up every mystery paperback, because I just love the photo covers from that time. Perry Mason books are a mixed bag; they are so plentiful that to come across a dud is no surprise. This 1964 one is not stellar Mason by any stretch, since it's one of those books that not only shows its age, but falters because of it. A woman wants Mason to be her divorce attorney, but leaves his office before she even has a meeting, leaving her purse behind. Then Perry gets a strange phone call from a a fellow attorney who is to represent the husband, which throws Perry since he never accepted the woman's case. When she never comes back for her bag, the real fun starts. In the purse is not only a large sum of money, but a gun that has been fired twice. This leads Perry to the Las Vegas home of Adelle Hastings, to whom the bag and gun belong, but she never set foot into his office. Come to find out, she is actually the third woman to have been married to Mr. Hastings. And then we find out Adelle's husband has been shot dead with two bullets. Again, this is not the strongest Mason. There's a lot of misdirection for readers, and items like answering machines are all the rage. The case itself is pretty open and shut, once more information is given out about the dead husband. Of course, it all comes down to greed and money. You're better off looking for a better Mason title or just pick up one of Gardner's Cool & Lam mysteries. Those never disappoint. LONGARM AND THE BLUE NORTHER by Tabor Evans — This 1981 title is the second LONGARM book that I have ghostwritten by Harry Whittington, the king of the paperbacks, so expectations were set high, and this story does not disappoint. It's very obvious that this could have easily been changed to a modern setting, since the bulk of the story comes off noir-like. But don't worry, Western fans: There is plenty of horses and gunfights to keep it in that genre. U.S. Marshal Custis Long — aka Longarm — is given an assignments his boss promises is a simple job: heading to Colorado and find out who is cutting the barbed wire that surrounds government land, and feeding their cattle on the government dime. Of course, this job is not simple once Longarm makes it to that area, especially when he is fired upon by a young woman named Mozelle Lobatos, whose family does not take too kindly to strangers. Yes, it's a cliché, but I can deal with it. Mozelle explains that she is a bad shot and was aiming for something else. She and Longarm head into town, where the real trouble kicks in. First, we come across a young actress named Amber, who is being attacked by the town troublemaker. Longarm takes it upon himself to be the white knight on the horse. Then, there's the local lawman, who does not appreciate Longarm coming into town. This being a Whittington Western, there are more problems a-brewing — namely, the actress is in a loveless marriage. I'm truly only scratching the surface of the story. Whittington peppers the book with a murder, a ROMEO AND JULIET-like subplot and an evil mastermind who wants all this land for himself. This LONGARM is literally packed with action from start to finish. It's well worth seeking out, even if you don't care for horse operas. JACK: SECRET HISTORIES by F. Paul Wilson — Normally, young-adult fiction is not what you would expect in this column. Now, I've covered some of the YOUNG BOND adventures, and, like those, these are treats for longtime fans of the main series. This 2008 book finds Wilson writing about the future Repairman Jack as a teen, with his whole family still intact. Fans of the series know full well that the death of Jack's mother — which is discussed in the first book, THE TOMB — is what set him on his career. But before all that, Jack was a normal kid with some close friends. Two, to be exact, who pop up later in GROUND ZERO. SECRET HISTORIES deals with this trio of teens discovering a dead body in the Pine Barrens of New Jersey, leading them to find a mysterious box that only Jack can open. We are introduced to some supernatural characters who will become central to the Repairman Jack series, including an old woman and a Vietnam vet who might have the power to heal by touch. But it's more about Jack as a teen, learning new skills, and reading pulps and comics. And then there are all the great references to the time this takes place. Anyone who grew up in the 1980s is going to get a great laugh about the computers, Atari games and what was on Jack's stereo. The main mystery is somewhat tied to the Otherness, while Jack finds out about his father's actions in Korea and how the triads try to keep that all very secret. This is a perfect introduction for teens. After they tackle this book and the sequel, SECRET CIRCLES, they may want to move onto the much larger series. The mystery does a fine job for its intended YA audience, but there are more than enough winks and nods to longtime fans to enjoy it, too. They will enjoy all the groundwork that Wilson lays down, knowing full well what's to come for young Jack. —Bruce Grossman Buy them at Amazon. OTHER BOOKGASM REVIEWS OF ERLE STANLEY GARDNER: • BATS FLY AT DUSK by Erle Stanley Gardner • THE BIGGER THEY COME by Erle Stanley Gardner • THE CASE OF THE HESITANT HOSTESS by Erle Stanley Gardner • THE CASE OF THE WAYLAID WOLF by Erle Stanley Gardner • THE CASEBOOK OF SIDNEY ZOOM by Erle Stanley Gardner • CROWS CAN'T COUNT by Erle Stanley Gardner • THE DANGER ZONE AND OTHER STORIES by Erle Stanley Gardner • FISH OR CUT BAIT by Erle Stanley Gardner • FOOLS DIE ON FRIDAY by Erle Stanley Gardner • GOLD COMES IN BRICKS by Erle Stanley Gardner • PERRY MASON SOLVES THE CASE OF THE PHANTOM FORTUNE by Erle Stanley Gardner • SOME SLIPS DON'T SHOW by Erle Stanley Gardner • SOME WOMEN WON'T WAIT by Erle Stanley Gardner • TRY ANYTHING ONCE by Erle Stanley Gardner OTHER BOOKGASM REVIEWS OF HARRY WHITTINGTON: • THE MAN FROM U.N.C.L.E. #2: THE DOOMSDAY AFFAIR by Harry Whittington • TO FIND CORA / LIKE MINK LIKE MURDER / BODY AND PASSION by Harry Whittington • YOU'LL DIE NEXT! by Harry Whittington OTHER BOOKGASM REVIEWS OF F. PAUL WILSON: • AFTERSHOCK & OTHERS: 19 ODDITIES by F. Paul Wilson • ALL THE RAGE by F. Paul Wilson • BLOODLINE by F. Paul Wilson • CONSPIRACIES by F. Paul Wilson • F. PAUL WILSON'S THE KEEP by F. Paul Wilson and Matthew Smith • GROUND ZERO by F. Paul Wilson • HOSTS by F. Paul Wilson • LEGACIES by F. Paul Wilson

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