Gary Phillips' HOLLIS P.I.

 

GARY PHILLIPS’ HOLLIS P.I.

Edited by Gary Phillips & Morgan McKay

Pro Se Press

169 pgs    

From Pro Se Press comes this six story collection featuring Los Angeles private eye, Nate Hollis. Created by veteran pulp writer Gary Phillips, Hollis is a street savvy detective with the usual assortment of colorful supporting characters ala his grandfather Clutch Hollis who owns the Hideaway Bar and Irma “Deuce” Ducett, a one time female cop turned bounty hunter. All of them are terrific players and in this volume, Phillips not only pens two of the six tales, but invited four other new pulp writers to play in his sand box. The result is a treat for all lovers of hardboiled private eyes.   

Phillips kicks off the collection with “The Chuckles Job” wherein Hollis is kidnapped and severely beaten by an old foe. He manages to escape and investigate who and why he was targeted. All of which leads him to uncover a bizarre series of events that include a long forgotten heist, a young man with an eidetic memory and a single engine plane crash into an apartment house. The twist and turns are crazy in this one.  

Bobby Nash steps up to the plate next with “Naomi.” Hollis investigates the murder of a young woman caught up in the soulless porn business. It’s an emotional roller coaster for Hollis and by the tale’s finale; he’s managed to give the girl’s tortured parents some justice. Our favorite story in the book.

“Belly of the Beast” by Juliet Blackwell is the book’s third entry. In San Francisco for a few days, Hollis is contacted by an old flame. A billionaire business man into kinky sexual practices is found ritually murdered and a local Wicca practitioner arrested for the crime. Hollis’ job to prove her innocent and find the real killer. Having him operate outside of his usual L.A. haunts works extremely well in this fast paced, really well written story.  

“Twilight of El Perro” by Aaron Philip Clark has Hollis investigating the murder of one of his deceased father’s old informants named Fletch. Thing is Fletch died being ravaged by two trained pitbulls owned by El Perro, a sixtyish killer most people think is dead. Whereas this senior is anything but in a well plotted tale concerning greed and corruption.  

Number five is “Baby Daddy” by the late Derrick Ferguson. When a wealthy hustler tries to con a young actress with a phony murder scam, Hollis gets called into the matter to help unravel the real purpose behind the convoluted extortion. Another example of what the New Pulp community lost with Derrick’s passing.  

Finally Phillips wraps it all up with an Irma Deuce story, “Last Stand at Echo Villa.” She’s hired to find someone only to then discover she’s been set up. She and the prey have to fend off two hired guns in an abandoned shopping mall – apartment complex. Different kind of story that works extremely well.  

All total, “Gary Phillip’s HOLLIS P.I.” is an excellent collection of crime stories with some memorable characters. Worth your time and dime.