I’ve been slacking in my reading of the Hard Case Crime books, for the simple reason I’ve got plenty of other books to be read. Now that’s not any type of insult to the fine folks at Hard Case, and to prove it, here are three from them.
GRIFTER’S GAME by Lawrence Block – The first book that Hard Case Crime ever put out has been sitting on my shelf since it came out. I’m ashamed it took this long for me to read it, especially since I’ve covered Block many times before. In this 1961 novel, Joe Marlin has made a life separating women from their money. He does a pretty good job at it, too, with a long list of names he uses for the right occasion. But the current girl he sets his eyes on turns out to just be a gold digger and decides he needs a change of venue.
That leads Joe to Atlantic City, where he steals some luggage, hoping the clothes inside will be a perfect fit. But once he digs through the case, he makes a very unexpected discovery: a box of heroin. He then goes into a panic of hiding the drugs, so he can claim innocence if he was seen taking the luggage.
While he kills time, he meets a young wife by the name of Mona. She wants to have a little bit of excitement since her husband barely even registers any sort of attention on her. Joe has some fun with this woman until she discovers her hubby’s luggage in Joe room. Mona is desperate to leave her husband and doesn’t care that Joe is a con man. They come up with a plot to not only get rid of the heroin, but also Mona’s husband.
Now for those who think they know the rest of the story, you’ll be mistaken, since what’s to come is totally a fresh idea. Block’s writing flows so smoothly, you can’t believe you’re almost done so quickly. Block also does not go for the clichés, but throws caution to the wind, ending the story perfectly.
FADE TO BLONDE by Max Phillips – From 2004, the second book put out by Hard Case is also the first originally written for the line. Ray Carson is a failed screenwriter turned muscle for hire. Like all good noir novels, this one follows a familiar path of a girl in trouble with a fistful of cash in her hand and a wealth of problems dogging her.
It seems Rebecca had great ideas of being a big-time actress, only to end up being the star of a few blue movies. She wants Ray to protect her from her former boss Halliday, one of the local toughs. (I’m guessing the Halliday character was a tribute to the Mike Shayne writer, since Ray has a few similarities to that redheaded detective.) As Ray investigates Halliday, he finds out the man is actually a small fry in the mob world of the valley, and that the real boss is a man named Scarpa, for whom Ray signs on to work, with the idea of taking him down from the inside. This upsets Rebecca, since she wants Ray to take care of Halliday now and not later.
The story moves along pretty quickly, and Phillips tries his best to harken to the time period, and does a masterful job with it, even with a few too many references that would not really have been used back in the day – mainly the discussion of certain Hitchcock films. But that won’t throw anyone from the plot, especially when Ray starts to really get to work, witnessing his “boss” settle a business dispute with a knife through a competitor’s tongue. Phillips plays the story so well, even though as I read it, I jokingly guessed Rebecca’s secret. It’s never tipped off, but for some reason, it just popped into my head. Still, this is a great original novel for a terrific line.
THE WOUNDED AND THE SLAIN by David Goodis – Finishing off this column is none other than the happy-go-lucky stories of Goodis, whose writing makes Thomas Hardy’s work filled with nothing but sunshine and lollipops by comparison. This 1955 book deals with death – the literal and the metaphorical – surrounding the Bevans, who are staying in Jamaica trying to save their dying marriage.
Cora Bevan is a cold fish who does not even want to be touched, leading James to search for an alternative. This is explained in the backstory; it’s also revealed why Cora is the way she is. While in Jamaica, James is pretty much drinking himself to death, going to areas best left unseen, especially at night. This leads to an altercation with gruesome results, becoming more apparent when James is approached by a man who wants to be paid off.
This is only the start to the grimness of the situation in this fantastic book. To put it bluntly, Goodis will never be part of the Oprah Book Club. It’s set in the darkest of the noir world, and Goodis should be the writer to whom all others are compared. His world is a brutal one where people make their own decisions. Compared to WOUNDED, Albert Camus’ THE STRANGER is a laugh riot. A big “thank you” to Hard Case to reprinting this lost classic, beause what the world needs now is noir, sweet noir – the darker, the better.
Next time: BABYLON 5 is a big pile of shit. –Bruce Grossman
OTHER BOOKGASM REVIEWS OF LAWRENCE BLOCK:
• THE BURGLAR IN THE LIBRARY by Lawrence Block
• THE BURGLAR IN THE RYE by Lawrence Block
• THE BURGLAR WHO THOUGHT HE WAS BOGART by Lawrence Block
• A DANCE AT THE SLAUGHTERHOUSE by Lawrence Block
• THE GIRL WITH THE LONG GREEN HEART by Lawrence Block
• HIT PARADE by Lawrence Block
• LUCKY AT CARDS by Lawrence Block
• THE SCORELESS THAI by Lawrence Block
• TANNER’S TWELVE SWINGERS by Lawrence Block
OTHER BOOKGASM REVIEWS OF DAVID GOODIS:
• NIGHT SQUAD by David Goodis
• NIGHTFALL by David Goodis
• STREET OF NO RETURN by David Goodis
{ 2 comments… read them below or add one }
Hey Bruce. I’ve read both of the first two books. I love them both. I’ve been enjoying reading the Hard Case Crime books.
I listened to the audiobook of GRIFTER’S GAME. It’s a great way to experience the book since the reader matches the protag’s hardboiled charm. Lawrence Block kept me with the grifter every step of the way to an ending…I wasn’t crazy about. Still, a good ride.
FADE TO BLONDE is excellent. Run out and steal it.