GHOSTS OF EMPIRE

GHOST OF EMPIRE

By George Mann

Titan Books

272 pages

George Mann is a New Pulp writer currently producing three terrific series; the Newbury & Hobbs books, new Sherlock Holmes fantasies and his steampunk vigilante adventures of the Ghost of which this is the fourth. It is also the best. Within its pages Mann has crammed enough action and adventure, colorful heroes and mysterious villains to fill a half dozen books.

New York playboy Gabriel Cross, alias the Ghost, his girl friend Ginny Gray and their friends, Detective Felix Donovan and his wife Flora are in London on a much needed vacation. When they are confronted by a gravely wounded British Secret Service agent of Cross’ acquaintance, their plans for a restful sojourn evaporate immediately. In seeking help for his friend, the weary crime-fighter is pulled into an eerie conspiracy unleashed by Russian spies capable of deadly arcane magic. It soon becomes evident that the enemy agents are planning the destruction of London. They are commanded by a powerful, undying wizard from out of Russia’s bloody past.

Mann pits Cross and his friends against this horde of murderous magicians in one battle after another at breakneck speed. Then when thing look their worst for the Ghost and company, a very unique new ally arrives on the scene leading to a truly powerful and climatic confrontation with the Master Villain. Friends, this is truly pulp fiction at its best!

MURDER STAGE LEFt

MURDER STAGE LEFT

A Nero Wolfe Mystery

By Robert Goldsborough

MysteriousPress.Com

232 pgs

Most mystery series, after a few books have been published, often fall into a formulaic pattern. Now that’s not necessarily a bad thing, as it actually creates a familiarity the readers quickly learn to accept and become comfortable with. It’s very much like visit an old friend. Sure some things may be new, but for the most part we know our surroundings and have come to appreciate them.

The formula of the Nero Wolfe mysteries was set early on by his creator, the late Rex Stout. Someone is murdered, Wolfe’s gumshoe, Archie Goodwin, goes and intervies the most obvious suspects, reports back to his boss and then the rotund detective has them assemble in his New York brownstone and there reveals which is the killer. Now if you’re a fan Nero Wolfe, all of that is routine and welcomed. Happily writer Robert Goldborough has continued the formula in his Wolfe books much to our delight.

Still every now and then, a good writer will endeavor to spice things up and with “Murder Stage Left,” Goldborough does that by flipping the formula upside down. Broadway producer/director Roy Breckenridge comes to Wolfe concerned that there is some kind of malaise infecting his newest hit show; though he can’t define his feeling of dread any clearer. For his own selfish reasons, Wolfe agrees to assist Breckenridge by having Archie visit the set and interview the cast members in the guise of a Canadian journalist. Thus the story kicks off with what should be the second act and we are found meeting the suspects before any crime has ever been committed.

This was such a fun twist on the formula, we found ourselves grinning as we read along. When the invariable murder does occur, the tale smoothly falls back into its time-worn groove and the puzzle becomes the book’s total focus. It should be mentioned, without giving away any important clues, that Goodwin’s activities as a bogus writer become a vital element in Wolfe’s unmasking the killer at the finale.

Kudos to Robert Goldsborough for in “Murder Stage Left,” he’s done the near impossible in giving us something both old…and new.

GIRL CAN'T HELP IT

GIRL CAN’T HELP IT

A Krista Larson Mystery

By Max Allan Collins

Thomas & Mercer

275 pgs

There really should be a subgenre name for murder mysteries involving rock and roll bands. Seriously, quite a few such books have been done over the years. Enough to warrant such a label. None of which should come as a surprise as many writers in their younger days were known to have played in such bands. Thus is the case with writer Collins and, like those others before him, he skillfully weaves those experiences in this, his second Krista Larson mystery.

Galena Chief of Police Krista Larson, and her retired detective father, Keith, first appeared in “Girl Most Likely” and found instant favor with many of Collins’ fans; this reviewer included. In this latest outing, Galena is about to host a reunion concerts for a local band that long ago hit the big time. Krista is kept hopping with how such a tourist attracting event will impact her town. When several of the band’s members die within a year of each other prior to the reunion, her cop instincts begin to tingle. After hearing his daughter’s misgivings about the deaths, Keith begins to come around to her dark suspicions. Is there a murderer targeting the old rockers and if so, why?

Most decent mystery series depend on solid characters we readers can empathize with enough to want to meet them again and again. While immensely enjoying “Girl Can’t Help It,” we appreciated Collins displaying the hometown charm of Galena and its citizenry so that we were reminded favorably of the late Robert Parker’s homespun copper, Jesse Stone of Paradise, Massachusetts. All in all, the Larsons second outing is as much a pleasure as was the first and once again we find ourselves clamoring for more.

CRYPTOZOICA

CRYPTOZOICA

By Mark Ellis

Cover & Interior Illustrations by Jeff Slemons

Millennial Concepts

404 pgs

Mark Ellis is an accomplished writer with a long, impressive history of writing fantastic fiction. When we first heard of this book, a decade ago, we were intrigued. Having grown up reading lots of Lost World adventures from Conan Doyle to Burrough and Michael Crichton, we naturally wondered what Ellis would bring to the genre. Then, while at a local convention last year, we have the good fortune of sitting next to our friend, graphic artist Jeff Slemons. The same Jeff Slemons who had contributed the artwork to this massive tome and much to our delight he had copies for sale on his table. Months later, we’ve finally read “Cryptozoica” and find ourselves deliriously happy to have done so.

This book is wonderfully crafted right from the start with its tantalizing opening segment of Charles Darwin on his historical voyage aboard The Beagle to solve the mystery of evolution. The ship has found a strange island in the South China Sea occupied by creatures long thought extinct. When Darwin begins to speculate what this discovery will mean to the world, another member of the crew, Dr. Belleau argues the revelations themselves will actually stymie the progress of science allowing religious zealots to exploit the islands secret to their own prejudice ends. In the end the famous scientist acquiesces and for the next several centuries their discoveries are protected by a secret organization known as the School of Night.

With that introductory chapter out of the way, the story continues in our present time where three different parties are about to clash over the future of Big TamTung; the dinosaur island. The first is a wealthy financier with plans to turn the island into a tourist attraction and is represented by Americans “Tombstone” Jack Kavanaugh, his partner Augustus Crowe and their lovely Malaysian mechanic Mouzi. When several very rich patrons are killed on their first expedition, the entire enterprise is scuttled. The second interested group is the Bamboo Triad, a far reaching criminal organization represented by the beautiful Bai Suzhen and her rival, Jimmy Chao. Their own agenda concerns a mysterious substance supposedly residing at the center of the island and capable of altering the course of science and medicine forever. It is this fable Prima Materia that entices scientist Aubrey Belleau, great grandson of the Beagle’s medic to gamble everything he possesses to find it. Accompanying him is his deadly bodyguard, the brutish Hamish Oakshott and world renowned paleontologist Honore Roxton.

The first half of the book sets the table introducing the readers to this colorful cast with brief glimpses into their individual histories and the demons and dreams that will lead them to the dangers of the savage world. All of which kicks off in the second half and totally revs up the story’s pacing too full speed ahead. From their first encounter with a giant prehistoric crocodile, to blood-sucking leeches that fall from the trees, each page propels the action in a crazy non-stop ride that encompasses the best elements of all such pulp adventures.

Ellis is a brilliant writer and along with all the great pulp madness displayed, he also explores the origins of man with all its twists and turns, scientific facts and tons of unproven legends that have yet to be explored and revealed. All of which makes “Cryptozoica” a feast of plenty for all lovers of high octane adventure. Our only regret is it took us this long to find. Please do not make that same mistake.