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The Axe
The hustlers and backstabbers thought they could take him out. They were wrong.
Melvin Tolliver is a quiet guy, just doing his job as driver for New Jersey pimp Rollo Weaver. But Melvin has big dreams and big plans, and both include Rollo’s top money maker – a beautiful call girl named Inez.
With one squeeze of the trigger, Melvin makes his plan a reality. Now he’s running his own game, peddling women and weed. But being in charge means that he has a target on his back, and those taking aim are his competitors on the street. They think Melvin is soft and that he can be taken, forcing him to deal with them with such brutality that he earns the nickname “The Axe.”
Melvin can take on all comers, but what he doesn’t realize is that his greatest threat might come from those closest to him.
In this thrilling short story of love, crime and treachery, The Black introduces Melvin “The Axe” Tolliver, a larger- than-life character that readers will remember long after reading the last sentence.
Melvin Tolliver is a quiet guy, just doing his job as driver for New Jersey pimp Rollo Weaver. But Melvin has big dreams and big plans, and both include Rollo’s top money maker – a beautiful call girl named Inez.
With one squeeze of the trigger, Melvin makes his plan a reality. Now he’s running his own game, peddling women and weed. But being in charge means that he has a target on his back, and those taking aim are his competitors on the street. They think Melvin is soft and that he can be taken, forcing him to deal with them with such brutality that he earns the nickname “The Axe.”
Melvin can take on all comers, but what he doesn’t realize is that his greatest threat might come from those closest to him.
In this thrilling short story of love, crime and treachery, The Black introduces Melvin “The Axe” Tolliver, a larger- than-life character that readers will remember long after reading the last sentence.
39 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 18, 2012
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15 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
February 22, 2013
Sometime around Valentine’s Day, I started seeing promos for a short titled The Axe and it made me smile. I assumed it was some kind of ironic statement by the writer about the ridiculousness of the whole love-and-romance season and the glut in the book market around that time of sappy love stories. And I also assumed that it was something I would never in a million years want to read in its entirety. Still, I like seeing what good writers do with words, and clicked on an excerpt to see what this particular writer would do because his other work, some of which is very different, was among the best I’d read in a long while . . .
Books with gruesome murders, violence done by one person to another are not my cup of tea, and that’s what I thought this was, but still, from the very first sentence—“Melvin Tolliver scanned the sidewalks on both sides of Springwood Avenue as he drove the Coupe de Ville slowly up the street, looking for a hooker.”—I was pulled in. The scene was vivid and visual and so crisply described that I wasn’t just reading about Melvin, I was seeing him in his car doing a slow crawl, leaning slightly and looking out the windows. And later, as I read Melvin’s thoughts, I wanted to know more about him. He didn’t appear to me to be the kind of person who would be the subject of a story titled The Axe which to my biased mind meant that he had depth and mystery, not the kinds of characteristics you expect in what I thought would be some blood-soaked romp. And then all hell broke loose. But the hell that broke loose was of a very different kind than I expected, and all throughout it, my impression of Melvin's basic nature was confirmed - he did have depth, and was mysterious and that kept me wanting more.
The Axe is equal parts noir fiction, suspense and yes, romance. But not romance in the traditional sense. This is about as close to a traditional romance as a turnip is to a doorknob, but it does tackle the issue of love’s basic irrationality, and how loving the wrong person can haunt us—if we let it—for decades to come. One particular scene—that I can’t describe without ruining the story for you—managed to be both brutal and poignant, both shocking and tender. But at the end of the day, this short was very appropriate to the Valentine season, just not at all in the way that I expected. I highly recommend it. My only complaint is that what should have been a series is a short. Like me, I guarantee, you're going to finish it hoping that you haven't seen the last of Melvin Tolliver.
Books with gruesome murders, violence done by one person to another are not my cup of tea, and that’s what I thought this was, but still, from the very first sentence—“Melvin Tolliver scanned the sidewalks on both sides of Springwood Avenue as he drove the Coupe de Ville slowly up the street, looking for a hooker.”—I was pulled in. The scene was vivid and visual and so crisply described that I wasn’t just reading about Melvin, I was seeing him in his car doing a slow crawl, leaning slightly and looking out the windows. And later, as I read Melvin’s thoughts, I wanted to know more about him. He didn’t appear to me to be the kind of person who would be the subject of a story titled The Axe which to my biased mind meant that he had depth and mystery, not the kinds of characteristics you expect in what I thought would be some blood-soaked romp. And then all hell broke loose. But the hell that broke loose was of a very different kind than I expected, and all throughout it, my impression of Melvin's basic nature was confirmed - he did have depth, and was mysterious and that kept me wanting more.
The Axe is equal parts noir fiction, suspense and yes, romance. But not romance in the traditional sense. This is about as close to a traditional romance as a turnip is to a doorknob, but it does tackle the issue of love’s basic irrationality, and how loving the wrong person can haunt us—if we let it—for decades to come. One particular scene—that I can’t describe without ruining the story for you—managed to be both brutal and poignant, both shocking and tender. But at the end of the day, this short was very appropriate to the Valentine season, just not at all in the way that I expected. I highly recommend it. My only complaint is that what should have been a series is a short. Like me, I guarantee, you're going to finish it hoping that you haven't seen the last of Melvin Tolliver.
December 2, 2013
The Black has written a gripping short story about Melvin Tolliver, an atypical antihero. It's challenging to write about an antihero especially one that is equal parts scary and lovable. Perhaps it's his quiet authenticity that makes Melvin so irresistable. Whatever it is if you read it you may find yourself falling for him as quickly as I did. The time periods this chronicle takes place in are also rich and colorful. I would definitely be an advocate for expanding this gem of a story. Til then, Melvin will live on in my imagination, undoubtedly someplace warm.
March 5, 2015
impressive!
This isn't my genre, and I honestly thought I'd be disgusted by drugs and prostitution, but it wasn't about that at all! That was just the backdrop. The take of Melvin was the story and it was good! I loved it, and should The Axe make a comeback, I'd read it.
This isn't my genre, and I honestly thought I'd be disgusted by drugs and prostitution, but it wasn't about that at all! That was just the backdrop. The take of Melvin was the story and it was good! I loved it, and should The Axe make a comeback, I'd read it.
May 18, 2014
This is so good !! Professor this is the beginning I hope of a really good throwback book, Melvin is the right guy he has a story to be written!
February 5, 2018
Good
Quick, easy, and interesting read. I would love to read a full length novel about more escapades of Melvin "The Axe" Tolliver. This was just enough to leave you wanting more.
Quick, easy, and interesting read. I would love to read a full length novel about more escapades of Melvin "The Axe" Tolliver. This was just enough to leave you wanting more.
July 28, 2018
...and just like that, he reels me in and I'm not so patiently awaiting exploring and living Melvin Tolliver's life story. This writer, Christopher Bynum aka The Black, definitely knows how to weave a tale that keeps you mesmerized until the last word.
February 18, 2013
My first time reading anything by this author. I was happy with this short story and look forward to reading more of his work.
May 30, 2012
Man....this one was less erotica and more crime drama. Did love the central love story....
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews