Apologies to XTC for co-opting their title, but this time out is all about an assault on our senses, featuring two authors who’ve gotten plenty of coverage in this column before, and the third I’d been looking for and finally came across a copy in a stroke of luck.

A TAN AND SANDY SILENCE by John D. MacDonald – Recently, there has been a lot of discussion about MacDonald on various websites, with the basic statement being about how his writing would not appeal to most of the younger readers of today since it takes a long time to develop. Well, I find that the beauty of his work that it just doesn’t barrel its way through, leaving the reader a bit empty once it’s done.

See, it’s all about taking his sweet time in revealing the plot, and in this 1971 novel, Travis McGee is minding his own business on his ship, The Busted Flush. Then Harry Broll comes bursting into the scene with a gun, ready to kill Travis since Harry is under the belief that Travis was the last person to see his wife before she disappeared.

Years ago, Travis and Harry’s wife Mary were an item, but he has not seen her in years. So after Harry takes a few potshots at our hero, Travis makes it his job to find what’s going on, leading him to the island of Grenada. Using a false name to disguise himself, Travis is led to believe where the former Mrs. Broll is living in hiding. Her vanishing act was real-estate-related and Harry is trying to pull a fast one before anyone becomes the wiser.

Again, MacDonald takes his time with the narrative, giving us plenty of backstory and little asides, but never losing the fact that Travis is on a case he’ll figure out in the end. I’d much rather read a MacDonald book any day over some fast-paced high-tech thriller of today.

80 MILLION EYES - Ed McBain – I read this because I wanted some quick, old-school 87th Precinct fun. Like the previous books in the series, this 1966 one has two cases for our detectives to work their way through. The main story deals with a comedian dying on live TV. I’m not talking about his act bombing, either.

Stan Gifford was in the middle of a routine when, all of a sudden, he dropped like a stone. When his personal physician arrives, he believes it was poison that was the culprit. This leads our detective heroes Carella and Meyer into classic investigation mode, where they finger three suspects who were all with Gifford before he hit the screen, perhaps being poisoned by a pill taken earlier in the day. But how could Gifford have been killed if it takes six minutes to dissolve a pill taken hours before? That’s the puzzle these two have to work out pretty quick.

The secondary case deals with a man who arrives at a business to make his intentions known to a girl who works there. The problem: She has never met him before, and the guy punches out a cop in the process. Kling has to use every trick in the book to find the culprit, especially after the stalker makes another attempt on the girl one night.

Again, these books make me miss HOMICIDE so much since they play as well as that great TV show, where it takes time for a case to be solved and just can’t be tied up pretty in a bow. It’s all about the procedure.

TOUCH OF EVIL by Whit Masterson – Originally published under the title BADGE OF EVIL, this 1956 eventually got a name change, due to one Orson Welles. For those who are not familiar with the movie, go watch it now. For my money, it’s one of the best noir films ever made. There will be spoilers in this review since I’ll be discussing the changes Welles made for the film version.

Masterson is a nom de plume for authors Bob Wade and Bill Miller, who also wrote under the pseudonym of Wade Miller. There are major differences between their book and the Welles film. First, the whole novel takes place in Arizona, with the death of Rudy Linnekar, who is killed by dynamite, but in his beach home. Second, our hero is Mitch Holt, a young D.A. who is married with child and can’t believe that the daughter of Linnekar and her boyfriend were capable of killing her own father by blowing him up.

It becomes more apparent when Holt investigates that the couple has an airtight alibi, but the cops think otherwise. Capt. McCoy and his 30-year partner Quinlan claim to have found the dynamite. For those who have seen the film, you must be a bit confused, since Quinlan in the film is the man in charge. Welles combined the two men to make a menacing figure. In the book, Quinlan is not as evil, but does walk around with a cane due to taking a bullet.

Still, Holt is not sure of how these two have made this unbelievable discovery, especially when he finds the real killer who freely admits to the act. This sets the wheels in motion for Holt to figure out how many others have been railroaded by McCoy and Quinlan.

The two writers give us a great little crime drama, with most of the second half spent with Holt trying to prove he is right, even to the point that his family is attacked. This book has been on my to-find list for years and I’m not disappointed one bit. So even if you know the movie by heart, see the material that Welles would shape into his version. Just like their BRANDED WOMAN book put out by Hard Case Crime, you should search for anything these two have written; it’s prime noir.

Next time: I really hate the weather this time of year. –Bruce Grossman

Buy it at Amazon.