Saturday, July 23, 2011

New Story at BEAT to a PULP

BEAT to a PULP :: Enter the Red Door :: Sandra Seamans

Please, No "Ball Skill" Jokes

The West Australian: "Ball skills and a lot of tackle were the order of the day as New Zealand clashed with Fiji in a game of nude rugby in Dunedin."

Hat tip to Art Scott.

Joe R. Lansdale on CNN

Writer Joe R. Lansdale continues to be prolific - CNN

Keep off His Lawn!

Marine vet runs down robber, but death bothers 72-year-old

A Failure of Institutional Memory

The Republic: "The Cincinnati Art Museum has rediscovered a collection of more than 800 antique musical instruments that had been stored beneath the facility and largely forgotten for decades.

The Cincinnati Enquirer reports the items span four centuries and represent more than 20 countries, making it an important collection in the eyes of museum officials and instrument specialists. The instruments include African drums, a Burmese crocodile zither, a Chinese version of a hammered dulcimer and a Native American ceremonial raven rattle."

Amy Winehouse, R. I. P.

Amy Winehouse confirmed dead | Mail Online: "Amy Winehouse, 27, found dead at her London flat"

The Bolero of Andi Rowe: Stories -- Toni Margarita Plummer

I was hesitant to review this collection of stories because it was written by my editor at St. Martin's. Either I'm a brave man, I'm crazy, or I'm a suck-up. I report you decide.

I learned about these stories a couple of years ago from the late Ruth Cavin, who was quite proud of the fact that Toni, then her assistant, was a prize-winning author in her own right.

Several of the stories, including the one that gives the book its title, involve Andi Rowe and her family, and they're coming-of-age stories for the most part, though not all of them are from Andi's point of view. Hearing from other members of the family or from other people whose lives intersect with theirs does a lot for the reader's perspective.

My favorite story doesn't involve the Rowes, however. It's "The Desert in Green," a subtle and touching story about a boy determined to keep crossing the border no matter how many times he's caught. Like all the stories in the book, this one generates emotion from clear, concise, specific language, quite an achievement.

If you haven't read any literary short stories for a while, this collection would be a great place to start.

Today's Vintage Ad

Captain America

When I was a kid, I liked the Captain American comic books a lot, and I also liked the old serial version even though Steve Rogers wasn't the same character as the guy in the comics. So I was prepared to like the new movie version, too, and I did. A lot. [Possible Spoiler: I didn't much care for the ending. End of Possible Spoiler.]

I liked the '40s setting, I thought Tommy Lee Jones was just right, and the rest of the cast wasn't bad, either. The CGI was amazing. (Was Chris Evans' body ever actually in the movie, or did they just use his head?) Hugo Weaving was a dandy villain, and the 3-D effects were great for the most part. As much as I hate to, however, I have to admit that the movie was a bit too dark through the 3-D glasses, and I kind of wish I'd gone to the 2-D version.

I haven't see any of the summer's other big superhero movies, but this was the one I wanted to see because of my affection for the character and my hope they'd do it right. They did. Check it out.

PaperBack


Paddy Chayefsky, The Bachelor Party, Signet, 1957





Today's Sizzling Summer Read: No One Will Hear You

Top Suspense Group: Today's Sizzling Summer Read: No One Will Hear You: "NOW HEAR THIS! by Max Allan Collins

Two serial killers vie for the attention of the public in NO ONE WILL HEAR YOU, the second J.C. Harrow thriller by Matt Clemens and me. You needn’t have read YOU CAN’T STOP ME to jump in here, however, and as much as we like the first book – recently a nominee for the Best Paperback Thriller of the Year – Matt and I feel we’ve upped the ante and improved our game second-time around.

We listened to reviewers and readers and sought to make NO ONE WILL HEAR YOU a state-of-the-art thrill ride. We made the chapters shorter, increased the plot twists, even while trying to delve deeper in the characters...not just Harrow and his superstar forensics team, but the killers themselves. And we introduced a secondary protagonist, LAPD sex crimes detective, Lt. Anna Amari, who more than holds her own with Harrow."

This Is the Way the World Ends . . . .

20 Blogs All About Doomsday

What Could Possibly Go Wrong?

Darnell Dockett wants to bring his pet alligator to training camp

Today's Western Movie Poster

They'll Try Anything

WLWT Cincinnati: "Three men from Detroit were arrested after they attempted to scam a gas station using a piece of tin foil and a ladder, police said."

Hat tip to Jeff Segal.

First It Was the Thin Mints Melee . . .

Man puts gun to wife's head during argument over who's the favorite grandchild

Are We Not Men?

Embryos involving the genes of animals mixed with humans have been produced secretively for the past three years

Or Maybe You Did

21 Things You Probably Didn't Think eHow Could Teach You

Scribe Award Winners Announced

Scribe Award Winners Announced - A Writer's Life: "The winners of the Scribe Awards, honoring excellence in media tie-in writing, were awarded Friday at a ceremony at Comic-Con in San Diego by the International Association of Media Tie-in Writers ."

Winners at the link.

‪Boy Meets Girl

"

Friday, July 22, 2011

Ohio Cops Are Tougher than Your Cops

Cop threatens to execute driver over concealed weapon permit: "I swear to God man this little bull crap you just pulled right now has got me so hot. You know what I should have done? I'll tell you what I should have done. As soon as I saw your gun, I should have taken two steps back, pulled my Glock 40 and just put ten bullets in your ass and let you drop. And I wouldn'tve lost any sleep. And he would have been a nice witness as I executed you because you're stupid."

First It Was the Thin Mints Melee . . .

Disagreement over trailer turns violent

Some Great News from Max Allan Collins

Click here: Friends/Family/Fans of Max Allan Collins

The Traditional West

Amazon: The classic American Western returns in this collection of brand-new stories by some of the top Western writers in the world today. Robert J. Randisi, Dusty Richards, James Reasoner, Larry D. Sweazy, L.J. Washburn, Jackson Lowry, Larry Jay Martin, Kerry Newcomb, and many other members of Western Fictioneers, the only writers’ organization devoted solely to traditional Western fiction, take readers from the dusty plains of Texas to the sweeping vistas of Montana and beyond, in the biggest original Western anthology ever published! Western Fictioneers was founded in 2010 to promote the oldest genuine American art form, the Western story. Its worldwide membership includes best-selling, award-winning authors of Western fiction, as well as the brightest up-and-coming new stars in the Western field. The organization's first anthology features original stories by Steven Clark, Phil Dunlap, Edward A. Grainger, James J. Griffin, Jerry Guin, C. Courtney Joyner, Jackson Lowry, Larry Jay Martin, Matthew P. Mayo, Rod Miller, Clay More, Ross Morton, Kerry Newcomb, Scott D. Parker, Pete Peterson, Cheryl Pierson, Kit Prate, Robert J. Randisi, James Reasoner, Dusty Richards, Troy D. Smith, Larry D. Sweazy, Chuck Tyrell, and L.J. Washburn. With original cover artwork by acclaimed artist Pete Peterson, THE TRADITIONAL WEST is more than 100,000 words of classic Western fiction.

Hey, I Can Quit Any Time I Want To

Mail Online: "People deprived of the internet feel 'upset and lonely' and find going offline as hard as quitting smoking or drinking

Lack of internet access 'like having a hand chopped off'"

Crossing Over

Star Trek Star Trek And The Legion of Superheroes To Join Forces: "It’s the crossover of crossovers, with heroes of the 23rd century teaming up with superheroes of the 30th century. It’s IDW Publishing’s first-ever crossover with the DC Universe. It is… Star Trek/Legion of Superheroes, a six-issue monthly series that will launch in October."

Hat tip to Randy Johnson.

Wicked Good Words -- Mim Harrison

I don't know about you, but I find this kind of book makes irresistible browsing. There are plenty of expressions that are familiar to a Texan like me, like frog strangler and gully washer to describe a heavy rain. But other parts of the country have phrases that I'd never heard before, like piggle, long butt, and lamb licker. You can find out what those mean, if you don't know already, along with hundreds of others in this entertaining book. You'll find out where they're used, and sometimes even the origin. Check it out.

Sizzling Summer Reads: RIPTIDE

Paul Levine on "Riptide": "Windsurfing Injury Led to 'Riptide'

But for an injury, I might never have become a novelist.

This is the backstory of “Riptide,” a Jake Lassiter novel, now available on Kindle and Nook for $2.99.

In 1986, I rented a condo on Maui for the summer, intent on polishing my skills as a competitive windsurfer. My second day at Hookipa Beach, bouncing over the lip of a roller, the board exploded out of the water and smashed my femur. The E.R. physician told me nothing was broken and recommended smoking a little Maui Wowie for the pain. (No, not Dr. House).

So I sat on the beach with a yellow pad and started handwriting a novel featuring a character that popped into my mind: linebacker-turned-lawyer Jake Lassiter. Here’s the first sentence of fiction I ever wrote, (not counting certain statements in my appellate briefs). “The old man loved gadgets, money, and large-breasted women, and at the moment, he had all three.”"

Today's Vintage Ad

Gil Bernal; R. I. P.

Los Angeles Music - West Coast Sound: "Tenor sax veteran Gil Bernal died on Sunday of congestive heart failure. He was 80. Bernal was an incomparable Los Angeles jazz musician who began his professional career with swing kingpin Lionel Hampton in 1950, and played and collaborated with everyone from Ray Charles to Quincy Jones.

Born February 4, 1931 in Watts, Bernal's neighborhood chums were folks like Charles Mingus, Buddy Collette, and Big Jay McNeely. A proficient saxist and singer by his teens, Bernal jammed at parties and dances and, after graduating from Jordan High, ended up touring nationally with Hampton in 1950. Turns out Hampton had fired a tenor player during a local engagement, and Bernal had chops enough to land into the gig. His band mates included Quincy Jones and Little Jimmy Scott."

A Definitive Answer

The Straight Dope: Are there alligators living in the sewers of New York?

Zodiac Update

Massachusetts Man Says He's Cracked Zodiac Killer Code

Is the World Ready?

Hollywood Reporter: "Beavis and Butt-Head are back -- and they haven't changed one bit, based on a sneak peek from MTV's upcoming revival of the 1990s animated comedy."

Martin L. Weiss, Hate Alley, Ace, 1957






Even I Know What's Wrong with This One

Our top 10 favorite movie scars, from "Harry Potter" to "The Dark Knight"

Yet Another List I'm Not On

Red-Hot Reads on AbeBooks

Today's Western Movie Poster

20 awesomely untranslatable words from around the world |

20 awesomely untranslatable words from around the world

Life Imitates "Art"

Brownwood News: "A&E Network presents 'American Hoggers,' a new original real-life series that follows the Campbell family, from Brown County, and their struggle to rescue Texas residents and ranches from the devastating chaos caused by millions of invasive wild boars. The 8-episode half-hour series premieres August 16 at 9pm CST."

10 Extraordinary Modern Shipwrecks

10 Extraordinary Modern Shipwrecks

The Top 10 Time-Travel Books

The Top 10 Time-Travel Books

Hat tip to George Kelley.

Forgotten Books: Cain's Woman -- O. G. Benson

This was O. G. Benson's only crime novel, and it's a good one. Max Raven is a private-eye whose client is a beautiful woman. She's paying someone who has pornographic photos of her, and she wants Raven's help. So right away you're thinking, I've read this one before.

Well, maybe not. The setup is familiar, but the way it plays out isn't. Sure, Raven gets involved with the woman. Sure, she tells him lies. Sure, he turns up things that he didn't expect to find. But the way this one plays out isn't the usual way at all.

Benson writes well, and he's in control all the way here, right up to the starkly noir (and maybe a bit sentimental) ending. This is prime stuff.

The edition I have is apparently a bit pricey, but the book was reprinted as Cain's Wife (more PC?), and copies of that one are dirt cheap if you want to take a chance and read it.

‪Hollywood Hotel

"

Thursday, July 21, 2011

Once Again, Texas Leads the Way

News from Fort Worth, Dalla...: "It's been so hot in North Texas that even a swimming pool isn't safe from thieves.

A Richland Hills homeowner reported that her 10-foot-tall pool, complete with a slide, was stolen last weekend by unidentified pool thieves."

I Know What All You Married Guys Are Thinking

Top 10 Bad-Ass Wives

Hat tip to Todd Mason.

Five TV Shows That Alternate Between Amazing And Terrible

Five TV Shows That Alternate Between Amazing And Terrible

Hat tip to Todd Mason.

Plot Device

Plot Device on Vimeo

A funny short film. The best line is near the end about the 7:30 mark. Be sure to watch through the credits, too.
Link via Neatorama.

Soon We'll Have No Freedoms Left at All

The Newspaper of Cleveland County: "Police have charged a Kings Mountain man with assault for allegedly giving a girl a hickey on her chest."

Hat tip to Jeff Meyerson.

Once Again, Texas Leads the Way

Talking and Texting FAIL

Crime Runs Rampant in Gorman Country

Innocence lost: Trusting Cedar Rapids residents getting cars stolen

Once Again, Texas Leads the Way

The Lufkin Daily News: Local & State: "A Lufkin man convicted of resisting arrest in his own home after police mistook him for a burglar was sentenced Wednesday to 30 days in jail and a $500 fine.
[. . . .]
Following a one-day trial and four-hour deliberation, a six-panel Angelina County jury concluded Sauceda was guilty of resisting arrest on March 15, 2009, while being pepper-sprayed, shot with a pepper ball gun and wrestled to the ground by nine Lufkin Police officers in his own living room, according to testimony."

Steve Brewer's Bargain Sale

Bubba book bargains: "All the Bubba Mabry mysteries -- seven novels and a novella -- are now on sale as e-books for only 99 cents each.

Bubba is my franchise player. Nearly half my crime stories have featured the bumbling Albuquerque private eye and his love interest, reporter Felicia Quattlebaum. Lonely Street was my first published novel and was later made into a Hollywood comedy starring Robert Patrick, Jay Mohr and Joe Mantegna. The seventh in the series, Monkey Man, was a finalist for the Lefty Award for funniest mystery of the year."

As Usual, I Expect Complete Agreement

The Best American Movie Trilogies

Once Again, Texas Leads the Way

Cross walk sign gives 'the bird' to pedestrians | wtsp.com: "The City of Amarillo says it's a manufacturing problem that causes a glitch and produces offensive hand gestures. They've had reports since November, complaints from residents, reading between the lines."

Video of the Day

Times Union: "Sheriff's officials were not amused."

A Conversation Between Lawrence Block and Robert Silverberg: Part II

A Conversation Between Lawrence Block and Robert Silverberg: Part II

I Wish I Didn't Agree with This

The end of the space shuttle marks a retreat in America's ambitions

‪The Bad Girl I Keep in My Heart - The Cornell Hurd Band‬‏ - YouTube

"

It Was Fun While It Lasted

Last space shuttle comes home, ends 30-year era

Today's Vintage Ad

Sizzling Summer Read RUNNING COLD (A Mick Callahan Novel)

Top Suspense Group: Sizzling Summer Read RUNNING COLD (A Mick Callahan Novel): "I created media psychologist Mick Callahan as the protagonist of my debut hardcover mystery. Mick was born and raised near the small town of Wells, Nevada. He's an alcoholic, a loyal friend, a hot tempered genius. After a failed stint in the Navy Seals, Mick studied Psychology and ended up hosting a television show. Booze, sex and ego brought him down. Over the course of the four novels in the series, he's gone from humiliated and sober and on the comeback trail (Memorial Day), working in radio again (Eye of the Burning Man), back on track but in trouble with the mob (One of the Wicked) and now, in RUNNING COLD, your Top Suspense Sizzling Summer Read of the day, Mick is on the edge of collapse, fighting a return to the bottle and mourning the loss of his girlfriend."

PaperBack


Peyson Antholz, All Shook Up, Ace, 1958






Okay, so Maybe They Aren't Everywhere, After All

Alligator in eastern Ontario pond is a fake, say police

ABC of Books about Typography, Typographers & Typophiles

AbeBooks: ABC of Books about Typography, Typographers & Typophiles

Texas Has Always Led the Way

Prehistoric crocodile Terminonaris was Texas native, fossil suggests

Hat tip to Henry Melton.

Today's Western Movie Poster

Your Tax Dollars at Work

wusa9.com: "The government is saying goodbye to two large oil tankers that it ordered during the Reagan administration, spent more than $300 million to build, and never finished or put in service."

Some of You are too Young to Remember What These Are

Awesome Car Hood Ornaments

6 Famous People Whose Identities We Still Don't Know

6 Famous People Whose Identities We Still Don't Know

Top 21 Worst Cartoon Characters Of All Time

Top 21 Worst Cartoon Characters Of All Time

Hat tip to Lawrence Person.

‪Daddy Long Legs

"

Wednesday, July 20, 2011

Let Joy Be Unconfined

TV - Digital Spy: "Nicole 'Snooki' Polizzi, Rob Kardashian and Christina Milian may join the upcoming season of Dancing with the Stars."

Chupacabra Update

Teen kills possible chupacabra

New Story by Rich Prosch

Holiday With Gale

Once Again, Texas Leads the Way

Giant toilet paper rolls remain in Lochsa after truck accident: "A five-mile stretch of Idaho's Wild and Scenic Lochsa River remained cluttered by megarolls of toilet paper Tuesday, four days after a truck driver from Texas lost control on a tight turn and dumped the load."

Hat tip to Jeff Meyerson.

Ya think?

New Port Richey-Port Richey-Hudson News: "The Pasco County Sheriff says a pill popping mom made several big mistakes when she decided she needed cash for her habit. Deputies say 24-year-old Cherilyn Jannette Lopez held up a bank, with her son in tow, in the middle of the afternoon."

They Really Are Everywhere

Alligator spotted swimming in eastern Ontario pond

Hat tip to Jeff Meyerson.

Once Upon a Time . . .

. . . Americans walked on the moon. I remember watching in wonder and awe. Now there are people who weren't even born when the last moonwalk took place. I'm glad I was around to see it the first time, and I'm sorry it won't happen again in my lifetime, and maybe not in anybody's.

The Incredible Things NASA Did to Train Apollo Astronauts

Today's Vintage Ad

Top Suspense Group: Today's Sizzling Summer Read -- SET THE NIGHT ON FIRE by Libby Hellmann

Top Suspense Group: Today's Sizzling Summer Read -- SET THE NIGHT ON FIRE by Libby Hellmann: "The relationship between the past and present, the consequences of events that occurred years ago fascinate me. I also love stories that plunge characters into danger and make them draw on resources they didn't know they had. SET THE NIGHT ON FIRE was the way to combine all those themes. Writing the book was an exorcism of sorts, a way to make peace with the past. And while I enjoyed reliving the past, I loved putting it behind me even more. I'm finally ready to move on.

I hope you enjoy the read. To buy the book from Amazon click here. From Nook, here. And for more about the book, and me, and everything else, just click here."

The Mugshots Speak Volumes

Splendora couple arrested after kid with gun sparks fight

PaperBack


Joseph Shallit, Lady, Don't Die on My Doorstep, Avon, 1952






11 Animal Species About to Go Extinct

11 Animal Species About to Go Extinct

Today's Western Movie Poster

I'm Sure There Will Be No Disagreement

The 10 Greatest Movie Comedies of All Time

How to Undress a Victorian Lady

How to Undress a Victorian Lady in Your Next Historical Romance - WSJ.com: "Authors Who Crave Verisimilitude Learn to Unlace a Corset in a Good Bodice Ripper"

So Now You Know

The Australian: "THE perennial debate in every playground has finally been solved - ripping a Band-Aid off quickly causes less pain than pulling it away from the skin in a slow two-second tug."

Yet Another List I'm Not On

7 Youngest Self-Made Billionaires

‪The Gay Divorcee

"

Tuesday, July 19, 2011

A Touch of Class

(PHOTO): "Perhaps because you only get to wear a wedding dress on your wedding day, Tammy Lee Hinton elected not to change out of her gown and veil when police took her mugshot last Saturday, just a few moments after she said, 'I do.'"

Sea Serpent Update

msnbc.com: "Alaska may have its own version of the Loch Ness monster, according to prominent cryptozoologists who say a video shows a mysterious marine animal, which they believe is a Cadborosaurus."

Hat tip to Jeff Segal.

Once Again, Texas Leads the Way

El Sonido Joven de Miami: "Michael Thompson, who headed the study, says an amazing six out of ten Texas high school students have been suspended for expelled or suspended from class at least once over the past six years."

Enraged Chihuahua WBAGNFARB

latimes.com: "Los Angeles County sheriff’s officials Monday released a video of a robbery attempt foiled by an enraged and barking Chihuahua, hoping the public can identify the two assailants."

Today's Vintage Ad

First It Was the Thin Mints Melee . . .

WLS 890AM: "A dripping window air conditioner led to the execution-style killing of a West Side man, police said Monday."

Best Man for the Job -- Meredith Fletcher

I don't read a lot of Harlequin romantic suspense novels, but judging by this one, I might be making a mistake. It's a fast-action thriller that would have been right at home between the covers of a Gold Medal book back in the late '50s. Sure, the romance angle is played up a bit more than those books would have done it, but it's certainly there in a lot of them.

Callan Storm's a professional soldier who's seen and done it all. He's in Las Vegas for his sister's wedding, and at the bachelor party her husband-to-be is kidnapped. Jumping out of the fake cake at the party just before the kidnapping is Eryn McAdams, who's just subbing for a friend. Eryn's a security expert, and of course she and Storm are thrown together in an uneasy alliance to get the victim back in one piece and in a very short time.

The pace is fast, all right, but that doesn't mean there's no time for humor. There are some good laughs mixed in with the action, and even though you know pretty much how it'll work out, there are some surprises along the way. All together, a mighty satisfying package, and I'll be looking for Fletcher's next book, for sure.

A Conversation Between Lawrence Block and Robert Silverberg: Part I

A Conversation Between Lawrence Block and Robert Silverberg: Part I | Mulholland Books

PaperBack


Day Keene & Leonard Pruyn, World without Women, Gold Medal, 1960






Coral Gables Chainsaw Massac . . . Mishap

Man Cut Son's Thumb Sawing Off Cast

Final Images from Famous Films

Where the Lovely Things Are
If you don't know them all, the answers are at the end.Link via Neatorama.

Today's Western Movie Poster

Sea Monster Update

Quite A Mouthful: Giant Sea Monster Skull Might Be The Largest Ever

If I Were Doing the Casting . . . .

MY BOOK, THE MOVIE: Bill Crider's "The Wild Hog Murders"

50 Best Books for American History Buffs

50 Best Books for American History Buffs

Forgotten Films: Santa Fe Trail

If you're looking for historical accuracy, well, this isn't the movie for you. It's wildly off the wall. If you're looking for an entertaining western with plenty of action, well, this is a fine choice. Errol Flynn is J. E. B. Stuart, and Ronald Reagan is Custer (Flynn played him a year or so later in They Died with Their Boots On). Olivia de Havilland is the woman they both love. Raymond Massey plays John Brown, and it's almost as if he's in a different movie, at least when compared to Reagan and Flynn. They aren't bad. They're playing the kinds of characters they were best at. Massey is . . . intense. Just watch the trailer and you'll see what I mean.

Besides being an entertainment, Santa Fe Trail is a serious attempt to show the evils of slavery in a way that Hollywood didn't often do. The message is clear throughout, but it doesn't get in the way of a rousing good time. Check it out.

‪Santa Fe Trail

"

Monday, July 18, 2011

Borders to Shut Down

Borders to Shut Down - WSJ.com: "Borders Group Inc. said it would liquidate after the second-largest U.S. bookstore chain failed to receive any offers to save it."

Hat tip to Tom Neary.

Once Again, Texas Leads the Way

North Texas Students May Have To Pay To Ride School Bus

No Comment Department

Woman Grows Full Size Nipple On Foot

Hat tip to Art Scott and Jeff Meyerson.

And Keep Off His Lawn!

83-year-old arrested for punching wife's elbow

You Know You Want 'em!

NYTimes.com: "VIEWERS who have wondered how Cheesy Poofs — the favorite snack of characters like Eric Cartman and Kyle Broflovski on the animated series “South Park” — might taste will get a chance to find out.

As part of an extensive promotional campaign, Year of the Fan, to observe the 15th season of the show, Comedy Central, which has been presenting “South Park” since August 1997, is teaming up with the Frito-Lay division of PepsiCo to produce 1.5 million packages of Cheesy Poofs to be sold in Wal-Mart stores beginning next month."

Update from Crippen & Landru

Dear Mystery Fan

As you know, Crippen & Landru has been publishing single-author short story collections since 1994; we are now almost up to our 100th volume.

We have not sent out a general announcement for almost 6 months as our computer system collapsed. We have now re-created our address book and the following message goes both to subscribers and to others who are interested (who also should consider becoming subscribers!)

The following books are new and can be ordered through our website, www.crippenlandru.com

Loren D. Estleman, Valentino: Film Detective.

Valentino has a perfect job for a film buff - he is a film detective who locates lost movies so that they can be preserved for future generations. And often he has to become an amateur sleuth as well. To locate a fragment of a film long considered to have vanished, Valentino has to jet to remote locations or to find ancient Hollywood producers and bit players. But there can be danger as well: people sometimes are willing to kill to insure that a film stays lost.

Loren D. Estleman has won 17 major awards for his writing, including 4 Shamuses from the Private Eye Writers of America. In addition to his novels and short stories about Valentino, he is the creator to Detroit PI Amos Walker, hitman Peter Macklin, and Deputy U.S. Marshal Page Murdock. Cover Artist: Carol Heyer.

Trade softcover: ISBN 978-1-932009-96-5. $17.00

Signed, numbered (200 copies -- a handful remaining) clothbound, with add'l story in separate chapbook: ISBN 978-1-932009-95-8. $43.00

Erle Stanley Gardner, The Exploits of the Patent Leather Kid.

The Patent Leather Kid is an elegant crook, hiding his identity with mask, gloves, and shoes made out of black patent leather. In truth, he is a wealthy, seemingly indolent socialite, who becomes a terror to the underworld. In the gang-ridden world of the Depression, The Kid knows that “the rulers of today were the corpses of tomorrow, where survival was the price of keen observation and rapid thought.” His enemy, Inspector Brame, believes that The Kid “is apparently one who loves adventure. His crimes are committed for excitement, rather than gain. And, in everything he does, he gives proof of a superior mentality.”

This is the third volume in Crippen & Landru's collections of Erle Stanley Gardner's short stories. The book is edited by the modern master of the private-eye story, Bill Pronzini. It is also the 30th volume in our “Lost Classics” series. Cover Artist: Gail Cross

Trade softcover: ISBN 978-1-932009-88-0. $19.00

Clothbound: ISBN 978-1-932009-87-3. $29.00

Please check our website (www.crippenlandru.com) for cover designs and full information on these and our other books.

Our books are highest quality in production; first printings are not POD but standard photo-offset. The cloth copies are smyth-sewn, full cloth; trade softcover are notchbound rather than perfectbound so they withstand opening flat.

Many thanks!

Doug Greene

Crippen & Landru

Today's Vintage Ad

Planking is so Yesterday

Leisure Diving: Chilling in Mid-Air

Mystery Sheep WBAGNFARB

Stuff.co.nz: "A mystery sheep ran wild through the streets of central Wellington before it was apprehended by police, who took the animal to cells in the back of a patrol car."

Soon to Have His Own Paperback Series

Sperm-sniffing police dog snags rapist

PaperBack


Norbert Davis, Oh, Murderer Mine, Handi-Books, 1948






Here's the Plot for . . . Never Mind, I'm Sure Someone's Writing it Already

Jonah Shacknai's son Max dies after accident at mansion where Rebecca Nalepa was hanged

8 Films That Made Terrible Musicals

8 Films That Made Terrible Musicals

The Word Spaceport Has Some Wonderful Connotations for this Reader of '50s SF

First 'Spaceport' Coming to New Mexico: "Now that the shuttle's blasted off for the last time, attention is turning to the private space industry, and NPR has found an interesting piece of that puzzle: America’s first spaceport. The structure, under construction in a New Mexico desert, aims to be something like an airport for spaceships, and it’s already signed up Virgin Galactic as its first client. The site has a lot of advantages—it’s sparsely populated, its airspace is clear, and it’s a mile above sea level."

Today's Western Movie Poster

15 Insightful Blogs for Book Club Leaders

15 Insightful Blogs for Book Club Leaders

A Slightly Different Kind of Interview

Western Fictioneers: Western Writer Bill Crider

Update from Black Dog Books

Hello,

Greetings from Black Dog Books. We have a number of exciting new titles available for purchase Mid-Summer 2011, spanning a variety of genres. Something for every readers tastes: adventure, mystery, science fiction and Westerns. Perfect for travel and summer reading.

Books will be in hand for shipping at the end of July. All pre-orders between now and July 31 will qualify for FREE SHIPPING.*

Black Dog Books will be appearing at Pulpfest, July 29-July 31, 2011 at the Ramada Plaza Hotel and Conference Center in Columbus, Oh. Stop by and say hello. We look forward to seeing many of you there. Visit www.pulpfest.com <http://www.pulpfest.com> for more information.

Thank you for your interest.

Tom Roberts
info@blackdogbooks.net
www.blackdogbooks.net <http://www.blackdogbooks.net>

Every Home Needs One

The 20 Foot Animatronic Triceratops

‪Gold Diggers Of 1933

"

Sunday, July 17, 2011

Once Again, Texas Leads the Way

abc13.com: "Back in May, we told you that Tammy Harris had filed a complaint with the school. She wanted 'The Adventures of Super Diaper Baby' pulled from the library because it contained the phrase 'poo poo head.'

Harris said her son was suspended for using the same phrase.

A committee rejected the complaint last month, but Harris appealed and won and now the book is banned."

Today's Vintage Ad

Comic Strip of the Day

Link.

Goldmine's 20 greatest doo-wop groups |

Goldmine's 20 greatest doo-wop groups

PaperBack


Clyde B. Ragsdale, The Big Fist, Dell, 1950





50 Greatest Guitar Riffs in Rock 'n' Roll

50 Greatest Guitar Riffs in Rock 'n' Roll

My Birthday Is Coming Up soon

Mail Online: "Those wishing to get away from it all can now snap up this unique property - a Napoleonic castle on its very own island."

Today's Western Movie Poster

Video Interview - Duane Swierczynski

Day Labor, the Official blog of Crimefactory Magazine: Video Interview—Duane Swierczynski

I For One Welcome Our New Gastropod Overlords

Discovery News: "Something similar happens to birds that eat snails, since new research shows the snails can survive passage through the bird's digestive tract.

One completely unscathed snail even gave birth to juveniles after plopping out from the journey in bird waste."

Link via Neatorama.

The 40 Worst-Dressed Cities in America: Style

The 40 Worst-Dressed Cities in America

Mr. Moto's Gamble

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