Sometimes, column ideas come to me really fast. Then I get sidetracked by other ideas. Well, after two months of being on the back burner, here’s the long-awaited tool-themed column, with the trade, of course, being murder.
THE AX by Donald E. Westlake – Ten years after the publication of this 1997 novel, the job market still is pretty bad, so this is still pretty relevant. Ever been laid off from a job with no employment opportunities in sight? What would you do to secure a position? Would you figure out ways to kill your competition? That’s the gist of Westlake’s stand-alone thriller.
Burke Devore is a normal type of joe who worked as a plant manger of a paper company – that is, until they moved the operation up to Canada. Now two years of unemployment later, Burke slowly has gone a bit off the rails, and devises a way to get an edge on his fellow job-seekers: eliminating anyone who is better qualified.
The way Westlake portrays Burke, he is never out of control or insane, even though he clearly is with the way he goes about this: matter of factly – first, with a Luger his father brought back from WWII, until two of the killings are tied to the same kind of gun. Then he gets more creative, luring victims by placing an ad in a trade publication.
Burke’s eyes are on the prize of a man named Upton “Ralph” Fallon, who has Burke’s perfect job. It’s just amazing Westlake makes this character sympathetic, all the while showing he is truly a monster. I get the feeling Dwight Schrute has a copy of THE AX at his desk, just waiting for the day to put some of these ideas into effect.
SHOTGUN by Ed McBain – This 1968 novel is part of McBain’s 87th Precinct series. This time out, our detectives Carella and Kling have a bit of mess right away: Someone took a shotgun to a married couple, taking off their heads and leaving a pulpy mess behind. But the good news for is they have a suspect in Walter Damascus … if only if they can find him.
As our detectives dig into the case, checking each lead, another case pops up: that of one Maggie Ryder, a woman who was stabbed to death in the chest, with absolutely no leads.
Throw in some of that trademark McBain repartee between the detectives and you’ve got yourself another winner. What’s great is even though you know who the killer is, you’re so caught up in it, you want to see the killer screw up to get caught. McBain paces the book so well for one of these little afternoon reads, with a great surprise toward the end that will keep everyone happy. But me telling you folks that one of the 87th series is a great read is like me telling you that ice cream tastes really good; it’s just a given.
HARDMAN #2: THE CHARLESTON KNIFE’S BACK IN TOWN by Ralph Dennis – Hardman is a private eye who really isn’t one – just a former cop who resigned from the force, for reasons that are explained in the first book of the series, but not talked about at all in this 1974 one. I’ll take a stab in the dark: probably corruption, of which he got framed.
Jim Hardman and his pal Hump – that’s right, Hump – are waiting for a prizefight to start. That’s when fate steps in, as some over-the-top pimp passes them and drops an invitation to a post-fight party. Never one to turn down a good time, Hump tries to convince Hardman to come along. Hardman is the one who gets off lucky, from the story Hump relates to him later that night.
The party was a total setup to a big-time robbery. The problem is some of the people that got robbed are not the most friendly sort – you know, the types with connections to people who like to hurt. Hump would’ve left it all alone and Hardman was not bothered, until a former friend of his sister comes by, claiming that her grandson might have been part of the crew who did the job. This puts our two anti-heroes on a collision course with the man called The Charleston Knife, who gets his jollies using the blade like he’s filleting a salmon.
Some truly brutal action happens. Sure, the plot moves pretty much as a race against who can find the culprits first: Hump and Hardman, or the Knife, who is leaving a bloody trail of people involved. Dennis crafts a fine little mystery with this book, with the city of Atlanta pretty much being a character unto itself.
From what I’ve read about Dennis, he wrote about seven of these books in one year alone, so I’m guessing some quality issues might be a problem with a few of them. If you come across these books in your travels, grab one or two. I mean, you could do worse for this type of story; I’m looking your way, Howard Hunt.
Next time: Pacino, Hackman and Matthau. –Bruce Grossman
OTHER BOOKGASM REVIEWS OF THESE AUTHORS:
• ASK THE PARROT by Richard Stark
• THE GUTTER AND THE GRAVE by Ed McBain
• KILLTOWN by Richard Stark
• LEARNING TO KILL: STORIES by Ed McBain
• LEMONS NEVER LIE by Richard Stark
• LET’S HEAR IT FOR THE DEAF MAN by Ed McBain
• THE MAN WITH THE GETAWAY FACE by Richard Stark
• PITY HIM AFTERWARDS by Donald E. Westlake
• POINT BLANK by Richard Stark
• THE PUSHER by Ed McBain
• THE SOUR LEMON SCORE by Richard Stark
• 361 by Donald E. Westlake
• TRANSGRESSIONS edited by Ed McBain
• WHAT’S SO FUNNY? by Donald E. Westlake
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Actually the Hardman series was one of my favorites from the “shockproof seventies.” The books were consistent and you got to where you really enjoyed seeing the characters show up. He was kind of like Rockford (a really seedy Rockford) before James Garner brought that character to life on television.
Know that you bring it up a seedy Rockford totally describes the book. Also I found out the reason for him being off the force had to deal with a girlfriend being involved with something.
All of these titles sound great. The McBain one is the only one of these I’ve actually read. I’ve enjoyed all the books of his I’ve ever read. This was one of my favorites.
The Ax is probably one of top 10 crime novels ever written. It will never feel or be dated.
I read the Ax a number of years ago and loved it. So good to see it getting more attention!!