True Crime

Nathan Heller #2

by Max Allan Collins

Private detective Nathan Heller goes undercover into the dark and violent world of the Chicago outlaw gangs of the 1930s to find a farmer's daughter turned gun moll, search for the truth that leads to a confrontation with J. Edgar Hoover. Reprint.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Crime, Mystery, Fiction, Detective, Historical, Noir

384 pages, Paperback

First published December 1, 1984

About the author

Received the Shamus Award, "The Eye" (Lifetime achievment award) in 2006.

He has also published under the name Patrick Culhane. He and his wife, Barbara Collins, have written several books together. Some of them are published under the name Barbara Allan.

Book Awards
Shamus Awards Best Novel winner (1984) : True Detective
Shamus Awards Best Novel winner (1992) : Stolen Away
Shamus Awards Best Novel nominee (1995) : Carnal Hours
Shamus Awards Best Novel nominee (1997) : Damned in Paradise
Shamus Awards Best Novel nominee (1999) : Flying Blind: A Novel about Amelia Earhart
Shamus Awards Best Novel nominee (2002) : Angel in Black

Japanese: マックス・アラン・コリンズ
or マックス・アラン コリンズ

Reviews

[Steven Walle · Rating 5 out of 5]

This author can write one hell of a detective novel. I really enjoyed it. I recomend this to all.
Enjoy and Be Blessed.
Diamond

[David · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nathan Heller, 1930's era (this time) private eye, is hired by a traveling salesman to follow his bride and discover whether she is being faithful or not. He soon learns that she is keeping company with a man who resembles, and reportedly claims to be, John Dillinger. As the plot thickens, Heller begins to doubt that this man is really Dillinger, even though he knows the feds are going after him. The man is killed at the famous Biograph theater shooting, but Heller still isn't convinced the dead man really is Dillinger. Thus he is soon thrust into a thriller involving the Barkers, Baby Face Nelson, and a number of other infamous outlaws.

The Nathan Heller series by Max Allan Collins stretches decades. Collins tells the story of a private detective who is constantly drawn into plots involving historical figures like J. Edgar Hoover, Melvin Purvis, Marilyn Monroe, John Dillinger, and Elliot Ness. The series starts back in the prohibition era and is well worth reading. Reading novels in this series will always offer something of an education, even though the author weaves fact and fiction seamlessly. I've always thought that the FBI shot down Alvin Karpis who served time and then was deported to Canada. I was unaware that the famous G-man, Melvin Purvis, eventually committed suicide later in his life.

The double-dealing in this one is rampant. The infamous bad guys are all fearing that they are all eventually going to be hunted down and killed in a hail of gunfire, much like Bonnie and Clyde were. It is a new era for law enforcement, now that the FBI now have permission to carry guns and pursue those accused of federal crimes across state lines, their fears are very real.

Collins also minces no words when it comes to making the fictional characters fit into his mold. Collins paints these ruthless bank robbers as good people who are just on the wrong side of the law. Hoover is presented as a pompous ass and a craven coward. Purvis is out to make his name by gunning down bank robbers, etc.

The author/editor inserted photographs of many of the historical personages who appear in the novel. This attention to detail helps provide a strong connection of the fiction and the face. A funny error in this particular edition (the hardcover edition) however. In the opening chapter of the novel, as well as throughout, Heller makes a point of not smoking. He says it is a bad habit he never picked up. Yet, the cover, clearly shows the hero sitting in 1930's era car with a cigarette dangling from his fingers. It is if the artist had the idea that it was going be a 1930's era gangster novel, but didn't bother to read any of the material provided. Still, the artwork is otherwise appropriate.

This one, as with all of the Heller novels, has plenty of action. Even though these stories are all part of a long narrative covering decades, the reader isn't forced to read them in order. Heller manages to bed down the dames and solve the mystery, even though the people involved are not honest with him. The historical personages are the highlight, but Collins doesn't scrimp on action and plot. These novels are well worth reading.

[Tim · Rating 5 out of 5]

TRUE CRIME by Max Allen Collins is the follow-up to True Detective, and is the second book in the Nate Heller series. Nate is a former Chicago police officer turned private detective and lives a life rubbing elbows with celebrities on both sides of the law, and once again in this book the lines are blurred between good and bad for both Nate and many of the famous people in the story that makes it easy at times to be sympathetic with law keepers and lawbreakers.
I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in historical fiction involving the Chicago mob scene in its heyday, and author Collins does a near perfect job of writing a fictional account while making it believable with well known characters from the past.
5 stars.

[Glen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Max Heller is hired by a man to tail his wife, whom is thought to be cheating. On closer look, the "wife" turns out to be a not-so former prostitute, and the guy turns out to be John Dillinger after plastic surgery. There's an elaborate scheme to fake Dillinger's death, and Heller finds himself smack in the middle of it. That goes sideways, then Heller finds himself undercover among the biggest name outlaws of his day, to find one of their molls, and gets himself in all kinds of trouble again.

Not bad, if a bit outlandish.

[Nooilforpacifists · Rating 4 out of 5]

As always, Collins packs about three plots-worth of material into his "Nathan Heller" novels. (Sally Rand? Genius.) But boring it ain't. Indeed, I was trying to see how he was going to get out of this book's twists and turns--but they mostly come down to Nathan Heller's screwups.

[Josh · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Nate Heller novels explore the seedy underworld of organised crime blending fact and fiction to create an irresistible tale that appeals to true crime buffs and noir enthusiasts alike. In TRUE CRIME, author Max Allan Collins pits his former cop turned solo PI against public enemies John Dillinger and the Barker gang among others. I love the way Max Allan Collins subtly introduces Dillinger by way of a man wanting to keep tabs on his promiscuous wife. Dillinger, having undergone plastic surgery isn’t instantly recognisable to Heller, the deception sets forth a chain of events that leads Heller from the Windy City to the deadly spaces of rural farm life.

In order to fully appreciate TRUE CRIME, a recommended read is PUBLIC ENEMIES – the non fiction counterpart which chronicles the events of the real world gangsters. Nate Heller, the fictitious PI is beautifully intertwined into this violent and realistic underworld. From shootouts, kidnapping, unethical mob docs, and corrupt cops – Heller takes is all in stride, never batting an eyelid in the face of danger and death.

There is a lot to like about TRUE CRIME and I found myself utterly immersed, not only in the multi faceted yet intertwined plot thread but in Heller’s personal life. Sally Rand, a performer and love interest keeps Heller grounded yet his devotion to justice continues to compromise any longer term plans – that and being an accessory to murder. The depth to Heller keeps the story grounded and maintains the illusion of reality. This isn’t a blood thirsty mob story; it’s more a journey of discovery and a snippet of Heller in his quest to better the world around him.

In a word: brilliant, well worth 5 stars.

[Mark · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wonderful fare, combining some of my favorite genres...Historical fiction and big city PI noire...Meticulously researched 2nd of the series dealing with the life & times of Chicago PI, Nate Heller...Heller is drawn into parallel cases, involving a missing DeKalb farmer's daughter, Dillinger & the Mob, and a band of bank robbers including all the big names...good fun & a special treat when a climatic event occurs in my hometown's (DeKalb) Hopkins Park!

[Francis · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a good writer and this is a good story. The problem for me is, I just have a hard time when a series has a character that happens to be in the middle of every historical event of his day.

It just kinda reminds me of watching Mr. Peabody's History on the Rocky and Bullwinkle show when I was growing up. Which was really pretty good, just kinda hard to swallow ..even for a kid.

[Mike · Rating 5 out of 5]

I didn't have high hopes for True Crime after the first book in the series, True Detective, drownedunder the weight of the author's detailed knowledge of 1930's Chicago. So much unnecessary exposition. This second book however focused on the important stuff, such as plotting and characters with just enough factual detail to keep it authentic. Creating a story with many the infamous names of the era (Nitti, Dillinger, 'Baby Face' Nelson, the Barker brothers, 'Pretty Boy' Floyd to name but a few) and not make it a parade is a tough ask, but Max Allan Collins pulls it off.
4.5 stars

[Leslie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fiction based on fact. A lot of fact. Max Collins did a lot of research for this book. And he’s an excellent writer.

[Harold · Rating 5 out of 5]

The second Nathan Heller and I'm really enjoying this stuff! Max Allan Collins blends history and fiction, real personalities and fictional characters and in so doing comes up with a very satisfying blend that informs us of a past time while simoultaneously entertaining us. I'll be reading more of him. I plan to read the entire Nathan Heller series but before I continue with that I think I'll read some non-Nathan Collins.

[Alan · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have mixed feelings about this book. I think Collins accomplished much of what he set out to do, as stated in the forward. And, in many ways this is a mystery/historical novel. The inclusion of historical figures was enough for me to to do some online research to satisfy my curiosity.

But, somehow something just feels off. I don't know exactly what it is, and I feel I have to get this out upfront in case anyone reading this wants to try the Nate Heller books. It might have been the reader, as I did this as an audiobook during my commute, and I think when the reader did female voices they were so bad it was jarring. A factor might be that I am more familiar with Collins' work on Ms. Tree, and with his completing Mickey Spillane's unfinished manuscripts. I do no like Spillane's work, so Collins saying in the forward that Heller is not supposed to be like Spillane doesn't jibe in my head.

Collins does try to make Heller grow as a person over the course of this book. As promised Heller is flawed, but what ex-Chicago cop during prohibition was a little corrupt? Or appeared that in novels, movies and television shows. That Heller makes bad choices, and eventually questions his decisions adds to his characterization. That Heller wants to the right thing I think helps keeps the reader engaged in the story.

There are some conspiracy theories floated regarding John Dillinger's death, the Ma Barker gang, and Melvin Purvis' reputation. There is a sufficient mix of fact and fiction to make one want to see where one begins and the other ends.

Maybe that was another factor that didn't work for me. Heller being drawn into the Dillinger killing is one story, and the conspiracy surrounding Dillinger's death fails for me more because I'm not a conspiracy fan than anything else, with Heller being hired to track down a farmer's daughter who is a moll with the Barker gang. It felt like two books thrown into one.

The writing was better than I expected but it the factors above that makes this feel just off enough for me not to give it a higher rating.

[Victor Carson · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have read three other Nate Heller books by Max Collins: True Detective, The Chicago Lightning, and Flying Blind. I still like these detective novels, for their setting in the 1930s, for their use of actual events and characters, and for the wit and savvy of the lead character, Nate Heller, a private detective and former Chicago cop. True Crime is set in 1934 and follows the events surrounding the killing of bank robber John Dillinger in front of the Biograph theater in Chicago. The story also follows other well known bank robbers of that era, Pretty Boy Floyd, Baby Face Nelson, Ma Barker and her sons, and Alvin Karpis. The John Dillinger part of the story is quite believable but the second part of the book, involving a plan that includes all of the other bank robbers, is less so.

I do like the author's descriptions of the criminal mind, and how that mind differs from that of other normal human beings. The following quotes illustrate the author's thinking:

Describing a Chicago madam; "The woman had the ability to seem strong one moment, vulnerable the next—like many madams, she’d got out of hustling herself early enough to hold onto her looks; but had hustled long enough to remember how to push a man’s buttons."

Describing Frank Nitti: "He cared about me. The way you like and care about a character in a radio serial you follow. But if a streetcar ran me over in tomorrow’s episode, he wouldn’t lose any sleep that night."

The bank robbers' attitude to death: "You would never have guessed two men died tonight. Certainly not one of them on this card-and-change-strewn table. And cheerful Fred Barker, with his ready-to-smile mouthful of gold teeth, did not seem like somebody who’d killed a man with a shovel."

I find the Nate Heller novels diverting, intelligent, and amusing. This was not the best of the four I have now read, but it was well worth the read.

[H (trying to keep up with GR friends) Balikov · Rating 3 out of 5]

Entertaining and interesting. It focuses on 1934-35 in Chicago and captures well the depths of the economic depression and the crime of that era ranging from the remains of the Capone mob to the activities of the Barker Gang and John Dillinger.

To me, this was really two novellas, stitched together. The needlework was, at times, awkward. Sally Rand, of the famous fan dance, and Barney Ross, the boxer, are important characters and this worked pretty well.

[L.T. Fawkes · Rating 5 out of 5]

1934 Chicago. Gangsters, molls, corrupt politicians, movie starlets, crooked cops, J. Edgar Hoover, and a 26-year-pld PI named Nate Heller is right in the middle of it all. This is a great read from start to finish. $7.99 on Kindle.

[Richard Block · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Crooks, the Cops and the Big Rich

MAC's second Heller story in the Nitti trilogy is as good as the first, if a shade less good than the final one. Idiotically, I read them 3,1, 2 - not that it made much difference. Ironically, 312 is the core area code for Chicago.

In this novel, Heller is a struggling detective who gets wrapped up in the Dillinger case. The noir historical fiction idea of these books was well established in the first novel - it is not a diversion but the idea behind the series- the deliberate mixing of Heller with real people and events. It works a treat here. It appears to be a novel in two halves - the first part the Dillinger part, the second focussing on a plot to kidnap Hoover by some of the famous 30's outlaws (Floyd, the Barkers, Karpis etc). But MAC is so skilful at his craft that the two halves unite near the end, and there is no deus ex machina (as there was in True Detective).

The title is telling - these bank robbers considered what they did 'true crime', but what the mob did as 'public service crime' - rackets involving
gambling, alcohol, prostitution,etc. They know their days were numbered and that the feds and the mob would put them out of business - but they acted anyway. Snobbery among thieves.

This Heller trilogy is great - a fresh form of noir, skilfully written and researched, and almost as amoral as MAC intends. Female readers might offended by the old fashioned, macho attitude and behaviour here, but hey! It's right in the tradition of the genre. If you've never read MAC and like the genre, dive in. But do it in order, unlike this reviewer. You won't be disappointed.

[Charlie Eckhaus · Rating 4 out of 5]

The second Nate Heller novel, involving the detective with big-name thirties gangsters and the Feds, moves along, giving insights into the outlaw life and personalities along the way. The pace is quickened with a surprising plot development that builds suspense to the end, wrapping up credibly (and emotionally.)

I enjoy Collins talent for humanizing the historical figures encountered, presumably accurate according to the many non-fiction books he acknowledges as resources (and inspirations for legends about the fate of some of the figures.)

A nice piece of sustained misdirection involving a minor character led to a late scene with considerable impact.

There seemed to be a loose end, a minor thing that discussing here would potentially spoil, but which I'll like to hear explained, if anyone has a similar experience when finished reading.

I'm looking forward to reading the next book in the series.

[Christopher Taylor · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nathan Heller's second big case as a private detective after crashing out of the Chicago Police Force follows very soon after the first. He only got one year in charge of the Pickpocket Detail in the Chicago World's Fair, and is a bit broke and desperate for clients. In this one he gets involved with the Nitti mob, the feds, and the Chicago cops again, and like the first book its basically two stories that tie into each other by the end.

There is a lot of mistaken identity going on here, and Heller continues to not be an especially capable detective; much of his best work comes from other peoples' ideas and he misses some really important stuff. Also, the book is marred by Collins' burning need to make Heller as suicidally miserable as possible by the end of the book, again. Having read three of these with the same pattern it really seems to be a template for the series so far and that does not make for very pleasant reading.

[Darius Ostrowski · Rating 4 out of 5]

OK, not as good as the first one, but still a fun ride.

Nate Heller is still a private eye in Chicago, still walking a fine line between the mob and the cops, still trying to keep his head above water. A husband trying to find out if his wife is faithful leads to adventures with John Dillinger, the Barker boys (and Ma Barker), and even J Edgar Hoover. Heller gets fooled again and again, used by both sides of the law, and ends up in a heap of trouble while trying to do the right thing.

A great pulp story that seamlessly blends fact and fiction. My only issue is that it seems that Nate is present at every major event happening at this time, and involved with every famous figure. It's a lot of fun, but suspending disbelief is getting harder.

[James Murphy · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's 1934, and Nate Heller, Chicago private detective, is suffering through both a nasty heat wave and a concern about the cash flow for his one-man detective agency. Heller copes with the heat (and attendant humidity). He does see some money come his way, but what he has to go through to get it... I just finished reading "True Crime," the second Nate Heller mystery by Max Allan Collins, and it is a delight. Heller rubs shoulders with such figures as G-man Melvin Purvis and outlaws "Baby Face" Nelson and John Dillinger. If you enjoy mysteries with a historical bent, check it out.

[Jeff Powers · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great follow up to True Detective. The Nathan Heller books are among Collins' best work. A great thriller with historical detail and just enough pulp style. They are much longer than MAC's quick paced pulp crime thrillers, but the slower pace and attention to detail are what make it shine. You can tell he puts a lot of effort into each volume. A great read for fans of pulp/noir mysteries, historical fiction, or great crime novels.

[Jeremy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Have Wikipedia open while you read this book...Collins again does an amazing job of making you unsure of what is fact and fiction. I spent as much time reading about the real people (on the internet) throughout this book as I did the actual book. Collins is brilliant, and I really appreciate the research he put into these novels.

[Gordon Popular · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wow, Nathan Heller is so hard boiled , he's been boiled twice. Collins does a good job of connecting history figures to fictional ones. The way Collins describes Chicago in the 30's makes you feel like you are there. You have to read the the book to understand. Highly recommended.

[Joey Harris · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dillinger

I enjoyed this follow up to True Detective as Collins takes a look at the John Dillinger case and gives a plausible theory on what really happened.

[Rob · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book seemed to move in slow motion meandering its way towards a non-climatic ending. How many times does one have to say, “is that a Murphy bed?” Two to three stars.....

[Kathy · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book has Dillinger, The Barkers, Hoover, strippers in bubbles, plastic surgeons, and a private investigator. A fictional account of very real gangsters.

[Kenneth Hubbard · Rating 5 out of 5]

True Crime

A fast paced and clever story about the famous criminals of the 30’s. A most enjoyable and fast read. I highly recommend this book!

[Jack Heath]

Synopsis: PI Heller is trying to discover who the gunshot victim was next to the Biograph Theatre. John Dillinger? He confronts J. Edgar Hoover.

[Willem van den Oever · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nathan Heller, ex-cop turned private eye, brings the reader back to 1930’s Chicago, where mob leaders seem to be the true rulers in the city that is hosting the World Fair. Nate is presented with a simple case as a doubting husband asks the detective to keep an eye on his wife, who seems to have other friendly men around when the husband is out of town. But things get complicated quickly as Nate begins to believe to lovely wife might be keeping company with one of the most sought after men in the country; Bank robber and public enemy number one, John Dillinger.

“True Detective” presented a winning combination of fictional characters being placed into a very well researched historical background. Imaginary detectives rubbed shoulders with Frank Nitti and Al Capone, classic true crime cases were looked at from different angles, and situations that seemed just a little to be true, turned out to be actually… true.
Luckily, most of that concept set up in that particular book, is held unto in its successor “True Crime”. But while “Detective”, though a big book, could in essence be brought back to a simple plot, “True Crime” has much more meat on its bones, and fat, too. Collins’ extensive research can be found back in every chapter, but while all this information served to support the story in the first part of this series, it becomes a bit too much during the second installment. Though the combination of noir/detective material and true crime cases from the 1930’s is as strong as in “Detective”, the amount of historical material and references is a bit overdone in this book. Situations, people and places are discussed without there being any real reason or connection to the story at hand. Similarly, much of what occurred in “Detective” is brought up during the opening chapters of “True Crime” as reminder, only to be nonchalantly cast aside by Heller since they are of no importance to what is happening right now anyway. Truth be told, one could read this novel without having read a single word from its predecessor without missing much.

The same comment can be said of the plot. Or plots, rather, as new costumers continue to offer Heller cases throughout the book. Though most of them come together in the end to create one big story, some unanswered questions remain, and side-characters are shoved offstage once they’ve served their purpose, not to be heard of again.
A shame, not only because the overload on information and characters at times kills the tension, especially during moments in the second half of the book. But also because with this book, Collins proofs to be a great writer, with good feeling for pacing, excitement and tension. Even though it’s not as great a book as “True Detective” was, “True Crime” makes for an entertaining, interesting read.

[Phillip Thurlby · Rating 1 out of 5]

This gets half a star for detail, and half of another for having pages, but misses out on the stars for character, plot,style and narrative.

I couldn't add it to any of my bookshelves as I do not have any labelled "text-book".

This is the second Max Allan Collins I have tried and the second time I have been disappointed. The first was a hard case crime piece of pulp that due to its length meant I was able to chew through it and grumble afterwards. This one was just too much of a hard slog. I try to give books a fair chance, but then I'm a third in and have yet to derive any sort of joy from a piece and am just trying to endure in order to move onto the next book - it's time to call it a day.

I thought the problem with the first Max AC book I read was that he was trying to mimic another person's work - perhaps his own Detective Heller stories would be better. But this one left me feeling disgruntled also. Looking at the author's catalog I think I know the answer.

The guy has written hundreds of books, literally hundreds and the vast majority of these appear to be collaborations, franchise extensions or novel adaptations of a TV series. The guy is a details guy. He copies a particular style, studies it, obsesses over it and researches, researches, researches. And he has skill in all of this (hence so many books) but if I was only interested in fact, I'd read a text book, if I was interested in CSI - I'd watch the series. Unfortunately, with all his mimicry and attention to detail MAC falls short (in the two I have read) in style, suspense or character.

In this piece detective Heller is pretty much a straight arrow - no vices, no interesting contradictions. He carries a gun a license and the pang of inevitability that he will go entirely unchanged by the events of the story. As for the plot - there is one central idea that is pretty much revealed early on and is then drawn out unnecessarily for pages and pages. The uncertainty of the actions and reactions by the characters is minimal and the stakes even more so. And as for the style... I didn't really notice any.

If you're happy for a load of detail and historical accuracy and not a lot of intrigue or personality then this may be for you, but not for me...