When you see the names of today’s three authors, their best-known creations likely come to mind. But here are three books outside of their most famous creations, deserving of much-needed exposure. We kick things off from a man who probably created one of the all-time most popular literary figures. Of course, I’m talking about Ian Fleming and CHITTY CHITTY BANG BANG. He also wrote some spy series of note that seems pretty popular.
THE DIAMOND SMUGGLERS by Ian Fleming – This 1957 book has been in my collection for years, after I mistakenly thought it was DIAMONDS ARE FOREVER and bought it. Once I got home and realized my mistake, I put it aside, where it remained for year. Here’s the problem: It portrays itself as a true story that’s been fictionalized, which is fine by me, except nothing of interest ever happens, unless you find the mining process and descriptions of the African Coast thrilling.
See, we are led to believe that Fleming is being told this story by one John Blaize. (Even after Blaize’s introduction, you get the feeling this is really just research for Fleming for one of his other books.) So the story is supposedly about this diamond-smuggling ring in Africa, but it’s more like a CliffsNotes version of a John le Carré novel, since all that happens is just a whole lot of talking and telling stories.
If you are a die-hard Fleming fan who needs to read everything, then sure, pick this up. It takes all of an hour and a half to read. But for everyone else, just make do with that spy series, because nobody does it better … well, except Donald Hamilton.
LINE OF FIRE by Donald Hamilton – Best known for his long-running Matt Helm series, Hamilton did write a few other books, including Westerns, true accounts of his hunting exploits, and some top-notch thrillers. From 1955, LINE OF FIRE fits in perfectly with this latter bunch, since Hamilton’s novels are filled with something sorely lacking in most of today’s fiction: really manly men – the type who would hunt and take shit from nobody.
The book is actually like a men’s adventure for the Field & Stream set, unlike most books that feature out-of-control gun porn. This story has its share of gun descriptions, but these are mainly rifles and weapons that hunters would normally use – not some high-tech firepower for a Navy SEAL.
We meet our narrator Paul as he is situated in an empty building, setting up a shot, while a man named Whitey is there being a hindrance, smoking and making small talk. Paul was hired to take a shot at a man named Maney, but once he pulls the trigger and Maney goes down, an unexpected thing happens: a woman enters the room who should not have been there, compromising their plans. Unlike Whitey, Paul is not the type to just shoot a witness to protect himself, so he does the only thing he can: blowing apart Whitey.
But Paul stills needs to take care of this girl so she won’t be a thorn in his plans. This sets off the novel in such a way you won’t see coming. Paul is just a local hired gun who runs a gun shop, but has ties to crime boss Carl Gunderman – the money behind the operation. Carl is a bit upset that not everything went to plan and wants Paul to pay for it. This book is a like a testosterone overdrive with Paul coming off as a slightly less cold Helm – a man who knows what his job is and will not let anyone tell him different.
BLUE CITY by Ross Macdonald – Originally published under his real name of Kenneth Millar, this 1947 hard-boiled classic has Johnny Weather coming back to the town he grew up in, after years of being away – not by choice, but his mother left his father all those years ago. Then once he grew up and left the Army, he figured it was time to catch up with dear old Dad.
But once he arrives in town, things are very different: Most of the property his father controlled are under new owners. See, two years before, Johnny’s father was killed in an unsolved mystery. As John investigates his father’s death, he comes across information that his father was the truly bad influence on the town, running slot machines and the like while paying off the local cops. Johnny figures it’s his job to straighten out this mess, no matter who faces him – in this case, Keith, the new local boss. But every little step of progress Johnny makes throws him back further.
This is a great noir story in the vein of Dashiell Hammett’s RED HARVEST. Hopefully, someone will reissue this along with the overabundance of Lew Archer novels out there, since this is truly a lost classic that holds up better than some of its contemporaries.
Next time: It’s just common sense. –Bruce Grossman
OTHER BOOKGASM REVIEWS OF DONALD HAMILTON:
• THE AMBUSHERS by Donald Hamilton
• THE BETRAYERS by Donald Hamilton
• THE INTERLOPERS by Donald Hamilton
• THE INTIMIDATORS by Donald Hamilton
• IRON MEN AND SILVER STARS edited by Donald Hamilton
• THE MENACERS by Donald Hamilton
• MURDERERS’ ROW by Donald Hamilton
• NIGHT WALKER by Donald Hamilton
• TEXAS FEVER by Donald Hamilton
• THE VANISHERS by Donald Hamilton
OTHER BOOKGASM REVIEWS OF ROSS MACDONALD:
• THE ARCHER FILES by Ross Macdonald
• BLACK MONEY by Ross Macdonald
• THE WAY SOME PEOPLE DIE by Ross Macdonald
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I discovered Macdonald several centuries ago (it was actually the late 60s but it seems like centuries) when I was in college, read everything he’d written up to that point, then kept up until his last book was published in the mid-70s. “Blue City”, as well as I can remember, was the best of his non-Archer novels. It was also made into a godawful movie with Judd Nelson in the 80s, and if you ever run across it run in another direction.
Pretty neat seeing some books mentioned by authors better known for other works. I always thought it was interesting that Fleming did Chitty Chitty Bang Bang. I can remember watching that movie a lot as a kid. I’ve heard of the Diamond Smugglers, but never read it. I have been meaning to try to read more Donald Hamilton. Been wanting to really check out his Helm books.