Anne Whitlow #01 - Moura

Like her contemporary in Phyllis Whitney, Virginia Coffman (1914-2005) was a cornerstone of gothic fiction in the middle of the twentieth century. The author was born in San Francisco and graduated from University of California, Berkeley in 1938. After college, Coffman worked as a fan-mail secretary and in public relations for studios like Monogram, RKO and Columbia. She eventually moved to Nevada and became a full-time novelist. She authored over 100 books, mostly gothic romance or gothic suspense. Her 1959 novel, Moura, is considered a highlight of contemporary gothic fiction. It has been reprinted numerous times and exists today in physical and digital editions. The bestselling novel also inspired four sequels.

The book begins in England in 1815 and stars an Irish woman named Anne Wicklow. Wicklow is employed as a housekeeper at Miss Nutting's Academy of Select Young Females, a type of boarding school. In the opening pages, Miss Nutting and three teachers are away, leaving discipline and schooling to Anne. One of her charges, Palla Florin, is from France and has recently arrived at the school. But, late one night her uncle, Edmund Moura, arrives at the school and notifies Anne that Palla is to be shipped back to her French home, the eponymous Castle Moura. Anne approves the request and shortly afterwards Palla leaves.

Weeks later, Anne begins receiving letters from Palla providing status updates. The letters begin on a positive note, but over time they become more desperate and darker. Anne, worried about Palla's health, decides to visit Castle Moura. Once there, she learns from Edmund and his servant Achilles that Palla has a lung disease and isn't at Castle Moura any longer. However, Edmund makes a lucrative offer to Anne to remain at the castle as the housekeeper. Unfortunately, she accepts.

Castle Moura is as dark as a mortuary drape. The Moura family is fairly disorganized so Anne spends a great deal of time exploring and cleaning the castle. But there's some weird stuff going on in the workplace. For example, there's packs of wolves that patrol the castle walls at night, prohibiting anyone from traveling after dark. A young servant is found dead and there are signs of a ghostly apparition haunting the dark corridors. Moura learns from a visitor that the preceding maid disappeared in the castle and that the Mouras may have been involved in her disappearance. When Anne makes a horrifying discovery in an upstairs bedroom, she learns that she may be a prisoner in this house of horror.

I really enjoyed this classic gothic tale. The central mystery of Palla's whereabouts is combined with Anne's own fear that something evil is lurking within the castle's walls. I found the surprise reveal quite satisfying and felt it really shaped the narrative going forward. Location, atmosphere and mysterious characters enhance the story, combining both horror, suspense and romance into a whirlwind of intrigue. I can certainly understand the book's popularity. Considering there's more to this story and its characters, I've already purchased used copies of the second and third installments.  

Anne Whitlow Series

1. Moura (New York, Crown 1959)
2. The Beckoning (New York, Ace 1965 and as The Beckoning from Moura 1977)
3. The Devil Vicar (New York, Ace, 1966; revised edition as Vicar of Moura 1972.)
4. The Dark Gondola (New York, Ace, 1968; and as The Dark Beyond Moura 1977)
5. The Vampyre of Moura (New York, Ace 1970)
6. Return to Moura (1999, same as The Devil Vicar)

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Gull #01 - That Man Gull

In detective novels, there have been instances where the protagonist was not necessarily a private investigator. In these stories, the characters can work as a newspaper reporter (Night Extra), accountant (Steve Bentley) or lawyer (City Limits), but still display the same features of a hard boiled detective. The same can be said for the espionage genre, with professions like arms-dealers (Your Friendly Neighborhood Death Peddler), bank-robbers (Earl Drake) and private-eyes (Chester Drum) submerging themselves into the global spy industry. That formula applies to Vladimir Gull. This was a six-book series of novels starring a freelance language translator authored by Anthony Stuart. The books were originally published in hardcover and then reprinted as paperbacks by Fawcett Popular Library beginning in 1981. I'm starting at the beginning with the series debut, That Man Gull.

Vladimir Chaikov was a soldier in the Russian Red Army before defecting to England in the late 1950s. Now, as Vladimir Gull, he's a freelance language translator that often accepts assignments working for the United Nations. In the book's opening pages, this is where readers find Gull. He's working in a small sound booth at a global meeting for foreign powers. Each country's chosen representative or leader is wearing a headset with their understood language being fed in by the interpreter. When Gull finds a gun to the back of his head, he's forced to relay a Soviet Union message to the English speakers. In the message, which is heard by China (for some reason), Gull relays that the Soviet Union and the United States have reached a peaceful agreement based on their concerns over China. Gull is then forced to read a list of war crimes committed by China before finally being knocked unconscious.

Upon his awakening, Gull learned that most of the hostilities had abated and that China had been informed of the false message. But, Gull has a suspicion that his former lover may have something to do with the scheme. The idea is that the message may intrigue China enough to purchase stolen Russian information. Stuart's narration puts Gull in Bucharest in search of that woman. On the way, he gets laid, chases a former CIA agent and avoids any action that could make That Man Gull interesting.

Stuart's writing is similar to that of Howard Hunt in that the novel contains extensive descriptions of European specialties, wines and culture. The writing is good, but there is simply not enough history here to enable Gull or his lovers to produce anything engaging for the reader. Often, I ended up counting the pages or jumping through long sequences of dialogue that have no impact on the story. At 220 pages, the book is likely 70 pages too many. Despite the cover of the book, the "hero" does not like firearms and at one point holds one, but is not familiar with it to actually use it. He even appears excited when he loses his weapon. These are not attributes that give me hope that the other five books are any better.

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Delaney #01 - Blind Justice

Charles Herbert Shaw (1900-1955) was an Australian journalist and author. In 1952, Shaw's first novel, Heaven Knows Mister Allison, became an international bestseller and he sold the film rights to Eastern Film Enterprises, Inc. In 1953, Shaw used the name Bant Singer to write You're Wrong, Delaney, the first of four novels starring a drifter named Dennis Delaney. The book was published as a hardcover by Collins in Europe. In the United States it was published as a paperback by Pyramid as Blind Alley.

Delaney is a card sharp that has ran pool rooms and small gambling circuits for a number of years. As a WW2 veteran, he can run roughshod over any players that become drunk or out of line. For the last year, Delaney has been working for a criminal named Martini. As the book begins, Delaney has fled to a town 100-miles away in Black Springs. It's here that he's being questioned by a police detective named Keough about his possible involvement in Martini's slaying. Delaney explains that he had a physical struggle with Martini's right-hand man, Peters, but that beyond that he has no knowledge of this man's death.

Keough, who is immediately likable, lets Delaney go under the strict rule that he cannot leave Black Springs while the investigation is still underway. Hard up for a dollar, Delaney finds the local pool hall and chums around with a man he calls Fats. Fats leads him to an illegal gambling scene where Delaney has Fats use loaded dice to win the duo a wad of cash. But, when Fats tries to leave with the money, Delaney tracks him into an alley. It's here that Fats is lying face down in what appears to be a drunken blackout. Delaney grabs the money and an envelope and heads to a hotel room. In the morning, he learns that Fats are dead. Now, Keough could possibly pen both Martini and Fats on Delaney.

With 190 pages of small print, there's plenty beyond Delaney just trying to clear his name. He falls in love with a maid named Kathy while trying to extort money from a bride named Elaine. Fats were having an affair with the woman and that valuable information was found in the envelope. For 500 bucks, Delaney won't say anything about the affair. Otherwise, Elaine's husband will be notified.

Shaw's writing style is really catchy. He writes it in the first person, but Delaney's narrative is more a story. According to The Australian Dictionary of Biography, Shaw wrote in a 'terse and laconic prose. It's really clever and funny with Delaney's downtrodden perspective on life and his experiences. While the series is described as being "detective-fiction", I can't really imagine Delaney as a detective. I'd like to obtain the other books in the series just to learn what Delaney is actually doing with those books. He's not a cop or a detective, more like a con artist similar to Frank Gruber's Johnny Fletcher. But for now, all I have is just this series debut and I thoroughly enjoyed it.

Series Order:

1. You're Wrong Delaney (aka Blind Alley) 1953
2. Don't Slip, Delaney (1954)
3. Have Patience, Delaney (1954)
4. Your Move, Delaney (1956)

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Teen-Age Mobster (aka The Life and Times of a Tough Guy)

Benjamin Appel (1907-1977) grew up in Hell's Kitchen, NY, and attended the University of Pennsylvania and New York University. He authored over 20 novels between 1934 to 1977. Most of his crime-fiction involved the tough urban streets of New York City. One such example is the juvenile crime novel Life and Death of a Tough Guy. It was originally released in 1955 and republished by Stark House Press. In addition, Avon released the book as Teen-Age Mobster in 1960.

The book starts with the introduction of the main character, Joey Kasow, when he is four years old. He lives in Hell's Kitchen among the gangs and the criminal underworld of that era. Because of his speed, his father has him running errands throughout the city. But Joey, being Jewish, is at times taken by his peers and subjected to humiliating jokes and violent beatings. After running afoul of a young group of bullies, Joey takes his beating, but is later accepted by the pack. As the story progresses, Joey grows up with those children and establishes a street gang called 1-4-Alls. 

At the age of 15, Joey and some of the 1-4-All gang join a larger, more violent gang called The Badgers. This group is run by small-time hoods that become a staple in Joey's life. These seasoned criminals turn Joey and his friends into small-scale robbers working in department stores. This involves training the kids on how to avoid the retail cops and how to make a swift grab by consistently displaying an innocent face. 

Ultimately, Joey's rise to criminal superstardom involves the armed robbery of department stores and grocery stores. In January 1920, all bars and saloons of the nation were closed as a result of prohibition. The Badgers' gambling, whore and holdup money begin to seem elementary compared to the big bucks of running moonshine. Appel's narrative begins to tighten up as Joey Kasow becomes the gangster known as Joey Case. His rise to criminal stardom, his eventual struggles with a friend and former gang-associate Georgie and his love interest in a young woman named Sadie are all important elements of the story.

There's nothing not to dislike about this rags to riches story. It possesses many of the juvenile delinquent genre offerings of the era. As a biography of this fictional Joey Kasow character, Appel's narrative is often violent with historical references to Al Capone, Dutch Schultz and Thomas Dewey. If you like early mobster fiction or this notorious era of American history, I think you will enjoy Appel's novel. I'm not a huge fan of the run 'n gun 1920s and 1930s, so Teen-Age Mobster didn't quite grasp my attention as well as crime-noir novels set in later time periods. As a quick read, I mostly enjoyed it.

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Ben Corbin #1: Sgt. Corbin’s War

Among the over 100 books he authored employing a variety of pseudonyms, Con Sellers (1922-1992) wrote a six-book series starring a soldier-turned-CIA operative Ben Corbin under the pen name Robert Crane. The series debut was 1963's Sgt. Corbin’s War and it takes place long before the hero became a spy. 

It’s late in the Korean War, and U.S. Army Sergeant Ben Corbin is an unusual asset for the military. Having been born and raised in Korea by American missionaries, Corbin speaks the Korean language fluently, has a keen understanding of cultural norms, and a spitting hate for North Korean commies. As such, he’s the guy chosen to interrogate North Korean prisoners of war, something he does with a cruel and torturous glee. He’s also an unlikely hero in the novel’s opening scene as he removes the fingernails of an enemy P.O.W. with a sharpened bayonet. Regardless of your opinions on torture, it’s a rough read. 

Corbin has a pessimistic view of U.S. military leadership and believes that the war effort needs a hand-picked unit comprised of a few G.I.s and trusted Republic of Korea soldiers unbound by the red tape of a formal command structure. It would be a unit that could really take it to the NoKos without the handcuffs of the pesky Geneva Convention rules of war. He pitches this idea to a General who grants him low-key permission to form a unit to kill the enemy without any micromanaging. With that blessing, Corbin’s Invader Security Force is born. 

As Corbin begins hand-picking his fighting unit, his first stop is a sexy Korean woman named Kim Chuni, who was a key figure during the resistance against the Japanese rule over Korea that ended in 1945. Nowadays, she’s a black marketeer and underworld figure. Her ostensible job in Corbin’s war unit is interpreter, but her real role is providing intel on the ground as well as having regular sex with Corbin. The rest of Corbin’s Army is Korean fighters and hard-case Americans with a distaste for authority and a taste for blood. 

The battle scenes are vivid, violent and well-written. However, much of the paperback is dedicated to Corbin feeling deeply between the worlds of his Korean upbringing and his American blood. He’s also struggling with the legacy of a strict religious father whose evangelism left deep scars in Corbin. The overwritten trajectory of the romantic partnership of Corbin and Kim mostly left me cold as well. 

Overall, Sgt. Corbin’s War was just okay. Our friends at Spy Guys and Gals website say it’s the highlight of the series. As such, I don’t see much need to dive deeper into the world of Ben Corbin. 

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Ghost Bullet Range (aka Blood on the Saddle)

One of the most collectible pulp magazines of all time is the August 9, 1919 issue of All-Story Weekly. This publication featured the first of a five-part series called "The Curse of Capistrano". It was the first appearance of the wildly popular western hero known as Zorro. The character and story were created by Johnston McCulley (1883-1958), a World War I veteran from Ottawa, Illinois. Not only did McCulley create Zorro, but he excelled in the pulps by creating characters like The Crimson Clown, The Green Ghost and Black Star. Additionally, McCulley wrote hundreds of short stories and novelettes including Ghost Bullet Range. This novel first appeared in the September, 1942 issue of West. In 1944, Avon released the book as a paperback titled Blood on the Saddle. The book is now available in both softback and ebook version through Florida independent publisher Bold Venture Press.

Ghost Bullet Range features an experienced and highly respected trail boss named Phil Banniton. When readers first meet Banniton, he's in a firefight on the Kansas plains just outside of Dodge City. The fight stems from a quarrel the prior night over beer, poker and a gallon of testosterone. After Banniton won some money off of Sid Boyd, he becomes a target on the range. This gunfight is just an introduction to Banniton to insure readers that he's of the “admirable white-hat traditional western hero” variety. 

Later, one of Banniton's old friends shows up with a message. The Diamond W ranch, owned by Andy Walsh, is being bullied by a nest of land baron vipers. Banniton's reaction to this emotional message is mixed. Walsh raised Banniton and had groomed him as the ranch's successor. But the two had a falling out and Banniton resigned his position at the ranch. Banniton not only severed ties with Walsh, but also extinguished the romantic relationship he was having with Walsh's daughter Ella. Banniton still feels a sense of obligation to Walsh. Additionally, one of Banniton's best friends was murdered on the ranch. These emotions all play a part in Banniton's participation to defend the Diamond W.

McCulley's narrative moves at a brisk pace and is loaded with nonstop action. Banniton's investigation into who is killing off the Diamond W ranch hands is an interesting part of the story. As the body count grows, the only clue seems to be the vague words "spotted steer" that is often whispered by dying men. The trouble comes in waves as Banniton faces this mysterious killer, a rival ranch and a nemesis that's pressuring Walsh to sell the ranch cheaply.

There's nothing to really dislike about Ghost Bullet Range. As an early 20th century western, it contains all of the likable aspects of the genre - noble hero, savage range war, damsel in distress and the evil rival rancher. The spotted steer clue resulted in a rather disappointing revelation, but this wasn't a deal breaker. McCulley's propulsive pace placed these characters in many different locations throughout the story. As a reader, I never found myself confined to a saloon, ranch, prairie or house. The action is a spread out to deliver a more epic presentation.

If you like classic westerns, Ghost Bullet Range is sure to please. Buy a copy of the book and support independent publishing HERE.

Where Are the Children?

With decades of bestsellers, Mary Higgins Clark (1927-2020) was considered the queen of suspense. Of her 51 novels, the majority contained women in precarious situations, both physically and emotionally. In 1964, she began writing four-minute radio scripts before expanding into novels. Her first book, Aspire to the Heavens, is a fictional account of George Washington's life. After that flopped in 1968, she transcended into the suspense genre. Her second novel, Where Are the Children?, was published in 1975 as a runaway best-seller. 

Years ago, young California native Nancy Harmon was arrested for allegedly smothering her two children in the backseat of her car. After their bodies were dumped in the ocean, a sensational trial swept the nation. In court, Nancy's character became questionable and a key witness, one of her husband's students, would have been the condemning voice. After jury members were overheard in a restaurant declaring her guilty, a new trial was ordered. The key witness surprisingly skipped town and was never heard from again. Nancy was never convicted, her husband committed suicide, and then she disappeared out of public view.

Now, decades later, Nancy has a new life in the quaint coastal town of Cape Cod. It's here that she's married to a real estate broker named Ray. The couple have two young children and are living a blissful, uneventful life. Besides her husband and one of his sales agents, the town isn't aware that Nancy Eldredge is the same Nancy Harmon that became a media sensation years before. 

In the opening pages of the book, readers learn that a psycho has leaked the secret surrounding Nancy Eldredge to the local paper. However, his request was that the local newspaper holds the story until her birthday. Clark's novel takes place on the day of Nancy's birthday, a heartbreaking 24-hour thriller. Not only did the psychopath plan to leak the story to the press, he also planned to kidnap her two children in a sadistic repeat of the shocking events from years ago. When Nancy discovers that her two children have disappeared from the backyard, chaos ensues and the whole town wonders where the children are.

Admittedly, I was skeptical to read a novel by Mary Higgins Clark. Throughout my childhood, I remember my aunts and grandmothers reading her books and would often see the overly dramatic commercials for numerous television adaptations. Despite my recent obsession with gaudy gothic paperbacks, I still believed that Clark may just be a bit too hokey for me. I now realize I did Clark and her fans a serious disservice. Where Are the Children? is fantastic.

The novel certainly has a surplus of suspense, but it also has everything that readers of detective novels will be able to profit from. The likable town sheriff plays an important role and provides the appropriate procedural techniques under the most unfavorable conditions. With an ice storm obstructing the investigation, there are intense interrogations, detailed manhunts and roadblocks to keep the characters and readers busy.

I also thought the mystery of Nancy's entire life was absolutely fascinating. She had more information on the death of her family in California, and this element is cleverly concealed for most of Clark's story. That trial's mysterious key witness also plays a large role with an extortion gamble similar to a good mid 20th century crime-noir. Who is the psychopath, what is his relationship with Nancy and will he succeed are all questions that consume the central framework of the book. 

Despite all the preconceptions you have about Mary Higgins Clark, you really need to read one of her novels. I strongly recommend Where Are the Children? But beware, it's violent, disturbing, scary and a consuming page-turner. 

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