THE BIG SHOWDOWN - A Caleb York Western

 

THE BIG SHOWDOWN

A Caleb York Western

By Mickey Spillane & Max Allan Collins

Pinnacle Western

283 pgs

Several years ago we reviewed “The Legend of Caleb York.” It was an adaptation by Max Allan Collins of a movie screenplay by the late Mickey Spillane. We liked it a great deal and believe it was a one-shot at that time. Later we learned Collins had been persuaded to write four additional books featuring the gun fighting sheriff of Trinidad, New Mexico. Earlier in the year we received the fourth (The Last Stage to Hell Junction) and the fifth (Hot Lead, Cold Justice). Both were excellent and we said so in our respective reviews of each title.

Of course having now enjoyed three Caleb York oaters, there was no way we were going leave out the second and third entries. Our apologies for reviewing them out of chronicle order. Actually, Collins is so good at filling-in his readers with the start of each novel, readers needn’t worry. Each title stands on its own quite well. With “The Big Showdown,” we find ourselves arriving in the growing little town six months after the events of the first tale in which legendary gunfighter Caleb York rescued the community from the corrupt tyrannical sheriff Gauge and his band of killers. Having done so, he reluctantly accepted the sheriff’s badge until the citizen’s committee could appoint a qualified replacement.

It is York who recommends his old friend, Ben Wade for the job. Wade is an aging lawman looking for a peaceful town in which to settle and at the offset it seems like he and Trinidad were made for each other. That having been established, York is set to continue his journey to San Diego where he had hoped to sign on with the Pinkerton Detective Agency. Fate intervenes at the last minute when three masked men are caught in the act of robbing the local bank. In the ensuing gun battle, York manages to shoot of the robbers but the third, while making his speedy getaway, manages to shoot and kill Wade. Seeing his friend lying dead on the street, Caleb York vows to find the third crook and bring him to justice; be that a bullet or the hangman’s noose. At the same time retrieve the stolen money which was most of the town’s economic base.

Of course like any Max Collins tale, there is always a mystery to be dealt with. York becomes suspicious that the three men who committed the crime might have had help from an unknown source. No sooner begins his investigation when a new figure appears on the scene. He’s Zachary Gauge, a New York businessman and the last living heir to the former sheriff. It seems this Gauge has inherited his dead cousin’s estate. This includes several ranches and interests in many local enterprises. Then the new Gauge declares he will cover the bank’s losses with his own money, which quickly makes him very popular with towns folk; especially Willa Cullen, the daughter of a rancher with whom York is smitten.

As always, Collins moves his story along at a good clip and it’s obvious he’s enjoying himself bringing these iconic western characters to life. Each and everyone one of them is a familiar player to those of us who love westerns and he does them perfectly. The dialog is both amusing and lively and the shoot-outs brutally vivid. “The Big Showdown” deserves its title and then some. So saddle up, readers. This one is another keeper.

THE TITANIC SECRET

THE TITANIC SECRET

By Clive Cussler & Jack Du Brul

Putnam Paperback

466 pgs

In 1973, Clive Cussler, the master of modern pulp fiction, wrote “Raise the Titanic” as part of his popular Dirk Pitt underwater adventures series. It was a huge hit and would become the first of only two Dirk Pitt books to ever be made into a movie. The other was “Sahara” many years later. But we digress. In “Raise the Titanic” Pitt is charged with not only finding the famous ocean liner’s resting place, but bringing it up all to retrieve thousands of pounds of a rare metal lying in the ship’s vaults. Metal that had been mined by nine Coloradans working for the French government believing its radioactive properties would be extremely valuable. Of course Pitt succeeds and the old ship manages to conclude its voyage, arriving in New York where American agents are waiting to take possession of the ore. End of story. Or so we all thought.

Jump ahead a few decades and the ever creative Cussler invents a new hero in detective Isaac Bell, who lived and worked during the turn of the century. After his debut in the novel “The Chase,” Cussler then handed over the reins of the Bell adventures to the very capable Justin Scott. Scott would do nine Isaac Bell books before Cussler’s passing last year. Considering the Isaac Bell series was only one of several such spin-off series being produced, fans and reviewers alike had to wonder if any of them would continue now that Cussler was gone. Before his death, he had brought his own son, Dirk Cussler, on board to cowrite the Dirk Pitt books and we assume the younger Cussler will keep that flagship series alive. But what about the others?

Well “The Titanic Secret” is a partial answer, though it does raise a few other questions. Not only is it a new Bell story, but it is one that actually ties in with unanswered plot holes from the classic “Raise the Titanic.” It goes much further into the background of who those nine Colorado miners were, how they came to be involved with the project and Isaac Bell’s part in rescuing them from the frigid coast of Siberia and the action packed odyssey they undertake to reach England to see the ore loaded on that ill-fated trip. The other intriguing issue is it the fact that the book is authored not by Scott, but by another Cussler long-time collaborator, Jack Du Brul. Readers of the Oregon Files series will be familiar with Du Brul’s name; he’s penned six of those.

This was our first introduction to his fiction and we came away truly impressed. “The Titanic Secret” moves at breakneck speed from the Rocky Mountains, to the Paris, then the fjords of Norway to the coast of Siberia, the Scottish countryside and finally the docks of England without let up. Granted, Du Brul’s take on the character of Bell is not exactly as we’ve become familiar with via Justin Scott’s interpretation. There’s less finesse and unlike his own series, he pretty much goes it solo in this book. Still, it works and we applaud it as a great new addition to the series as a whole. That Cussler would have planned this strange interaction between his two most amazing heroes, Dirk Pitt and Isaac Bell, though they lived in different times, is truly wonderful and in the end a treat for all lovers of great adventure fiction. Cussler fans will revel in delight. We sure as hell did.

 

The Eldritch New Adventures of BECKY SHARP

 

THE ELDRITCH NEW ADVENTURES OF BECKY SHARP

New Expanded Edition

By Micah S. Harris

Minor Proft Press

181 pgs

What follows is our review of the first edition released in 2008. All we’d add to it is the expanded edition has more wonderful artwork and a cleaner overall design. Still a great book.

 One of the true rewards of this job is being able to share with all of you amazing books that, for one reason or another, simply do not get the exposure and acolytes they deserve. This is such a case. It overflows with so much old fashion adventure, I’m hard pressed to describe the fun I had reading it. Be aware, it is not a graphic novel, despite both its gorgeous cover, by artist Loston Wallace, and its comic dimensions. It is a prose novel, but packaged differently with a nice overall design. It’s both very easy to handle and read. For those of you not versed in classic English literature, Becky Sharp is the heroine of William Makepeace Thackeray’s 1947 novel, VANTIY FAIR; a book that satirized the mores of 19th century English society. Harris actually teaches English Lit, thus his familiarity and obvious fascination for the character. But it is what he does with her in this madcap tale that is pure pulp genius. Since the lovely lass came to a rather tragic ending in the Thackeray version, Harris’s offers us a duplicate Becky Sharpe from an alternate world. In this reality, Becky is recruited by a sect of Lovecraftian aliens posing as human to help them defeat a rival monster known as Tulu. But to do so, Becky will first have to be granted immortality and then sent on a globe-spanning quest to obtain the required talismans needed to defeat Tulu. Once her journey begins, through both geography and time, Becky manages to meet Asheya, known as She-Who-Must-Be-Obeyed, encounters the giant gorilla Kong of Skull Island, enters into a passionate romance with the Scarecrow of Romney Marsh, travels with Nemo and battles a super strong Egyptian Mummy alongside the Ape Man of the African Jungle. And these are only a few of her amazing exploits. The delight of this book is not only its marvelous conceit, but Harris’ talent as a gifted writer. His use of language is deft and exact, with a very beautiful command of style. The narrative has such grace as to carry to reader along effortlessly, all the while painting unbelievable scenes of action and daring-do with panache. This is easily one of the best books I’ve read all year. Last word, if you enjoy reading fresh and original fiction, then consider picking up THE ELDRICTH NEW ADVENTURES OF BECKY SHARP as a Christmas gift to yourself. You can order it at Amazon or go directly to the publisher on-line at (www.booksofmicah.com). Tell them I sent you.

 

THE GUNS OF PLUTO

 

Edmond Hamilton’s Captain Future

The GUNS OF PLUTO

By Allen Steele

Experimenter Publishing

195 pgs

 

We first discovered sci-fi writer Edmond Hamilton while in high school and immediately became a fan of his unique action/adventure stories. Unlike the hard science fiction of writers like Isaac Asimov and Arthur C. Clarke, Hamilton gave us Flash Gordon – Buck Rogers style tales we later learned to identify as “space operas.” As time went on we read more and more of Hamilton’s work but these were the 60s and we simply were unfamiliar at that time with his sci-fi pulp hero, Captain Future. The closest we came to that part of his legacy was when he created the Star Wolf series for a paperback outfit. We find it odd that in his bio at the back of this volume, that particular series is totally forgotten.

But we digress. Fact is during the heyday of the pulps Hamilton created Curt Newton, a tough as nails science hero and his team; a robot, a cyborg and an encased human brain. They were known as the Futuremen and over time their adventures brought about a truly loyal fanbase. One of these was writer Allen Steele who dreamed of one day writing new Captain Future novels. This book is part of that dream fulfillment. Although we should mention it is not first Captain Future book he wrote. That was published by another publisher and if you’re lucky, you might find copies at second-hand retailers via Amazon. For now, our focus is on this now on-going series established by the folks operating under the famous Amazing Stories banner.

In “The Guns of Pluto,” one of Newton’s old foes, the Black Pirate, attacks an interplanetary prison on the frozen planet. He then sends a message back to our hero claiming to hold two important hostages who will be executed unless Captain Future arrives on the site within the next twenty-four hours. Naturally Newton and his allies know the Black Pirate has an ulterior motive, other than simply besting his nemesis. What that is can only be uncovered if Captain Future acquiesces to his demands and thus begins the adventure.

Sure enough, once on Pluto, there are betrayals and surprises in store for our hero and his Futuremen. Eventually they learn the Black Pirate’s plan; a daring space voyage that if it succeeds will have severe consequences for the entire galaxy. Like all the classic pulps of old, “The Guns of Pluto” is a fast paced, rollicking adventure and Steele’s re-imagining of the Futermen is terrific. His writing has a sophisticated edge we truly believe Hamilton would have happily approved of. Just one note of caution, loyal readers. The book does not have an ending but climaxes with a cliffhanger to be resolved in the next volume. This may turn some of you away, but for this reviewer, it was a marvelous tease that worked. We cannot wait for the next installment.

BLACK STILETTO - Endings & Beginnings

 

THE BLACK STILETTO – Endings & Beginnings

By Raymond Benson

Oceanview Publishing

324 pgs

Sometimes a series is so damn good, we wish it would never end. Whereas going into Raymond Benson’s homage to old fashion comicbook superheroes, we knew that it would be told in five installments. From our initial delight at the first volume, each new chapter not only thrilled and entertained us, but at the same time saddened us as we could see the finale approaching.

Without repeating my reviews for the previous volumes, let’s get into how magnificent that ending is. The story picks up exactly where book four, “Secrets and Lies” left off. Judy Copper, aka as the masked vigilante Black Stiletto is in Los Angeles in 1962 involved with a handsome criminal named Leo Kelly. Kelly has aspirations to rise in the hierarchy of the Vegas mob run by brutal Italian family. But his beautiful, but psycho sister, Christina, isn’t willing to wait and disguised as the Black Stiletto, she murders the Boss’s daughter and later one of his top lieutenants.

Judy is trying to clear her name when she discovers she’s pregnant with Leo’s baby. That pretty much turns her world upside down. All this is told via Judy’s diaries now in the possession of her adult son, Martin Talbot. In present time, an aged Judy is confined to a senior facility suffering advanced Alzheimer’s and nearing her last days. When two criminal hitmen from Texas show up and nearly kill Martin, he realizes his mother’s past exploits are about to catch up with them. Meanwhile is own daughter, Gina, has become an expert in martial arts and reminds him all too much of his mother. When he finally reveals Judy’s secret to Gina, she volunteers to travel to Odessa and uncover exactly what happened there decades earlier.

Though most of the interweaving threads are predictable, that doesn’t in any way diminish their impact as Benson has created truly likeable characters that the reader comes to know and love. The last few chapters pack an emotional wallop that had us brushing back tears. This has been an exceptional series brilliantly told with heart and understanding. And there’s even an opportunity for a “new” Black Stiletto, one we truly hope Mr. Benson will explore some day.

 

THE MYSTERY OF THE COWBOY SUMMIT

 

MYSTERY OF THE COWBOY SUMMIT

A Hollywood Cowboy Detectives Adventure

By Darryle Purcell

A Buckskins Edition

144 pgs.

Okay, so right up front, we love this series by Arizona writer Darryle Purcell. The concept is a fun one and the action revolves around Republic Studios in the early 1940s. At that time they were pumping out B westerns super fast. Folks like Tom Mix, Gene Autry, and Tim McCoy were the childhood heroes of boys and girls across the country. Curly Woods is the studio’s flack, i.e. marketing rep with the task of promoting these horse operas and their stars via newsprint, radio and the popular newsreels. Curly’s boss is Rick Danby, an Executive Producer at the studio while his brother, Nick Danby, works as a chauffeur for the company. Curly and Nick are beer drinking buddies who regular chum around with silent film cowboy Hoot Gibson. The three of them are the principal protagonists in the series of which “The Mystery of the Cowboy Summit” is the tenth.

In each new book, Purcell often features cameos by other popular stars of the time. In this story, Federal Agents working for President Franklin Roosevelt have come to recruit the trio to be his “goodwill” ambassadors at a South American political summit to be held in Brazil. The affair will be attended by dozens of foreign business men from the surrounding countries and Roosevelt hopes to assure their allegiance should the war in Europe ultimately reach our shores. Knowing these cowboy personalities are recognized and admired throughout South America, Roosevelt believes they are the perfect envoys to win over these powerful financiers.

Tagging along this time is Buck Jones and Crash Corrigan. Of course like all previous capers, once in the Amazon jungles of Brazil, en-route to the fancy hacienda where the summit will be held, our guys soon learn there are other aspects of their mission the G-Men failed to mention. They find a field of giant corn inhabited by giant bugs, scorpions, worms and spiders. They are told this is all due to a super growth chemical invented by one Dr. Anita Lafond, a guest on the ranch. The idea is to supposedly perfect this potion and sell it to American farmers; the giant insects are a by-product not yet resolved. This is all well and good until they discover the ranch’s owners, Dom Sebastian and his sister Maria, may be German agents in cahoots with opium growing Arabs also in bed with Third Reich.

As ever it doesn’t take long for the action to ramp up and pretty soon our Cowboy envoys are in the battle of their lives attempting to stop thwart an insidious Nazis’ plan while at the same time having to rescue the innocent diplomats caught in the crossfire. Purcell, as in all his previous books, knows his history and depicts the characters with as much authenticity as his wild tale will allow. Himself an Army veteran of Vietnam, he’s familiar with weaponry and combat. He’s also proud patriot unashamed to cheer the old red, white and blue.

The Hollywood Cowboy Detectives series is one of the finest in New Pulp today. “The Mystery of the Cowboy Summit” is an excellent addition to it and now we can’t wait for the next one.