THE ADVENTURES OF FORTUNE McCALL

THE ADVENTURES OF FORTUNE McCALL

By Derrick Ferguson

Pro Se Press

149 pages

One of the problems faced by any reviewer is simply not having enough time to read all the books delivered to us over time.  In our attempts to examine a wide variety of pulp fiction, we often make choices that relegate even our favorite authors to the back of the line when it comes to deciding which title to read and review next.  We say this because this particular review is one of those we have, much to our own dismay, put off way too long. 

Derrick Ferguson is one of the finest writers of new pulp fiction out there.  If you are aware of the genre at all, then you know him as the creator/author of Dillon.  Dillon is one of the finest pulp hero series on the market today.  Whereas a few years ago, Ferguson went and invented another great character in Fortune McCall for a shared-world put together by Tommy Hancock at Pro Se Press.  The idea was that a handful of new pulp writer would all create original pulp heroes that would operate out of the same fictional locale; Sovereign City.  In this set up Hancock gave us Doc Daye, Barry Reese invented Lazarus Gray and as noted above, Derrick Ferguson whipped up Fortune McCall who makes his appearance for the first time in this book which collects four of his adventures.

From the offset we learn McCall is the royal heir to a powerful family that rules the North African kingdom of Khusra.  Without divulging much of his actual background, Ferguson let us know that Fortune eschewed a pampered life for one of travel and adventure.  This he accomplished by having an amazing seagoing palace built called the “Heart of Fortune,” a combination casino/ hotel on which he resides along with a crew of Otwani warriors from his native land and his personal team of fellow adventurers.  Each of these is as colorful and appealing as our hero; one of which is his own cousin, Tracy Scott, a diminutive beauty who acts as his personal bodyguard and is quite proficient at the job.

Of course the star is Fortune and he is an educated man who is loyal to a fault, loves good food, action and beautiful women; the latter being his one Achilles heel.  In this first volume,  McCall and company battle a twisted brother and sister team who have kidnapped a British agent, attempt to stop a madmen from unleashing a deadly virus on the city, search for a missing stage magician and finally go about retrieving a lost fortune in gold.  Each story is a whirlwind of action with brilliantly painted characters, both heroes and villains and, as ever, Ferguson delivers quality pulp adventure at its best. 

After having finished “The Adventures of Fortune McCall,” we spent a few minutes banging our heads against the wall.  To have waited so long to enjoy these fantastic stories again points out the pitfalls we reviewers do our best to avoid.  Sometimes we fail but that’s no reason you should.  Go pick up this book now!!  You can thank us later. 

AWESOME TALES # 1

AWESOME TALES # 1

Editor Rich Harvey

www.boldventure.press

As regular readers of this column know, ever once in a while we will look at publications other than your typical pulp novel or anthology.  In the past we’ve occasionally cocked a critical eye towards graphic novels or, when applicable, magazines devoted to pulp fiction.  Of course the number of such periodicals is almost non-existence since the demise of Pro Se Productions excellent magazine series, Pro Se Presents.  Obviously producing magazines has its own unique challenges the average New Pulp publisher would rather avoid altogether.

Thus there was no way we weren’t going to talk about Rich Harvey’s new venture, AWESOME TALES.  The first issue is a slim affair with only three stories, two featuring female pulp heroes and a third revolving around office politics in the Pentagon that was clearly added as filler material. 

Whereas we rarely mention art or packaging in our regular reviews, this format demands we do so.  It is the highlight of the issue, as Harvey designs an iconic pulp cover around artist Ed Coutts art that has both the Domino Lady and Wicca Girl squaring off against a Nazi femme fatale.  The interior of the issue is also well laid out and we liked that Harvey mixed Coutts original art with some original Domino Lady illustrations from her earlier pulp appearances.

We only wish the stories were up to the quality of the packaging.  “Pretenders to the Throne,” by Harvey, teams Domino Lady and Wicca Girl as they take on the job of protecting the British Crown Jewels from Nazis agents working for Hitler.  Even though there is plenty of action here, Domino Lady was always meant to be a crime-fighting character that used her sexuality as a weapon.  Sure, there’s plenty of overt titillation here, but there are also elements of fantasy magic and that derailed our enjoyment. 

Magic is the Wicca Girl’s forte and that is proven readily enough in the “The Warlock Murders,” by her creator, R. Allen Leider in which he has her hunting down a 300 year old serial killer for Scotland Yard.  This was our favorite of the stories in this premier issue.  We already mentioned the short-short in the middle, “The Seven Pictures” which is really and odd piece that might have worked better in a twisted issue of “True Confessions.”

In the end, “AWESOME TALES” is a good looking pulp magazine and we’re happy its here.  Our fervent hope is the quality of the contents will improve with succeeding issue.

QUARRY'S CHOICE

QUARRY’S CHOICE

By Max Allan Collins

Hard Case Crime

227 pages

If you’re a fan of hard-hitting crime novels, a new Quarry book is always a case for celebration.  “Quarry’s Choice,” is no exception.  In this one, Collins takes us back in time to the early 70s when our Vietnam vet hero was establishing himself as a killer for hire.  When someone tries to shoot the Broker, the man who employs him, Quarry is sent south to Biloxi, Mississippi to repay the favor in kind.  Finding himself in land of the notorious Dixie Mafia, he must thread carefully, finding himself very much a stranger in a strange land.

At the same time Quarry is saddled a young stripper/prostitute named Luann who manages to wiggle her way through his pragmatic, hard-shelled exterior and do what few people have ever done, reach his heart.  Thus, while attempting to complete a difficult job, discern who his real enemies are and survive a savage ambush, Quarry must also grapple with his own feelings towards this naïve blond beauty.  Is she a liability he can ill afford?  And if so, in the end, will he be forced to see her as just another target?

“Quarry’s Choice,” moves at a speed just slightly over the limit like a smooth oiled literary machine with enough pick up and power to carry the reader to a damn satisfying finale.  Trust me, like his hero, Collins never misses.

MOONLIGHT WEEPS

MOONLIGHT WEEPS

(A Dick Moonlight Thriller)

By Vincent Zandri

In & Out Books

236 pages

Dick Moonlight is Private Eye working in Albany, New York.  At one time he tried to take his own life by blowing his brains out.  Against all odds, he survived only to learn that the bullet had lodged itself in those self-same brains and could cause him all kinds of grief unless removed one day.  Until that delicate surgery can be performed, Moonlight can faint without warning, have sudden memory lapses or simply drop dead; thus completing the act he began years ago.  Living with a constant death-threat has a caustic effect on Moonlight’s character adding a twisted dark humor to his already cynical world view.

In this tale, Moonlight is hired to chauffeur a rich brain surgeon who, because of multiple DUI convictions, has had his license revoked.  Upon taking the gig, he learns the doctor has another job for him; to help clear his son of a rape conviction and possible reckless homicide charge.  The young lady the boy is accused of having raped later committed suicide because, after the assault, he took pictures of her naked and posted them on Facebook.  It doesn’t take special detecting skills for our hero to realize he’s gotten embroiled with a sleazy father and son team.  It also doesn’t help matters that the victim was the daughter of a well known state senator.

Unfortunately Moonlight’s bank account is hovering over the minus zone and he can’t afford to be choosy as to which clients he takes on.  The doctor is not only rich but being aware of Moonlight’s condition, suggest that if he successfully aids in clearing his son from all charges, he would then be willing to operate on the P.I. and remove the bullet in his head.

And that is the gist of “Moonlight Weeps.”  Of course there are several subplots to include the sudden appearance of Moonlight’s dead lover, a fat Elvis Presley imitator who ends up being his assistance and police narcotics detective who has a personal vendetta against his client.  Oh, and let’s not forget the two Russian mobsters who love to quote Clint Eastwood movies.  “Moonlight Weeps” is an overflowing goulash feast of classic PI tropes all blended together marvelously from the first taste to the last mouthful.  And like all good meals, it left us satisfied but still wanting more. 

THE GODS OF GOTHAM

THE GODS OF GOTHAM

By Lyndsay Faye

Berkley Books

427 pages

One of the joys of reading any Arthur Conan Doyle Sherlock Holmes mystery is their settings.  It is unlikely Doyle’s purpose was ever to offer an historical travelogue but nonetheless we are given such in each and every tale.  Whereas Lyndsay Faye, following in Doyle’s footsteps, which she does incredibly well in “The Gods of Gotham,” is decidedly intent on showing us the astounding world of New York City in the nineteenth century.  The burgeoning metropolis on the Hudson is as much a character in this epic saga as its struggling inhabitants battling to eke out a living from day to day against overwhelming odds.

Timothy Wilde and his older brother, Valentine, are the orphaned sons of two Irish immigrants.  Val works as a firefighter and is active in the Irish Democratic Party while Tim manages a bar and is saving his money to propose to Miss Mercy Underhill, the daughter of a protestant minister he has grown up loving.  When a horrible fire destroys both his business establishment and his apartment building, Tim is suddenly destitute without a penny to his name.  Without conferring with him, Val enlists them both into the newly formed New York Police Department being assembled by Judge George Washington Matsell.  Like all good historical novels, fiction and fact have to work together smoothly and the birth of the New York Police is deftly handled here as it depicts the aversion to its creation by New Yorkers who saw it as just another gang in a city riddled with such.

Tim begrudgingly accepts his “copper star” until something better can come along.  Then one night he bumps into a runaway child prostitute covered in blood.  It is she who tells him of a mysterious black-cloaked man responsible for the murder and mutilation of over a dozen children; all of them employed at various brothels throughout the city.  All of which leads to the discovery of a gruesome gravesite in the woods north of Twenty-third Street.  As these events come to light, Matsell sees in Tim a moral stubbornness in his desire to pursue the case while at the same time exhibiting a keen mind for puzzle-solving; the type of skills required in this post-crime situation.  Tim, much to his own surprise, is becoming a detective; a role that will lead him down the dark, depraved alleys of the human psyche.

“The Gods of Gotham,” is a truly remarkable writing achievement. It would not surprise this reviewer if Lyndsay Faye did not have a working time-machine hidden in her New York apartment as the scenes she describes are so brilliantly real. In every sense they transport the reader back to a world that, until now, only existed in dusty museums.  She brings that past to life and in doing so enriches us all.

THE SHOTGUN ARCANA

THE SHOTGUN ARCANA

By R.S. Belcher

Tor Books

396 pages

One of our favorite books of last year was “The Six-Gun Tarot,” by R.S. Belcher which we reviewed at that time as one of the most original, audacious weird western novels ever written.  Now comes its sequel and we totally need to find new, better adjectives worthy of this amazing follow up tale of the most haunted town on the frontier, Golgotha, Nevada.

The Mormon mayor possesses a magical sword and golden armor left to his father by the Prophet John Smith.  The richest man in town, Malachi Bick, is a fallen angel. The Sheriff, Jon Hightower, was once hanged; it didn’t take and now is considered some kind of immortal whereas his chief deputy is a shape-shifting half-breed named Mutt.  The widow Maude Stapleton is the three times grand-daughter of the pirate queen, Ann Boney and the town blacksmith, Clay Turlough is a frustrated scientist attempting to raise the dead with the blood from unholy worms. These are but a handful Golgotha’s colorful citizenry.  There are many more, all of whom eventually play a role in the story’s central plot. 

Raziel, another fallen angel calling himself Ray Ziel, has come to Golgotha to find the skull of the first mortal ever murdered.  Within this aged relic has been imprisoned the essence of destruction.  Should the skull be destroyed then this malevolent spirit would be released and infect all humans; turning them into mindless creatures of death.  This is Raziel’s goal and to achieve it he sends out an ethereal call throughout the world calling only the most savage, cruel, monstrous people to heed his summons and come to Golgotha. 

Thus Bick must ally himself with Sheriff Hightower and his supernaturally gifted associates in finding a way to battle Raziel and defeat his army of butchers before they can lay waste to the town and capture its treasure, the possessed skull. 

The action never lets up for a second and Belcher juggles all his wonderful characters with a master’s touch, allowing each ample time with their various subplots while moving the main narrative forward.  It is an unrelenting pace and the suspense mounts rapidly until upon reaching the final battle between good and evil, the reader is transfixed; mesmerized in such a skillful way unable to stop until the final page has been devoured.  Weird westerns are easily one of the most popular genres of new pulps today and no one writes them better than R.S. Belcher.  “The Shotgun Arcana” is a fantastic book lovers of the macabre are going to applaud long and hard.  Miss this one to your  regret.

DOCTOR OMEGA & THE SHADOWMEN

DOCTOR OMEGA AND THE SHADOWMEN

Edited by J.M. & Randy Lofficier

Black Coat Press

278 pages

Earlier in the year we saw the cover to this anthology and were greatly intrigued by it. Till then we had never head of Doctor Omega.  This was obviously a sequel of sorts to the book “Doctor Omega” by Arnould Galopin that Black Coat Press had published several years ago. Then, much to our delight, our good friend, Lucas Garrett provided us with a copy of that old French science fiction adventure thus familiarizing us with this hero.  We read the book; enjoyed it immensely and wrote up an enthusiastic review in which we noted many of the similarities between Doctor Omega and another highly popular Doctor, this one of British origins on the telly.

Then we happily went out and bought a copy of this title.  It is a collection of thirteen brand new Doctor Omega stories as penned by some of the best writers in the New Pulp field today; from G.L. Gick, Chris Roberson, Stuart Shiffman and Matthew Baugh to name a few.  Let me add that every story in this volume is excellent, though they vary in theme and length considerably, there is in each a spark of gleeful imagination and twisted perspectives on daring-do.

From wonky vampires to cowboy heroes, Prof. Moriarity and the Bride of Frankenstein, the good Doctor’s adventures are peppered with classic fictional characters easily recognizable and handled with deft interpretations.  And though it seems unfair to single out one particular entry, we must applaud the fateful meeting between Omega’s ship the Cosmos and a tiny little craft from the planet Krypton.  You can pretty much figure out what happens next.

“Doctor Omega and the Shadowmen” is one of the best anthologies released this year and it is guaranteed to entertain fans of the fantastic.  Do yourselves a big favor and pick up copy.  You can thank us later.

GIDEON SMITH & THE BRASS DRAGON

 

GIDEON SMITH & THE BRASS DRAGON

By David Barnett

Tor Books

352 pgs.

Last year we discovered a truly marvelous steampunk title, “Gideon Smith and the Mechanical Girl,” by David Barnett.  It was so audacious in its alternate-steam world presentation mixing original characters with figures from various literary classics.  It was such a joy to read, we nominated it for Best Pulp Novel of that year and, as with all fun reads, we fervently hoped that Barnett would grace us with a sequel.  That he has is a cause of much celebration and proving himself a genuine fantasy adventure master, he delivers a follow-up tale twice as grand as its predecessor.

It is months since the events chronicled in the first book a young Gideon Smith, the native of a small fishing village, has been named the Hero of the Empire by the Queen and has become an agent of the Foreign Service.  Accompanying him on his adventures is the corpulent journalist, Aloysius Bent, and the lovely airship captain, Ms Rowena Fanshawe.  After returning from an assignment in the South Pacific, they are ordered to British America to retrieve Apep; the mechanical dragon stolen by the Texas outlaw Louis Cockayne along with Maria, the clockwork girl.  This is a personal mission to Smith as he has fallen in love with Maria and is determined to rescue her from Cockayne.

But this America is primarily an untamed land with only its coastlines having been settled; the British in the east, the Japanese in the west and the Spanish to the south.  Upon their arrival in New York, they learn that Cockayne is hiding in the free Texas town of San Antonio now called Steamtown and run by Thaddeus Pinch; a cyborg gunfirghter named more machine than man.  Pinch is a sadistic fiend who operates the coal mines of Steamtown through the pain and suffering of hundreds of kidnapped slaves.

To save Maria and retrieve the Brass Dragon, Gideon and his friends have to battle a private army of cutthroat mercenaries and battle a prehistoric monster.  But as in their first adventure, they manage to recruit new allies among which are a genius Japanese inventor, an immortal freedom fighter known as Nameless and a beautiful Zorro-like senorita whose prowess with a rapier is deadly.  The action is non-stop, the locales both familiar and strange and all of it populated by some of the most colorful characters ever put down on paper.  “Gideon Smith and the Brass Dragon” is a rollicking adventure and for David Barnett’s second winner in a row.  We can only wonder what he has up his imaginary sleeve for book number three.

ADONIS MORGAN - Nobody Special

ADONIS MORGAN

(Nobody Special)

By Frank Byrns

115 pages

Pro Se Press

There are several respected writers in the New Pulp movement who specialize in tales of realistic superheroes.  One of the best is writer Frank Byrns as he amply demonstrates in this paperback collection starring his metahuman character, Adonis Morgan.

The five stories here detail the adventures of a man riding the unpredictable rollercoaster that comes with having super strength.  Early on we learn that Morgan went the traditional cape and mask route upon attaining his powers but the world being what it is, he gave up that romantic calling fast.  He then tries his hand at being a movie stuntman; being impervious to most kind of traumas does have advantages.  But when he’s framed for murder by a fellow metahuman with a long-held grudge, even that quickly sours.

Next he’s a nighttime taxi-driver and eventually a bodyguard for a campaigning senator assigned to protect the man’s younger, trophy wife.  When she’s kidnapped, Morgan is once again the public patsy.

As you can see, Byrns’ doesn’t offer up any rose-colored views; proving all too often that the fun stuff does indeed only happen in the comic books.  A world with real super powered people would, by the mere premise, be a complicated place.  One which he deftly portrays with ease.  From the first page, we dropped smoothly into this world and could easily empathize with Morgan.  Sometimes being a superhero just isn’t all it’s cracked up to me.  On the other hand, these stories are original and insightful and offer up a unique look into a little explored sci-fi pulp genre.  If you’ve never read superhero prose before, this is the place to start.

WAIT FOR SIGNS

WAIT FOR SIGNS

Twelve Longmire Stories

By Craig Johnson

Viking Penguin

183 pages

We reviewers are always trying to come up with fancy descriptions that will instantly cue the reader into exactly what kind of experience awaits them in the title we are reporting on.  It’s that tight-wire routine of giving away just enough of the idea without spoiling the actual contents.  With any Craig Johnson Longmire title, that’s not all that difficult.

Like the best fictional detective series ever put to pen, the joy in these mysteries is always the characters themselves with the actual who-dunnits really only an excuse to visit them time after time.  And the Longmire books are no exceptions.  Rather they excel at this process and every time a new one comes out, we can’t wait to spend more time with Sheriff Walt, Deputy Vic, George Standing Bear and all the marvelous characters who inhabit Johnson’s Absaroka County, Wyoming.

Over the past years, since beginning the series, Johnson has written a dozen short stories dealing with this series.  Some are poetic epilogues to certain novels while others are simply stand alone vignettes that do not require any real familiarity with the books.  What they all have in common is Johnson’s grasp of humanity with all its foibles and his unique homespun humor.  Here’s the bottom line, if Mark Twain had written mystery stories, they would have read a whole lot like the dozen between the covers of “Wait For Sign.”  That’s the best compliment this reviewer can offer.

LEGION III : KINGS OF OBLIVION

LEGION III – KINGS OF OBLIVION

By Van Allen Plexico

White Rocket Books

335 pages

For those of you who haven’t been keeping up, this is the third and final volume of Van Plexico’s THE SHATTERING trilogy. It is a mind-blowing, action packed finale far greater than anything we could have imagined.  Which is no small feat as we’ve been fans of Plexico’s writing since he burst on the scene with his superhero series, SENTINELS.

With THE SHATTERING books, Plexico’s love 80s and 90s science fiction comes shining through so that we can actually feel the influences of such writers Roger Zelazny and Larry Niven resonating throughout these adventures. 

KINGS OF OBLIVION picks up where all the multi-cliffhangers from book two, SONS OF TERRA, left off.  There are three levels of existence, the Above where the gods dwell, the Middle, or our reality, if you will and the Below where dwell all manner of hellish demons.  One such evil entity has been attempting through various devious manipulations to extend his control to mankind’s level and thereby become the lord and master of the known galaxies.  To achieve this end, the Man in Black has recruited the aid of several alien species and begun an all out assault on the universe.  Gone are the subtle, Machiavellian ploys of the first two books.  This foul beast, having been constantly thwarted by a handful of brilliant and tenacious soldiers, is now determined to totally shatter what he cannot possess.

Standing in his way are Legion Generals Agrippa and Tamerlane who in turn have allied themselves with members of an alien warrior race, the Dyonari and several of the last remaining gods from the fabled Golden City.  Together, this small ragtag group has overcome overwhelming odds while at the same time avoid killing each other in the remnants of a political coup wherein one of their own, General Iapetus, attempted to usurp the royal throne.

If you like rousing space battles, desperate last stands and daring heroes, you are not going to do any better than LEGION III : KINGS OF OBLIVION.  We said it before and it bears repeating, Van Plexico is the Master of Space Operas.  This latest entry cements that beyond any doubt what-so-ever!

SLOUCHING TOWARD CAMULODUNUM

SLOUCHING TOWARDS CAMULODUNUM

(And Other Stories)

By Micah S. Harris

Mino Profit Press

188 pages

Micah Harris is one of the finest adventure fantasy writers working today.  So we were thrilled when this little book popped up in the mail a few weeks ago.  It contains three new tales of the fantastic by Mr. Harris and each of them is a well-crafted gem.  One has to wonder, what with the lack of fiction magazines today, if any of these would have ever seen the light of day had it not been for the ease of self-publishing.  We are daily grateful we live in such an age when writers of this talent can follow this path and effectively make their efforts available we eager readers.

In the first tale, from which the book takes its title, a company of occultists hunt an inhuman villainess attempting to open a portal to our world so as to allow her demonic sire to enter.  Joining this stalwart group is the lovely Becky Sharp, a recurring character in Harris’ stories who has her own agenda.  The woman they are chasing kidnapped her baby girl and Becky is determined to rescue her no matter what the cost.  This story moves like a greyhound chasing a rabbit, from one marvelous scene to the next and even though many readers won’t recognize many of the classical references to these characters, it doesn’t dampen the enthusiasm in which Harris spins his story.  The climax is sheer over-the-top pulp genius.

In “The Anti-Pope of Avignon,” Harris channels Robert E. Howard the Puritan travels to Avignon to put an end to threat posed by the beautiful Fausta, the bastard love child of the late Pope Alexander VI and Cesare Borgia.  He has been hired by a community of French Hugenots who see her as a mortal enemy to their way of life.  But the Puritan is captured and thrown in a dungeon where he uncovers the presence of an unholy spirit called the Horla.  It is this demonic being that is the real villain and only his sword, wielded in holy righteousness, may save the day.  Any fan of the Solomon Kane stories should feel right at home with this delightful yarn.

“May the Ground Not Consume Thee…” is the last of this triple treat.  None other than Alexander Dumas’ Count of Monte Cristo comes to the aid of a tortured French maid whose vile and sadistic husband has made it impossible for her to see her own daughter. To resolve the woman’s plight, the Count plots an elaborate scheme which includes duping a cruel, ageless vampire into being his pawn.  Once again Harris demonstrates his insane plotting genius.

In the end, it would impossible to pick which of these three pieces we enjoyed the most. All are equally well written, captivating and sheer reading treasures.  For a little book, this one packs a wallop and we strongly urge you to seek it out.  This is what good pulp writing is all about.

DNA

DNA

By Raven Bourne

Self-Published

Available at Amazon.com

405 pages

Long ago, after Star Trek had become a huge media success, the book world jumped on the profit-bandwagon and we were suddenly flooded with new Trek novels written by multitudes of recognized sci-fi authors and eventually others by amateurs entering the field.  Always intrigued by how others viewed characters we enjoyed, we picked up lots of these and for the most part those by veteran sci-fi scribes were enjoyable while others were outright entertaining.  Then one day we picked up one particular paperback written by two ladies and within the first two chapters had to put it down as the tale was so steeped in juvenile romanticisms, it was as if someone had turned a classic space opera series into a Harlequin Romance.

Which was when we realized that there are writers, regardless of their skills or life experiences, unable to disguise their respective genders in telling a story.  We are not saying that is a bad thing, only that it is a recognizable facet among some writers.  Case in point, had we not known Raven Bourne’s gender before digging into her book, we would have easily identified it as having been penned by a woman within the first few chapters.  How so?  Because there is unavoidable romantic fantasy lens that shades every single aspect of this novel from plot to pacing and characterization.  This is clearly a female perspective and it is so pervasive, we doubt many of our pulp action-loving readers would be able to honestly appreciate it.

With that disclaimer out of the way, let’s look at what this DNA is all about.  Dr. Raen McNeil, a beautiful, sensitive genetic biologist, uncovers a secret relating to the evolution of mankind.  In fact this revelation argues against the accepted principles of known science and hints at alien manipulation.  What if mankind’s tendencies towards violence and all the baser, savage instincts were never suppose to be the norm?  What if a particular genetic code was purposely excluded from our ancestors locking us into a fate of perpetual destruction?

No sooner does Raen uncover this missing gene then she is abducted by a humanoid alien who believes she is his intended soulmate.  Meanwhile a major pharmaceutical company hires private eye, Jacob Fourth, to find her.  Jacob is a no-nonsense pragmatic character with an ego to match.  His search for Raen, although interesting in the locales it takes him, is the book’s weakest section and could easily have been shortened.  Once Jacob finds Raen and her alien-lover, both of them are whisked away way on a starship and sent on an amazing journey at the heart of which lies either the salvation of mankind or its demise.  Bourne’s aliens are fun as well as fascinating and it is their interaction with Raen and Jacob that is most rewarding. Whereas most space opera sagas are filled with ray-blasters, starship encounters and hostile environments, DNA is more a fantasy forum to explore religion and philosophy and their relevance to the human condition.  In the end, DNA puts forth some interesting theories and examines who we are as race while suggesting a peaceful future as a genuine alternate path…if we are wise enough to choose it.

We hope to see more from Ms. Bourne but humbly suggest her next project be leaner and less ambitious allowing her to improve her skills while trimming the extraneous fat.  The shorter lessons are usually the ones we remember best.

STINKING RICH

STINKING RICH

By Rob Brunet

Down & Out Books

277 pages

Danny Grant is a young Canadian just out of high school with absolutely no talent or ambition to get ahead in life.  More content to be a pothead slacker, he survives pulling whatever scams will bring him quick, easy cash.  Then he lands a dream job, watching over a huge crop of marijuana for a biker gang.  But is he has no clue who hired him.  All contact is done via texting etc.  Danny’s job is to make sure the plants, growing in a big barn on the abandoned country farm are kept watered until harvested.

For this he’s paid several thousand dollars a week; money he quickly loses at a local Indian run casino.  All of which leads to him accidently clubbing another slacker in the head with a baseball bat and the poor guy.  He buries the corpse in the woods behind a trailer park.  As soon as the biker gang sells their crop, Danny plans to take his final paycheck and vamoose.

But his luck continues to run bad and during the night of the drug exchange, a police officer stumbles onto the scene.  Then someone torches the packed grass and the entire barn goes up in flames.  Bikers and their buyers scatter and in the confusion a duffel bag containing seventy-five thousand dollars disappears.  In truth, Danny has escaped with it.  He buries the loot under the outhouse of an old man who lives in the woods and then is promptly arrested and sent to prison on a manslaughter charge.

And that’s just the opening chapters of Rob Brunet’s hilarious crime comedy filled with some of the craziest, eccentric characters you’ll ever find packed together between two covers; both crooked and decent.  The plot goes into high gear when it skips ahead to Danny’s release from prison, an occurrence that has lots of people excited.  These include Perko Ratwick, the idiot biker who had hired Danny in the first place.  Since that night of the barn fire, the rest of his grungy gang blame him for the loss of their money and fully expect him to make amends by retrieving it.  Then there’s Officer Max Ainsley, the cop who accidently stumbled onto the drug buy and interrupted it  He is considered incompetent by his colleagues for not having called in back-up and having allowed the money to go missing.  Add to this cast the sexy Linette, Danny’s public defender who wants the money for herself and seduces Officer Ainsley into helping her find it.

Of course the only person who knows where the money is hidden is Danny.  Imagine his surprise when he digs up the outhouse to discover the duffel bag is gone!

Trying to properly describe “Stinking Rich” is like trying to catch grasshoppers.  You no sooner snatch up one then a dozen jump up all over the place.  There are lots of other great supporting characters that fill this wacky crime story and this reviewer was shaking his head and chuckling often before the entire madcap carousel finally spun down to an exhaustive finish.  Rob Brunet is a gifted writer who somehow manages to corral a dozen insane characters and through them tell a tale unlike any we’ve ever heard before.  He is a name you want to keep an eye on.  We certainly will.

HELLFIVE - El Mosaico Vol 3

HELLFIRE

El Mosaico Vol 3

By Michael Panush

Curiosity Quills Press

243 pages

One of the many things this reviewer loves about New Pulp is how writers are willing to change or alter standard book formats.  Michael Panush does that quite admirably in this, the third volume of his weird western series, El Mosaico.  For those of you who missed the first two volumes, the saga revolves around an American Civil War version of Mary Shelley’s “Frankenstein.”  Built by a demented southern doctor/scientist, Clayton Cane was assembled from the parts of dead confederate soldiers and brought back to life in the hopes of being the first of many such “reborn” soldiers in a last ditch effort to safe the Confederacy.  Luckily for the Union, the war ended before others could be created and Cane escapes his creator to begin his new post-war career as a mercenary bounty hunter in the Wild West.

That’s the basic premise of the books and volumes one and two were clearly put together as collections following Cane’s many bizarre adventures.  At the end of book two, he had settled in a small Texas town called Hellfire and become its sheriff.  “Hellfire” picks up exactly from that point and two thirds of the book details Cane’s efforts to protect the town from a power hunger mining corporation owned by one Gaspar Noble.  Noble wants to dig all the mineral wealth out of the grand Silver Mesa without a thought to how his greed will lay waste to the town and its people.

Though written as a novella, each chapter in the battle for Hellfire has a unique individual story twist.  Then, just as that major story concludes, Panush continues the book with two stories featuring Cane’s newly acquired female deputy, Nelly Needles, a terrific character that really livens up the series. And as if that wasn’t enough, there is one more huge surprise awaiting the reader.  Closing out the book, Panush propels us into present day with the introduction of yet another fantastic pulp hero, El Hijo Del Mosaico, a Lucha Dor Mexican fighter claiming to be the son of the legendary gunfighter. 

We’d love to tell you more, but would require spoiling some really great surprises that await you in “Hellfire.”  So now you can see our dilemma caused by Panush’ innovative approach to series writing.  Is this a novel or a short story collection? A strong argument could be made for both cases but that in itself seems foolish as the important issue here is the marvelous fun of this book offers up.  We lavished much praise on those first two volumes but without hesitation, “El Mosaico Vol 3 Hellfire,” is by far the best one yet.  If you like great weird western pulp action, you won’t find a better series than this one.  Nuff said!

THE CAGLIOSTRO CHRONICLES

THE CAGLIOSTRO CHRONICLES

By Ralph L. Angelo Jr.

Cosmic Comet Publishing

271 pages

Long ago we discovered a copy of E.E. “Doc” Smith’s classic sci-fi novel, “The Skylark of Space.”  What impressed us was how the action centered around two civilian scientists who build an amazing spacecraft and come up with the means to launch it into deep space where they have many fantastic adventures.  Smith is often credited as being the father of that sci-fi sub-genre known as the Space Opera.  But at that time most such tales generally featured military heroes whereas not so in this story.  The fact that the heroes were civilians was one of the many aspects of the book we enjoyed and so remember it fondly to this day.

Which brings us to Ralph Angelo’s “The Cagliostro Chronicles,” a bonafide space opera that follows in Smith’s footsteps with its protagonists being the crew of a civilian made spaceship.  Genius aeronautical engineer, Mark Johnson, has built the massive Cagliostro and outfitted here with a unique magnetic engine of his own invention that will allow it to travel faster than light; in effect transport him and his crew to the far reaches of the galaxy in the blink of an eye.  He and his hand picked crew are about to embark on a “shake-down” flight when Johnson’s friend, General Abruzzi begins acting very strangely.  Johnson suspects, for whatever illogical purposes, the general not only does not want him to launch the Cagliostro but is in fact planning to forcefully take it from.  Heeding his instincts, he takes off ahead of schedule and sure enough finds the entire Earth Space Navy chasing after him and his crew. 

Using their new FTL drive, they manage to escape to the farthest reaches of the galaxy and there, Johnson confides in his team; made up of a beautiful telepath named Ariel, a super-strong security chief and several other gifted scientists.  Under secret orders of the President, Johnson has learned that evidence exist of alien incursions into out Solar System and has been ordered to discover the origin of mysterious space messages intercepted by the government.  The Cagliostro’s first mission is to discover who is sending these transmissions and what their intent is.

We found this first half of the book slow.  Understandably Angelo was burdened with laying out the basic plot, identifying his characters etc.etc. in the basic set-up.  Still we kept hoping the pacing would pick and are happy to report it does so in grand fashion once we get to the inhabited, alien worlds.  From that point on Angelo is clearly channeling classic pulp writers like Doc Smith and Edmond Hamilton as he propels our likeable heroes into one adventure after another as they eventually realize the Earth is in jeopardy from a full-blown alien invasion armada.  By the time they race back to our Solar System, there isn’t a moment to spare.   Clones of government officials have infiltrated the highest branches of the government and are working to assure the invasion’s success. Exposing them is only a small part of the ray-blasting action.  Now it is up to Johnson and the crew of the Cagliostro to orchestrate a viable defense strategy that will give the Earth forces a chance to survive the coming onslaught.

If you like super space battles with thousands of ships engaged in a life and death struggle, with heroes larger than life and last minute rescues, “The Cagliostro Chronicles” was written for you and all Space Opera lovers.  It is a headlong rush into the wonders and dangers that mankind will some day have to confront.  Let’s hope we have real men like Captain Mark Johnson to lead the way. 

WHITE FIRE

WHITE FIRE

A Special Agent Pendergast Mystery

By Preston & Child

Vision

470 pages

When you read through 470 pages of a book and it seems like you only just started, you know it is a special book.  When you read a book that takes place in the majestic Rocky Mountains of Colorado while at the same time dealing with a lost Sherlock Holmes tale by Arthur Conan Doyle, it’s a good bet you’ve gotten into a truly unique and original adventure.  All of which are the hallmarks of the Special FBI Agent Pendergast thrillers by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child.

Easily one of the best New Pulp series on the market today, the adventures of Agent Perdergast are always a treat filled with the bizarre and unexpected.  Alone, both Preston and Child are excellent masters of action fiction; together they are unbeatable. 

In this, the fourteenth of the series. Pendergast’s young female protégé, Corrie Swanson, finds herself in the exclusive ski resort of Roaring Fork, Colorado.  As a student of a prestigious criminal justice college, Corrie has traveled to the remote mountain town in hopes of examining the recently exhumed bodies of eleven miners who were supposedly killed and eaten by a grizzly bear in the late 1800s.  All of this is for a thesis paper she is writing.  But when she exactly sees a few skeletal remains from one of the bodies, Corrie spots an anomaly that doesn’t corroborate the recorded cause of death.  Because of this revelation she is soon arrested and thrown in jail for trumped up charges by some of the wealthier townsfolk afraid of what she has accidentally uncovered.

Of course word of her incarceration doesn’t take long to reach Pendergast and he arrives days later to rescue Corrie and investigate why she was illegal imprisoned.  But before his own detective work can get rolling, Roaring Fork is beset by a serial arsonist who targets the most expensive homes in the community.  This unknown sadist invades the rich mansions, overcomes the residing families and leaves them to burn alive in the fiery conflagration.  Thus it would appear Agent Pendergast is dealing with two separate cases and that beomces his conundrum; whether they are independent affairs or in fact actually related to each other.  And if so, how?

And why does the hundred years old grizzle bear killings involve a lost Sherlock Holmes story?

The word page-turner is all too often carelessly dropped into a review without any real justification.  In this case, there is no other way to correctly describe “White Fire.”  We’ve been a fan of the Pendergast series since its inception and soundly declare “White Fire” to be one of the best thus far.  It never misses a single beat in its literary melody of suspense and thrills.