Hard Case uncovers lost novels from Dodge, Crichton
Hard Case Crime already has issued one novel from TO CATCH A THIEF author David Dodge, the adventure PLUNDER OF THE SUN. Now it’s set to do another, but this time with one that’s never been published before.
According to Hard Case editor Charles Ardai, THE LAST MATCH is “a terrific, sprawling international adventure,” and he’s working with Dodge’s daughter to copy-edit the completed draft the late author left behind following his death in 1974. “This is a major discovery for fans of classic paperback crime fiction and we’re very proud to be publishing what amounts to a new David Dodge novel for the first time in more than 30 years!” he said.
In other Hard Case news, the company is set to resurrect the work of John Lange, whose work in suspense fiction hasn’t seen print in almost three decades. In the 1960s, he authored the thrillers ODDS ON, ZERO COOL, THE VENOM BUSINESS and GRAVE DESCEND, the latter of which Hard Case will be publishing. Upon its original publication, GRAVE was nominated for an Edgar Award. Oh, and Lange is a pseudonym employed by none other than superstar writer Michael Crichton.
[...] Until this edition, Dodge’s work has long been out of print. Thankfully, Hard Case will continue to rectify that. –Rod Lott [...]
[...] If the Lange name rings a bell, there’s good reason why. And DESCEND exhibits the trademarks of the author’s similar early works, particularly A CASE OF NEED: a blunt, to-the-point protagonist; very short, no-nonsense scenes; quick flashes of action; and, at its heart, a puzzle that’s truly puzzling and at least two steps ahead of the reader. –Rod Lott [...]