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Shooting Star & Spiderweb
A one-eyed detective and a blackmailer find themselves neck-deep in murder and deception when they explore the seamy underbelly of Hollywood. Two complete novels – both published for the first time in 50+ years!
320 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 1958
15 people are currently reading
396 people want to read
About the author
Robert Bloch
1,091 books1,284 followersRobert Albert Bloch was a prolific American writer. He was the son of Raphael "Ray" Bloch (1884, Chicago-1952, Chicago), a bank cashier, and his wife Stella Loeb (1880, Attica, Indiana-1944, Milwaukee, WI), a social worker, both of German-Jewish descent.
Bloch wrote hundreds of short stories and over twenty novels, usually crime fiction, science fiction, and, perhaps most influentially, horror fiction (Psycho). He was one of the youngest members of the Lovecraft Circle; Lovecraft was Bloch's mentor and one of the first to seriously encourage his talent.
He was a contributor to pulp magazines such as Weird Tales in his early career, and was also a prolific screenwriter. He was the recipient of the Hugo Award (for his story "That Hell-Bound Train"), the Bram Stoker Award, and the World Fantasy Award. He served a term as president of the Mystery Writers of America.
Robert Bloch was also a major contributor to science fiction fanzines and fandom in general. In the 1940s, he created the humorous character Lefty Feep in a story for Fantastic Adventures. He also worked for a time in local vaudeville, and tried to break into writing for nationally-known performers. He was a good friend of the science fiction writer Stanley G. Weinbaum. In the 1960's, he wrote 3 stories for Star Trek.
Bloch wrote hundreds of short stories and over twenty novels, usually crime fiction, science fiction, and, perhaps most influentially, horror fiction (Psycho). He was one of the youngest members of the Lovecraft Circle; Lovecraft was Bloch's mentor and one of the first to seriously encourage his talent.
He was a contributor to pulp magazines such as Weird Tales in his early career, and was also a prolific screenwriter. He was the recipient of the Hugo Award (for his story "That Hell-Bound Train"), the Bram Stoker Award, and the World Fantasy Award. He served a term as president of the Mystery Writers of America.
Robert Bloch was also a major contributor to science fiction fanzines and fandom in general. In the 1940s, he created the humorous character Lefty Feep in a story for Fantastic Adventures. He also worked for a time in local vaudeville, and tried to break into writing for nationally-known performers. He was a good friend of the science fiction writer Stanley G. Weinbaum. In the 1960's, he wrote 3 stories for Star Trek.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 53 reviews
December 15, 2011
Spiderweb:
Loser wannabee actor Eddie Haines falls in with a blackmailing ring led by the sinister Professor. But when Eddie falls for one of the Professor's targets, he has to get out any way he can...
The first of the short novels in this collection was pretty good. Eddie's slide into life as a con man was well done, as was his romance with Ellen. The Professor and Dr. Sylvestro were suitably chilling yet still plausible. When Eddie decides to get out, his uphill climb was believably done.
Bloch knows how to write a potboiler. Let's see if Shooting Star is as good.
Shooting Star:
One-eyed private eye/writer Mark Clayburn is hired to clear the name of Dick Ryan, a murdered western star. Can Clayburn find his killer and dispel the rumors of his drug use before Ryan's killer finds him?
For the first three-fourths of Shooting Star, I was enthralled. Clayburn got thumped over the head more times than Lew Archer as he looked for Ryan's killer. Every time I thought I knew what was going on, Bloch yanked the rug out from under me. Then the plot revolving around a marijuana-selling ring kicked into high gear.
Did you know that in the 1950's, muggle was another word for joint? Neither did I. The whole marijuana part of the plot was unintentionally hilarious. Every time Clayburn mentioned tea, reefer, or stick, I chuckled a bit. It was probably heavy stuff back in the day but soon entered Reefer Madness territory. Still quite enjoyable, just not in the way I was hoping.
Overall, I was quite pleased with this Hard Case double. Mr. Bloch and I will probably be spending more time together in the future.
Loser wannabee actor Eddie Haines falls in with a blackmailing ring led by the sinister Professor. But when Eddie falls for one of the Professor's targets, he has to get out any way he can...
The first of the short novels in this collection was pretty good. Eddie's slide into life as a con man was well done, as was his romance with Ellen. The Professor and Dr. Sylvestro were suitably chilling yet still plausible. When Eddie decides to get out, his uphill climb was believably done.
Bloch knows how to write a potboiler. Let's see if Shooting Star is as good.
Shooting Star:
One-eyed private eye/writer Mark Clayburn is hired to clear the name of Dick Ryan, a murdered western star. Can Clayburn find his killer and dispel the rumors of his drug use before Ryan's killer finds him?
For the first three-fourths of Shooting Star, I was enthralled. Clayburn got thumped over the head more times than Lew Archer as he looked for Ryan's killer. Every time I thought I knew what was going on, Bloch yanked the rug out from under me. Then the plot revolving around a marijuana-selling ring kicked into high gear.
Did you know that in the 1950's, muggle was another word for joint? Neither did I. The whole marijuana part of the plot was unintentionally hilarious. Every time Clayburn mentioned tea, reefer, or stick, I chuckled a bit. It was probably heavy stuff back in the day but soon entered Reefer Madness territory. Still quite enjoyable, just not in the way I was hoping.
Overall, I was quite pleased with this Hard Case double. Mr. Bloch and I will probably be spending more time together in the future.
March 11, 2011
Two novels by the author of Psycho, both set in Hollywood - one about a quasi one eyed private eye, the other about a man seeking dreams of stardom but ultimately ends up involved in a blackmail scheme.
The first of these novels 'Shooting Star' is about Mark Clayburn, small time literary agent and private eye, brought in by a friend in the film industry to investigate the murder of one of the stars of his recently acquired motion pictures. Shooting Star started well and quickly introduced what was seemingly a complex whodunit mystery before becoming predictable. Luckily a couple of solid scenes saved it - Spillane Hammer quality rough stuff. 3 stars.
The second, 'Spiderweb' is exactly that - a web of lies and deceit which almost cost the protagonist, Eddie Haines, his life. Eddie ventures into Hollywood seeking fame and notoriety, what he gets is something different altogether - lured into a world of selling false promises and broken dreams he becomes a self help guru, making loads of cash for the small price of his soul. The omnipresent bad guy, The Professor, bends Eddie's will enough to make him do his bidding until finally the tables turn and violence arises. After a slow start, Spiderweb came into its own, I haven't read anything like it. Very enjoyable - 3 stars.
The first of these novels 'Shooting Star' is about Mark Clayburn, small time literary agent and private eye, brought in by a friend in the film industry to investigate the murder of one of the stars of his recently acquired motion pictures. Shooting Star started well and quickly introduced what was seemingly a complex whodunit mystery before becoming predictable. Luckily a couple of solid scenes saved it - Spillane Hammer quality rough stuff. 3 stars.
The second, 'Spiderweb' is exactly that - a web of lies and deceit which almost cost the protagonist, Eddie Haines, his life. Eddie ventures into Hollywood seeking fame and notoriety, what he gets is something different altogether - lured into a world of selling false promises and broken dreams he becomes a self help guru, making loads of cash for the small price of his soul. The omnipresent bad guy, The Professor, bends Eddie's will enough to make him do his bidding until finally the tables turn and violence arises. After a slow start, Spiderweb came into its own, I haven't read anything like it. Very enjoyable - 3 stars.
October 29, 2014
In this book, we have two dynamite short novels by Robert Bloch, both written in the Fifties, and both set in Hollywood, but both very different from each other. "Shooting Star" concerns the death of an actor who made his name in Western B-films, a death written off as a suicide, but which may be a murder, perhaps connected with a narcotics syndicate. A one-eyed literary agent (the significance of the lost eye and the demons that pursue him become clear as the case unfolds) is asked by a client to play detective, to find out whether the death was murder for the sake of a book worth over $100,000 (that's a million bucks in our debased currency), and the agent's incentive is that much-needed 10%. What he discovers in the course of his investigation is enough to get several others killed and to land him right in the sights of someone he never suspected.
The second half of the book is "Spiderweb," the story of a young man who, like thousands of others, journeys from the Midwest to Hollywood in search of fame and fortune, only to be slapped hard in the face by reality. Bilked by an agent, he's down to his last few dollars when he's approached by a bald little man who reminds him of Peter Lorre, a psychotherapist who needs a ventriloquist's dummy, and our dismayed stalwart from Corn-land is just the dummy he seeks...right looks, right voice, and just smart enough (but not too smart). What the psychotherapist needs is a front man for a self-help racket, much like thousands of other swindlers at the time, and, for that matter, just like many in our own times. What the dummy doesn't know is that the self-help racket is really a cover for a more vicious, violent and well-paying racket...blackmail. When he does find out, his goal of becoming rich and famous changes to one a little simpler but harder to achieve...stay alive.
Despite the changes in society over the past sixty years, especially in the outlook toward drugs and the decline of Hollywood's power (e.g., the studio system), these novels still hold up very well. Much of that is due to Bloch's writing style, which was very trim and direct, not given too much to cultural jargon, though it's unavoidable when it comes to drug use (society still speaks of it in clandestine euphemisms, even in mile-high Colorado) but there are no terms that aren't explained or can't be figured out. Both books are fast moving and very engaging, "Shooting Star" because of its plot and mystery element, "Spiderweb" because of the often desperate, always perceptive first-person narration.
The second half of the book is "Spiderweb," the story of a young man who, like thousands of others, journeys from the Midwest to Hollywood in search of fame and fortune, only to be slapped hard in the face by reality. Bilked by an agent, he's down to his last few dollars when he's approached by a bald little man who reminds him of Peter Lorre, a psychotherapist who needs a ventriloquist's dummy, and our dismayed stalwart from Corn-land is just the dummy he seeks...right looks, right voice, and just smart enough (but not too smart). What the psychotherapist needs is a front man for a self-help racket, much like thousands of other swindlers at the time, and, for that matter, just like many in our own times. What the dummy doesn't know is that the self-help racket is really a cover for a more vicious, violent and well-paying racket...blackmail. When he does find out, his goal of becoming rich and famous changes to one a little simpler but harder to achieve...stay alive.
Despite the changes in society over the past sixty years, especially in the outlook toward drugs and the decline of Hollywood's power (e.g., the studio system), these novels still hold up very well. Much of that is due to Bloch's writing style, which was very trim and direct, not given too much to cultural jargon, though it's unavoidable when it comes to drug use (society still speaks of it in clandestine euphemisms, even in mile-high Colorado) but there are no terms that aren't explained or can't be figured out. Both books are fast moving and very engaging, "Shooting Star" because of its plot and mystery element, "Spiderweb" because of the often desperate, always perceptive first-person narration.
October 31, 2008
I read only the Spiderweb half of this double-feature, but it was good pulpy fun. In places it even gets a little arty, particularly when the protagonist goes to the beach at Santa Monica, and is completely alienated by the scene. The description of the crowd lands somewhere between Nathaniel West, R. Crumb and Hieronymus Bosch. So, you know, icky.
I love the many ways guns are described in books like this. "They were in the doorway now... Both of them had convincing arguments pointed my way." "He was in the lead, walking backward so he could watch us with his three eyes -- the two in his head and the third, deadly little round eye pointing at us from his hand." Good stuff.
I often cast the books I read with actors, to help keep the characters straight in my mind's eye. In this case, Jon Hamm from Mad Men was the protagonist, Lee Remick from Anatomy of a Murder played Ellen Post, the character of movie star Lorna Lewis was a combo of Ava Gardner and Betty Page. And Professor Herrman was Peter Lorre. He had to be, since we are introduced to him thus: "...the outer door opened and Peter Lorre came in. It wasn't Peter Lorre, of course..." but clearly that's who he looks like. So that was convenient.
I love the many ways guns are described in books like this. "They were in the doorway now... Both of them had convincing arguments pointed my way." "He was in the lead, walking backward so he could watch us with his three eyes -- the two in his head and the third, deadly little round eye pointing at us from his hand." Good stuff.
I often cast the books I read with actors, to help keep the characters straight in my mind's eye. In this case, Jon Hamm from Mad Men was the protagonist, Lee Remick from Anatomy of a Murder played Ellen Post, the character of movie star Lorna Lewis was a combo of Ava Gardner and Betty Page. And Professor Herrman was Peter Lorre. He had to be, since we are introduced to him thus: "...the outer door opened and Peter Lorre came in. It wasn't Peter Lorre, of course..." but clearly that's who he looks like. So that was convenient.
May 17, 2009
On a micro level, highly skilled. Robert Bloch has writerly chops to spare, and I enjoyed almost every page of these novels. But on a macro level, completely forgettable. The protagonist of Shooting Star is Mark Clayburn, a small-time literary agent who, because he works in the true-crime field, also has a private investigator's license. This combination has interesting possibilities, but they go untapped. The literary agent fades mostly from view; the private investigator takes center stage; and Clayburn emerges as a super-low-cal Philip Marlowe wallowing in the muck of Hollywood. Also set in California, Spiderweb traffics at first in the noir-friendly universe of psychic charlatans but then veers into a fairly conventional blackmail story. In this realm, try William Lindsay Gresham's Nightmare Alley or Cornell Woolrich's Night Has a Thousand Eyes instead.
April 27, 2008
"Spiderweb" reads like a poor man's "Nightmare Alley" : a showbiz never-was gets groomed to play psychic to neurotic rich folks all too eager to part with their money. The story didn't have anything special about it.
"Shooting Star" was like an old detective show from the Sixties (when this was written) complete with drunken movie starlets and murdering agents in the Hollywood Hills. Again, nothing distinctive about this either. Robert Bloch has written some good short stories, and these two lousy novels back up my claim that he should keep things short.
"Shooting Star" was like an old detective show from the Sixties (when this was written) complete with drunken movie starlets and murdering agents in the Hollywood Hills. Again, nothing distinctive about this either. Robert Bloch has written some good short stories, and these two lousy novels back up my claim that he should keep things short.
May 17, 2013
SPIDERWEB
Pure pulp poetry. Pithy, exquisitely paced, noir as all-get-out, hardboiled as hell (with a lot of bad eggs). Bloch just has it--always just enough tongue-in-cheek somehow to convince me more than the writers who try and sell noir or horror as 100% serious stuff. A tad silly is less silly than not silly at all. This one's even somewhat poignant as an indictment of human frailty and those who would exploit it for gain, suckers and hawks, helpers and abusers, and, dare I say it, Nazis and Jews????
Pure pulp poetry. Pithy, exquisitely paced, noir as all-get-out, hardboiled as hell (with a lot of bad eggs). Bloch just has it--always just enough tongue-in-cheek somehow to convince me more than the writers who try and sell noir or horror as 100% serious stuff. A tad silly is less silly than not silly at all. This one's even somewhat poignant as an indictment of human frailty and those who would exploit it for gain, suckers and hawks, helpers and abusers, and, dare I say it, Nazis and Jews????
December 13, 2014
Of the two novels here, I liked Shooting Star more- a straight detective story with a few twists and a very amusing main character. However, the plot was silly overall, and I saw the ending coming a mile away.
Spiderweb was a bit weirder, a criminal ring based on blackmail and fake-psychobabble run by interestingly devoid of motive criminals, but it lacked a likable character. From the start, the main character is an egotistical nut, and even if he becomes more upright as the book goes on, the way he tries to justify his earlier actions is pretty weak.
Spiderweb was a bit weirder, a criminal ring based on blackmail and fake-psychobabble run by interestingly devoid of motive criminals, but it lacked a likable character. From the start, the main character is an egotistical nut, and even if he becomes more upright as the book goes on, the way he tries to justify his earlier actions is pretty weak.
April 25, 2014
I had a great time with these two short novels in the Hard Case Crime series. The book itself is a "flipbook" with two "front" covers with unique artwork for each tale. You read one novel, then flip the book over and start the other, and the works meet in the middle.
Shooting Star is a pretty straightforward tale of a private eye hired to clean up the tarnished reputation of a dead movie star that was found murdered with evidence that he was a (GASP!!!) pot smoker. The star in question had a sizeable filmography worth quite a lot of money for the film re-screenings and television licensing common at the time. However, it would be totally worthless if he was labeled a drug user and film distributors would have nothing to do with his repertoire. I've read some other reviews that accuse Shooting Star of suffering from a serious case of reefer madness but, given the fact that it was published in 1958, I found that aspect of the novel very informative as to the mores of the time when the fact that public knowledge of a star's marijuana use could ruin their career both before and after their death (Matthew McConaughey wouldn't have lasted long in 1958 Hollywood).
What makes Shooting Star such a fun read are two things, the main character and Bloch's writing. The private eye protagonist literally has one eye but isn't a "real" private dick, per se. Sure, he has his license and owns a gun, but his main line of work is as a literary agent for crime fiction. He mainly uses his private detective license as a way of gaining access to juicier facts for true crime stories. So even though the story is a pretty by-the-numbers tale of a private eye solving a murder and catching the killer, his reasons for taking the job (for which he has very little real sleuthing experience), his insightful take on the Hollywood elite, and his learning-as-he-goes mistakes as he solves the case are great fun. Furthermore, Robert Bloch's writing skill is top notch. He deftly balances pace, humor, drama and a commentary on the hypocrisy of late 1950's Hollywood. Shooting Star is never boring, very entertaining, and a satisfying trip through the seedy side of golden age Hollywood.
Of the two "flipbook" novels, though, I have to say I enjoyed Spiderweb more. In a nutshell, the book is about a down-on-his luck, near suicidal, voice actor/radio announcer that gets offered to be the "guru" face of a self-help organization which cons upper class clients with pseudo-psychoanalysis sessions. During the sessions, clients reveal embarrassing personal details or confidential financial information that is later used to bilk or extort them for hundreds to thousands of dollars each.
Published in 1953 and also set in Hollywood, not only is Spiderweb a fun, quick read, but its premise is just plain intriguing and the characters are layered, complex and interesting. Also, Bloch is again hitting on all cylinders with his sharp and polished writing, and you get glimpses of his genius when it comes to the way he understands and portrays character psychology. He truly was a master in showing how circumstance and events can affect and change a character's personality, leading them to make choices completely against their basic nature.
None of the main characters in Spiderweb are purely good or purely evil. All of them have flaws and things described or hinted in their history that give the reader a sense of understanding why they make this or that particular decision, even if it's not an agreeable one.
As things progress it becomes increasingly clear for the main character of Eddie Haines that he isn't just part of an elaborate con but that he is trapped in its complex tangle of lies and leveraged information.
I can't recommend Shooting Star/Spiderweb enough. Treat yourself to a taste of Hollywood gone-by and to two fine examples of Robert Bloch in his prime.
Shooting Star is a pretty straightforward tale of a private eye hired to clean up the tarnished reputation of a dead movie star that was found murdered with evidence that he was a (GASP!!!) pot smoker. The star in question had a sizeable filmography worth quite a lot of money for the film re-screenings and television licensing common at the time. However, it would be totally worthless if he was labeled a drug user and film distributors would have nothing to do with his repertoire. I've read some other reviews that accuse Shooting Star of suffering from a serious case of reefer madness but, given the fact that it was published in 1958, I found that aspect of the novel very informative as to the mores of the time when the fact that public knowledge of a star's marijuana use could ruin their career both before and after their death (Matthew McConaughey wouldn't have lasted long in 1958 Hollywood).
What makes Shooting Star such a fun read are two things, the main character and Bloch's writing. The private eye protagonist literally has one eye but isn't a "real" private dick, per se. Sure, he has his license and owns a gun, but his main line of work is as a literary agent for crime fiction. He mainly uses his private detective license as a way of gaining access to juicier facts for true crime stories. So even though the story is a pretty by-the-numbers tale of a private eye solving a murder and catching the killer, his reasons for taking the job (for which he has very little real sleuthing experience), his insightful take on the Hollywood elite, and his learning-as-he-goes mistakes as he solves the case are great fun. Furthermore, Robert Bloch's writing skill is top notch. He deftly balances pace, humor, drama and a commentary on the hypocrisy of late 1950's Hollywood. Shooting Star is never boring, very entertaining, and a satisfying trip through the seedy side of golden age Hollywood.
Of the two "flipbook" novels, though, I have to say I enjoyed Spiderweb more. In a nutshell, the book is about a down-on-his luck, near suicidal, voice actor/radio announcer that gets offered to be the "guru" face of a self-help organization which cons upper class clients with pseudo-psychoanalysis sessions. During the sessions, clients reveal embarrassing personal details or confidential financial information that is later used to bilk or extort them for hundreds to thousands of dollars each.
Published in 1953 and also set in Hollywood, not only is Spiderweb a fun, quick read, but its premise is just plain intriguing and the characters are layered, complex and interesting. Also, Bloch is again hitting on all cylinders with his sharp and polished writing, and you get glimpses of his genius when it comes to the way he understands and portrays character psychology. He truly was a master in showing how circumstance and events can affect and change a character's personality, leading them to make choices completely against their basic nature.
None of the main characters in Spiderweb are purely good or purely evil. All of them have flaws and things described or hinted in their history that give the reader a sense of understanding why they make this or that particular decision, even if it's not an agreeable one.
As things progress it becomes increasingly clear for the main character of Eddie Haines that he isn't just part of an elaborate con but that he is trapped in its complex tangle of lies and leveraged information.
I can't recommend Shooting Star/Spiderweb enough. Treat yourself to a taste of Hollywood gone-by and to two fine examples of Robert Bloch in his prime.
July 21, 2017
Bloch is, of course, best known as the author of “Psycho.” This double volume contains two of his earlier works from the mid-1950’s, “Shooting Star” (1958) and “Spiderweb” (1954). They are each short novels of the length typical of the 1950’s. They are both great reading.
“Shooting Star” appears first in Hard Case Crime’s two-fer volume, although it was originally the second of the two novels published. It is an easy-to-read classic detective novel taking place in Hollywood and the film industry with which Bloch would eventually become much more closely associated with as a screenwriter. It features a one-eyed amateur detective, Mark Clayburn, whose real day-to-day job consisted of being a washed-up literary agent. He’s not your usual detective and perhaps that’s what makes this novel so good and so much fun to read. Nothing much to see in his office, he explains, “No beautiful bra-breaking blonde secretary, no top-shelf rye in the bottom drawer.”
Six months earlier, a well-known cowboy actor was murdered and the killing was never solved. The narrator is asked to figure it out, including interviewing famous Hollywood stars who were in and around the trailer at the time of the murder. Of course, in pulp fiction, nothing is ever that simple and Clayburn is warned time and time again to mind his own business and stop investigating. He is beaten up quite a few times and tied up and so forth.
There is a great sense of humor evident in this novel. For instance, when Clayburn meets a Hollywood celebrity in a restaurant, she turns to him and asks, “Are you the one-eyed bastard who wants to pump me about Dick Ryan’s death?” The comedic banter by the narrator gives this novel somewhat of a light atmosphere despite the subject matter of murder.
It is also evident that this novel was written in a different era by its focus on the problems of the dreaded scourge of marijuana.
All in all, it is a pleasure to read. It is quite fun and it is involved in the Hollywood world without being too enamored of it.
"Spiderweb" is as far from your prototypical hardboiled novel as it could be. It features a washed-up has-been of a wannabe actor at the end of his rope and the wildest confidence scheme imaginable. It involves hypnosis, suggestion, sleight of hand, self-help gurus, murder, booze, and blackmail.
There are suggestions throughout the story that perhaps the narrator isn't as innocent as he appears to be. After all, he talks as if he had more than one personality and what it would be like to murder. Is he an innocent dupe or one of Bloch's psychopaths? There's a killer inside me, he says, echoing the title of another writer's most famous novel about a psychopath.
There are lines in this story about people appearing like cannibals or troglodytes. Some of the scenes are of a horrific circus midway and other nightmares. There is a richness in Bloch's prose. It is not a simple story about a con game, but something a bit more compelling and strange.
Both stories are easy to dig into and quite compelling. Hard case did a great thing in unearthing these things.
“Shooting Star” appears first in Hard Case Crime’s two-fer volume, although it was originally the second of the two novels published. It is an easy-to-read classic detective novel taking place in Hollywood and the film industry with which Bloch would eventually become much more closely associated with as a screenwriter. It features a one-eyed amateur detective, Mark Clayburn, whose real day-to-day job consisted of being a washed-up literary agent. He’s not your usual detective and perhaps that’s what makes this novel so good and so much fun to read. Nothing much to see in his office, he explains, “No beautiful bra-breaking blonde secretary, no top-shelf rye in the bottom drawer.”
Six months earlier, a well-known cowboy actor was murdered and the killing was never solved. The narrator is asked to figure it out, including interviewing famous Hollywood stars who were in and around the trailer at the time of the murder. Of course, in pulp fiction, nothing is ever that simple and Clayburn is warned time and time again to mind his own business and stop investigating. He is beaten up quite a few times and tied up and so forth.
There is a great sense of humor evident in this novel. For instance, when Clayburn meets a Hollywood celebrity in a restaurant, she turns to him and asks, “Are you the one-eyed bastard who wants to pump me about Dick Ryan’s death?” The comedic banter by the narrator gives this novel somewhat of a light atmosphere despite the subject matter of murder.
It is also evident that this novel was written in a different era by its focus on the problems of the dreaded scourge of marijuana.
All in all, it is a pleasure to read. It is quite fun and it is involved in the Hollywood world without being too enamored of it.
"Spiderweb" is as far from your prototypical hardboiled novel as it could be. It features a washed-up has-been of a wannabe actor at the end of his rope and the wildest confidence scheme imaginable. It involves hypnosis, suggestion, sleight of hand, self-help gurus, murder, booze, and blackmail.
There are suggestions throughout the story that perhaps the narrator isn't as innocent as he appears to be. After all, he talks as if he had more than one personality and what it would be like to murder. Is he an innocent dupe or one of Bloch's psychopaths? There's a killer inside me, he says, echoing the title of another writer's most famous novel about a psychopath.
There are lines in this story about people appearing like cannibals or troglodytes. Some of the scenes are of a horrific circus midway and other nightmares. There is a richness in Bloch's prose. It is not a simple story about a con game, but something a bit more compelling and strange.
Both stories are easy to dig into and quite compelling. Hard case did a great thing in unearthing these things.
January 5, 2015
Sometimes I get a craving for mac n cheese, and I mean, nothing fancy. Just a box, a boil, a stir, and eat it straight out of the pot. Fiction can be like that too. Sometimes I just want to read. A plot, some characters, an ending. Nothing too complicated or meaningful.
These Hard Case Crimes reprints are starting to fulfill that need. That need for a few hours of reading, that need to actually finish a book. I’m like a lot of you. I start way more books than I finish. If my eyes are too big for my stomach at the buffet, I guess my brain is too big for my pocket watch at the bookstore.
Don’t like the metaphors? Don’t read Hard Case Crime books. Don’t read Robert Bloch’s Shooting Star/Spiderweb (it's two novels in one binding). Not that he’s given, as such, to these kinds of metaphors. But cheesy writing? You know how we like to make fun of an over stylize the mannerisms and speech patterns of certain time periods? Talk about cheesy. But I’m pretty sure, at the time of original publication date, Bloch was one-hundred percent sincere.
But that was then and I read this in the now. Cartoonish characters, implausible scenarios, a plot taking out of Plotto . And imagery that, I’m sure, was supposed to make the reader queasy, nervous, scared: titillated. Nowadays it borders on camp.
And yet, for all that: an okay box of mac n cheese. I’m not going to say “fun” or “good,” because, when the pot is empty, resting on my protruding belly in my chair, I can’t say I had fun and I don’t exactly feel good. But the craving’s been satisfied. The book’s done it’s job. That’s always can ever ask of pulp fiction.
These Hard Case Crimes reprints are starting to fulfill that need. That need for a few hours of reading, that need to actually finish a book. I’m like a lot of you. I start way more books than I finish. If my eyes are too big for my stomach at the buffet, I guess my brain is too big for my pocket watch at the bookstore.
Don’t like the metaphors? Don’t read Hard Case Crime books. Don’t read Robert Bloch’s Shooting Star/Spiderweb (it's two novels in one binding). Not that he’s given, as such, to these kinds of metaphors. But cheesy writing? You know how we like to make fun of an over stylize the mannerisms and speech patterns of certain time periods? Talk about cheesy. But I’m pretty sure, at the time of original publication date, Bloch was one-hundred percent sincere.
But that was then and I read this in the now. Cartoonish characters, implausible scenarios, a plot taking out of Plotto . And imagery that, I’m sure, was supposed to make the reader queasy, nervous, scared: titillated. Nowadays it borders on camp.
And yet, for all that: an okay box of mac n cheese. I’m not going to say “fun” or “good,” because, when the pot is empty, resting on my protruding belly in my chair, I can’t say I had fun and I don’t exactly feel good. But the craving’s been satisfied. The book’s done it’s job. That’s always can ever ask of pulp fiction.
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June 17, 2015Shooting Star was a short little detective novel by Robert Bloch, author of Psycho among other works, and it’s pretty clear that it was a minor effort, tossed off for a quick paycheck. It’s the story of a detective hired to find out why a cowboy actor was killed and no one wants to find out who did it. Every character is a cliché, the plot is a simple “follow the leader” type of story where each person the detective interviews leads him to the next one, and when things start to bog down, someone shows up with a gun.
The novel has some unintentional laughs as the plot revolves around the evils of marijuana (which might as well be heroin the way it’s described) to the point where, when the detective tells the story of how he fell upon hard times…it’s because he was driving while high. Back in the 50’s, when it was originally published, it was a good story hook, but now it just comes off as so heavy handed it’s barely a step above Reefer Madness.
For Hard case Crime completists only.
The novel has some unintentional laughs as the plot revolves around the evils of marijuana (which might as well be heroin the way it’s described) to the point where, when the detective tells the story of how he fell upon hard times…it’s because he was driving while high. Back in the 50’s, when it was originally published, it was a good story hook, but now it just comes off as so heavy handed it’s barely a step above Reefer Madness.
For Hard case Crime completists only.
May 24, 2008
This double-sided novel concept is so great it made me nostalgic for something I am too young to ever have experienced! And for Robert Bloch it is great because both novels show a very different side to him. Shooting Star is more of a hardboiled detective yarn, and a pretty good one at that. Nothing too original or new, but the plot moves fairly quickly which makes up for any lack of originality. The climax seems very Spillane inspired. Spiderweb is a very different sort of novel, it is much more rooted in the psychology of the characters, as well as the field of psychoanalysis. The main character's analyses of his patients is very convincing, even though he is only a con-man and never attended a university. Bloch's attention to detail and research shows the writerly craft that can be found even in such "low-brow" pulp material. Overall I liked Spiderweb the best, as it was more original and less predictable.
December 27, 2021
Yet another author I’ve never read before, though I know the name, of course. This is a Hard Crime re-release of two of his 50s pulp books.
Shooting Star is about a one-eyed Hollywood agent turned private eye who ends up investigating the murder of an actor. Not bad, if a little predictable.
Spiderweb is about a washed-up actor who gets blackmailed by an evil psychologist into swindling neurotic Hollywood producers. Better than it sounds, but didn’t really knock my socks off.
The three stars are mainly due to the first of the two, as well as for Hard Case's decision to pair these two books into one volume – they do go well together, even if one is better than the other.
Shooting Star is about a one-eyed Hollywood agent turned private eye who ends up investigating the murder of an actor. Not bad, if a little predictable.
Spiderweb is about a washed-up actor who gets blackmailed by an evil psychologist into swindling neurotic Hollywood producers. Better than it sounds, but didn’t really knock my socks off.
The three stars are mainly due to the first of the two, as well as for Hard Case's decision to pair these two books into one volume – they do go well together, even if one is better than the other.
July 24, 2008
Master of psychological horror. I think that's what King (Steven) called him. These are not horror, but the psychology is sure there, but not to a fault.
Shooting star has a one eyed detective (see cover!) investigating some hollywood murderings and . . . let's just say there's some 'grass' involved.
Fun stuff.
Spiderweb is also set in Hollywood, involves con artistry, a manipulative german, some psychology and a hot actress.
They're both pretty entertaining and contain a heaping helping of psychological stuff. You just try and deny it.
Shooting star has a one eyed detective (see cover!) investigating some hollywood murderings and . . . let's just say there's some 'grass' involved.
Fun stuff.
Spiderweb is also set in Hollywood, involves con artistry, a manipulative german, some psychology and a hot actress.
They're both pretty entertaining and contain a heaping helping of psychological stuff. You just try and deny it.
August 3, 2012
Let me qualify my grading first.
The first novella is 4-star material, with a one-eyed detective, a femme fatale, and ususal red-herrings and other stuff that have been the hallmark of these novels. It also has examples of Bloch's characteristic wit that made the work quite readable. Recommended.
The second novella is 2-star material. It is only Bloch's prose that makes the stuff readable, but otherwise all the characters appeared watered down and the plot was so contrived that I felt disgusted. Not recommended.
Now you decide whether to take the plunge or not.
The first novella is 4-star material, with a one-eyed detective, a femme fatale, and ususal red-herrings and other stuff that have been the hallmark of these novels. It also has examples of Bloch's characteristic wit that made the work quite readable. Recommended.
The second novella is 2-star material. It is only Bloch's prose that makes the stuff readable, but otherwise all the characters appeared watered down and the plot was so contrived that I felt disgusted. Not recommended.
Now you decide whether to take the plunge or not.
October 14, 2017
The Hard Case Crime imprint presents a brace of short novels, expertly penned by Robert Bloch, legendary author of Psycho. Packaged back to back so that after you finish Shooting Star, you flip the physical book over and there you have Spiderweb with its own cover art. Fun! But both tales were, in fact, thought-provoking and dark little stories, morality stories, if you will, and exciting to the very finish. Shooting Star first appeared in 1958, and Spiderweb in 1954. But these days, I suspect this the only way you are likely to find them. Recommended!
May 4, 2015
I liked the first story better than Spiderweb, but both were okay reading if you like this genre. Actually, I finished this book a while ago, so my memory is not fresh. I will not try to say anything about the subject matter. Suffice it to say that I read many books over the course of a year, and I am not sorry to have read this one. It fit my reading mood at the time.
November 11, 2018
Shooting Star was a good read with good characters. Spiderweb was a longer read with the main character being a cad at best and the bad guys at least bad.
May 6, 2019
Hard Case Crime presents two noir crime novels from the 1950’s. Both were originally published by Ace Books in their classic double-novel format, but this is the first time they have been paired together. They are both set in Los Angeles, steeped in the glitzy lights and seedy underbelly of the golden era of Hollywood. Bloch puts it this way:
“This was a land of Messiahs and miracles, of Peter the Hermit and Isaiah the Evangelist; a land where red flowers and green skyscrapers sprang up overnight… The rod smote the rock and gold rushed forth in ’49. The rod waved as a magic wand and lo, there was Hollywood. The rod smote the rock again and oil spewed fortune to the skies. The rod pointed and there was real estate, and airplane factories, and an entire civilization that bought cars…”
Shooting Star (1958) – 2 stars
A one-eyed part-time private investigator is hired to reopen the cold case of a western-cowboy movie star found murdered in his trailer.
This novel strikes a noir atmosphere from the beginning – debauched starlets, vain actors, wink-and-nod allusions to the casting couch—but it is painfully short on plot. Reefer madness, that old trope that people who smoke marijuana are violent junkies, plays a prominent role in the story, which makes it hard to take seriously.
The killer is obvious from the opening few chapters. Just look for the one character who does not appear to have a motive, but acts in suspicious and contradictory manners at every opportunity.
Spiderweb (1954) – 4 stars
Eddie Haines is a wannabe voice actor who reluctantly agrees to help the mysterious Professor Otto Hermann run a self-help guru scam. The con is an interesting mix of pop psychology and spiritualism designed to manipulate and sometimes extort wealthy clients.
This novel features an engaging fast-paced plot laced with interesting characters, murder, blackmail, and loads of sexual tension. The sadistic German villain is straight out of a Connery Bond film.
The only weakness was the climax was too physical—relying on chases and fights rather than intrigue to build suspense.
“This was a land of Messiahs and miracles, of Peter the Hermit and Isaiah the Evangelist; a land where red flowers and green skyscrapers sprang up overnight… The rod smote the rock and gold rushed forth in ’49. The rod waved as a magic wand and lo, there was Hollywood. The rod smote the rock again and oil spewed fortune to the skies. The rod pointed and there was real estate, and airplane factories, and an entire civilization that bought cars…”
Shooting Star (1958) – 2 stars
A one-eyed part-time private investigator is hired to reopen the cold case of a western-cowboy movie star found murdered in his trailer.
This novel strikes a noir atmosphere from the beginning – debauched starlets, vain actors, wink-and-nod allusions to the casting couch—but it is painfully short on plot. Reefer madness, that old trope that people who smoke marijuana are violent junkies, plays a prominent role in the story, which makes it hard to take seriously.
The killer is obvious from the opening few chapters. Just look for the one character who does not appear to have a motive, but acts in suspicious and contradictory manners at every opportunity.
Spiderweb (1954) – 4 stars
Eddie Haines is a wannabe voice actor who reluctantly agrees to help the mysterious Professor Otto Hermann run a self-help guru scam. The con is an interesting mix of pop psychology and spiritualism designed to manipulate and sometimes extort wealthy clients.
This novel features an engaging fast-paced plot laced with interesting characters, murder, blackmail, and loads of sexual tension. The sadistic German villain is straight out of a Connery Bond film.
The only weakness was the climax was too physical—relying on chases and fights rather than intrigue to build suspense.
July 24, 2019
It's been a while since I've read Bloch, and I almost forgot what it was like to be in his clutches. These are two great noir books in one. "Spiderweb" is a fascinating look at the long con. A mysterious stranger recruits a failed actor to take part in his con artist game. The actor suddenly becomes a famous psychiatrist with top shelf patients. It's not a bad living, but the actor starts to think twice about his lifestyle choices until he realizes that he's the one getting conned. Now he's in a life and death struggle to get out of this horrible mess alive, and his chances are getting slimmer by the minute. I find it interesting because while he's helping these patients, he really seems to be improving their lives. I wonder what would have happened if he just kept improving them instead of conning them. It would be a wonderful superpower to have.
"Shooting Star" is a great PI murder story with Hollywood as the background. A one-eyed agent to the stars doubles as a detective, and he must prove to the world that a murdered movie star wasn't a drug addict in order to clear his name and reputation so as to allow his producers to continue making money off of him. It takes many glorious twists and turns, but there is one thing about this book that makes me laugh. The drug that the actor is supposedly addicted to is weed. The book kind of reads like Reefer Madness at times. Bloch tries to make marijuana as sinister as he possibly can, and that makes me giggle to no ends. He should have gone with heroin. That would have fit the bill a lot better. Regardless, it's a fun book.
"Shooting Star" is a great PI murder story with Hollywood as the background. A one-eyed agent to the stars doubles as a detective, and he must prove to the world that a murdered movie star wasn't a drug addict in order to clear his name and reputation so as to allow his producers to continue making money off of him. It takes many glorious twists and turns, but there is one thing about this book that makes me laugh. The drug that the actor is supposedly addicted to is weed. The book kind of reads like Reefer Madness at times. Bloch tries to make marijuana as sinister as he possibly can, and that makes me giggle to no ends. He should have gone with heroin. That would have fit the bill a lot better. Regardless, it's a fun book.
December 20, 2024
Shooting Star/ Spiderweb, Robert Bloch [Hard Case Crime 2008. Originally published by Ace Books in 1958 and 1954.]
Shooting Star
1950s Hollywood noir: Downwardly mobile literary agent Mark Clayburn, who moonlights as a private eye, is hired to investigate the killing of a Western film actor whose clean cut screen image was belied by his dissolute lifestyle. As Clayburn investigates, the body count mounts, and he comes to realize that he could be the desperate killer’s next victim. An absorbing vintage detective novel, replete with quaint marijuana moral panic.
Spiderweb
An aspiring media personality who believes he’s committed a murder, is in the thrall of a blackmailer and con artist, Otto Hermann, who intends to use him to get to the uncle of the woman he loves, a politician running for the U.S. House.
***
Robert Bloch [1917-94] began publishing H.P. Lovecraft apocrypha in Weird Tales magazine at age 17. He eventually moved away from Cosmic Horror, and has been acclaimed by Stephen King as, “Perhaps the finest psychological horror writer.” Bloch’s work includes the true crime reportage, “The Shambles of Ed Gein,” included in a Library of America collection, and the thriller novel Psycho, which served as the basis of Hitchcock’s iconic film. Bloch wrote for radio and television including Boris Karloff’s Thriller, Alfred Hitchcock Presents, and Star Trek. He also wrote the novelization of The Twilight Zone: The Movie. Bloch was a Mystery Writers of America President, and a recipient of the World Fantasy Award, the Brom Stoker Award, and the Hugo Award.
Shooting Star
1950s Hollywood noir: Downwardly mobile literary agent Mark Clayburn, who moonlights as a private eye, is hired to investigate the killing of a Western film actor whose clean cut screen image was belied by his dissolute lifestyle. As Clayburn investigates, the body count mounts, and he comes to realize that he could be the desperate killer’s next victim. An absorbing vintage detective novel, replete with quaint marijuana moral panic.
Spiderweb
An aspiring media personality who believes he’s committed a murder, is in the thrall of a blackmailer and con artist, Otto Hermann, who intends to use him to get to the uncle of the woman he loves, a politician running for the U.S. House.
***
Robert Bloch [1917-94] began publishing H.P. Lovecraft apocrypha in Weird Tales magazine at age 17. He eventually moved away from Cosmic Horror, and has been acclaimed by Stephen King as, “Perhaps the finest psychological horror writer.” Bloch’s work includes the true crime reportage, “The Shambles of Ed Gein,” included in a Library of America collection, and the thriller novel Psycho, which served as the basis of Hitchcock’s iconic film. Bloch wrote for radio and television including Boris Karloff’s Thriller, Alfred Hitchcock Presents, and Star Trek. He also wrote the novelization of The Twilight Zone: The Movie. Bloch was a Mystery Writers of America President, and a recipient of the World Fantasy Award, the Brom Stoker Award, and the Hugo Award.
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December 15, 2021The forty-second hard case crime novel finished and it’s a double from robert bloch. spiderweb published in 1954 features a man on the brink of suicide after his attempts to break into Hollywood fail. He is persuaded to become a conman and take on the persona of a psychiatrist but he is being manipulated into blackmail and murder. Really good noir.
shooting star is a 1958 private detective story set in Hollywood featuring murder, deceit and reefers. The protagonist has a tragic past that influences his decision to pursue the case. It is a solid hard boiled detective story. It certainly has a Raymond Chandler/Philip Marlowe vibe but it isn’t quite up to those mighty heights. The dry wit in the first person narration is entertaining, the reveal at the end is pretty good although some of the detective’s conclusions in his explanation of the events make a few leaps that can only be guesses and hunches rather than based on evidence or detective work. Still enjoyable and the little cliffhangers at the end of each chapter are great and really help the pace.
shooting star is a 1958 private detective story set in Hollywood featuring murder, deceit and reefers. The protagonist has a tragic past that influences his decision to pursue the case. It is a solid hard boiled detective story. It certainly has a Raymond Chandler/Philip Marlowe vibe but it isn’t quite up to those mighty heights. The dry wit in the first person narration is entertaining, the reveal at the end is pretty good although some of the detective’s conclusions in his explanation of the events make a few leaps that can only be guesses and hunches rather than based on evidence or detective work. Still enjoyable and the little cliffhangers at the end of each chapter are great and really help the pace.
May 26, 2023
Beware the Marijuanus Rex! “Smoke came out of its mouth as it crawled after me and tried to smother me in its poisonous fumes.”
That’s from the first book, “Shooting Star”, in which a one-eyed detective attempts to solve a Hollywood murder. And, he has to try to clear the dead star's name from the rumor that he's a refer addict! Yup, big, bad ol' reefer smoking! This book makes the movie "Reefer Madness" look tame in its over dramatized dangers of smoking marijuana! A decent enough story just gave me lots of chuckles reading about the terrible dangers of smoking weed, or muggles as it is called often times in this story.
The second book is titled "Spiderweb". I liked that the physical book is one of those that you turn over to read each story. I remember reading this style of book a lot when I was young. This story, however, is an unnecessarily complicated muddle. Around page 50, I sort of blanked out.
That’s from the first book, “Shooting Star”, in which a one-eyed detective attempts to solve a Hollywood murder. And, he has to try to clear the dead star's name from the rumor that he's a refer addict! Yup, big, bad ol' reefer smoking! This book makes the movie "Reefer Madness" look tame in its over dramatized dangers of smoking marijuana! A decent enough story just gave me lots of chuckles reading about the terrible dangers of smoking weed, or muggles as it is called often times in this story.
The second book is titled "Spiderweb". I liked that the physical book is one of those that you turn over to read each story. I remember reading this style of book a lot when I was young. This story, however, is an unnecessarily complicated muddle. Around page 50, I sort of blanked out.
April 8, 2018
Spiderweb-Interesting read, a real pulp story. Nice to read from a historical perspective but dated. Though it is interesting to read something from the 50's that mentions yoga, self actualization, success vs. Happiness.
Shooting Star - I read this year's ago. I remember it being funny in an off handed way. Again dated.
Shooting Star - I read this year's ago. I remember it being funny in an off handed way. Again dated.
November 29, 2020
“Shooting Star” is a fast paced detective tale set in 1950s Hollywood that I liked quite a bit. I didn’t finish “Spiderweb”, which seemed a dullish little noir story that wasn’t delivering anything interesting or fun. The Goodreads “date finished” is today, the day I realized I’m never going to pick up “Spiderweb” again.
August 14, 2022
Shooting Star is the average run-of-the-mill schlock. A one-eyed private eye is hired to find the person who murdered a famous movie star. The killer is exactly who you think it is, no big surprises there.
Spiderweb is easily the better of the pair. It’s a decent novel about a con artist with a conscience.
Spiderweb is easily the better of the pair. It’s a decent novel about a con artist with a conscience.
March 31, 2025
3/25 Spiderweb: 3* Nothing special.
3/28 Shooting Star: 3* Nothing special.
3/28 Shooting Star: 3* Nothing special.
October 5, 2025
“Spiderweb” was amazing!
February 10, 2017
Reading these two (which required only flipping the book over halfway through) was like catching an old black-and-white double feature on TV on a Saturday afternoon. That's attributable in part, at least, to the dialog and, for sure, the pacing, but especially in "Shooting Star" it has also to do with the very "Reefer Madness"-like vibe associated with the Hollywood marijuana-peddling racket that's integral to the plot. Here, for example, is our one-eyed hero describing what it's like to be a user of the stuff: "It creeps up on you gradually. You get careless about the amount you smoke, the frequency. Worst of all, you begin to get that smart aleck feeling, that snotty fraternity outlook, as though you were the privileged member of a secret society. Using your private language, your slang code, you think that you and your fellow addicts are just a little smarter and just a little better than anyone else. You're a solid sender, the non-addicts are squares." It's a very 1950s-era take, and elsewhere Bloch opines in a similar vein, sprinkling the story with pretty much every slang term I've ever heard applied except maybe "mary jane."
In both stories, Bloch, as usual (except here in somewhat shorter form), shows he knows at least a little about a lot of stuff--and much more than a little about broad subjects like human nature. This is definitely on display more in "Spiderweb," which is filled with regular thoughts on PT Barnum's infamous observation that "a sucker is born every minute"; from one angle, it's the story of what happens when one sucker fights back against a bad guy who just might be the Devil. This particular bad guy struck me, anyway, as a misanthrope of unusual dimensions, and some of the best, if most brutal, writing involved this bad guy's teachings about the generally deplorable lot of the mass of humanity or "normal people." (E.g., "Look at them! Paying money to be locked in cages and whirled through the air upside down. Bolting themselves into cars that lurch and sway until their stomachs turn inside out and the blood churns in their stupid brains.")
Now that I think of it, some of best writing in "Shooting Star" also involves harsh observations and descriptions of the "normal people" one could describe only as down and out, as when the hero, Clayburn, is walking down LA's version of Broadway and creating miniature bios or "sordid stories" for all the tragic lives he's passing by. (E.g., describing one platinum blonde: "But her dress was sleazy, her eyes were puffy, and she was walking with a big Mexican who'd never put her in the movies; at least, not in the kind of movies that would lead to stardom in anything except a public health clinic.")
The two selections in this double feature thus dovetail nicely, both in their settings and temperament. "Shooting Star" has the best ending (and the best first line, for that matter), but I think I liked the idea or entanglements of the "Spiderweb" plot a bit better. Both are decent if you're in a pulpy mood.
First lines
Spiderweb: "The door was of blonde wood, highly waxed."
Shooting Star: "My private eye was a little bloodshot this morning."
In both stories, Bloch, as usual (except here in somewhat shorter form), shows he knows at least a little about a lot of stuff--and much more than a little about broad subjects like human nature. This is definitely on display more in "Spiderweb," which is filled with regular thoughts on PT Barnum's infamous observation that "a sucker is born every minute"; from one angle, it's the story of what happens when one sucker fights back against a bad guy who just might be the Devil. This particular bad guy struck me, anyway, as a misanthrope of unusual dimensions, and some of the best, if most brutal, writing involved this bad guy's teachings about the generally deplorable lot of the mass of humanity or "normal people." (E.g., "Look at them! Paying money to be locked in cages and whirled through the air upside down. Bolting themselves into cars that lurch and sway until their stomachs turn inside out and the blood churns in their stupid brains.")
Now that I think of it, some of best writing in "Shooting Star" also involves harsh observations and descriptions of the "normal people" one could describe only as down and out, as when the hero, Clayburn, is walking down LA's version of Broadway and creating miniature bios or "sordid stories" for all the tragic lives he's passing by. (E.g., describing one platinum blonde: "But her dress was sleazy, her eyes were puffy, and she was walking with a big Mexican who'd never put her in the movies; at least, not in the kind of movies that would lead to stardom in anything except a public health clinic.")
The two selections in this double feature thus dovetail nicely, both in their settings and temperament. "Shooting Star" has the best ending (and the best first line, for that matter), but I think I liked the idea or entanglements of the "Spiderweb" plot a bit better. Both are decent if you're in a pulpy mood.
First lines
Spiderweb: "The door was of blonde wood, highly waxed."
Shooting Star: "My private eye was a little bloodshot this morning."
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