Do You Know Me? & Other Aberrations

Bruce Walter Gardner Lively Stacy Elliott, known as Bruce Elliott, (1914-1973) was a prolific writer of crime-fiction and sci-fi in the pulps. He also worked as a television screenwriter and practiced stage magic. He wrote 15 novels for The Shadow Magazine between 1946 and 1948 and helped edit and publish a number of men's magazines like Rogue and The Gent.

Back in August of 2023 I read and reviewed Elliott's fabulous short “Do You Know Me?”, originally published in the February 1953 issue of Thrilling Detective. I enjoyed the story so much that I contacted Greg Shepard at Stark House Press and informed him that he should read the story as well. Thankfully, two years later, Greg, and the great Stark House Press folks, have published a short story compilation by Elliott containing 10 of his best works culled from the detective and science-fiction pulps and magazines. The story I recommended to Greg, “Do You Know Me?” was used as the title story and the artwork from the original publication adorns the front cover. Wonders never cease.

After reading the book in its entirety, including the excellent introduction by Nicholas Litchfield, here are the capsule reviews for each story:

“Do You Know Me” (Thrilling Detective, Feb. 1953) - The author introduces “the man nobody knew” as a resident of a West 47th Street apartment just east of Broadway. The room in which the man awakens has door frames and windows stuffed with newspapers. Beside the bed, written in lipstick, an ominous message is scrawled: “Since you can't catch me, and since I don't want to kill again, I'm going to kill myself.” This man, who I refer to simply as “the killer” stalks the city and savagely cuts off his victims' faces while maniacally asking “do you know me, do you recognize me, and where do you know me from?” Through the course of Elliott's compelling, awe-inspiring story, more characters are introduced, each with their own backstory. All of these characters entwine in a disturbing series of events that mirrors an active-shooter situation today. In this story, the killer begins randomly murdering people in nightmarish fashion in the middle of Times Square. Elliott's provides some riveting stuff involving sexuality, social unrest, and mental illness. This is a must-read.

“Vengeance is Not Enough” (Stories Annual v1, 1955) – The story begins with a man named Henry Timms sweating from shock therapy at the hands of a psychiatrist. As the doctor prods, Henry recalls the events that led him to the doctor – the horrific murder of his young son in a hit-and-run. But, just as the past events unveil before the reader a gun shot sounds and the doctor is killed. The story then follows Henry trying to find answers on what happened and who is responsible. It's an effective “innocent man on the run” story with a distinct flavor that only Elliott could provide - ethereal, violent, and wholly unique.

“The Darkened Room” (Popular Detective, May 1953) – Matching the title's dimness, Elliott's bleak writing elevates this story as a real highlight of the collection. A criminal named Garrow and his partner Madigan have stolen gems from a celebrity and hocked them. At a hotel in New York, Garrow pays a visit to Madigan and selfishly strangles him to death to be sure all the money is his. Then the narrative is a rollercoaster as Garrow runs from the cops by seeking shelter in a dark flophouse. But, like all good heists, the criminal never gets away with the cabbage. This one has a fitting ending that serves as a type of cautionary tale – crime doesn't pay.

“Carnage in Colossa” (Sea Stories, Nov. 1953) – Tommy Winters is an American crewman on a shipping trawler. At an extended stop on a small Pacific island, Tommy strikes up an intense affair with a married islander named Acquila. One night he awakens from a drunken beating to discover his passport, money, and ship has left him behind. Penniless and homeless, Tommy agrees to work for Acquila's husband, a fat seedy merchant and restaurant owner named Madigan. If Tommy can do all the dirty work around the place for a week – mopping up piss and puke – then he'll earn enough money to get a transport to the nearest U.S. Embassy. After one week of working for Madigan by day, and sleeping with his wife by night, Tommy is hopeful he can get away. But, there's a surprise awaiting Tommy and the reader. “Carnage in Colossa” was an exceptional tale laced with grime and shady characters. It's a cautionary tale that has a fitting and enjoyable ending, but left me guessing where Elliott was going to dump these despicable people.

“Death Lives in Brooklyn” (Thrilling Detective, Apr. 1953) - Farnell is an attorney that lost everything. He now spends his time on 47th street in Broadway playing nickel and dime ball. A mob henchman is roughing up a couple of people when Farnell hears their victim whisper to him to check the bathroom. That same victim warns Farnell to avoid the police because “they are iced”. In the john, Farnell finds a signed document sealed in an envelope. He has the foresight to take a photo of the document using one of the arcade camera vending machines (that was a thing back then). Farnell then goes on the run from the Syndicate and their killers who want this mysterious document. He's eventually caught and ordered for execution in a run down section of Brooklyn. Like any good crime-noir, the innocent man-on-the-run is being chased by cops and crooks. This was such a great story and is really ahead of its time. Today, taking photos of documents with our phones is an everyday thing. Back then it was unheard of outside of espionage.

“The Devil Was Sick” (The Magazine of Fantasy and Science-Fiction, Apr. 1951) – This is the first sci-fi story to appear in the compilation. In this futuristic story, a man named Acleptos is attempting to consult the internet (this is 1951 and the internet is a fantasy creation called The Machine) on the notion of devils and demons. He's trying to conjure a real demon using an ancient method of reading scripture by candlelight. When he successfully invites a demon he begins making the obligatory wishes. The demon, bored with the same requests of sex and money, is surprised when Acleptos asks for something different. This is an abstract story with an emphasis on mental health, demon possession, and divine intervention. It is up for debate on what the story is really about, but my takeaway was based on Biblical scripture and the idea of initial expelling of “sick” angels - fueled by jealousy and greed – from Heaven.

“The Last Magician” (The Magazine of Fantasy and Science-Fiction, Jan. 1953) – This is another futuristic story where magicians are few and far between now. Everyone has access to everything due to technology. But, there's one rare magician named Duneen that does a type of vaudeville magic show for the people. Duneen has a Martian girl as his assistant and he abuses her. But, the girl still loves him. When the narrator, telling the story in first-person, is offered a chance to assist in a Houdini-styled escape trick, he picks a type of advanced vacuum tube for Duneed to escape from. Only, the narrator has a trick of his own. This was my least favorite story of the bunch. It isn't terrible, but left me wanting a little more.

“Wolves Don't Cry” (The Magazine of Fantasy and Science-Fiction, Apr. 1954) – Have you seen the 1987 comedic film Walk Like a Man, starring TV celebrity and talent show host Howie Mandel? I can't help but think someone involved in that film read this short story. It's about a wolf that is captured and placed in a zoo, but during a transformation overnight he awakens as a man. The zoo is confused on how the man got inside the cage and they quickly let him go. Unfortunately, for this wolf, he is trained over weeks to become a rehabilitated civilized human. Elliott's story is poignant and speaks about a naturalist approach to living – as bizarre as it is. It's a quick fun read that offers a different style and feel from the author.

“So Sweet as Magic” (Fantasy Fiction, Aug 1953) – With Elliott's experience as a practicing magician, he delves into this hilarious industry with this humorous fantasy tale. A magician named Bardoni is a fairly successful stage magician that has cut his teeth working his way through card tricks, vaudeville, and the 'ole tablesaw bit. But, he's become complacent with his show and realizes the rabbit doesn't come easy any longer. After a performance, Bardoni is invited to speak with a mysterious magician named Count St. Germain, who may in fact be the real Frenchman that lived in the 1700s. After a night of drinking with the Count, Baroni awakens with a magical ring on his hand and a message that states if Baroni takes the ring off he will die. But, that isn't the only thing that's changed overnight. Bardoni finds that the entire world has changed overnight. This new world contains real magic, and, with magicians doing things like levitating and reporting to actual wizards, Bardoni must hunt down the Count to figure out what is happening. This is a crazy story filled with funny moments about magic, magicians, the art of the industry, and the political nature of this new society. I consider it fantasy or dark fantasy and the story was unusual but highly enjoyable.

“The Man Next Door” (Amazing Stories, Dec 1953/Jan 1954) - This is another one of Elliott's science-fiction stories. Like the story before it, this also has some humor, this time poking fun at pulp writers and their struggles to create stories featuring many of the same elements that have been done to death. Barlay is a writer that is suffering from writer's block. In the basement, his son is building an actual time machine while Barlay's wife is having an affair with the neighbor. I can't help but think Elliott is suggesting writers miss life happening around them due to the time spent behind the keyboard. But, in a wild turn of events, a meeting of the minds in a future boardroom directly connects to Barlay's son and his creation. This was a really fun time-travel adventure set within the confines of a struggling creator. It's also a clever tongue-in-cheek dig at the publishing industry.

As you can see, Elliott dabbled in a little bit of everything – but he was seemingly good at everything. Whether it is serial killers, shady criminals, bumbling magicians, time-travel, or everyday people experiencing extraordinary events, Elliott's writing is both flexible and superb. This collection is a real testament to his writing. Highly recommended. Get it HERE.

Paperback Warrior Podcast - Episode 121

In this episode, Eric embarks on a globe-trotting nautical adventure with a spotlight on Arthur Catherall, exploring his World War II-era series set in exotic locales. He also dives into a recent western discovery, reviews a thrilling novel about a runaway rollercoaster, and shares his thoughts on the latest short story collection from Bruce Elliott, newly released by Stark House Press. Stream it below, watch on YouTube HERE, or download HERE.

Listen to "Episode 121 Audio" on Spreaker.

Paperback Warrior Primer - Harry Whittington

Back in 2022, Tom Simon, an alumni of Paperback Warrior, was asked to write an introduction for the Stark House Press twofer A Ticket to Hell and Hell Can Wait, both by the iconic crime-noir writer Harry Whittington. I wanted to share this write-up with the Paperback Warrior fans and readers that didn't have the opportunity to purchase the book. I hope you enjoy it. 

"Investigating Harry" 

“Have you ever heard of an author named Harry Whittington?” I asked the used bookstore lady.

I was in Ocala, Florida trying to dig up information that might be helpful for the introduction to this Harry Whittington twofer. Smarter guys than me have written introductions for previous Harry Whittington reprints. I needed an angle, so I was sniffing around Harry’s childhood hometown looking for leads.

I should probably explain that I’m a recently-retired FBI Special Agent who spent the last five years of the job investigating federal crimes in Northern Florida. I worked a handful of cases in Ocala, but this was my first time back since I retired and opened my own private eye firm. However, it wasn’t my sleuthing that landed me this writing gig. Stark House hit me up because of my side-hustle, a blog and podcast called Paperback Warrior where I cover pulp fiction with my buddy Eric. We host the largest collection of Harry Whittington book reviews on the internet, so Stark House figured I might have something to say about Harry’s work that hadn’t already been said - a tall order.

Facing the problem of what to write that hadn’t already been covered, I recalled a saying: “When all you have is a hammer, every problem looks like a nail.” I’m an investigator, so I drove down to Ocala to knock on some doors.

A Ticket to Hell was the first of Harry’s books I read and remains my favorite. I reviewed Hell Can Wait much later and enjoyed it quite a bit. I could go on and on about the stuff I liked about each paperback, but I don’t want to spoil either novel for you. I hate it when introductions do that, and I don’t want to be that guy. You should read both, and I promise you’ll like them. If you only have one week to live and must choose, go with A Ticket to Hell. It’s the stronger of the pair.

Ocala is pretty far inland, so erase from your mind images of the sandy beaches of Miami or Daytona. This is non-coastal Florida marshland. Harry clearly drew upon this lush and humid ecosystem for many of his swamp-noir novels - Cracker Girl, Swamp Kill, Backwoods Hussy, and Backwoods Shack among them. If that sub-genre is your jam, the best is Backwoods Tramp, also released as A Moment To Prey. Driving through the sand pines and magnolia trees of the Ocala National Forest, I understood why this setting was so alluring for many of Harry’s early paperbacks. It’s a vivid and earthy place thick with Spanish moss dripping from the branches - a perfect setting for a rural noir tale.

When Harry was growing up, Ocala was a one-horse town. Nowadays, there are thousands of horses. In fact, breeding and training horses is Ocala’s main industry. The city leaders call it “The Horse Capital of the World,” and Marion County hosts more than 600 thoroughbred farms. Back in Harry’s day, Ocala farmers were mostly raising citrus, cotton and tobacco.  

Fun Fact: The town’s only real celebrity today is John Travolta, who owns a giant compound in a subdivision with its own airfield. I wanted to ask him if he’s heard of Harry Whittington, so I drove out to his gated neighborhood to snoop. I made it through a haphazardly-opened gate and toured for about ten minutes marveling at the mansions - each with their own airplane hanger. There was no sign of Mr. Travolta when I was pulled over by neighborhood security and swiftly shown the exit gate.

I continued my field investigation at Ocala’s best used bookstore. There are only two remaining, and the other one is a lousy firetrap. The good one is called A Novel Idea, and it’s in a strip mall near a movie theater. I always made it a point to swing by the place whenever I was working a case in the area. I had long since bought all their vintage crime paperbacks, but I still liked visiting  - mostly to see the store’s two in-house cats: Lord Byron and F. Scott Fitzgerald. In my absence, Fitzy had died. Now there’s only Lord Byron on the lookout for paperback shoplifters.

The store’s proprietor is Lori. Her daughter is the owner, but Lori runs the joint. She’s from Ocala but admitted that she’d never heard of Harry Whittington.

“He was born and raised here as a kid,” I told her. “He later moved to St. Petersburg and authored over 170 novels during the mid-20th century. They called him The King of Paperbacks because he was so prolific. He wrote books in a bunch of different genres under his own name and a giant list of pseudonyms.”

She listened politely to my Wikipedia speech and acted about as interested as retail politeness would dictate. Honestly, I wasn’t sure what I was expecting. Excitement? Tears? A discount?

I swung by the public library in Ocala and asked the same question with similar results. The lady at the information desk had never heard of Harry, and the library carried none of his books. I hadn’t struck out this much with women since I was dating. Small towns are supposed to lionize their native sons, but Harry had been seemingly wiped from everyone’s memory here.

I needed an informant with good intel, so I contacted the Marion County Genealogical Society and asked them to do some digging. A fellow named Arnold Davis turned up some good dirt using historical records.

Harry’s parents (Harry Sr. & Rosa Hardee) were married on June 12, 1912 at the home of Rosa’s parents on South Magnolia Street. The happy couple settled into a house on Pond Street, and Harry was born on February 4, 1915. His dad ran Staple & Fancy Groceries on Main Street, and the family was somewhat wealthy compared to the farmers residing in the area.

Arnold the Informant uncovered a mosaic of family stories from Harry’s childhood - family trips to the beach in Daytona and a wayward nail that almost blinded his mom. One foggy night in 1922, Harry Sr. crashed his truck into a “dummy cop” statue erected in the middle of Main Street. The city had strategically placed these dummies to slow traffic, and the accident resulted in a lofty fine of $11.10 to cover repairs to the inert lawman.  

I went by the locations of Harry’s three childhood homes in Ocala. I was pleased to find that there were many places in the Historical District remaining from Harry’s era, but none of his houses remained. I had lunch at an old fashioned diner that used to be Elliott’s Drive-In back in the day. The food was excellent, but the waitress never heard of Harry.

After World War I in 1918, Ocala was a hot spot for tourists from the north visiting by way of the Orange Blossom Trail, now Highway 27. This was before the development of America’s interstate highway system, and Model-T tourism sparked the golden age of roadside attractions. Ocala’s contribution to this culture was Silver Springs. It’s now a state park, and I paid two bucks to walk through the paths surrounding the waters. Signs warned me to beware of both alligators and monkeys (feed neither, please). When Harry was 14, a guy named Ross Allen used to wrestle alligators there to the delight of both locals and tourists. From 1958 to 1961, Lloyd Bridges filmed the underwater adventure scenes for Sea Hunt in the spring’s crystal clear waters. 

I hit up my friend Ben Boulden. He’s a great author living in Utah and a solid guy. I remembered his introduction to a Stark House double by Lionel White and how much I enjoyed it. Ben is a whiz at researching old census records, so I solicited his help.

Ben hooked me up with a good timeline of Harry’s life using census and other historical records that I overlaid with the intel from Arnold to create a coherent timeline. Sometime around 1924, the Whittington clan moved 100 miles away to Tampa on the Gulf of Mexico, and Harry’s dad landed a job as a salesman for C.B. Witt Company, a wholesale grocer. For unclear reasons, Harry returned to Ocala in September 1930 as a transfer student from St. Petersburg to complete his final two years of high school. I’m guessing he lived with grandparents or extended family until he graduated from Ocala High School on June 3, 1932. 

I wanted to head over to Harry’s alma mater to regale the students vaping in the parking lot with stories about “The King of Paperbacks.” It became Forest High School in 1969 and is now Marion Technical Institute, a place for kids looking to get into the trades. I went by the school but didn’t see the upside of hassling these future welders, cooks and first responders with dumb questions about a long-dead author.

Harry returned to the family home in St. Petersburg after graduating high school in Ocala. By 1935, Harry’s dad was employed as a driver for Florida Milk Company. I recalled that a milkman was the main character in Like Mink, Like Murder, a Whittington oddity also reprinted by Stark House. For his part, Harry landed a job as a mail carrier for the U.S. Postal Service.

On February 6, 1936, 21 year-old Harry married Kathryn Odom, and the couple settled down in Saint Petersburg with Harry continuing his mailman gig until he was drafted in 1940. This military service was followed by a voluntary enlistment in the U.S. Navy from April 1945 to March 1946. 

Shortly after his release from the Navy, Harry sold his first novel, a western titled Vengeance Valley. In 1947, he sold a hardcover called Her Sin about a pleasure-loving girl named Iris. Demand for paperback original novels exploded in 1950, and Harry met that demand becoming one of the most prolific writers of paperback potboilers in the world. By 1957, Harry had 50 novels published under his own name and a cadre of pseudonyms. That same year, he was identified as a professional author in a St. Petersburg citizen’s directory uncovered by Informant Ben. 

In 1979, Harry settled in Indian Rocks Beach, a bit south of Clearwater. I saw his house, a modest ranch-style home built in 1951 two blocks from the gulf. Harry paid $45,000 for the place the same year he sold a mainstream flop called Sicilian Woman - the last novel published under his own name. It was in this house that he wrote six entries in the Longarm adult western series as Tabor Evans and twelve plantation gothic titles as Ashley Carter. Evidently, the market for paperbacks in the king’s own name had dried up by that point.

My manhunt concluded at Royal Palm South Cemetery in St. Petersburg where Harry was laid to rest in 1989 - later to be joined by his wife and daughter. His tombstone reads, “Master of the Roman Noir: One Of The Greats Among American Novelists.” An internet search explained that “Roman Noir” is a French term for a mystery or thriller, literally a “Dark Novel.”

Indeed, Harry’s best work was noir fiction, and you are holding in your hands two excellent examples of an American author at the top of his dark novel game. Still, I found his epigraph a bit reductive. Harry excelled at so many different genres: Westerns, Espionage, TV Tie-Ins, Historical Gothics, Erotica, Nursing Dramas and on and on. Some were good and others were not - but the guy’s cross-genre productivity was staggering and unmatched among his peers.

I left his gravesite thinking that even on his own tombstone, Harry didn’t get the credit he deserves. In any case, I’m glad you cared enough about his writing to pick up this Whittington double-shot. 

After all, Harry is a guy who deserves to be remembered. 

Paperback Warrior Primer - Lionel White

I was honored when Stark House Press asked me to write the introduction for the 2022 edition of Lionel White's The Mexico Run and Jailbreak. I wanted to share that write-up with the Paperback Warrior readers and fans that didn't have an opportunity to buy the book. I hope you enjoy it. - Eric Compton

"Lionel White: The Perfect Getaway"

All good things must come to an end. It’s a sentiment that may have been echoed by Lionel White (1905-1985) as he typed the last line of Jailbreak. This aptly titled prison break thriller proved to be White's last novel. It was published in the U.K. in 1976 by Robert Hale as The Walled Yard and in paperback as Jailbreak in the U.S. by the lowly, scrupulous Manor Books. It was a step backward from White's prior, much more prestigious American publishers like New York Dutton (Penguin) and Fawcett Gold Medal. Manor Books was mostly reserved for a variety of disposable, low-brow team-commando, western and vigilante men's action-adventure titles. Not something from the esteemed mind and talented fingertips of Lionel White.

In reading Jailbreak, and his late career entry, 1974's The Mexico Run, I questioned if the New York author realized this was the end of the literary road? Can authors sense when the creativity think-tank has become dry? It's hard to imagine that White, an astute, literary powerhouse could have been that obtuse. Could White have theoretically known his career was nearing the end years before drafting Jailbreak? Was that the reasons for the creative change from heist-fiction to something entirely different?

Like other authors that either become complacent with their own style or fail to meet their own expectations, Lionel White became aware that he had written himself into a corner. Beginning with his 1952 novel, Seven Hungry Men!, published as a Rainbow Digest and later re-printed by Avon as Run, Killer, Run, White launched a successful career that seemingly elevated, or at the very least defined, what we now consider heist-fiction, or simply “caper novels.” 

White's classic novels, which were influences for Donald Westlake's own revolutionary heist-fiction series Parker (written under the pseudonym Richard Stark) and critically-acclaimed writer and director Quentin Tarrantino, featured anti-heroes planning extensive crimes like robbery or hijacking. These books were nearly step-by-step blueprints showcasing not only the scheming and strategics of committing the crime, but also the mental capacities criminals possess. 

White's caper novels possessed an uncanny transcendence from real-world crimes to printed page. These bank robberies, diamond heists, kidnappings and hijackings come to life through supreme, suspenseful storytelling that forces readers to sympathize, cheer, or jeer these anti-heroes in their pursuit of fortune and high-level criminality. It is these types of stories that calculatedly blend the criminal elements, emotional anguish, and melodrama with unexpected levels of violence and unrest to create the ultimate, satisfying crime-fiction formula. 

Caper plot-devices became a mainstay in White's narratives, reaching a proverbial peak with White's career highlight and genre high-water mark, 1955's Clean Break. In that novel, an ex-con plans a high-stakes robbery at a horse-racing track. The dangling carrot is $2 million bucks, which comes with a number of complications among the plan's faulty moving pieces. It was adapted into the film The Killing directed by iconic filmmaker Stanley Kubrick. 

White's other heist novels were equally as entertaining, including – The Big Caper (1955), Operation -Murder (1956), Hostage for a Hood (1957), and Steal Big (1960). Due to his sheer perfection of inventing riveting fictional crimes and the compelling people who plan and execute them, White found his niche, but the ability and freedom to tell a different type of story was confounded by reader and publisher requests for more heist-fiction. White was trapped in his career trajectory, but wanted to explore his literary boundaries. 

One of crime-fiction's overused plots was the “innocent man on the run” routine. Authors like Henry Kane and Day Keene both recycled the concept, and in 1957 Lionel White utilized the idea for his novel The House Next Door. He used it again in 1962's Obsession, the basis for the French film Pierrot Le Fou (Pete the Madman). Both novels saw White exploring fictional ideas outside of his moneymaking wheelhouse. Other non-heist novels like The Merriweather File (1959), Rafferty (1959) and Lament for a Virgin (1960) are all well-received by crime-noir readers, but failed to meet the high expectations of White's loyal heist-fiction fans. 

By the late 1960s, White's collective body of work was impressive and studded with high-shelf heist-fiction. But, the idea of continuing to write these types of stories for another decade was probably creating some personal angst. I liken it to the same problem that bestselling western author Louis L'Amour was confronting. 

In 1974, after 25+ years of range wars, cattle drives, brutish gunfighters, and frontier Indian skirmishes, L'Amour had become complacent with telling the same tales and decided to switch creative direction. Despite his publisher's wishes, L'Amour ended his career writing early American history novels about a fictional Sackett family arriving in North America in the early 1600s as well as a high-adventure, modern novel called Last of the Breed, set in the Soviet Union. In late interviews, L'Amour had plans for more books set in America's Revolutionary War and Civil War.

In the same year that Louis L'Amour was bucking his trend, Donald Westlake issued a temporary farewell of sorts when his novel Butcher's Moon was published. The novel ended a 16 book run that saw his Parker series of heist-fiction simply disappear for over 20 years. Like White, Westlake needed some breathing room and an escape from the same character and series that earned him so much respect and success. While not career ending, Westlake simply wanted to pursue other projects that were sidetracked due to the immense success of Parker.

Following suite, White's very different novel The Mexico Run was published in 1974 by Fawcett Gold Medal. It proved that the author, while not crafting traditional heist-fiction, was still edgy and entertaining. By exploring the more modern, violent savagery of drugs and human trafficking, White was able to explore different storytelling during the sunset of his career. While it will never be mistaken for White's career best, The Mexico Run is a fresh and enjoyable prose with a remarkable twist ending that hits like a lead pipe. Instead of small town banks, urban jewelry stores, or vulnerable vehicular settings, White's workman hero frequents seedy Mexican motels and abandoned coastal villas. The narrative is devoid of robbery or hijacking, the nearly mandatory staples of White's career. The Mexico Run delves into drug cartels and runners (mules), and has a different type of heist, this one involving illegal entrance in and out of U.S./Mexican Customs.

Two years later, his farewell novel Jailbreak involves cons planning to escape from prison. Like his heist formula, White builds the team, introduces the key players, and outlines the strategy for a successful break. But, there's a more modern realism that borders on action-adventure instead of a suspenseful safe-crack or getaway plan. The main character isn't quite an anti-hero, but more of a protagonist that is simply stealing a priceless object – freedom. The novel possesses a lot of gritty, prison terms and behavior, elements that typically wouldn't saturate a 1950s crime-noir paperback. 

White's last streak of publications included The Mind Poisoners (1966), which was an installment of the long-running Nick Carter: Killmaster series of spy adventures. Other non-heist novels included The Crimshaw Memorandum (1967), Death of a City (1970), and A Rich and Dangerous Game (1974). 

Both The Mexico Run and Jailbreak, represented here in this Stark House Press twofer, represents White's honesty with himself. Both of these novels are good enough to compete with his contemporaries, and in some author lists, would even foster career bests. He left behind a legacy of phenomenal crime-fiction literature, what many critics, scholars and fans would consider some of the best heist-fiction of all-time. 

Sensing his career's downward slope, Lionel White retired from writing shortly after Jailbreak's release. But, he did it his way and purged all of his remaining creativity in those final years. He told the stories he wanted to tell, broadened his literary approach, and refused to be cornered. He successfully cracked the safe and made the perfect getaway.

Eric Compton
St. Augustine, FL

July, 2022

Conversations - Greg Shepard

Over the last seven years, Paperback Warrior has discussed, reviewed, promoted, and contributed to amazing Stark House Press publications. In this exclusive interview, Greg Shepard, Stark House's founder and editor, sits down with Eric to discuss his career in publishing, including Zebra's mass-market paperbacks in the 1980s and early 1990s, the humble beginnings of the Stark House name, working with the estates of heavyweight crime-fiction icons like Harry Whittington, Carter Brown, Lionel White, and the multiple series titles that he published and continues to publish. This insightful interview peers into the paperback publishing process from start to finish and offers a rare glimpse into the inner workings of the book business. Stream the audio only portion HERE. Stream the video below or on YouTube HERE.

Backfire

Backfire was a 1959 crime novel by Florida author Charles L. Burgess (1907-1967) that was only ever published in Australia until it was recently unearthed and reprinted by Stark House along with several of his non-fiction true crime magazine pieces.

Martin and Angela Powers are the perfect suburban newlywed couple. He’s a salesman for a cosmetics company and he’s about to learn that someone is trying to kill him. Who would want him dead? He’s not connected to anything shady at all, right?

Martin survives the first attempt on his life from the “pockmarked man” and begins some sincere soul searching to determine the motive for the killer. The police aren’t much help at all, so this is Martin’s mystery to solve.

The author reveals the solution to the reader (but not to Martin) of who is trying to kill him pretty early in the paperback, but the killer’s motivation remains unclear. For his part, Martin hits the road alone to search for answers in his own past that may provide some clues as to his assassin’s motivations.

Backfire is a journey of self-discovery for Martin as he attempts to get closer and closer to the truth of who he is and subsequently the truth of who wants him dead. There are good action set-pieces along the way and Martin trods a logical path. Overall, it read like a an extended crime story from Manhunt with a tidy solution.

Burgess was a talented author of his era with limited fiction output. Thank heavens for Stark House for keeping his work alive and available. 

Get the book HERE.

The Sister of Cain

Mary Collins (1908-1979) was born in St. Louis and studied at Miss Burke's School in San Francisco and the University of California. After selling a few short stories to the magazine The Passing Show, Collins took to writing novels. During her short writing career she authored six mysteries from 1941 through 1949. In 2024, Stark House Press began reprinting her books with Only the Good. A year later the publisher has reprinted The Sister of Cain, complete with the original artwork. It is available in both physical and digital editions with an introduction by the always informative Curtis Evans.

Young Hilda is experiencing some domestic changes in her life. She and her husband are expecting their first child. However, David is away serving the U.S. Navy during WW2. In his absence he has urged Hilda to travel to San Francisco to stay with his family in their large house. David's parents are deceased but he has five sisters and they all live together. But, not happily ever after.

After meeting the family's grumpy housekeeper, Hilda meets with the oldest sister, Pauline. She is firmly etched into the family dynamic as the overseer of the family trust and the smothering motherly figure for the four women. During a turbulent dinner it is revealed that Pauline is forbidding one of them from dating a local druggist. After a few days Hilda discovers that Pauline has also placed unnecessary obstacles to block other sisters from marrying, gaining employment, and even dating. 

When Pauline's body is found in her bedroom with a knife in the back the narrative begins a slow character study and analysis of the many motives and suspects. Beyond just the sisters presence there's also the housekeeper and the family friend. The only male character is the homicide detective Cassidy, who soon joins with Hilda to learn who the killer is. The author explains the pairing by elaborating that the police force is severely understaffed.

Collins' The Sister of Cain is a tight suspense thriller that works like any traditional murder mystery. Each suspect is carefully considered and the obligatory secrets are answered that delve into the family's murky past. I never became bored with the plotting and found it affected me in the same fashion as Margaret Miller's excellent The Iron Gates, published in 1948 and two years after Collins' novel. Both books examine young women with emotional distress and mental health issues. The sleuth in that book, Inspector Sands, is similar to Cassidy in this novel. Both are open to the investigation and never paint themselves into a corner with a quick judgment. 

Overbearing family members living in the same dwelling makes for excellent storytelling even without the murder. With a corpse (or three) readers will find the plot development, characterization, and pacing a perfect balance for this 200-page whodunit. The Sister of Cain is recommended. Get it HERE.

Vice Trap

I know very little about author Elliott Gilbert (1924-2000). His first novel, Don't Push Me Around, was published by Popular Library in 1955. The book was reviewed by paperback scholar Gary Lovisi in Paperback Parade #84 in 2013. Gilbert also wrote Too Much Woman for Beacon in 1961. But, the subject of this review is his 1958 Avon paperback Vice Trap. In 2025, the book was released as both a paperback and ebook by Stark House Press imprint Black Gat Books. This new edition preserves the original paperback art by Harry Schaare.

Vice Trap's locale is a key part of Gilbert's twisty narrative. The book takes place in California – my guess is San Diego – with an attention to the southern border with Mexico. It's here that Nick, the narrator, works odd jobs as a mechanic. Months ago he was busted by a narcotics agent named Madrid and spent time behind bars. Now, Nick plays poker, smokes a lot of weed, and pines for his ex-lover Lona. The problem is that Lona is now Madrid's girl.

In the book's opening chapters Madrid visits Nick and it is established that the two, despite the past bust, are at the very least cordial acquaintances. Madrid gets Nick to fence items for him to pay off some bills. Easy stuff like radios, cameras, etc. But, it's clear that Madrid probably stole these items from criminals he arrested or from an evidence locker. The fencing back and forth allows Nick to visit Lona and the two pick up their heated relationship again – behind Madrid's back. 

Madrid pitches to Nick a bank heist idea. Nick gets a couple of his friends together, including a charismatic guy named Sand-O. The deal is to knock off a bank during a rodeo parade. Madrid will volunteer to patrol the parade off-duty and make a cover for the guys to rob the place. Then Nick will need to floor the Ford across the border before the gates close. But, as these things play out in paperback heists, things go afoul and by the book's end there's murder and lots of hospital bills. 

Vice Trap was a pretty good crime-noir novel. The inner workings of drug deals for weed in the mid-20th century was fascinating, although now it seems rather laughable. Petty crimes leading to unrest. The bulk of the book focuses on Nick and Lona's relationship, their longing for peaceful days, and the reality that both are caught in life's sinking wheel rut. Madrid makes a great heel and Nick serves the role as a slacking rebel. But, the book is a slow burn at 178 pages. The heist pitch doesn't occur until the 60-page mark. If you want to submerge yourself in the druggie life of the 1950s there's plenty to keep your attention. Recommended. Get a copy HERE.

Paperback Warrior Podcast - Episode 113

In this episode, Eric heads out west to examine the career of Bill Gulick, a prolific western writer that contributed to the pulp western, adventure magazine, and paperback original market. In addition, Eric provides an emotional farewell to his friend, the late great Stephen Mertz, looks at the upcoming Hard Case Crime publications, and reviews a brand new crime-noir paperback from Black Gat Books. Stream below or on YouTube HERE. Download HERE.

Hunter at Large

We've covered author Thomas B. Dewey quite extensively here on Paperback Warrior, including a Primer article and a podcast episode. The Indiana native wrote 36 novels between 1944 and 1969. Of his stand-alone novels and series books the one novel that I have been the most excited about is Hunter at Large. The book was originally published in 1961 as a Permabook paperback. Stark House Press chose to reprint the book in 2024 under their Black Gat imprint. The novel is now available in physical and digital editions. 

Mickey Phillips (almost Spillane backwards!) is a tough cop. He makes his living beating the streets as a detective. His only real peace in life is the quaint country house he shares with his beautiful wife Kathy. The two have a wonderful harmony together, evident in Dewey's charming opener. 

Like a rifle-crack in the dark this perfect tranquility is shattered. Two men arrive at Mickey's door and briefly ask if “Mickey Phillips” lives there" (this is important). Mickey obligingly says yes and the two men immediately sap him. He's then handcuffed and strung up to watch the ultimate nightmare play out in front of him – the rape and murder of his beloved Kathy. Afterwards, one of the men frees Mickey from his bondage, shoots him, and then the two walk out of his life. 

Mickey survives the intended fatal shot. He's rushed to the hospital and spends weeks in rehabilitation from broken bones and painful surgery. When he's back on his feet Mickey resigns from the police force to pursue his own justice. But where does he go with no clue to the identity of the murderers?

Surprisingly, Dewey sidesteps the invitation to turn Hunter at Large into an action-packed novel bursting with energy. Instead, this is a methodical 250-page manhunt as Mickey drifts from city to city hoping to find the killers. It reminded me a little of The Fugitive's quest for the one-armed man in the old television show. Mickey befriends a prostitute, falls in love with a Mexican hotel worker, and works as a bartender. 

As much as I wanted this novel to intensify I was still very much intrigued on the direction Dewey was taking. Mickey's hunt is entertaining and is brimming over with the core mystery – who were these men? With no apparent ties to Mickey or Kathy's past, and no remarkable clues left behind, the search leads to some interesting places. There's no big twist here. Nothing convoluted that's paramount to the identity and discovery of the killer and motive. It's a slower narrative built with a sturdy framework of investigation and resolution while still retaining an intimate attention. Compelling, rewarding, and recommended!

Get your copy HERE.

Fools Walk In

Bruno Fischer (1908-1992) was a top-tier author of the pulp and paperback era. Stark House has re-released two of his Fawcett Gold Medal novels - Fools Walk In (1951) and So Wicked My Love (1954) - in one trade paperback with an informative introduction by Nicholas Littlefield. 

Fools Walk In

The novel begins with our narrator Larry Knight picking up a young, stranded woman named Jeanie at a rainy Virginia gas station and giving her a ride. They’re both headed for New York and the girl is sexy, vulnerable and flirty. But what’s in that travel bag she’s carrying?

Larry is a high school English teacher and never married. He’s totally gonna get laid with this enigmatic chick, right? To complicate matters, it seems Jeanie is running from the cops following a recent payroll holdup conducted by her now-dead boyfriend. The loot was never recovered and the cops think Jeanie is running with it. What’s in that bag, again?

The unlikely pair find themselves on a road trip to New Hampshire to a mobster hideaway where Jeanie can get some help with her problems from her dead ex-boyfriend’s heist crew. For unclear reasons, Larry tags along looking for an adventure and hopefully some erotic nights with this sexy young tart.

Together they hatch a pretty stupid plan to have Larry steal the identity of a reclusive California pimp to bolster his credibility with the gangsters at the hideout. It’s dumb and gets dumber. Thereafter, most of the novel involves the love triangles and interpersonal back-and-forths among the characters at the hideout with Larry the high school teacher playing the role of legendary California mobster.

Bruno Fischer is a fantastic author - one of the best from his era - but this novel is a real stinker. It started so promisingly with the erotic meet-cute with a woman-on-the-run, but the central premise of the book requires way too much suspension of disbelief. If you buy the Stark House reprint (and you should!), you can safely skip this one and enjoy So Wicked My Love.

So Wicked My Love 

Fischer’s 1954 novel, So Wicked My Love, originally appeared in a condensed form in the November, 1953 issue of Manhunt magazine. Crime-fiction scholars will often point to the novel as among Fischer's best.

When the reader first meets Ray, he's a dejected, emotional wreck laying on Coney Island's sandy beach. His girlfriend Florence rejected his marriage proposal and ring the night before, explaining to Ray that she may still be in love with another man. As Ray ponders his life post-Florence, he spots a woman he once knew walking along the shore. Ray re-introduces himself to a beautiful vixen named Cherry and almost immediately becomes an accomplice in armed robbery and murder. Wicked love, indeed.

After reading a brief newspaper headline about an armed car robbery, a mysterious woman and a band of criminals, Ray's one night out with Cherry proves to be a cornucopia of dark discoveries. He learns that Cherry has a car trunk filled with stolen cash and three violent men on her trail. Ray gives Cherry the engagement ring he bought Florence and the two decide to flee with the money together. But after a deadly, violent encounter with two of the three men, Ray drops the money at an abandoned farm house and anonymously calls the police to pick it up. Ray then reconvenes with Florence and the two become married and live happily ever after. Considering all of these riveting events happen in the book's opening pages, readers quickly sense that Bruno Fischer has an abundance of intrigue, suspense and violence left to explore.

Ray's lusty encounters with Cherry aren't explicit, but they're an enticing invitation for readers to take the journey with these ill-fated lovers. As Ray's average life becomes more complicated, readers can foresee the impending doom in Fisher's narrative. By its very definition, the idea of this average blue-collar man being trapped in a web of murder, robbery and blinding lust is crime-noir in its most rudimentary form. It's also the same ritualistic formula utilized by a mastermind crime-fiction veteran like Fischer to mesmerize readers, fans and literature scholars. From a reader's stance, it makes for a fantastic reading experience.

Bottom Line: So Wicked My Love is so wickedly good. Get this twofer from Stark House HERE.

Chartered Love

Not much is known about author Conrad Dawn (1933-2002). He served in the U.S.M.C. From 1951 to 1954 and was wounded in action during America's involvement in the Korean Civil War. According to a brief book bio, Dawn was employed as a sailor, newspaper man, and also boxed. He traveled extensively and was married three times. Paperback Parade founder, writer, and literary scholar Gary Lovisi described the author as having “...the background and lived the life to write these kinds of wild action books true and accurate – and kick-ass!”. Lovisi's commentary on Dawn can be found in a new edition of Chartered Love, the author's 1960 paperback that was originally published by lowly Chicago sleaze word-slingers Novel Books. The novel is now available through Black Gat Books, an imprint of Stark House Press, with the original paperback cover. 

The book stars Captain John Darrow, a 200-pound muscular man with a leathery face blackened by years of hot sunny nautical travels. Darrow ships freight with his boat Malacca Maid and a hardened skipper named Adams. While at a bar in Macao, China, Darrow entertains a lucrative offer. A woman named Elizabeth wants to hire Darrow and his boat to help her locate a treasure she believes is in the Sulu Sea aboard a downed ship. Darrow isn't particularly interested until he hears the terms – four-million in gold for the taking. His share is half. 

The first half of the book details Darrow's preparation for the journey and deep-dive. He buys weapons from a suspicious arms dealer and gathers aquatic gear, both of which attract a Chinese gang led by a villain named Hayama. There's a kick the tires and start the fires battle before Darrow and Elizabeth can get up and running.

The second half of the book focuses on Darrow's chemistry with Elizabeth. The book was presented to consumers as a sleeze novel ripe with graphic sex. Like so many sleaze novels from the likes of Beacon and Monarch, the sex is tepid at a mere PG rating. But, Dawn has a flirtatious style to his writing that describes Elizabeth's undressing in such a marvelous and provocative way. These scenes counterbalance the propulsive central plot. As Darrow and Adams eventually find the ship embedded in the ocean floor, the struggle to free the gold safely becomes the prevalent story arc. Dawn adds in Hayama's fierce determination to rob Darrow as a side-quest that enhances the action and gunplay quite well.

Conrad Dawn had a real knack for nautical adventure and Chartered Love, despite the poor title, is a testament to his talent. The book's plot was reminiscent of another stellar 1970s adventure novel titled Pieces of the Game, authored by Lee Gifford and published the same year. If you are a fan of nautical adventure then Chartered Love is sure to please. Highly recommended! Get it HERE.

Hired Lover

Hired Lover was first published in 1959 under the pseudonym Fred Martin, but the real author was king of the sleaze-crime genre, Orrie Hitt (1916-1975), and its supposed to be one of his best novels. Thanks to Stark House Press, the short novel is back in print in a double paired with Summer Hotel (1958) and a fascinating introduction by paperback scholar, Jeff Vorzimmer.

Our narrator is a Chicago driving instructor named Mike Callahan who is giving a wealthy young woman named Kitty driving lessons. She’s super sexy and wastes no time seducing Mike. Kitty is married to a much older man. She claims he’s a sickly and cruel man nearly three-times her age. You see where this is going.

Girls like that in books like this are addictive and Mike becomes hooked on the sex with young Kitty. Opportunities abound when Kitty’s husband hires Mike to be her full-time chauffeur. This gives Mike access to Kitty but also access to her husband’s estate and proximity to the life of wealth and privilege he’s never enjoyed before.

Eventually, it occurs to Kitty and Mike that all of it could be theirs if Kitty’s husband was dead. No surprise to the reader who has enjoyed this plot dozens of times within the genre, but Hitt does a nice job managing the twists, turns and betrayals along the way.

If you enjoy femme fatale classics by James M. Cain (The Postman Always Rings Twice) or Gil Brewer (The Vengeful Virgin), you’ll love Hired Lover. This is Orrie Hitt at the top of his noir game. Recommended. Get it HERE.

Paperback Warrior Podcast - Episode 103

Today's episode examines the intriguing police procedural sub-genre of crime-fiction. Eric presents an exciting feature on one of the genre's most iconic authors, Hillary Waugh. In addition, Eric reviews the first installment of the vintage detective series Neil Hockaday and discusses some new book aquisitions. The episode also includes an audible story by crime-noir writer Jimmy McKimmey. Stream below or download the episode directly HERE. 

Listen to "Episode 103: Hillary Waugh" on Spreaker.

Paperback Warrior Podcast - Episode 102

The Paperback Warrior Podcast is back! On this episode, Eric explains the show's new format while also presenting features on pulp author and screenwriter William L. Chester and the history of vintage paperback publisher Handi Books. Tom checks in from the road after browsing the third best bookstore in America. In addition, Eric reviews the 1971 suspenseful mystery paperback Crawlspace by Herbert Lieberman and sorts through a stack of new arrivals. Stream HERE, watch on YouTube HERE, play below, or download the episode HERE

Listen to "Episode 102: We're Back!" on Spreaker.

Awake and Die

According to Mysteryfile.com, there isn't a lot of information about author Robert Ames. Apparently Ames was a pseudonym used by Charles Clifford, not to be confused with the Charles L. Clifford that authored While the Bells Ran. As Ames, Clifford authored three novels for Fawcett Gold Medal – The Devil Drives (1952), The Dangerous One (1954), and today's subject, Awake and Die (1955). The Stark House Press imprint Black Gat Books published Awake and Die in a new edition in 2023 with the original cover painting by Clark Hulings.

Fans of crime-fiction either really love the “narrative from the deathhouse” stories and novels or they tend to really hate them. I personally don't enjoy parking in the lunatic lot with killers and thieves, but I can make exceptions when the stories are phenomenal, like a good James Cain tale. Jim Thompson, no thanks. If you aren't familiar with this style of storytelling, they are traditionally first-person narration from someone that explains a murder was committed and then provides scintillating details to the reader on the events that led up to the occurrence (hint: the events are always wearing high-heels). Readers assume the writer is wearing orange and sitting under a small window that has a terrific view of the trains if not for those pesky vertical bars. 

In this novel, a guy named Will, a Korean War veteran, begins his narration with, “The day of the killing was one of the most beautiful I ever spent on the water. I didn't know murder was going to be done that night, and done by me.” Simple. Effective. Will is a killer. Then he explains all of the events leading up to his present situation pushing the pen from somewhere. 

Up until Will sees Claire Grace his life is a peaceful one. He has a small boat and spends his day doing hard, but enjoyable, labor raking clams from sea beds before returning to his own three-room house on the river. He's his own man, his own boss. However, an alcoholic woman named Mae moved into his house months ago and she just won't leave. Will doesn't drink so Mae lifts two bottles each night to make up for it. As he begins his account, he has booted Mae to the curb and changed the locks. But, from the water he looks up to see stunning Claire Grace and it all goes to Hell.

Claire is the unhappy wife of a wealthy entrepreneur. When she makes eye contact with Will it is love at first sight. The two go out, dance, and then Claire goes back to her marriage and Will goes back to his empty bed. But, when he returns he finds Mae has broken the window and sits in a drunken bliss awaiting Will's return. In a rage, Will throttles her, breaks her neck, then throws her in the river. From that point it is the “cover up all tracks and smoothly go back to business as usual.” But, it never works that well. 

Will's murder of Mae leads to more murder just to cover up the original murder. Before long he's in deeper than Mae's bloated corpse bouncing off the river bed. When he pulls a young girl named Chris into his death-drama the events spiral completely out of control. But, when Claire knocks on his door, everything seems right as rain. If Will can just escape the cumbersome murders then Claire will leave her husband and the two lovers can sail to a banana country and live a happy existence. But, will Claire be the next corpse?

Charles Clifford or Robert Ames or whoever wrote this should be commended. Lots of authors do the femme fatale dance well, including star performers like Day Keene, Gil Brewer, and Charles Williams. Clifford/Ames certainly keeps pace with them. This wildly entertaining narrative goes into some crazy places that involve the demented elements of crime-fiction – murder, rage, adultery, and jealousy. Just when I thought it was wrapped up the author spins new life into the story and takes it into a different direction.

The highlights, other than Will being non compos mentis, is the extraordinary investigation conducted by a diligent police officer named Roberts. He's the bad good guy...if that makes sense. But, what I really loved about the novel is that the author uses alcohol as the culprit. Each character and violent end involves alcohol. That is a fixture here that remains prevalent as the narrative spins its hypnotic web.

If you love a great crime-noir then look no further than Awake and Die. It's the proverbial top-notch page-turner you are searching for and you can obtain it HERE.

Disturbance on Berry Hill

Elizabeth Jane Phillips, better known as her pseudonym Elizabeth Fenwick, authored three standard detective novels in the 1940s. In the following decade, Fenwick changed her writing style to feature flawed and vulnerable characters placed into high levels of distress drenched in tight-knit suspense. Often, the setting is a confined space with very little wiggle room to escape the impending doom. 

Like Fenwick's A Friend of Mary Rose (1961), which traps the reader and characters in an attic to contend with a home-invasion plot, or The Make-Believe Man (1963), which confines the compact narrative into a different type of home-invasion suburbia, Disturbance on Berry Hill (1968) has a similar set-up. 

In Fenwick's taut narrative, which she had perfected by this point in her career, the thrilling mystery lies in a small cluster of upscale homes on Berry Hill, a sub-division that was carved out of a sprawling farm in rural Connecticut. These seven homes are mostly owned by affluent, middle-aged couples that fit the mid 20th century mold – husbands journey off to daytime employers and wives remain behind to keep the home fires well lit. But, on Berry Hill someone else is staying behind as well, stalking and menacing these prosperous homes and providing white-knuckle fright for the ladies. 

The novel begins with Maggie Leavis recounting a frightening incident that occurred while she was in the bathtub. From inside the porcelain safety, Maggie hears someone enter the home, walk upstairs, and then methodically stand outside of the couple's bathroom – knowing Maggie is inside. Before you think Michael Myers, Maggie explains that this intruder, who she thinks was a mysterious man, didn't come in the bathroom and instead simply knocked a picture off the dresser and then slowly left the home. The author introduces readers to Berry Hill in a really significant way. Maggie's testimony is bone-chilling. 

When Maggie visits her female neighbors the next day she hears similar stories. In one account, this mysterious man closed a garage door behind a woman and then stood outside as if he (or it!) was daring the woman to open the door. In another incident, a woman is grabbed from behind and squeezed. The attacker then simply runs off. There are a few similar things, like a birthday cake flipped upside down or seeing someone near the creek behind the neighborhood. 

The neighbors all meet one night to discuss the intruder/prowler and what needs to happen next. Should they call the police? Ignore the rather innocent pranks? After the meeting, their concerns are met with an appalling revelation – one of the female neighbors is found dead near the creek. When the police arrive they discover it was foul play. Whoever has been gently plaguing Berry Hill has now escalated their game into cold-blooded murder.

Disturbance on Berry Hill is the proverbial page-turner. Fenwick's approach to the book's first half sets readers on edge with these disturbing intrusions into the sanctity and lives of these well-to-do Connecticut residents. As their white-collar emotional fencing caves, the flaws and vulnerability begin to show. One elderly neighbor is contending with dependency while another couple is dealing with depression and inadequacy. There are also the obvious early dismissals of the complaints by most of the men, who are either too busy to deal with the intrusions or simply believe these are daytime fantasies created by bored housewives. 

Fenwick knows when to increase the pace, tension, and atmosphere for the book's second half. After the murder, fingers begin pointing, accusations are made, and there is a real unnerving, unraveling of the neighborly ties that bind. Someone in the neighborhood is, or knows, the murderer. Through Maggie's experience, the readers delve into the mystery and eventually discover the identity of the killer. 

While the ending left me slightly deflated, Disturbance on Berry Hill was an extremely enjoyable read. The characters, the setting, and the slow atmospheric march to the murder really highlighted the book's opening half. As the book sped to the finish, fans of police procedural crime-fiction will enjoy the investigation and interviews.

Overall, Fenwick continues to impress. If you are wanting to explore her work look no further than Stark House Press's amazing preservation. They continue to focus on Fenwick, and her contemporaries in Jean Potts, Ruth Sawtell Wallis, and Nedra Tyre to name a few (I'm pushing on them to reprint Amber Dean!). You can get Disturbance on Berry Hill as a twofer with her 1961 thriller Night Run HERE.