What do you think?
Rate this book
The Black Stiletto #1
The Black Stiletto
New York Times and USA Today best-selling author Do not cross the Black Stiletto! Could Martin Talbot's elderly, Alzheimer-stricken mother, Judy, really have been the Black Stiletto? When Martin discovers several volumes of her diaries hidden by his mother, he is stunned beyond all imagination. His mother, the underground heroine of yesteryear? The famed, still unidentified woman who battled Communist spies, took on the Mafia, and preyed on common crooks? The woman who exacted punishment on evildoers without mercy? But it is all described, in great detail, in the diaries. What caused her to begin her quest for justice. Her decision to act outside the law. Her feats as the famed and feared vigilante. How her reputation exploded. In short, how it all played out. Could it be true? Talbot is filled with doubt and disbelief. But the reappearance of one of the Stiletto's old enemies with a thirst for merciless revenge makes the story more than real and could imperil the life of not only the Stiletto, but her son and granddaughter as well.
288 pages, Hardcover
First published September 5, 2011
71 people are currently reading
1049 people want to read
About the author
Raymond Benson
158 books306 followersRaymond Benson is the author of approximately 40 titles. Among his works are the critically-acclaimed and New York Times best-selling serial THE BLACK STILETTO, and he was also the third--and first American--continuation author of the official James Bond 007 novels. His latest novels are HOTEL DESTINY--A GHOST NOIR, BLUES IN THE DARK, IN THE HUSH OF THE NIGHT and THE SECRETS ON CHICORY LANE.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 190 reviews
December 7, 2015
I have to say that The Black Stiletto was a fantastic read! Finally a believable backstory to an ass-kicking vigilante heroine!
Martin's mother is an Alzheimer's patient in a facility that rarely responds to him anymore. The family lawyer gives him a package that his mother wanted him to have when she was dead or incapacitated. In it he finds her journal about how she became the vigilante hero when she was in her 20's.
Judy (The Black Stiletto) is a completely believable character. We see her as a young girl in a poor family that suffers abuse at the hands of her step-father (trigger warnings). When she runs away, she survives and then thrives as she is drawn to learning how to defend herself.
The people that come into her life often help her out only because of her tenacity. We see the good and bad things that happen to her over time and how she evolves. Bring in the mob and other assorted baddies. We see her fledgling attempts at being a vigilante and how she grows through these attempts.
The book is told from both the Judy's diary entries and her son Martin's point of view in the present day. Both worlds will collide in a satisfying ending.
I'm looking forward to reading more about The Black Stiletto as the series continues!
Thank you Netgalley for a free digital copy in exchange for a review.
Martin's mother is an Alzheimer's patient in a facility that rarely responds to him anymore. The family lawyer gives him a package that his mother wanted him to have when she was dead or incapacitated. In it he finds her journal about how she became the vigilante hero when she was in her 20's.
Judy (The Black Stiletto) is a completely believable character. We see her as a young girl in a poor family that suffers abuse at the hands of her step-father (trigger warnings). When she runs away, she survives and then thrives as she is drawn to learning how to defend herself.
The people that come into her life often help her out only because of her tenacity. We see the good and bad things that happen to her over time and how she evolves. Bring in the mob and other assorted baddies. We see her fledgling attempts at being a vigilante and how she grows through these attempts.
The book is told from both the Judy's diary entries and her son Martin's point of view in the present day. Both worlds will collide in a satisfying ending.
I'm looking forward to reading more about The Black Stiletto as the series continues!
Thank you Netgalley for a free digital copy in exchange for a review.
May 29, 2012
A fresh pleasant surprise of a story. I only wished I read it when it came out.
The main character the black stiletto is a vigilante, a living lethal weapon, a woman who can kill.
She fights crime and protects the innocent.
A woman who's not the typical woman of the 1950's, she's trained herself and learned the art of fighting and molded herself to become an unstoppable force of a woman.
This history of her reign is delivered in diary fashion, which she kept and wrote. Her son discovers it and narrates it to us. He never knew of her past and he's shocked, she's now an aged and ill woman. To find out your mother was once a heroine is great but he also discovers her dark sad past and the reason she had to stand up and be a fighter. A horrible crime against her close to home propelled this woman in a vengeful journey that ends with a deadly payback.
The son also finds many items which possibly we will hear more of in other novels. He failed to discover the significance of them, they were a JFK campaign button, Smith and Wesson handgun in a secret closet and a Gold key.
I loved this femme-fatal character and the story was thoroughly entertaining layered out in crisp and nice writing.
He has another Black Stiletto book out end of May 2012.
Review also can be viewed @http://more2read.com/review/the-black-stiletto-the-first-diary-1958-by-raymond-benson/ along with a book trailer.
The main character the black stiletto is a vigilante, a living lethal weapon, a woman who can kill.
She fights crime and protects the innocent.
A woman who's not the typical woman of the 1950's, she's trained herself and learned the art of fighting and molded herself to become an unstoppable force of a woman.
This history of her reign is delivered in diary fashion, which she kept and wrote. Her son discovers it and narrates it to us. He never knew of her past and he's shocked, she's now an aged and ill woman. To find out your mother was once a heroine is great but he also discovers her dark sad past and the reason she had to stand up and be a fighter. A horrible crime against her close to home propelled this woman in a vengeful journey that ends with a deadly payback.
The son also finds many items which possibly we will hear more of in other novels. He failed to discover the significance of them, they were a JFK campaign button, Smith and Wesson handgun in a secret closet and a Gold key.
I loved this femme-fatal character and the story was thoroughly entertaining layered out in crisp and nice writing.
He has another Black Stiletto book out end of May 2012.
Review also can be viewed @http://more2read.com/review/the-black-stiletto-the-first-diary-1958-by-raymond-benson/ along with a book trailer.
June 15, 2012
I'm putting this on my Urban Fantasy shelf (along with a few other shelves) as I don't have a comic-book type novels shelf. This is in many ways a very young read, yet in other ways the reader needs to be mature enough to handle adult situations. So I put the book also on my YA shelf, but be sure that your "youth" is "adult" enough to read this one.
So, here we have a novel that takes advantage of the comic-book tradition of the 1950s and 1960s. The Black Stiletto is a good-guy (well girl...but a girl can be one of the "good-guys) who believes in might for the right purposes and because of her own past can't stand to see the weak abused and taken advantage of. Told from three points of view I was slightly surprised to see that this really didn't slow the story much. When we're following Martin's story things do slow down a bit but it's not bad and it never takes long to begin moving again. By the same token the story of Judy's background isn't an action story but still Benson does a good job of using it to set up the story and letting us get to know Judy.
The plot device is one you've probably seen before. Martin gets a parcel from his mother who's been in a nursing home for years with Alzheimer's. Her lawyer was given the letter but being an old friend of her's he's held on a log time hoping against hope she'd somehow "get well". Finally he realizes he needs to follow Judy's instructions and passes the parcel on to her son.
Inside he finds instructions that lead him to a secret room in the house where he was raised...a room he never suspected was there. Inside are his mother's diaries...or the diaries of a famous costumed vigilante/crime fighter from the late '50s and '60s, the Black Stiletto.
The book is set up as Judy's diaries Vol.1 and it's very readable very enjoyable. If like me you remember the comic-book era in question fondly that will be even more of a plus.
There are a couple of things about the book that push some of my own personal negative buttons, I'll mention them under a spoiler tag. Still they may simply be "my" hot buttons and not yours.
Other than those personal quibbles however I like this one and recommend you give it a try. 4 stars, enjoy.
So, here we have a novel that takes advantage of the comic-book tradition of the 1950s and 1960s. The Black Stiletto is a good-guy (well girl...but a girl can be one of the "good-guys) who believes in might for the right purposes and because of her own past can't stand to see the weak abused and taken advantage of. Told from three points of view I was slightly surprised to see that this really didn't slow the story much. When we're following Martin's story things do slow down a bit but it's not bad and it never takes long to begin moving again. By the same token the story of Judy's background isn't an action story but still Benson does a good job of using it to set up the story and letting us get to know Judy.
The plot device is one you've probably seen before. Martin gets a parcel from his mother who's been in a nursing home for years with Alzheimer's. Her lawyer was given the letter but being an old friend of her's he's held on a log time hoping against hope she'd somehow "get well". Finally he realizes he needs to follow Judy's instructions and passes the parcel on to her son.
Inside he finds instructions that lead him to a secret room in the house where he was raised...a room he never suspected was there. Inside are his mother's diaries...or the diaries of a famous costumed vigilante/crime fighter from the late '50s and '60s, the Black Stiletto.
The book is set up as Judy's diaries Vol.1 and it's very readable very enjoyable. If like me you remember the comic-book era in question fondly that will be even more of a plus.
There are a couple of things about the book that push some of my own personal negative buttons, I'll mention them under a spoiler tag. Still they may simply be "my" hot buttons and not yours.
Other than those personal quibbles however I like this one and recommend you give it a try. 4 stars, enjoy.
August 31, 2023
The cover does not do this book justice. What from the surface looks like a “Girl with the Dragon Tattoo” imitation, is in actuality a delightful retro-pulp type story.
A man discovers his ailing mother’s diaries and learns she was once a masked vigilante in the late fifties named, “the Black Stiletto.” Great premise.
It combines pulp, golden age heroes, Goodfellas and noir themes. Raymond Benson brings a compelling world to life and I’m looking forward to reading the rest of the Black Stiletto adventures.
A man discovers his ailing mother’s diaries and learns she was once a masked vigilante in the late fifties named, “the Black Stiletto.” Great premise.
It combines pulp, golden age heroes, Goodfellas and noir themes. Raymond Benson brings a compelling world to life and I’m looking forward to reading the rest of the Black Stiletto adventures.
November 6, 2011
While the premise of the book was interesting and the writing was very good, super heroes and mythical spies are not my genre. A woman, who has Alzheimers and is put in a nursing home, leaves a series of letters and diaries for her son. Reading these he finds out she was the Black Stiletto and a player in many of the politics and captures of mob figures during the fifties and sixties. Characters were interesting and well drawn, book mostly in diary form. Enjoyed it but it was just okay for me.
August 2, 2022
‘*‘ Meine Meinung ‘*‘
Beginnen wir heute mal mit dem Besten, was das buch zu bieten hat: die Black Stiletto. Sie ist die erste Feministin der Geschichte, frei nach dem Motto „Mein Leben, meine Regeln“. Okay, der Weg dahin war mehr als steinig, aber sie hat sich durchgebissen. Eine tolle Frau, die ihr Leben so gelebt hat, wie sie es wollte.
Ja, manchmal wurde es etwas brutal, aber es war immer gerechtfertigt und für mich nicht zu krass.
Die beiden Sprecher Funda Vanroy und Stefan Lehnen habe wundervoll Handlung, Figuren, Setting belebt und ich war jedes Mal mitten in der Handlung. Also soweit es möglich war. Daran hatte auch der locker-flockige Schreibstil seinen Anteil.
Aaaaaber ... leider kommen wir zum Abschluss zu meinen Meckerpunkten. Ihr könnt es euch schon denken, der Klappentext verrät viel zu viel, nämlich 95%. Der zum Schluss des KT erwähnte Erzfeind, kommt auch erst am Schluss des Hörbuches und diese letzten Minuten waren ... leider auch vorhersehbar. Was reitet Verlage, solche Klappentexte zu veröffentlichen? Es bleibt mir ein Rätsel.
Und die Spannung wurde für mich ziemlich zerstört, weil der größte Teil des Buches vom Tagebuch der Black Stiletto eingenommen wird. Dies empfand ich als langweilig und noch nicht mal die Action-Szenen konnten mich fesseln. Ich konnte keine Verbindung zur Protagonistin aufbauen, es blieb alles distanziert. Ja, da Tagebuch von ihr geschrieben, aber mir fehlten die Emotionen. Es hatte alles eher einen beschreibenden Touch, denn einen miterlebenden Touch.
Schade, die Idee ist klasse und die beiden Sprecher fantastisch, jedoch gibt es nur 2 Stiletto-Sterne.
‘*‘ Klappentext ‘*‘
Zu ihrer Zeit war BLACK STILETTO eine Legende; eine Untergrund-Heldin, die während der späten Eisenhower-Ära und den frühen Jahren unter Kennedy in New York City einige Berühmtheit erlangte. Obwohl sie von den Autoritäten gesucht wurde und eingesperrt worden wäre, wenn man sie gefasst oder ihre Identität gelüftet hätte, war die BLACK STILETTO eine kompetente und höchst erfolgreiche Verbrechensbekämpferin. Zu ihren Gegnern gehörten gewöhnliche Gauner, kommunistische Spione, die Mafia und schlimmeres. Als Feministin, lange bevor dieser Begriff Einzug in den täglichen Sprachgebrauch fand, war sie für deren Gefangennahme und - hin und wieder - auch für ihren Tod verantwortlich. Doch irgendwann in den 1960er-Jahren verschwand BLACK STILETTO von der Bildfläche, und man hörte nie wieder von ihr. Die meisten Menschen glaubten, sie wäre gestorben, und niemand erfuhr je, wer hinter der Kostümierung steckte. Während der 80er- und 90er-Jahre erfuhr der Mythos um die BLACK STILETTO in Comic-Büchern und anderen Medien eine Renaissance. Mit Millionen von Dollars versuchte man, das Geheimnis der Person hinter dem Superheldinnen-Image zu lüften. Doch bis heute blieben viele Fragen unbeantwortet: Wer war sie? Ist sie noch am Leben? Und wenn ja, wo? Sollte es wirklich wahr sein, dass Martin Talbots betagte, vom Alzheimer gezeichnete Mutter Judy einmal die berühmte BLACK STILETTO war? Als Martin eine Reihe von Tagebüchern mit den Aufzeichnungen seiner Mutter findet, ist er überwältigt. Sie soll die Untergrund-Heldin vergangener Tage gewesen sein? Jene berühmte Frau, die sich mit der Mafia anlegte und jede Menge Verbrecher dingfest machte, und deren geheime Identität doch nie gelüftet werden konnte? Jene Frau, die gnadenlos jedes Verbrechen bestrafte? So steht es zumindest bis ins kleinste Detail in diesen Tagebüchern geschrieben: Wie es dazu kam, dass sie zu einer Kämpferin für die Gerechtigkeit wurde, warum sie sich dazu entschloss, außerhalb des Gesetzes zu agieren, all ihre Heldentaten als berühmt berüchtigte Superheldin, und wie sich ihr Ruf plötzlich ins Gegenteil verkehrte. Kurzum - wie sich alles zutrug. Konnte das wahr sein? Talbot ist voller Zweifel und Unglauben. Doch dann tritt ein alter Erzfeind von BLACK STILETTO auf den Plan, welcher gnadenlos Rache nehmen will, und damit nicht nur ihr eigenes, sondern auch das Leben ihres Sohnes und ihrer Enkelin gefährden könnte.
Beginnen wir heute mal mit dem Besten, was das buch zu bieten hat: die Black Stiletto. Sie ist die erste Feministin der Geschichte, frei nach dem Motto „Mein Leben, meine Regeln“. Okay, der Weg dahin war mehr als steinig, aber sie hat sich durchgebissen. Eine tolle Frau, die ihr Leben so gelebt hat, wie sie es wollte.
Ja, manchmal wurde es etwas brutal, aber es war immer gerechtfertigt und für mich nicht zu krass.
Die beiden Sprecher Funda Vanroy und Stefan Lehnen habe wundervoll Handlung, Figuren, Setting belebt und ich war jedes Mal mitten in der Handlung. Also soweit es möglich war. Daran hatte auch der locker-flockige Schreibstil seinen Anteil.
Aaaaaber ... leider kommen wir zum Abschluss zu meinen Meckerpunkten. Ihr könnt es euch schon denken, der Klappentext verrät viel zu viel, nämlich 95%. Der zum Schluss des KT erwähnte Erzfeind, kommt auch erst am Schluss des Hörbuches und diese letzten Minuten waren ... leider auch vorhersehbar. Was reitet Verlage, solche Klappentexte zu veröffentlichen? Es bleibt mir ein Rätsel.
Und die Spannung wurde für mich ziemlich zerstört, weil der größte Teil des Buches vom Tagebuch der Black Stiletto eingenommen wird. Dies empfand ich als langweilig und noch nicht mal die Action-Szenen konnten mich fesseln. Ich konnte keine Verbindung zur Protagonistin aufbauen, es blieb alles distanziert. Ja, da Tagebuch von ihr geschrieben, aber mir fehlten die Emotionen. Es hatte alles eher einen beschreibenden Touch, denn einen miterlebenden Touch.
Schade, die Idee ist klasse und die beiden Sprecher fantastisch, jedoch gibt es nur 2 Stiletto-Sterne.
‘*‘ Klappentext ‘*‘
Zu ihrer Zeit war BLACK STILETTO eine Legende; eine Untergrund-Heldin, die während der späten Eisenhower-Ära und den frühen Jahren unter Kennedy in New York City einige Berühmtheit erlangte. Obwohl sie von den Autoritäten gesucht wurde und eingesperrt worden wäre, wenn man sie gefasst oder ihre Identität gelüftet hätte, war die BLACK STILETTO eine kompetente und höchst erfolgreiche Verbrechensbekämpferin. Zu ihren Gegnern gehörten gewöhnliche Gauner, kommunistische Spione, die Mafia und schlimmeres. Als Feministin, lange bevor dieser Begriff Einzug in den täglichen Sprachgebrauch fand, war sie für deren Gefangennahme und - hin und wieder - auch für ihren Tod verantwortlich. Doch irgendwann in den 1960er-Jahren verschwand BLACK STILETTO von der Bildfläche, und man hörte nie wieder von ihr. Die meisten Menschen glaubten, sie wäre gestorben, und niemand erfuhr je, wer hinter der Kostümierung steckte. Während der 80er- und 90er-Jahre erfuhr der Mythos um die BLACK STILETTO in Comic-Büchern und anderen Medien eine Renaissance. Mit Millionen von Dollars versuchte man, das Geheimnis der Person hinter dem Superheldinnen-Image zu lüften. Doch bis heute blieben viele Fragen unbeantwortet: Wer war sie? Ist sie noch am Leben? Und wenn ja, wo? Sollte es wirklich wahr sein, dass Martin Talbots betagte, vom Alzheimer gezeichnete Mutter Judy einmal die berühmte BLACK STILETTO war? Als Martin eine Reihe von Tagebüchern mit den Aufzeichnungen seiner Mutter findet, ist er überwältigt. Sie soll die Untergrund-Heldin vergangener Tage gewesen sein? Jene berühmte Frau, die sich mit der Mafia anlegte und jede Menge Verbrecher dingfest machte, und deren geheime Identität doch nie gelüftet werden konnte? Jene Frau, die gnadenlos jedes Verbrechen bestrafte? So steht es zumindest bis ins kleinste Detail in diesen Tagebüchern geschrieben: Wie es dazu kam, dass sie zu einer Kämpferin für die Gerechtigkeit wurde, warum sie sich dazu entschloss, außerhalb des Gesetzes zu agieren, all ihre Heldentaten als berühmt berüchtigte Superheldin, und wie sich ihr Ruf plötzlich ins Gegenteil verkehrte. Kurzum - wie sich alles zutrug. Konnte das wahr sein? Talbot ist voller Zweifel und Unglauben. Doch dann tritt ein alter Erzfeind von BLACK STILETTO auf den Plan, welcher gnadenlos Rache nehmen will, und damit nicht nur ihr eigenes, sondern auch das Leben ihres Sohnes und ihrer Enkelin gefährden könnte.
June 21, 2017
This is an enjoyable romp with a great, kick ass heroine, The Black Stiletto- even if it was far fetched on occasions and a couple of times the heroine did things that were downright stupid. I liked the two stories running concurrently - the diary in the 1950s and then how it impacts on her son, Martin, in the present as he's reading it. An ending that obviously lends itself to a sequel.
February 29, 2012
Martin Talbot is an accountant with an ex-wife, a daughter that wants to be an actor instead of getting a business degree, and a mother with Alzheimer’s. He gets a call from his mother’s lawyer. The attorney tells him that his mother wanted him to have an envelope and locked box if she passed away or if she became incapacitated. Martin opens the envelope and box and learns that his mother was The Black Stiletto.
He goes to their old house and finds a secret room in the basement with her costume, newspaper and magazine clipping, other Black Stiletto memorabilia, and a collection of diaries. Martin starts reading and gets sucked into her story.
The book starts with the past and the year 1958. Judy Cooper grew up in Texas with her mother and two brothers. Her father died during the war and her mother remarried Douglas, a roughneck from the oil fields. After an assault from Douglas, she runs away from home. She gets to New York City and makes a living for herself. There she finds that she is drawn to helping others. She starts learning boxing, karate, judo, and how to use a knife. This leads her to becoming The Black Stiletto.
Back in the present time, Martin is bitter that his mother never told him any of this before. He is also having a hard time at work and dealing with his daughter’s career choice. We also meet Roberto. He has finally been released from prison after doing his time for murder charges. He is 78 and has a personal vendetta toward The Black Stiletto. So Roberto begins his hunt for Judy.
I really liked this book. Judy was the best character; it’s great to see someone rise about their beginnings. What’s nice is I have learned some of the techniques that she used to defend herself and it helped me to relate to her. Martin had his own issues and I admit that I was not impressed with him as a person, great for the character though. I loved how the book goes through 1958.
I can’t think of anything that I was not impressed with and can’t think of a single thing. I have to say that I can’t wait to get the next book in this series. If you like thrillers and super heroes, I think that this is one book that you need to read.
I received this book for free from netGalley in exchange for an honest review.
He goes to their old house and finds a secret room in the basement with her costume, newspaper and magazine clipping, other Black Stiletto memorabilia, and a collection of diaries. Martin starts reading and gets sucked into her story.
The book starts with the past and the year 1958. Judy Cooper grew up in Texas with her mother and two brothers. Her father died during the war and her mother remarried Douglas, a roughneck from the oil fields. After an assault from Douglas, she runs away from home. She gets to New York City and makes a living for herself. There she finds that she is drawn to helping others. She starts learning boxing, karate, judo, and how to use a knife. This leads her to becoming The Black Stiletto.
Back in the present time, Martin is bitter that his mother never told him any of this before. He is also having a hard time at work and dealing with his daughter’s career choice. We also meet Roberto. He has finally been released from prison after doing his time for murder charges. He is 78 and has a personal vendetta toward The Black Stiletto. So Roberto begins his hunt for Judy.
I really liked this book. Judy was the best character; it’s great to see someone rise about their beginnings. What’s nice is I have learned some of the techniques that she used to defend herself and it helped me to relate to her. Martin had his own issues and I admit that I was not impressed with him as a person, great for the character though. I loved how the book goes through 1958.
I can’t think of anything that I was not impressed with and can’t think of a single thing. I have to say that I can’t wait to get the next book in this series. If you like thrillers and super heroes, I think that this is one book that you need to read.
I received this book for free from netGalley in exchange for an honest review.
June 22, 2011
This was a book that I should have loved.. and could have loved if it hadn't been for a few irritations.
Why I shoulda loved it: A guy finds his mom's old diaries and learns that his mother, now suffering from Alzheimer's in a nursing home used to be the equivalent to Catwoman. She was the Black Stiletto during the 1950s and 1960s, a woman vigilante that ran the streets of NYC avenging the death of her Italian lover, taking revenge on women beaters, bringing down muggers, and even at one point, unveiling a spy ring. She was a boxer/karate expert who was tough as nails.
The action was great though I gotta say it was unbelievable at times. However, it is a comic book type heroine. The problem was not lack of excitement, but the way the excitement was told... TOLD. All the good stuff is in Judy's journal. Yep, 3/4s of the book is a diary. I love some diaries, but not that much. I would have preferred flashbacks so that I could actually experience Judy's parts, rather than being told what she experienced.
The modern day parts were minimal and focused on the son reading the journals a gangster just out of jail who will let nothing stop him from killing the Black Stiletto. I liked the gangster's parts and the humor and sarcasm. (Imagine not driving for fifty years and suddenly discovering power steering!) I wish Judy's parts had been more like his, writing style wise.
Another thing I didn't like: the occasional "ha ha's" in Judy's diary. For some reason, that put me off. Everytime a "ha" popped up, it seemed to ruin the momentum for me.
Pretty exciting read, however, and will be enjoyed by fans of comic book heroines.
Why I shoulda loved it: A guy finds his mom's old diaries and learns that his mother, now suffering from Alzheimer's in a nursing home used to be the equivalent to Catwoman. She was the Black Stiletto during the 1950s and 1960s, a woman vigilante that ran the streets of NYC avenging the death of her Italian lover, taking revenge on women beaters, bringing down muggers, and even at one point, unveiling a spy ring. She was a boxer/karate expert who was tough as nails.
The action was great though I gotta say it was unbelievable at times. However, it is a comic book type heroine. The problem was not lack of excitement, but the way the excitement was told... TOLD. All the good stuff is in Judy's journal. Yep, 3/4s of the book is a diary. I love some diaries, but not that much. I would have preferred flashbacks so that I could actually experience Judy's parts, rather than being told what she experienced.
The modern day parts were minimal and focused on the son reading the journals a gangster just out of jail who will let nothing stop him from killing the Black Stiletto. I liked the gangster's parts and the humor and sarcasm. (Imagine not driving for fifty years and suddenly discovering power steering!) I wish Judy's parts had been more like his, writing style wise.
Another thing I didn't like: the occasional "ha ha's" in Judy's diary. For some reason, that put me off. Everytime a "ha" popped up, it seemed to ruin the momentum for me.
Pretty exciting read, however, and will be enjoyed by fans of comic book heroines.
January 16, 2013
First, I have to say, this book rocked me back on my heels! I had NO idea what I would find or how much I would get involved in the story!
The diaries of an aging Alzheimer's patient reveal the story of a young woman driven to becoming a legendary 'superhero' fighting for justice, against any evil that gets in her way.
Imagine being the middle aged man learning the secrets of his mother's past through a series of diaries she had written long ago. Mind boggling, to say the least, because her entries can be verified! Judy did not claim to possess super powers, other than a keen sense of right and wrong, and the ability to detect the darkness within people she has known. Armed with training in a boxing ring, training with a martial arts teacher, her own natural athletic abilities and streetwise grit, young Judy creates her own version of a masked avenger-type costume, becoming the crowd's hero, the law's thorn, and the Mafia's downfall!
Young Judy is raped and abused by her stepfather, she runs away at 14, and learns to survive on the streets of New York City, determined NEVER to be a victim again! The rest is a history she has kept hidden for fifty years.
Mr. Benson has created a spellbinding read! He has nailed the diary entries as completely believable! Judy IS the hero you root for, love, want to know, and really can believe in! The jump from the past to the present is well-seamed, tying together beautifully! I have never read a book like this before! It was fun, serious, emotional, larger than life! And the ending????? Perfect!
This edition was provided to me by NetGalley and Oceanview Publishing in exchange for an honest review!
The diaries of an aging Alzheimer's patient reveal the story of a young woman driven to becoming a legendary 'superhero' fighting for justice, against any evil that gets in her way.
Imagine being the middle aged man learning the secrets of his mother's past through a series of diaries she had written long ago. Mind boggling, to say the least, because her entries can be verified! Judy did not claim to possess super powers, other than a keen sense of right and wrong, and the ability to detect the darkness within people she has known. Armed with training in a boxing ring, training with a martial arts teacher, her own natural athletic abilities and streetwise grit, young Judy creates her own version of a masked avenger-type costume, becoming the crowd's hero, the law's thorn, and the Mafia's downfall!
Young Judy is raped and abused by her stepfather, she runs away at 14, and learns to survive on the streets of New York City, determined NEVER to be a victim again! The rest is a history she has kept hidden for fifty years.
Mr. Benson has created a spellbinding read! He has nailed the diary entries as completely believable! Judy IS the hero you root for, love, want to know, and really can believe in! The jump from the past to the present is well-seamed, tying together beautifully! I have never read a book like this before! It was fun, serious, emotional, larger than life! And the ending????? Perfect!
This edition was provided to me by NetGalley and Oceanview Publishing in exchange for an honest review!
December 23, 2013
I found this to be a gem of a book. I loved comic books and super heroes as I was growing up in the 50's (really wanted to be Wonder Woman). The Black Stiletto is a female superhero in the 50's. She runs away from her abusive stepfather and learns to box, takes martial arts, and works her way up to a black belt. She is living in NY and falls in love with a mobster. He teaches her to use a knife - her favorite is a stiletto. He also teaches her to use lock picks. When he is murdered, she decides to exact some justice on his behalf. She makes a costume and manages to kill or see jailed his murderers. In the present she is a patient in an Alzheimer's ward. Her son Martin and her granddaughter (his daughter) visit her. Her home has never sold. Martin goes to look at it and see if maybe something needs to be done in the way of better upkeep. While there he finds a secret closet he never remembers from his childhood. In it is a costume and diaries. The story is told as flashbacks as Martin reads his mom's diaries. She did not stop trying to mete out justice. The more he reads his mom's story the more he understands and sees the courage in his own daughter. There is a 2nd book. The 1st ends with Martin not knowing who his father is. Maybe the 2nd book helps him figure that out, but I don't know. While I really enjoyed this book, at this time I have no plans to read the 2nd one.
September 2, 2011
I thought it sure a different way to hear about super hero. Martin Talbot mother's lawyer gave him a letter and lockbox and it he learned that his mom was the black stiletto. She was famous back in the 60's and he had no clue. In the box was blueprints of their house and it had a hidden room in basement. Their house has been up for sale for two years.
Martin found the hidden room their house and in it was
a bunch of journals two costumes, the knife,gun and other things. So Martin reads the journal and puts the rest in safe deposit box.
From Judy diary he learn about the changes in her body when she 12 better hearing, didn't need glasses anymore and could tell if someone was honest or tellings lies. Tells how after her stepfather raped her she ran away to New York and her life . She learned boxing, karate and then how to use a knife. How after the murder of her friend she became the black stiletto.
It also contains chapters of Roberto and his getting out of jail and what revenge he is planning.
I like that Judy seamed like a real person with faults. Liked how she stopped crimes. Did not agree with revenge killings.
Still have more questions I want to know, so I hope their is going to be more books about the Black stiletto. I will gladly read them kept me interested through the whole book.
I was given this ebook in exchange for honest review.
Martin found the hidden room their house and in it was
a bunch of journals two costumes, the knife,gun and other things. So Martin reads the journal and puts the rest in safe deposit box.
From Judy diary he learn about the changes in her body when she 12 better hearing, didn't need glasses anymore and could tell if someone was honest or tellings lies. Tells how after her stepfather raped her she ran away to New York and her life . She learned boxing, karate and then how to use a knife. How after the murder of her friend she became the black stiletto.
It also contains chapters of Roberto and his getting out of jail and what revenge he is planning.
I like that Judy seamed like a real person with faults. Liked how she stopped crimes. Did not agree with revenge killings.
Still have more questions I want to know, so I hope their is going to be more books about the Black stiletto. I will gladly read them kept me interested through the whole book.
I was given this ebook in exchange for honest review.
April 23, 2013
I did not want to put this book down. Judy Cooper’s survival spirit caught me right away and swept me off to New York with her, through her years of training and growth, and finally to the super hero clad in practical boots, a balanced knife, and chic leather outfit. The story was so believable, so every day life of masked crime fighter. Raymond Benson has created a kickass heroine in the super hero realm where so few clothed, practical, female crime fighters exist in literature. Judy is so very human with her flaws, her inner drive, her mistakes, and her questions about how and why she pursues justice.
The side characters were well placed, giving Judy a balance of friends watching her back and those enemies pretending to be chummy or ignoring her because they don’t believe her a threat until too late. Throughout the tale, she keeps her secret identity to herself, with only a few close friends making some educated guesses. But she also has close friends that have no idea – an aspect that I also liked, as it gave Judy time to simply b Judy, a young single women in NY. The book also notes racial and gender inequalities, and the differences between NY and TX at the same time period.
The side characters were well placed, giving Judy a balance of friends watching her back and those enemies pretending to be chummy or ignoring her because they don’t believe her a threat until too late. Throughout the tale, she keeps her secret identity to herself, with only a few close friends making some educated guesses. But she also has close friends that have no idea – an aspect that I also liked, as it gave Judy time to simply b Judy, a young single women in NY. The book also notes racial and gender inequalities, and the differences between NY and TX at the same time period.
March 10, 2015
I enjoyed reading the book. It was just what I wanted after a couple challenging non-fiction titles. I enjoyed the descriptions of Odessa, Texas, and New York, NY, because I've lived in Ny and in Midland Next to Odessa. It adds to the enjoyment of a book when the author has details I relate to in dome way, just right.
The plot was a fun romp. I was as incredulous as the character Martin at the things his mother did. But that is what fiction is in some part of its core. I look forward to reading the second tile in the series.
The plot was a fun romp. I was as incredulous as the character Martin at the things his mother did. But that is what fiction is in some part of its core. I look forward to reading the second tile in the series.
May 24, 2015
Indeed a very unique book. The Black Stiletto, in her youth, was a vigilante of sorts- killing off the bad guys or capturing them and leaving cryptic notes for the police. In her "golden years", she has Alzheimer's and is in a nursing home. Her son visits her frequently and more so when he finds her diaries and learns of his mom's alter ego. He is astounded that his mom did all the things she did. She was bold, brave and fearless. But only after months of training in judo and karate did she have the guts to go after those who had harmed her or her friends.
October 6, 2019
I read this book for two reasons. The first was because it was one of those “Amazon Bargain Bundles”; the second was because I’ve read the author’s six James Bond novels and thought they were mostly excellent. Had I not been familiar with the author, I never would have attempted to read this one. After reading the first of the five in the bundle, I kind of wish I hadn’t. This book didn’t do much for me. Although I’m including this review as part of the “bundle”, I want to emphasize I only read the first one. I really have no interest in continuing.
This book seemed like it really did have the potential to excel, and the first half or so really did keep my attention. As the story went on, I found it overall silly, predictable, and rather lazy. By ‘lazy’, I mean that if more care would have gone into the writing, it might have worked for me. I almost felt like the author was under contract to write 5 of these books quickly, so he hurried through without really giving this story proper care.
A middle-aged man living in the present day has his mother in a nursing home suffering from dementia. Her lawyer is obligated to turn over sensitive documents to her only surviving child. To his amazement, he discovers his mother was the famous (- cue dramatic music -) BLACK STILETTO! The Black Stiletto was a female superhero/crime caper who roamed the streets of New York City in the 1950s. She kept a pretty meticulous diary of her activities, so her son spends the majority of this book reading mom’s memoir, so we get to relive her adventures as they happened.
I confess I never read comic books nor watch superhero movies, so I’m really not sure how the world of such characters function. I was under the impression that most of these crusaders either came from another planet or were the result of some botched scientific experiment that gave them superpowers. Judy Talbot (her REAL name) doesn’t have any ‘amazing’ tendencies. She DOES, however, have the ability to hear whispered conversations from afar and immediately ‘know’ when someone is lying to her. So I guess you could say she has some extraordinary capabilities. Kind of. Again, I wish Raymond Benson would have given this more attention. It seems like a quick, cheap way to make our heroine more powerful and quickly get out of tough jams without much of a realistic explanation.
Notice I said “some” extraordinary capabilities. Judy actually was raised in a very rough West Texas environment. After abuse from her family, she runs away to New York City to begin her new life even though she’s barely a teenager. But, when the author is lazy, it’s easy for our protagonist to “fake” her age and quickly get a job as a waitress, and then quickly take boxing lessons, karate lessons, knife-wielding lessons etc. Anytime we’re witnessing Judy doing anything, the author always gives us a detailed playlist of the music going on in the background on a jukebox or something. I guess he wants his readers not to forget that we’re actually in the 1950s instead of present day. Somehow, I think that if I were writing a diary, I wouldn’t bother to include the name of every song by every artist that’s playing somewhere in the background.
Well, next thing we know, Judy adopts a superhero alter-ego and she’s taking down mafia bosses and uncovering Cuban spies that are trying to infiltrate our government. (Cuba. Don’t want to, you know, forget it’s the 50s). We also get some stories that take place in the present day. Judy’s son (his name is Martin) is going through a bit of midlife crisis with an ex-wife and a daughter who “won’t listen to reason”. The whole thing is awfully contrived. We also meet a paroled villain in the present day who The Black Stiletto took down a half-century or so ago, and now he’s out for revenge. That subplot DID start out kind of interesting, but again…..
There were times when I thought this story would have made a great teen-young reader book instead of serious adult fiction. The level of writing (along with the laziness) seemed more geared towards an audience that might not want to assimilate too many deep things. The problem with that is the subject matter is rather inappropriate for younger readers; such as when and how Judy was abused by her step-father that triggered her running away from home. There’s also some scenes that are borderline S&M kinky. Well, what do you expect when the hero is a masked woman dressed in black who pirouettes from building to building while wearing spiked high-heels and wielding a knife? So, no, I would definitely NOT recommend you letting your 12-year old read this thing.
At the conclusion of the book, there’s still a lot of unanswered questions that Martin has about his mysterious mother. I’m sure they all get answered in the next four books. Sadly, I really have no desire to find out. After one book, I’m pretty much done.
I know I sound awfully grouchy. The book really wasn’t THAT bad. I’ve read much worse. I guess it’s a nice semi-quick read if you don’t like to invest too much time digesting massive thousand-page tomes. I also MUST reiterate that the author’s six James Bond books were excellent. (I’ve reviewed all six on Amazon, and I gave five out of the six stellar five-star reviews). So if you feel somewhat similar to how I felt after finishing THIS book, please don’t think “How in the heck can this guy handle James Bond???” He can. And he did a brilliant job.
Not so much here.
This book seemed like it really did have the potential to excel, and the first half or so really did keep my attention. As the story went on, I found it overall silly, predictable, and rather lazy. By ‘lazy’, I mean that if more care would have gone into the writing, it might have worked for me. I almost felt like the author was under contract to write 5 of these books quickly, so he hurried through without really giving this story proper care.
A middle-aged man living in the present day has his mother in a nursing home suffering from dementia. Her lawyer is obligated to turn over sensitive documents to her only surviving child. To his amazement, he discovers his mother was the famous (- cue dramatic music -) BLACK STILETTO! The Black Stiletto was a female superhero/crime caper who roamed the streets of New York City in the 1950s. She kept a pretty meticulous diary of her activities, so her son spends the majority of this book reading mom’s memoir, so we get to relive her adventures as they happened.
I confess I never read comic books nor watch superhero movies, so I’m really not sure how the world of such characters function. I was under the impression that most of these crusaders either came from another planet or were the result of some botched scientific experiment that gave them superpowers. Judy Talbot (her REAL name) doesn’t have any ‘amazing’ tendencies. She DOES, however, have the ability to hear whispered conversations from afar and immediately ‘know’ when someone is lying to her. So I guess you could say she has some extraordinary capabilities. Kind of. Again, I wish Raymond Benson would have given this more attention. It seems like a quick, cheap way to make our heroine more powerful and quickly get out of tough jams without much of a realistic explanation.
Notice I said “some” extraordinary capabilities. Judy actually was raised in a very rough West Texas environment. After abuse from her family, she runs away to New York City to begin her new life even though she’s barely a teenager. But, when the author is lazy, it’s easy for our protagonist to “fake” her age and quickly get a job as a waitress, and then quickly take boxing lessons, karate lessons, knife-wielding lessons etc. Anytime we’re witnessing Judy doing anything, the author always gives us a detailed playlist of the music going on in the background on a jukebox or something. I guess he wants his readers not to forget that we’re actually in the 1950s instead of present day. Somehow, I think that if I were writing a diary, I wouldn’t bother to include the name of every song by every artist that’s playing somewhere in the background.
Well, next thing we know, Judy adopts a superhero alter-ego and she’s taking down mafia bosses and uncovering Cuban spies that are trying to infiltrate our government. (Cuba. Don’t want to, you know, forget it’s the 50s). We also get some stories that take place in the present day. Judy’s son (his name is Martin) is going through a bit of midlife crisis with an ex-wife and a daughter who “won’t listen to reason”. The whole thing is awfully contrived. We also meet a paroled villain in the present day who The Black Stiletto took down a half-century or so ago, and now he’s out for revenge. That subplot DID start out kind of interesting, but again…..
There were times when I thought this story would have made a great teen-young reader book instead of serious adult fiction. The level of writing (along with the laziness) seemed more geared towards an audience that might not want to assimilate too many deep things. The problem with that is the subject matter is rather inappropriate for younger readers; such as when and how Judy was abused by her step-father that triggered her running away from home. There’s also some scenes that are borderline S&M kinky. Well, what do you expect when the hero is a masked woman dressed in black who pirouettes from building to building while wearing spiked high-heels and wielding a knife? So, no, I would definitely NOT recommend you letting your 12-year old read this thing.
At the conclusion of the book, there’s still a lot of unanswered questions that Martin has about his mysterious mother. I’m sure they all get answered in the next four books. Sadly, I really have no desire to find out. After one book, I’m pretty much done.
I know I sound awfully grouchy. The book really wasn’t THAT bad. I’ve read much worse. I guess it’s a nice semi-quick read if you don’t like to invest too much time digesting massive thousand-page tomes. I also MUST reiterate that the author’s six James Bond books were excellent. (I’ve reviewed all six on Amazon, and I gave five out of the six stellar five-star reviews). So if you feel somewhat similar to how I felt after finishing THIS book, please don’t think “How in the heck can this guy handle James Bond???” He can. And he did a brilliant job.
Not so much here.
May 22, 2023
The best way to approach this book is to think of it like one of those old Saturday Morning shows with a mix of animation and live actors. Or like a show like the Justice league. Martin Talbit is a middle aged accountant divorced and handling things for his mother who is in a nursing home and losing her memory. Then one day the family lawyer presents him with items that lead him to the discovery of his mother’s secret life as The Black Stilletto, a vigilante from the 1950s. The story moves between Martin reading the journals as his own life under goes great change, Judy, his mother’s retelling of her past in the pages of the journal and that of an old enemy with vengence on his mind. This is mind candy and like all sweet treats, is best simply enjoyed without too much thought or annalysis.
May 12, 2017
The premise was good: a guy finds old diaries in his mother's dilapidated house; she's in assisted living for Alzheimer's; reading the diaries, he discovers his mother is the Black Stiletto, an avenger of evil in the 50s & 60s. Can it be true? Did she really kill people? Unfortunately, I didn't think the book fulfilled its potential. Most of the book is straight from her diaries (as he reads), and it seemed a little juvenile to me. I realize she was naïve and young, but..... And I didn't need to read about every blow during the fights. I got bored BUT was intrigued to discover if the killer she helped put in prison for 50 years would find her when he got out. The book was fine, but I'd had more than enough by the time I got through.
December 1, 2019
I was surprised by this book and can’t believe I’m giving it five stars. This really isn’t the type of book I normally read. I only started to read it out of curiosity that Benson would write such a story and I didn’t think I’d get through more than a few chapters. But it drew me in and I enjoyed the way Benson told the story, both from the diary perspective and current day happenings. It really was smart. The character development was well done and I felt compelled to learn more about who they were. I think I’ll give the next one a go. We’ll see if it can keep me interested.
July 30, 2019
I read all 5 books and the series was so good! You’re reading between a journal, present & past times. I think my middle schooler would enjoy this series as well; even with some of the topics it’s still written with the 1950s etiquettes (that will make more sense when you read it). The story has a woman lead, which I love, and she’s such a great character! I would definitely recommend this series!
February 24, 2022
I liked this book OK. It feels cutesy, Like how I felt about the Pretty Little Liars books. And maybe that's because the voice of the narrator Sounded like a teenage girl but I just didn't feel like I could take this book seriously as a thriller or a mystery. I did like the story line though and I am curious to see what the remaining books in the series could possibly be about because this book felt like it could have been a stand alone.
February 26, 2017
Great start to a series. This shows some of the biggest strengths of Raymond Benson as a storyteller, which largely lie in the character development and the sense of time and place. The mixture of a mother's history and a son dealing with the mental and physical health as well as the memory of said mother is something that just flows really well.
August 18, 2017
This tale of a vigilante in the 50s was mostly told using diary excerpts that were found by her shocked son. I am not a big fan of books that are mostly diary entries, so while the premise was enough to drive me to do finish the first book in the series, it was not enough to entice me to seek the second installment.
January 22, 2018
Good comic book read
3rd grade writing, plot and character development
Reads like a graphic novel without the pictures.
Hard to believe the author wrote some 007 books, but they're about the same genre.
3rd grade writing, plot and character development
Reads like a graphic novel without the pictures.
Hard to believe the author wrote some 007 books, but they're about the same genre.
July 19, 2019
This first book sucked me into the idea of a female vigilante. (I downloaded all three of the series to my Kindle.) I read this one quickly, as I wanted to see how the protagonist was developed by the author. Benson did a good job of that and I didn't want to stop reading this one.
October 13, 2019
Habe es auf deutsch gelesen, finde es aber hier nur auf englisch. Vom Titelbild heg denkt man ja zuerst an Batman und Companions, aber die Geschichte ist echt gut geschrieben, durch die Ich Erzählerperspektive fiebert man richtig mit. Ich werde bestimmt die Fortsetzungen lesen!!!
May 8, 2020
Full of action!! A real female super hero! Excellent fight scenes. Great character development. Fascinating book. Could hardly put it down to go to the bathroom, get a drink, or eat! Great sustained suspense. Recommend the 5 book series. Good writing.
October 17, 2021
intriguing concept
I really enjoyed this written from perspective is an adult child uncovering life of his mother pre parenthood. How many of us have sometimes - what my Mother like…. Before being my mother?
I really enjoyed this written from perspective is an adult child uncovering life of his mother pre parenthood. How many of us have sometimes - what my Mother like…. Before being my mother?
July 12, 2017
I am sure it may be a good book, but I can't abide profanity! If you can't write without using it, you shouldn't be writing.
June 17, 2018
It was an ok read. I'm willing to give The next in the series a try.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 190 reviews