Annalisa

Forbes Rydell was a pseudonym for crime-fiction author Deloris Stanton Forbes (1923-2013) and Helen B. Rydell. The two collaborated on four novels including Annalisa, originally published in 1959 in hardcover. Thanks to Cutting Edge Books, the book is finally back in print 63 years later as both an ebook and paperback. 

Dana Hebert takes a leave from the military to return to his hometown in Louisiana. His younger brother Claude is marrying a childhood friend named Annalisa. It is Dana's hopes that he can convince Claude and the family to cancel the wedding to secure his brother's safety and sanity. But, what does Annalisa possess that could create such a deep harboring resent within Dana's tortured soul?

Through murky flashbacks, readers learn that Dana and Claude's parents were murdered by Annalisa's mother in a jealous rage. The two brothers were raised in a grand estate owned by Annalisa's Grand'mere. It is here in this half-castle that the two befriended young Annalisa and the three grew up together. 

Dana's reunion is met with stiff opposition from Claude, a frustrated young man that feels Dana is in love with Annalisa. Grand'mere seems to know more about the brothers' past but has withheld murderous secrets from the family. Additionally, Grand'mere's sister Celia warns Dana that a killer is stalking the halls of Bon Plaisir. As the wedding grows nearer, Dana and Claude return to their parent's derelict abandoned mansion to search for answers regarding Annalisa and who may have really been behind the smoking gun that night. 

Annalisa is a well-written, patient Southern Gothic that dangles all of the answers just a few inches from captivated readers. As the narrative unfolds, the mysteries of Dana and Claude's family is unveiled in a rewarding fashion. The old cemetery, cavernous mansion, and sweeping Spanish moss provides enough rainy day atmosphere to enhance this enjoyable mystery. If you love Mignon G. Eberhart, Elisabeth Sanxay Holding, and Elizabeth Fenwick then Annalisa is sure to please. Recommended. Get it HERE.

Ranking February Reads

On this special episode, Paperback Warrior ranks the best reads of February, 2025. It's a countdown from worst to first as Eric offers capsule reviews and recaps for all 17 reads from the month of February. Stream below, download HERE, or watch the video presentation complete with book covers on YouTube HERE.

Listen to "Ranking: February 2025" on Spreaker.

The Final Gate

Encyclopocalypse Publications offers a tantalizing assortment of cult cinema novelizations or film tie-in books. But, the publisher also sports a robust catalog of original novels featuring horror, action, and science-fiction themes. I stumbled upon their 2021 horror publication The Final Gate in the Kindle store. The book is authored by Wesley Southard (Cruel Summer, Try Again) and Lucas Mangum (Saint Sadist, Gods of the Dark Web) and remains in both ebook and paperback editions. 

The book opens with an introduction, “Seas of Darkness, Gates of Hell”, written by Ryan Harding (The Night Stockers, Sixty-Five Stirrup Iron Road) explaining that The Final Gate is a type of homage or continuation of Lucio Fulci's iconic 1970s and 80s Italian cinematic horror. He cites influences like Zombi 2, City of the Living Dead, and The Beyond as catalysts for both authors to achieve cinematic horror on the written page. This introduction serves as a hellish welcome to what awaits readers in The Final Gate. 

This 136-page novel mostly takes place in an eerie orphanage called St. Lukes. The facility, in need of serious funding, sits above a fiery chasm that serves as one of a handful of global doorways to hell. One of the facility's managers (no spoilers!) is sacrificing children in an effort to unleash an apocalypse of the undead. As bodies are ripped and torn they become eyeless lifeless killing machines that vomit black bile while feasting on human flesh. There's even some references to the George Romero/Dario Argento co-production Dawn of the Dead as if those events actually occurred. 

The main character is a girl named Jillian who ends up at the orphanage searching for her boyfriend. He went missing while searching for the whereabouts of his younger brother. The search leads to a conspiracy regarding the orphanage leaders, human trafficking, and the obligatory sacrifices to the flame-broiled behemoth slithering in the bowels of Earth. It isn't overly complicated, cosmic, or labor intensive in storytelling. See zombies? Run. Shoot. Fight. Survive.

If you enjoy the retroactive horror scene – the authors and books that pay tribute to 70s, 80s, and even 90s horror and fantasy cinema – then The Final Gate is another solid entry. I enjoyed the fast pace, the assortment of characters, and the lack of any real plot entanglements. This is popcorn fun that never pretends to be anything else. Recommended. Get it HERE.

Paperback Warrior Podcast - Episode 115

It's another investigative Paperback Warrior episode! In this feature, Eric delves into the murky life and career of crime-fiction, science-fiction, and western writer Louis Trimble. The noir author wrote over 80 novels and dozens of stories for the pulp magazines in the 1940s, but was mostly known in Europe for a controversial book celebrated by the Soviets. Plus, Eric reviews a creepy 1959 Southern Gothic novel titled Annalisa and reviews one of his favorite YouTube channels. Stream the episode below or on YT HERE. Also, you can download HERE. 

Listen to "Episode 115: Louis Trimble" on Spreaker.

Bill Easter #01 - Deep Among the Dead Men

John Blackburn (1923-1993) authored nearly 20 thrillers and at least 10 novels of horror during his writing career. The British novelist experienced literary success with his unique blend of using detective, horror, and even nautical adventure tropes to propel his stories. His novels The Gaunt Woman, Destiny of a Spy, and Nothing But the Night were adapted to film and his debut, A Scent of New-Mown Hay was adapted by BBC Radio 2. Scholars often compare him to John Buchan and Geoffrey Household. 

My first experience with Blackburn's writing is the 1973 novel Deep Among the Dead Men. It was published in England in hardcover by The Chaucer Press. While enjoying the book I took a quick detour to learn more about the author and discovered Blackburn wrote a sequel to the book as well, the 1975 hardcover Mister Brown's Bodies. It was published by in England by Northumberland Press.

Like an episode of South Park, Blackburn doesn't reserve his prejudice for any particular race or people. No one escapes the thunder as Blackburn humorously prods and pokes Christians, minorities, and women while subjecting his male protagonist to non-heroic exploits that seem to defy the British thriller standards of spy-fiction. In other words, Blackburn finds fault with everything on the planet, but does have a warm place in his heart for animals. 

Deep Among the Dead Men stars Bill Easter, an adventurer who will stop at nothing to earn a buck. Throughout the book readers learn that he was booted from school after several altercations with the education system. He advanced his education by becoming a smuggler, gun-runner, oilman, gangster, assassin, bodyguard, and a type of mercenary. As I alluded to earlier, Easter isn't a traditional macho-man. While tough as nails, he doesn't possess the talents of a fighting man. Often he is beaten, outgunned, or simply left to die a miserable death. 

As the book begins readers catch up on Easter's current happenings. He's fallen in love with a woman named Kate and has teamed with her and her father, an ambitious anthropologist, to locate a treasure lying in just 100 feet of water off the coast of a fictional West African country called Leonia (probably based on Sierra Leone). To get the goods they must convince a strict Captain and his crew to honorably split the loot. The only thing stopping the plan is a dictator named Asmonda, the newest entry in the revolving door of “here and gone” crime-lords. Asmonda overthrew a General to gain power. To get the treasure Asmonda must be killed and replaced with the previous leader – who will also share in the wealth.

Deep Among the Dead Men was an exhilarating nautical adventure that mostly contains the tropes of spy-fiction. Easter's quest to find and assassinate the dictator is worth the price of admission. Everything else is like a triple-feature combining the nautical adventure with a mystery involving a killer on board the salvage unit. Easter must find the killer, eliminate the dictator, and help prop up the next puppet government while attempting to land his girlfriend in the sack. She won't give up the goods until he gets the goods. The horror!

If you love dry British humor loaded with satire and diatribes not for the easily offended then this book is for you. Deep Among the Dead Men is a surefire winner. High recommendation.

Dark Justice

Dark Justice, authored by J.L. Hughes, is a new crime-fiction novel starring NYPD homicide detective Jade Carmichael. The book is published by Rough Edges Press in March of 2025 and you can pre-order now. 

Veteran Carmichael and her partner Kane serve in a small Upstate New York town called Shadow Hook. It is here that Carmichael, years ago, was found at a gruesome murder scene. A serial killer known as The Redeemer targeted and killed her mother and was later captured. Years later Carmichael and her team are faced with copycat murders that resemble the bloodletting associated with the horrendous crimes of The Redeemer.

At over 400 pages, Dark Justice is appropriately fluffy and padded for a modern suspense thriller. But, the hefty volume possesses a gripping intensity laced with the strong character development of the lead. Carmichael is an intelligent, challenged hero that reminded me of Lee Goldberg's iron-clad Los Angeles heroin Eve Ronin. She is often pushed against the grain in pursuit of the killer and finds herself at odds with a roguish officer. 

The author's inclusion of a highly respected criminal profiler, a bewildering psychiatrist, and a dark conspiracy among the top brass elevates and enhances the narrative. The mystery of who the killer is, his next target, and the close-knit relationship with Carmichael are worth the price of admission.

Dark Justice is darkly delightful. If you enjoy modern suspense thrillers then J.L. Hughes should be your next read. Get it HERE.

The Hangman's Forest

According to his website, William Joseph was born and raised in New Jersey and in an internationally published photographer and graphic designer. As an author, his first novel, This is War was published in 2017 as a three part series. Since then he has authored 14 novels of horror, young-adult fantasy, and romance. I borrowed his crime-fiction novella The Hangman's Forest from a friend. It was independently published in 2023.

Detective Iokua Sanne, half-Hawaiin and half-German, arrives in a rural unnamed town to restart his career. After an incident while working for a Chicago police force, Sanne is happy turn the page and begin anew. In a meet and greet with his new department readers learn that Sanne is a recovering alcoholic. He is then introduced to his new partner, Detective Hill. The two will be busy.

In alternating chapters, a serial killer named Daniel is capturing young women. He ties their hands and ankles and then secures a noose around the victims' throats. While pleasing himself Daniel slowly lifts the victims into a treetop where they suffocate. His little funeral forest has quite a few bodies swinging in the wind. 

As Daniel continues to capture and kill women both Sanne and Hill get to work on studying recovered tapes form a nearby store that shows a victim being attacked. Together the two lead an investigation to locate the killer before he strikes again.

The Hangman's Forest is only 120 pages and reminds me of a more violent type of novella or novelette found in a mystery magazine like Ellery Queen or Mike Shayne. There isn't a lot of character development because the pace is so quick. It worked well for me and I was mostly pleased with this brisk crime-fiction tale and the hunt for the killer. Recommended. Get it HERE.