Wednesday, February 14, 2007

Stark House Press Update

Here at last is the complete list of what's coming up for 2007 from Stark House Press:
January
JIMBO / THE EDUCATION OF UNCLE PAUL by Algernon Blackwood. New intro by Mike Ashley. Two supernatural novels set in the world of children but written for adults.
February
A TRIO OF GOLD MEDALS: THE VENGEANCE MAN by Dan J. Marlowe / PARK AVENUE TRAMP by Fletcher Flora / THE PRETTIEST GIRL I EVER KILLED by Charles Runyon. Three distinctive and very different novels from the the golden era of paperback publishing. Intros by Charles Kelly and Ed Gorman.
PAN'S GARDEN / INCREDIBLE ADVENTURES by Algernon Blackwood. Intros by Mike Ashley and Tim Lebbon. Previously published in separate volumes, two of Blackwood's best story collections in one volume.
March
THE OLD BATTLE-AX / DARK POWER by Elisabeth Sanxay Holding. Intro by Gregory Shepard. Two classic novels of suspense, the latter of which has never appeared before in paperback in its unabridged edition (and then only in a 1945 digest).
April
UNDERGROUND / COLLECTED STORIES by Russell James. Intro by the author. James's first novel published here in the U.S. for the first time, along with seven previously uncollected stories, one of which has never been published before.
May
A SHOT IN THE DARK / SHELL GAME by Richard Powell. Intro to be determined. Two slyly written mysteries from the author of The Philadelphian, recently reprinted by Plexus Publishing.
June
SNOWBOUND / GAMES by Bill Pronzini. Two excruciating novels of suspense, too long out of print. Intro to be determined but hopefully to include something from Bill himself.
July
THE KILLER / DEVIL ON TWO STICKS by Wade Miller. Two fine character-driven 50's thrillers from from Bob Wade and Bill Miller, authors of the the Max Thursday detective series.
August
DOGTOWN / SOULTOWN by Mercedes Lambert. Lambert in real life was Douglas Anne Munson, who died a few years ago from cancer. She left behind three excellent, cynical mysteries featuring lawyer-turned-sleuth Whitney Logan and her streetwise sidekick Lupe Ramos--these two books were the only ones to be published in her lifetime, out of print now for the past ten years.
September
SWEET MONEY GIRL / LIFE & DEATH OF A TOUGH GUY by Benjamin Appel. Intro by Carla Appel. Two gritty novels from the New York streets, the former being one of Appel's only two Gold Medal books.
October
ANATOMY OF A KILLER / A SHROUD FOR JESSO by Peter Rabe. Two more dryly written gangster novels from one of the best of the noir writers of the 50's and 60's.
November
A DEVIL FOR O'SHAUGNESSY / THREE-WAY SPLIT by Gil Brewer. The big news for 2007 is that Stark House will be publishing a Brewer novel that never appeared during the author's lifetime, a fast-paced noir from the early 60's. Also to be included will be 2-3 short stories to round out the package. We couldn't be more excited!
December
IT'S ALWAYS FOUR O'CLOCK / IRON MAN by W. R. Burnett. The first novel is a jazz story originally written as by James Updyke, the second a marvelous tale of the rise and fall of a prizefighter. Both feature Burnett's keen eye for characterization and dialog, and neither have appeared in paperback before.
And so the year goes out with a bang (assuming I keep to the schedule!). If you need isbns, I have them assigned so far through A SHOT IN THE DARK. All books will be $19.95 except for the TRIO book, which is $23.95.
I hope this information is helpful. I could probably say more about each book, but wanted to keep it brief. Don't have intros determined for each book yet. Already planning for another Harry Whittington in 2008, and hopefully more Douglas Sanderson, Vin Packer and Gil Brewer as well.
And you will notice, not everything is vintage-50's/60's this year. Variety is the spice. The Lambert, for example, is an experiment. Something on the order of "righting a wrong," if you will.

1 comment:

Juri said...

Holding's THE BATTLE AX is very good piece of female noir from the fourties.