Book review: Perfidia by James Ellroy

Perfidia is the first volume of the Second L.A. Quartet. The L.A. Quartet–The Black Dahlia, The Big Nowhere, L.A. Confidential, and White Jazz–covers the years 1946 to 1958 in Los Angeles. The Underworld U.S.A. Trilogy–American Tabloid, The Cold Six Thousand, and Blood’s a Rover–covers 1958 to 1972, on a national scale.

Help I am Being Held Prisoner to be re-released 2/18

It isn’t easy going to jail for a practical joke. Of course, this particular joke left 20 cars wrecked on the highway and two politicians’ careers in tatters – so jail is where Harold Künt landed. Now he’s just trying to keep a low profile in the Big House. He wants no part of […]

News for week ending 2017-12-22 (open thread)

News for week ending 2017-12-22 (open thread) […]

Nackles: A Christmas story by Donald Westlake (2017 repost)

Note: I believe this story to be in the public domain. If it is not, please let me know and I will remove it from the site.

Merry Christmas!

Nackles

By Donald Westlake (writing as Curt Clark)

Originally published in The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction, […]

Added to the cover gallery: A Portuguese edition of The Score

Rififi (Portugal) (19??)

Title translation: The Cake. VWOP Portuguese-language correspondent Carlos explains: “Bolo” is also used in Portuguese as slang for the pile of money accumulated in the middle of the table in a card game (the betting money). The equivalent of the “pot” in poker games.

Cover text translation: “Twelve assault an […]

Hard Case Crime Review: Bust by Ken Bruen & Jason Starr (HCC-020)

5 IMPORTANT LESSONS YOU CAN LEARN BY READING BUST:

When you hire a hit man to kill your wife, don’t pick a psychopath. Drano is not the best tool for getting rid of a dead body. Those locks on hotel room doors? Not very secure. A curly blond wig isn’t much of a disguise. […]

Added to the cover gallery: A Portuguese edition of The Outfit

Rififi (Portugal) (19??)

Title translation: The Gang

I can’t read the text well enough to run it through Google Translate.

News for week ending 2017-12-15 (open thread)

News for week ending 2017-12-15 (open thread) […]

Hard Case Crime review: Forever and a Death by Donald E. Westlake (HCC-129)

The Bond That Never Was.

Two decades ago, the producers of the James Bond movies hired legendary crime novelist Donald E. Westlake to come up with a story for the next Bond film. The plot Westlake dreamed up – about a Western businessman seeking revenge after being kicked out of Hong Kong […]

Added to the cover gallery: A Portuguese edition of The Damsel

Rififi (Brazil) (19??)

The artwork here makes this lighthearted romp look absolutely terrifying.

Title translation: The Girl

Cover text translation: “Grofield, an extraordinary adventurer, rescues a young woman in trouble in a race of life and death across Mexico.”