It’s another tribute to the fairer sex! I went with a classier title for this column, since terms like “hussies” and “jezebels” might offend some. This is for all those lovely broads who are central to most of my reading, be they broads, skirts, dinner preparers or even nymphs. I now present to you a trio of ladies that would make Helen Gurley Brown proud.
THIS GIRL FOR HIRE by G.G. Fickling — From the married writing team of Gloria and Forrest Fickling comes that sexy supersleuth Honey West. She was the female equivalent of Shell Scott, which should come as no surprise, since these writers were close associates of Richard Prather. Many remember the short-lived TV series based on the character, but wow, is that toned down from the books, since skinny dipping, heroin dealers and casual sex were not the norm for 1960s television. But Anne Francis sure looked hot in those outfits.
The 1957 novel opens with Honey at the murder scene of her client Herb Nelson, who seems to have been pushed or jumped in front of a train. This leads her into the world of television, where she meets some of the slimiest operators out there and thinks the best way to solve the case is from the inside, working with germ-freak perv Bob Swanson, who gives the word “lothario” a bad name.
This book is packed with backstabbing and double-crosses, as Honey discovers all the other problems of these characters, adding to the excitement of the central mystery. It’s well worth seeking out these books; I have two others with the same type of covers relying on the TV show. The Ficklings have a lot of fun taking shots at the Hollywood set and making what seems to be the first feminist detective, who not only uses her brain but her body to get to the bottom of things.
BODYGUARD #2: THE BLONDE TARGET by Richard Reinsmith — Ray Martin is a professional bodyguard, and that is the whole description of our titular character of this 1980 effort. I wish I was making this up, but the character development is about as deep as a puddle on the sidewalk.
The “story” deals with Ray being hired to protect a blonde actress named April Harris. He’s hired after two attempts to kill her. Again, this plot is so full of holes, that if it were cheese, it would be Swiss. Yes, I know this series was not meant to be deep, but this plot was just an excuse to string a few sex scenes into it. Ray not only beds April, but her best friend.
The book takes us through his whole operation, which from the looks of it, was sitting in some house, waiting things out. There is an attempt on April during Ray’s watch, but it’s such a non-event of action. But wait — let me tell you fine folks about the group of men who capture Ray and April’s friend, who is then raped over and over until she shoots one of her captors and frees Ray. When it’s revealed who is behind all this trouble and why, most readers are going to be like, “You’ve got to be kidding me. Can’t this person get over it already and find someone new?”
Here is a spoiler: It’s one of April’s old boyfriends who did not take their breakup well. Yeah, all this truly horrific crap happens because she dumped him. This has been the only book in the series I’ve ever come across, and guess what? It will also be the last. A total waste of time, and totally forgettable.
HONKY-TONK GIRL by Jean Holbrook — Oh, it’s one of those sex books from the 1960s — how saucy! But also so tame for the world we live in. The 1966 novel tells the story of one tight-ass librarian named Marian Hastings. She seems to be a cold fish sitting there at the school, making out like she is an ice queen. But what people don’t know is once she leaves her job, she changes her persona into a sex-starved woman who drives out of town to get her kicks, with any man in her sight.
We get to witness her conquests, be it a bartender who gets his rocks off leaving her in the lurch, or a 17-year-old hitchhiker who satisfies her every need. She wants to rush back to him, only for him to reveal his true self, taking charge in their follow-up night of passion. Then there is the student she jumps while in school to scratch that itch of hers. Sadly, though, they are caught by the janitor, sending the young student to drive off a bridge.
I’m not joking: This book is a melodramatic muddle which tries to be titillating, making Marian out to be like the town bicycle. It’s so maudlin and so far in left field, but this was the point of these books. Any romance out there today is probably more graphic. As you see from the cover, this is one of those two-in-one collections, but after reading the first two chapters, I fully understood the gist: A wanton woman left alone daily will sleep with anyone who knocks on her door. The end.
Next time: Clearing off the Spillane shelf. —Bruce Grossman
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I’ve read some of the Bodyguard series, I think I got 3 of them at once. As bad as you say, but then they get worse, and the girls keep getting younger.
Honey West. Ahhh…an essential part of my mid-60s coming-of-age! I recently read a new edition of KISS FOR A KILLER and was astonished at how much more went on than we saw on TV. Still, for me at 12 or 13, Anne Francis was plenty good enough.