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Black Jack Justice
I did not move. I am not skittish by nature, but I know the sound of a hammer being cocked when I hear it. This one was a large calibre automatic, which meant it wasn’t a cop. I turned my head as slowly and non-threateningly as I could. It was my friend with the square jaw, and his friend the .45. “Hi,” he said.
It was a simple enough case, but don't they always start out that way? When a pair of His and Hers private detectives get involved, the sparks start to fly and the blood begins to spill in earnest. With every shot that’s fired, the hole digs a little deeper, and the list of people our sparring shamuses can trust gets shorter and shorter.
Fans of Decoder Ring Theatre’s long-running full-cast audio series Black Jack Justice will delight in the very first meeting between Jack Justice and Trixie Dixon, girl detective. New readers will appreciate the fast tempo, the noir banter and the classic hard-boiled feel of Black Jack Justice !
It was a simple enough case, but don't they always start out that way? When a pair of His and Hers private detectives get involved, the sparks start to fly and the blood begins to spill in earnest. With every shot that’s fired, the hole digs a little deeper, and the list of people our sparring shamuses can trust gets shorter and shorter.
Fans of Decoder Ring Theatre’s long-running full-cast audio series Black Jack Justice will delight in the very first meeting between Jack Justice and Trixie Dixon, girl detective. New readers will appreciate the fast tempo, the noir banter and the classic hard-boiled feel of Black Jack Justice !
206 pages, Paperback
First published April 4, 2012
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96 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 32 reviews
May 7, 2012
I really enjoyed this book. It's an excellent hard-boiled detective novel in the tradition of Dashiell Hammett and Raymond Chandler, but with some added tweaks, like the hard-boiled (and self-styled) 'girl detective'.
For anyone already familiar with the Black Jack Justice radio dramas from Decoder Ring Theatre, this book provides the delightful - but plenty gritty - back story of how the partnership came to be.
For those who haven't heard them yet, this book will be a wonderful introduction to the team.
The repartee is witty, the cops are beleaguered, the politicians and bureaucrats are crooked and the crooks are deadly.
The only reason this book didn't get 5 stars from me is because of a few uncaught typos and spelling errors. I realize Taylor published the book himself, but surely he could have found one or two beta readers to serve as copy editors (or, if he did, one or two more).
For anyone already familiar with the Black Jack Justice radio dramas from Decoder Ring Theatre, this book provides the delightful - but plenty gritty - back story of how the partnership came to be.
For those who haven't heard them yet, this book will be a wonderful introduction to the team.
The repartee is witty, the cops are beleaguered, the politicians and bureaucrats are crooked and the crooks are deadly.
The only reason this book didn't get 5 stars from me is because of a few uncaught typos and spelling errors. I realize Taylor published the book himself, but surely he could have found one or two beta readers to serve as copy editors (or, if he did, one or two more).
September 19, 2017
I couldn't put it down. Gregg Taylor's writing is fast-paced, witty, fun and exciting. This is the story of the first meeting between Jack Justice, hard-boiled private eye and Trixie Dixon, Girl Detective. If you're a fan of the audio drama, this is a must read. If you're not, this is still a fun and exciting 1940s detective story.
The "Taylorian Banter" is rapid-fire and witty as our his-and-hers detective begin on opposite ends of a blackmail/divorce case that spirals into a murder investigation and then continues to grow.
Taylor moves fluidly through the alternating first-person narration, while constantly moving the story forward, yet never leaving the reader confused about which perspective they are experiencing. That can't have been an easy feat and hats-off to him for accomplishing it. As much as I love Taylor's Red Panda novels, I honestly believe this is his best work to date.
The "Taylorian Banter" is rapid-fire and witty as our his-and-hers detective begin on opposite ends of a blackmail/divorce case that spirals into a murder investigation and then continues to grow.
Taylor moves fluidly through the alternating first-person narration, while constantly moving the story forward, yet never leaving the reader confused about which perspective they are experiencing. That can't have been an easy feat and hats-off to him for accomplishing it. As much as I love Taylor's Red Panda novels, I honestly believe this is his best work to date.
May 21, 2012
As always, Gregg Taylor delivers a fast-paced story with mystery, intrigue and snappy dialogue. It's clear that he understands his characters and what makes them tick. I highly recommend anything and everything that Taylor writes!
August 2, 2017
I thoroughly enjoyed reading this hard boiled detective story when it came out in print. As a longtime fan of Decoder Ring Theater's Black Jack Justice series, I could hear the voices of the main actors as I read. It was lively, humorous, and had all the banter one expects from a Chandler-esque novel.
Now they've done it one better and brought the book out in audio format on their podcast, a chapter every week. So you can actually hear the voices of the actors as they read the book. Perfect!
Now they've done it one better and brought the book out in audio format on their podcast, a chapter every week. So you can actually hear the voices of the actors as they read the book. Perfect!
May 15, 2012
If you're not a fan of Black Jack Justice on http://www.decoderringtheatre.com/ then treat this as a great detective story.
If you are a fan then it's an excellent bit of the back story that let's you know how a swell dame like Trixie got stuck with old Square Jaw.
If you are a fan then it's an excellent bit of the back story that let's you know how a swell dame like Trixie got stuck with old Square Jaw.
August 10, 2022
I’ve been listening to the Decoder Ring Theater podcast since I first discovered podcasts way back in 2005. While DRT’s Red Panda Adventures series was what drew me in, I also loved the series to which this novel belongs, Black Jack Justice. I listened to the audiobook, rather than read the book itself, and I’m very glad I did it this way. Just as in the podcast series, the actors portraying Justice and Dixon alternate in reading the book. I just can’t help thinking that there’s little point in reading the book in print unless you’re new to the series, because you’ll be hearing their voices in your head as you read, in which case, you may as well listen to the audiobook instead. And if you _are new to the series, this is a great place to start, because it tells the story of how our two … err … heroes? … first met.
As much as I enjoyed the alternating chapters, I do wish this had been more of a dramatization—at least as far as the two main characters are concerned. Much of the fun is hearing them verbally spar, and hearing either of them read both parts of their constant banter, while okay, does lose a little something.
Like the best private-dick stories, it’s less about solving the mystery yourself as you read, and more about just enjoying the ride. We got pithy banter, we got action, we got sex, murder, mayhem … it’s all here, in a neat, concise package. I highly recommend this book, as well as the companion podcast—although really, it’s more like the other way around.
As much as I enjoyed the alternating chapters, I do wish this had been more of a dramatization—at least as far as the two main characters are concerned. Much of the fun is hearing them verbally spar, and hearing either of them read both parts of their constant banter, while okay, does lose a little something.
Like the best private-dick stories, it’s less about solving the mystery yourself as you read, and more about just enjoying the ride. We got pithy banter, we got action, we got sex, murder, mayhem … it’s all here, in a neat, concise package. I highly recommend this book, as well as the companion podcast—although really, it’s more like the other way around.
April 7, 2019
I came across Black Jack Justice by way of the excellent Decoder Ring Theatre podcast, which alternates episodes of Black Jack Justice with the more fantastical Tales of the Red Panda in full cast audio drama in the style of the classic days of Radio.
For those who haven't come across it, Black Jack Justice is a show about a Jack Justice, a 1950s era private eye who, with his partner Trixie Dixon, solve their various cases with a blend of wit and sarcasm which is highly entertaining. This book tells the story of how the firm of Dixon and Justice came into being as the two, initially hired to work separate aspects of the same case by different people, find that there is something much more serious going on than either initially suspected. The book alternates between the viewpoint of the two major characters in alternate chapters. I experienced the story as an audio book available as a free download from the podcast feed, with alternate chapters are read by the same players who play Jack and Trixie in the audio drama.
Very entertaining.
For those who haven't come across it, Black Jack Justice is a show about a Jack Justice, a 1950s era private eye who, with his partner Trixie Dixon, solve their various cases with a blend of wit and sarcasm which is highly entertaining. This book tells the story of how the firm of Dixon and Justice came into being as the two, initially hired to work separate aspects of the same case by different people, find that there is something much more serious going on than either initially suspected. The book alternates between the viewpoint of the two major characters in alternate chapters. I experienced the story as an audio book available as a free download from the podcast feed, with alternate chapters are read by the same players who play Jack and Trixie in the audio drama.
Very entertaining.
October 6, 2017
I listened to the audioversion, which is available as part of the Black Jack Justice podcast from Decorder Ring Theater. I'm a huge fan of the podcast and the book didn't disappoint, although it differed from the standard. This is the story of how Jack and Trixie met - both each other and some of the supporting cast - so they don't know each other and don't particularly like each other and it plays really well.
They story is darker than what is usual on the podcast, where the stories also tend to be about gangsters and adulterers, but with more silly mixed in. This is played more straight and serious, but it's also a really good solid plot, to carry the longer running time. Dark but with a glimmer of hope.
Recommended, both for fans of the podcast and for fans of oldtimey detective stories.
They story is darker than what is usual on the podcast, where the stories also tend to be about gangsters and adulterers, but with more silly mixed in. This is played more straight and serious, but it's also a really good solid plot, to carry the longer running time. Dark but with a glimmer of hope.
Recommended, both for fans of the podcast and for fans of oldtimey detective stories.
June 18, 2018
Audiobook: 4h.59m.
I came to this book through the podcast of the same name. The series revolves around a platonic pair of bantering gumshoes (Jack Justice and Trixie Dixon), who fight crime, solve mysteries, and philosophize about coffee and the human nature. It's quick and clever, set in the bygone era of proper sleuthing and very little gun control. It's a fantastic radio drama.
The book is much the same, retelling their origin story case (with fewer voices and more internal dialogue to suit the form). If you like sass and gumption, you'll love this piece. Highly recommended.
I came to this book through the podcast of the same name. The series revolves around a platonic pair of bantering gumshoes (Jack Justice and Trixie Dixon), who fight crime, solve mysteries, and philosophize about coffee and the human nature. It's quick and clever, set in the bygone era of proper sleuthing and very little gun control. It's a fantastic radio drama.
The book is much the same, retelling their origin story case (with fewer voices and more internal dialogue to suit the form). If you like sass and gumption, you'll love this piece. Highly recommended.
August 2, 2017
Funny, emotional, well executed.
Black Jack Justice manages to evoke the spirit of the hardboiled detective, with a touch more genre savvy and just a hint of post-modern meta-awareness.
I listened to the audiobook (free from the Decoder Ring Theatre podcast) and was enamored with the performances and the characterization.
The alternating perspectives, between Jack Justice and his frenemy Trixie Dixon (girl detective), makes for a fun, and breakneck ride.
Black Jack Justice manages to evoke the spirit of the hardboiled detective, with a touch more genre savvy and just a hint of post-modern meta-awareness.
I listened to the audiobook (free from the Decoder Ring Theatre podcast) and was enamored with the performances and the characterization.
The alternating perspectives, between Jack Justice and his frenemy Trixie Dixon (girl detective), makes for a fun, and breakneck ride.
August 11, 2017
This is a prequel to Taylor's Black Jack Justice podcast series - and like most prequels, it's a bad starting point for the characters involved, but a fantastic study of the core nature of the characters if you're already invested in them. If you're one of those "already invested" people (and I am), then this is just gangbusters - all of the hardboiled drama and comedic banter of the series, an interesting enough mystery at the core, and two fun narrators in the characters of Jack and Trixie.
July 30, 2017
I listened to the free podcast 30-episode version. I might have to go back and binged-listen to get the full experience of this novelisation of the very good audiodrama. Plus, the music-backtrack got kinda annoying. But all in all it's a really good origin story for the series.
April 14, 2022
I'm a long time fan of the Black Jack Justice serial and having a 5 hour origin story is a treat. The banter, the sass, the voice acting, and more sass, all on top of a plot with some unexpected twists is great for any fan of detective stories.
July 31, 2022
This book does a fantastic job of twisting from one plot into another. The author does a great job of formulating a complex relationship between the main characters that feels organic but comes across as unique.
July 29, 2017
Pulp noir. I enjoyed this in the audio format from the author which was a mix of the two protagonists - somewhere between an audio book and the radio drama that I've come to wait on each release!
August 4, 2017
The plot is very weak, but this is more than compensated for by the brilliant snappy dialogue.
January 9, 2013
As a long-time fan of the Black Jack Justice 'radio' show, I was excited to see that Gregg Taylor had written a novel featuring the titular characters of Jack Justice and Trixie Dixon, Girl Detective. I anticipated a good story with all the snappy dialogue, 40s slang, and gunplay that I am used to getting from the podcast. Taylor delivered and then some.
The novel tells the story of When Black Jack met Trixie; this is the tale of the first case that Jack and Trixie worked on together and how they almost shot each other when they first met. A lot of the usual supporting cast is also present, mainly in the form of Lt. Sabien of the L.A.P.D. and Freddie the Finger. In stretching a typical case out to novel length, however, Taylor was able to not only introduce a few new characters but to flesh them out more, to give them more life and more motivation for the crimes they commit.
The story moves fast and smoothly, with alternate chapters taking either Jack or Trixie's viewpoint, much like the audio production. And, as a fan of the audio production, it's easy to hear the character's voices as they move through the story, their dialog and their narrative passages both adding to the novel as a whole.
Really, this is a lot of fun if you're a fan of pulp detective novels, but if you're a fan of the show, this is a must read.
The novel tells the story of When Black Jack met Trixie; this is the tale of the first case that Jack and Trixie worked on together and how they almost shot each other when they first met. A lot of the usual supporting cast is also present, mainly in the form of Lt. Sabien of the L.A.P.D. and Freddie the Finger. In stretching a typical case out to novel length, however, Taylor was able to not only introduce a few new characters but to flesh them out more, to give them more life and more motivation for the crimes they commit.
The story moves fast and smoothly, with alternate chapters taking either Jack or Trixie's viewpoint, much like the audio production. And, as a fan of the audio production, it's easy to hear the character's voices as they move through the story, their dialog and their narrative passages both adding to the novel as a whole.
Really, this is a lot of fun if you're a fan of pulp detective novels, but if you're a fan of the show, this is a must read.
January 19, 2013
It appears this book was written as the prequel to "Black Jack Justice" the audio podcast "dramedy". It was an excellant, fast read, that felt a little "Wolfian" at the end. Mr. Taylor explains how Black Jack and "Trixie Dixon, girl detective," come to join forces. It was in a way that I did not presume, however looking back, it was the only way that would fit the character of their relationship. During the story, both Black Jack and Trixie kept up their usual banter, and Lt. Sabien was presented as a mix between the Lt. Sabiens presented in Season's 1 & 2 of the podcast.
Mr. Taylor often takes different peculiarities of different fictional detectives, or their authors, and works them into the storyline. This, for me, is very entertaining. It does, however, sometimes take several exposures to the same scene to catch the similiarities. Most often they are subtle. On two occasions they were outright parodies. One was of old time radio's "Sam Spade". The other was of Sherlock Holmes. They were both fantastic. These were part of the audio podcast series.
The podcasts can be found at Decoder Ring Theater.
Mr. Taylor often takes different peculiarities of different fictional detectives, or their authors, and works them into the storyline. This, for me, is very entertaining. It does, however, sometimes take several exposures to the same scene to catch the similiarities. Most often they are subtle. On two occasions they were outright parodies. One was of old time radio's "Sam Spade". The other was of Sherlock Holmes. They were both fantastic. These were part of the audio podcast series.
The podcasts can be found at Decoder Ring Theater.
December 28, 2017
This book was made into an audiobook by the cast of Black Jack Justice, and I enjoyed every minute of it. I will miss Christopher Mott's voice as Black Jack (who had to stop acting on the shows because of union rules). But this was a great send off to his character and to Andrea Lyons' Trixie Dixon.
Jack Justice is hired by a mousey man who had bedded a gorgeous mistress. He was given photos of proof of his extracurricular activities with said mistress, and the man wanted to find out who was trying to blackmail him, because he was 'happily' married.
The man's wife suspected him of adultry and hired another gumshoe.
These two polar opposites ended up together trying to solve a real mystery. They hate eachother, but they need to work together, otherwise they might end up on the wrong side of a gun.
The story tells the origin story of the partnership between Black Jack Justice and Trixie Dixon Girl Detective.
Jack Justice is hired by a mousey man who had bedded a gorgeous mistress. He was given photos of proof of his extracurricular activities with said mistress, and the man wanted to find out who was trying to blackmail him, because he was 'happily' married.
The man's wife suspected him of adultry and hired another gumshoe.
These two polar opposites ended up together trying to solve a real mystery. They hate eachother, but they need to work together, otherwise they might end up on the wrong side of a gun.
The story tells the origin story of the partnership between Black Jack Justice and Trixie Dixon Girl Detective.
August 15, 2015
A great Black Jack Justice story that won't disappoint old fans--but old fans probably already know how much they love all the hard bitten banter and the witty writing and tight plotting Gregg Taylor gives us. I also highly recommend this book to innocent newcomers. If you enjoy noire, it's fabulous, with all the salacious yet somehow family-friendly detail, escalating conflict, and biting repartee you could wish for, completely faithful in tone to the tomes of yesteryear than inspire the work. Tempered wonderfully by the wisdom of intervening years, though, so the weirdly sexist and deeply racist constructs of much classic detecting is wonderfully scrubbed away.
September 7, 2012
As a fan of the podcast I found this to be really disappointing, I am not saying there weren't parts I enjoyed just that on the whole it lacked the charm and charisma I associate with Black Jack justice.
The plot was uninteresting and felt stale in places and a few times how Jack and Trixie acting out of character.
The Red Panda novels added some details to much loved characters, this more striped them away leaving something that felt two dimensional. I can't help but think this book was written to satisfy the demand rather then because there was a story to tell.
The plot was uninteresting and felt stale in places and a few times how Jack and Trixie acting out of character.
The Red Panda novels added some details to much loved characters, this more striped them away leaving something that felt two dimensional. I can't help but think this book was written to satisfy the demand rather then because there was a story to tell.
August 23, 2012
This is an excellent read. Its set in a post WWII america where Jack Justice is just about making a living as a private detective following the loss of his partner in the agency. Meanwhile Trixy Dickson 'Girl Detective' is working on a bit potential divorce evidence photography. When the two collide on either side of the same case it all turns out a more dangerous and political than either expected.
This is a proper noire crime thriller.
This essential reading for any fan of the Decoder Ring Theatre podcast, from where Jack Justice originated, its the missing origin story.
This is a proper noire crime thriller.
This essential reading for any fan of the Decoder Ring Theatre podcast, from where Jack Justice originated, its the missing origin story.
April 6, 2014
Jack Justice and Trixie Dixon appear frequently on Decoder Ring Theatre in the "Black Jack Justice" podcast/radio plays. I've listened to every one -- in fact, they're my favourite DRT feature -- so picking up this book was a no-brainer.
And it doesn't disappoint! It's a great story in which Jack and Trixie meet for the first time -- on opposite sides of the same case -- and that, of course, turns into a whole lot of trouble, strife and mayhem. Consistently good all the way through, it features the same clipped dialogue and banter as the podcast but in a feature-length story.
Loved it!
And it doesn't disappoint! It's a great story in which Jack and Trixie meet for the first time -- on opposite sides of the same case -- and that, of course, turns into a whole lot of trouble, strife and mayhem. Consistently good all the way through, it features the same clipped dialogue and banter as the podcast but in a feature-length story.
Loved it!
May 15, 2020
Too short, but also hard to put down. Which I guess my job probably appreciates.
My standard book tests:
Could everything be solved by the main characters sitting down and talking at the beginning? - Nope! The first half might have been shorter if Jack and Trixie had traded information right away, but it wouldn't have solved everything.
Does the main character make mistakes? Ahahaha. Yes. Both Jack and Trixie make a mess of things. Sure, they're right more often than not, but not always.
My standard book tests:
Could everything be solved by the main characters sitting down and talking at the beginning? - Nope! The first half might have been shorter if Jack and Trixie had traded information right away, but it wouldn't have solved everything.
Does the main character make mistakes? Ahahaha. Yes. Both Jack and Trixie make a mess of things. Sure, they're right more often than not, but not always.
June 11, 2012
A really fun book telling the story of how Black Jack Justice and Trixie Dixon met. Greg Taylor does an excellent job of translating the radio series to book form. And handles the point of views in a clever way. Reading this book could make you a fan of Decoder Ring Theater, which is not a bad thing at all.
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March 24, 2013What a great origin story! Based on the wonderful Decoder Ring Podcasts, this is how Jack and Trixie meet! Well written, and I highly recommend the podcasts..look for Black Jack Justice, and The Red Panda. You won't be sorry!
October 7, 2012
Good quick read. It's nice to have the back story to the two main characters, who I've listened to on Decoder Ring Theatre's Black Jack Justice series. Highly recommended if you listen to the podcast. Even if you haven't listened to the podcast, this is a really good place to start.
June 21, 2015
Jack Meets Miss Dixon. "Trixie, please"
I've been listening to the podio-plays for about a decade. This reads so much like 'em. It is not possible for me to review this as a written work. I'm certain that fans of the podio-plays will enjoy it
I've been listening to the podio-plays for about a decade. This reads so much like 'em. It is not possible for me to review this as a written work. I'm certain that fans of the podio-plays will enjoy it
June 4, 2012
I dearly love the radio/podcast Black Jack Justice and for that reason enjoyed this. Would I have enjoyed it so much without that background, I think not.
July 25, 2015
If you like the radio play / web series, you'll hear the text in the familiar voices. This story is the first meeting between Jack and Trixie. It's a hoot!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 32 reviews