I made a point to read a lot of traditional (prose) books this summer. Like all of us, I get frustrated at how much I look at my phone, how I have a shorter attention span, etc. I hoped having the discipline to read books would help.
And don’t worry! I read plenty of comic books too.
Baby, It’s Murder
Baby, It’s Murder is the last (I hope it really isn’t) book in Titan’s Mike Hammer series. For years now, Max Allan Collins has been collaborating, after a fashion, with his mentor, Mickey Spillane. With the author’s blessings, he’s been taking outlines, lost chapters and notes for books that Spillane never finished and weaving them into engaging detective thrillers.
I know it’s sacrilege, but at this point in my life, I like the Spillane+Collins collabs better than the original Spillane Mike Hammer books.
This book, Baby, It’s Murder , pulls together many threads from Hammer’s life. If this is the last, it’s a good way to wrap it up. There are few surprises that Collins lets the reader figure out before the hero does, and a few zingers in there too. I’ll miss this series – but thankfully Max Allan Collins is very prolific.
Of note: This was one was from the Titan Booth at SDCC. There were so many outstanding books on sale there this year. But I say that every year.
The Maze
Nelson DeMille has claimed that he’s also wrapping up this John Corey series of thrillers with The Maze. This one picks up right on the heels of Radiant Angel, and is a showcase for DeMille/Corey at his wisecracking best. There are so many witty quips in this one that I struggled to steal as many as I can remember.
DeMille keeps the pages turning quickly with both witticisms and action. It was a treat to spend some more time the protagonist, cocky wiseass John Corey. I think I was 10% more cocky after I read this book.
The Shameless
The Shameless is another southern fried thriller by Ace Atkins. I was first introduced to his writing when he took over the Spenser series after Robert Parker’s passing and was so impressed that I sought out this series.
We visited Nashville this summer—and had a great time—although I don’t know much about country music. This series is kind of like that for me. I don’t know much about the south, or the music that characters reference, but I still “kinda got it”. And enjoyed it so very much. Ace Atkins has is a natural at fleshing out all kinds of characters, especially the reprobates, and giving them crisp and clever dialog. I need to keep up with this author.
Rough Weather
Speaking of which, Rough Weather was a Spenser novel, written by Robert Parker, that, for whatever reason, I missed back in the day. It was published in 2008. I picked up a pristine hardcover copy at a book sale for just a buck.
What fun. It was invigorating to be back in Boston with Spenser and his supporting characters, especially Hawk. It made me want to hop in the car and spend a weekend in that great town.
This clever thriller tagged all the bases that Spenser fans enjoy, and made me miss Robert B. Parker all the more.
Sex, Lies and Serious Money
For a while, I was reading a lot of Stuart Woods’ Stone Barrington novels. They were bright and breezy. I recently found a nice, cheap hardcover copy of Sex, Lies and Serious Money at a book sale. I can’t say I loved this one, though. It seems like Woods was phoning it in. Maybe he was, he died shortly after this.
It’s naïve, but I like to think that I will love every work by my favorite authors forever, but the truth of the matter, that sometimes we outgrown them and sometimes they outgrow us.
