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Ben Gates #3
Kill Now, Pay Later
Hired to guard the gifts at an upper-class wedding, Ben Gates, believing this to be a simple assignment, finds his reputation on the line when someone slips sleeping pills into his coffee and tries to steal everything, which results in murder. Original.
224 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1960
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271 people want to read
About the author
Robert Terrall
22 books7 followersUnder his own name and the pseudonyms "Robert Kyle" and "John Gonzalez," Robert Terrall wrote many popular and well-reviewed crime novels, including the prescient 1948 classic A Killer Is Loose Among Us, about a biological weapons lab developing weaponized anthrax for use in a terrorist attack. He is best known, however, for his comic work, including the Ben Gates series that began with Blackmail, Inc. in 1958 and included Kill Now, Pay Later. After the creator of detective Mike Shayne, Davis Dresser, stopped writing novels as "Brett Halliday," Terrall also took over these duties, turning out more than two dozen Mike Shayne novels under the Halliday name.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 39 reviews
March 29, 2012
Private detective Ben Gates is in the middle of an easy gig guarding the wedding presents in the home of some very wealthy people after the ceremony. His biggest problem should be keeping drunken bridesmaids from getting sticky fingered, but someone doses his coffee so it‘s sleepy time for Ben. When he wakes up, two people are dead and everyone assumes he’d passed out after drinking on the job. With his reputation in ruins, Ben knows he’ll have to solve the case to save his business.
I’ve had a lot better luck with the original books that Hard Case Crime has published versus it’s reprints except for the ones by Lawrence Block or Donald Westlake, but this was one that I’d rank up there as being pretty decent.
Gates is a private detective of the old school, but this was written in 1960 so he seems more like Don Draper and less like Phillip Marlowe or Sam Spade. Like a lot of the genre from this era, its depiction of the female characters for the most parts is so horribly bad that it almost seems like parody now, and a lot of the plot twists are just silly.
Still, it’s got a certain old school detective novel charm, and I did like the ultimate resolution of the mystery piece. I especially liked the hook that Ben was doing this to save his reputation and business, and not for any high minded ideals about justice. All in all, one of the more entertaining HCC reprints they’ve done.
I’ve had a lot better luck with the original books that Hard Case Crime has published versus it’s reprints except for the ones by Lawrence Block or Donald Westlake, but this was one that I’d rank up there as being pretty decent.
Gates is a private detective of the old school, but this was written in 1960 so he seems more like Don Draper and less like Phillip Marlowe or Sam Spade. Like a lot of the genre from this era, its depiction of the female characters for the most parts is so horribly bad that it almost seems like parody now, and a lot of the plot twists are just silly.
Still, it’s got a certain old school detective novel charm, and I did like the ultimate resolution of the mystery piece. I especially liked the hook that Ben was doing this to save his reputation and business, and not for any high minded ideals about justice. All in all, one of the more entertaining HCC reprints they’ve done.
May 23, 2013
Detective Ben Gates was charged with guarding wedding presents at a high society wedding. When someone drugs him and a robbery ends with two deaths, Ben goes to work clearing his name and searching for the truth, a quest that will lead him through a web of lies, blackmail, sex, and murder...
Terrall delivers the goods in this Hard Case tale. While it's a little heavy on dialogue and light on action, it's still a good read. I had no idea of the depth of the plot until about halfway through, just like Ben Gates. The writing isn't flowery but it gets the job done in noirish style. Terrall's descriptions of the women Gates met in the course of the investigation were well done.
The only thing I wasn't impressed with was Robert McGinnis's cover. Does he know how women are proportioned?
Terrall delivers the goods in this Hard Case tale. While it's a little heavy on dialogue and light on action, it's still a good read. I had no idea of the depth of the plot until about halfway through, just like Ben Gates. The writing isn't flowery but it gets the job done in noirish style. Terrall's descriptions of the women Gates met in the course of the investigation were well done.
The only thing I wasn't impressed with was Robert McGinnis's cover. Does he know how women are proportioned?
August 22, 2018
The third book to feature Private Investigator Ben Gates is a fun pulp which puts the PI in a perilous predicament after being drugged on the job - thanks to drinking from a coffee pot containing more than just caffeine.
Hired to guard wedding presents for a wealthy couple, Gates wakes from his drug-induced slumber to find a couple of dead bodies and a cop pointing the finger firmly in Gates' direction as a key suspect. Additionally there's a large sum of cash missing; Gates knows he's got to work to a) clear his name, b) catch the killer(s), and c) find the missing bundle of cash.
Accessible to new readers, Kill Now, Pay Later has all the hallmarks of a 1960's era pulp; dangerous and devious dames, a web of suspects, and a protagonist who finds himself irresistible to members of the opposite sex.
The plot splinters off into many directions as the investigation lands Gates in hotter and hotter water but author Robert Terrall manages to keep all the threads tied together, wrapping up the mystery in a tight bundle at the end.
My rating: 4/5 stars. This was a re-read which still hit all the right notes the second time around.
Hired to guard wedding presents for a wealthy couple, Gates wakes from his drug-induced slumber to find a couple of dead bodies and a cop pointing the finger firmly in Gates' direction as a key suspect. Additionally there's a large sum of cash missing; Gates knows he's got to work to a) clear his name, b) catch the killer(s), and c) find the missing bundle of cash.
Accessible to new readers, Kill Now, Pay Later has all the hallmarks of a 1960's era pulp; dangerous and devious dames, a web of suspects, and a protagonist who finds himself irresistible to members of the opposite sex.
The plot splinters off into many directions as the investigation lands Gates in hotter and hotter water but author Robert Terrall manages to keep all the threads tied together, wrapping up the mystery in a tight bundle at the end.
My rating: 4/5 stars. This was a re-read which still hit all the right notes the second time around.
May 25, 2017
Robert Terrall is not well known under his real name, but he has been an extremely prolific writer under a number of pen names including Robert Kyle and Brett Halliday ( continuing the Mike Shayne series) . In all, Terrall wrote five Ben Gates PI novels. This novel was originally published in 1960 and has been republished in 2007 by Hard Case Crime. Notably, both the 1960 version and the
2007 reissue feature terrific Robert McGinnis covers, but different
ones!
Ben Gates is a NYC PI who has a number of associates. Here, he is hired to watch wedding presents and ends up drinking coffee with knockout drops. When he comes to, a bracelet, and a substantial sum of money are missing and two people have lost their lives. This all takes place in a small country town and the local authorities don't want Gates poking his nose into it. What proceeds then is a typical PI novel of the era with Gates
determined to clear his name and solve the mystery. There are a lot of twists and turns in the plot and the action slows at times. Gates uncovers blackmail, bigamy, pornography, and other sleazy matters.
Terrall's work is at its best when Gates encounters the numerous femme fatales in this book. His wry sense of humor well serves the story in counting the buttons coming undone on one woman's dress
and his interest being piqued as another tries to gain his attention.
2007 reissue feature terrific Robert McGinnis covers, but different
ones!
Ben Gates is a NYC PI who has a number of associates. Here, he is hired to watch wedding presents and ends up drinking coffee with knockout drops. When he comes to, a bracelet, and a substantial sum of money are missing and two people have lost their lives. This all takes place in a small country town and the local authorities don't want Gates poking his nose into it. What proceeds then is a typical PI novel of the era with Gates
determined to clear his name and solve the mystery. There are a lot of twists and turns in the plot and the action slows at times. Gates uncovers blackmail, bigamy, pornography, and other sleazy matters.
Terrall's work is at its best when Gates encounters the numerous femme fatales in this book. His wry sense of humor well serves the story in counting the buttons coming undone on one woman's dress
and his interest being piqued as another tries to gain his attention.
November 13, 2017
I see GR reviews of this book are mixed, but personally I liked it better than any other Hard Case book I've read.
It is solidly in the mid-century "man-tasy" category, with a plot not too different from a typical Rockford Files situation. P.I. Ben Gates has to prove he was drugged, and not drunk, when the wedding presents he's been hired to guard get stolen. His investigations naturally lead to a bevy of female suspects, all tending to exhibitionism and lap-sitting (none of the women in the book sound at all like the.. beanpole .. on the cover, by the way). There is quite a lot of titillation, but no sex. After all, Ben Gates is a professional.
I see I am not the first to call Ben Gates hard-boiled but light-hearted, and while certainly not unique in that regard (compare, e.g., Shake a Crooked Town, or The Girl with the Sweet Plump Knees: A Pete Schofield Caper), Kill Now, Pay Later is a snappy, sexy adventure. I wish the four other Ben Gates novels were easier to come by.
It is solidly in the mid-century "man-tasy" category, with a plot not too different from a typical Rockford Files situation. P.I. Ben Gates has to prove he was drugged, and not drunk, when the wedding presents he's been hired to guard get stolen. His investigations naturally lead to a bevy of female suspects, all tending to exhibitionism and lap-sitting (none of the women in the book sound at all like the.. beanpole .. on the cover, by the way). There is quite a lot of titillation, but no sex. After all, Ben Gates is a professional.
I see I am not the first to call Ben Gates hard-boiled but light-hearted, and while certainly not unique in that regard (compare, e.g., Shake a Crooked Town, or The Girl with the Sweet Plump Knees: A Pete Schofield Caper), Kill Now, Pay Later is a snappy, sexy adventure. I wish the four other Ben Gates novels were easier to come by.
July 13, 2015
Ben Gates, the main character of this book, really sells it for me. Watching the mystery unravel wasn't nearly as satisfying as just following Gates around from chapter to chapter and wondering how much longer he can avoid getting his ass kicked (or shot).
Gates is the ideal character for this type of novel: sarcastic, disrespectful to authority, down-on-his-luck, generally disliked, politically incorrect, addicted to alcohol and cigars, incredibly persistent, and damn good at his very thankless job.
The story opens with someone drugging Gates's coffee while he's standing guard over a rich couple's wedding presents. The next thing he knows, he's being blamed for passing out drunk on the job--an accusation that's bound to put him out of business unless he can set the record straight. Unfortunately for him, no one--not even his boss or the local police--wants him investigating the case, and they go out of their way to harass him at every turn.
If you like old-school pulp detective novels, KILL NOW, PAY LATER has it all: a solid mystery, exciting action, and great one-liners. My only complaint is that the last chapter feels clumsy. The plot holds together fine, but it's not very believable how everyone suddenly divests themselves of all their secrets just moments before the final curtain. A bit contrived, if you ask me.
Gates is the ideal character for this type of novel: sarcastic, disrespectful to authority, down-on-his-luck, generally disliked, politically incorrect, addicted to alcohol and cigars, incredibly persistent, and damn good at his very thankless job.
The story opens with someone drugging Gates's coffee while he's standing guard over a rich couple's wedding presents. The next thing he knows, he's being blamed for passing out drunk on the job--an accusation that's bound to put him out of business unless he can set the record straight. Unfortunately for him, no one--not even his boss or the local police--wants him investigating the case, and they go out of their way to harass him at every turn.
If you like old-school pulp detective novels, KILL NOW, PAY LATER has it all: a solid mystery, exciting action, and great one-liners. My only complaint is that the last chapter feels clumsy. The plot holds together fine, but it's not very believable how everyone suddenly divests themselves of all their secrets just moments before the final curtain. A bit contrived, if you ask me.
November 28, 2008
Private eye Ben Gates must restore his good name after he botches the simple job of guarding gifts at a wedding. As pleasant and lightweight as a tale of murder and blackmail can be. If you like your crime dark, skip it.
Footnote: I must gripe about this hideous cover. Robert McGinnis did the painting for the original 1960 paperback, featuring a deformed blonde who looked to be about nine feet tall with six feet of legs. For this reprint, Robert McGinnis was again hired for the job, and this time he painted a redhead who looks even more deformed than the original blonde. If ever a man thumbed his nose at a second chance, this is it!
Footnote: I must gripe about this hideous cover. Robert McGinnis did the painting for the original 1960 paperback, featuring a deformed blonde who looked to be about nine feet tall with six feet of legs. For this reprint, Robert McGinnis was again hired for the job, and this time he painted a redhead who looks even more deformed than the original blonde. If ever a man thumbed his nose at a second chance, this is it!
May 1, 2017
Ben Gates has a cushy Saturday night job guarding wedding presents after a rich bride’s nuptials. It should have been an easy gig, flirting with the hired help and keeping drunk bridesmaids from walking off with the jewelry. Then someone puts a mickey in his coffee. When he wakes up, the mother of the bride is dead, a would-be burglar has been shot trying to escape the house, and everyone blames Ben for getting drunk on the job.
This book is breezy, often funny, and easy to read. It manages to be sexy without any scenes harder than PG13. It is overflowing with stereotypes, of course--with no less than four femme fatales!—but the plot turns out to be surprisingly complicated. I realized when I was three-fourths of the way through that I still had not figured it. Every character seemed to be playing some different con, with secrets to hide and profits to make. The various reveals and revelations are surprising, even if plausibility is strained.
The writing was often sharp:
“The bride wore a bouffant gown of off-white silk taffeta with a fitted bodice of Alencon lace. The groom wore a look of bitter regret.”
“When a girl helps me unbutton my shirt I consider the least I can do is return the favor.”
“That’s the thing about your work. It’s chancey. People think they’re entitled to take a shot at you any time they feel like it. You put in a lot of overtime you don’t get paid for. But you do meet some attractive girls. Unattractive girls don’t get in so much trouble.”
This is not the best of the Hard Case Crime series by a long shot, but ironically I think it could be adapted into a good film.
This is the third of five novels written about private investigator Ben Gates. The complete series list is as follows:
• Blackmail, Inc. (1958)
• Model for Murder (1959)
• Kill Now, Pay Later (1960)
• Some Like It Cool (1962)
• Ben Gates Is Hot (1964)
This book is breezy, often funny, and easy to read. It manages to be sexy without any scenes harder than PG13. It is overflowing with stereotypes, of course--with no less than four femme fatales!—but the plot turns out to be surprisingly complicated. I realized when I was three-fourths of the way through that I still had not figured it. Every character seemed to be playing some different con, with secrets to hide and profits to make. The various reveals and revelations are surprising, even if plausibility is strained.
The writing was often sharp:
“The bride wore a bouffant gown of off-white silk taffeta with a fitted bodice of Alencon lace. The groom wore a look of bitter regret.”
“When a girl helps me unbutton my shirt I consider the least I can do is return the favor.”
“That’s the thing about your work. It’s chancey. People think they’re entitled to take a shot at you any time they feel like it. You put in a lot of overtime you don’t get paid for. But you do meet some attractive girls. Unattractive girls don’t get in so much trouble.”
This is not the best of the Hard Case Crime series by a long shot, but ironically I think it could be adapted into a good film.
This is the third of five novels written about private investigator Ben Gates. The complete series list is as follows:
• Blackmail, Inc. (1958)
• Model for Murder (1959)
• Kill Now, Pay Later (1960)
• Some Like It Cool (1962)
• Ben Gates Is Hot (1964)
July 13, 2017
PI Ben Gates is working what should be an easy gig to keep watch on the guests at a rich party and prevent small-scale theft. But after his coffee is drugged, he wakes up to find out two murders have occurred. The mystery of who did the murders, who is blackmailing whom and for what purpose becomes the plot for this hard-boiled novel from 1960.
I have not read any previous books in the Ben Gates series, or any by this author but I’m always willing to try a Hard Case Crime novel. One must, of course, forgive the super-clichéd depiction of women who seem to have only one tool in their tool chest to use to get ahead in the world. It seems like poor Ben is one of those men who seems to have pretty girls throw themselves at him in various stages of undress several times a day, but to his credit, Ben tries (but mostly fails) to take the high road and stick to the case. He even shows a gallant side as well as a heroic one. All in all, this was a fun lark of a read, just as I expected it would be.
I have not read any previous books in the Ben Gates series, or any by this author but I’m always willing to try a Hard Case Crime novel. One must, of course, forgive the super-clichéd depiction of women who seem to have only one tool in their tool chest to use to get ahead in the world. It seems like poor Ben is one of those men who seems to have pretty girls throw themselves at him in various stages of undress several times a day, but to his credit, Ben tries (but mostly fails) to take the high road and stick to the case. He even shows a gallant side as well as a heroic one. All in all, this was a fun lark of a read, just as I expected it would be.
July 13, 2009
This was my first Hard Case Crime Novel and it was highly entertaining. P.I. Ben Gates was a lot of fun to follow with his quiet but smart and tough approach. There were some light moments to mix with the tough moments and even the scenes with physical force or intimidation were handled with touches of humor. This is a very well written and entertaining crime novel.
December 17, 2016
This was a really great read. Another one I would put at 4.5 stars.
January 3, 2024
This is exactly what I want when I read pulpy noir with a Robert McGinnis cover.
Ban Gates is a private investigator hired to watch a pile of wedding gifts at a mansion during the reception. He gets drugged and misses out on a robbery and 2 deaths in the building. To clear his name (the cops tell the press he was drunk, not drugged) he tries to uncover what was really going on. The plot behind it all is a doozy and a lot of fun to watch Gates uncover.
I'm not much of a guy for reading book series. I like my novels to be self contained. I had no idea this was book 3 of 5 in the Ben Gates collection when I started. However, this felt standalone enough, and I liked the author's voice, so I'd be more than happy to read another Ben Gates mystery.
Ban Gates is a private investigator hired to watch a pile of wedding gifts at a mansion during the reception. He gets drugged and misses out on a robbery and 2 deaths in the building. To clear his name (the cops tell the press he was drunk, not drugged) he tries to uncover what was really going on. The plot behind it all is a doozy and a lot of fun to watch Gates uncover.
I'm not much of a guy for reading book series. I like my novels to be self contained. I had no idea this was book 3 of 5 in the Ben Gates collection when I started. However, this felt standalone enough, and I liked the author's voice, so I'd be more than happy to read another Ben Gates mystery.
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September 15, 2021a 60 year old tale about a private detective trying to save his reputation and career by untangling a complex web of relationships and lies. Decent plot and some great detective work. Some really good jigsaw puzzle pieces falling into place as we progress through the story. The detective ben gates seems a little too good to be true. He can win most fights even against multiple opponents (although in fairness, not that easily). Three out of four of the female characters he meets throughout the novel want to jump into bed with him immediately (and the fourth one probably would have if she hadn’t been running late). At least he made sure he got paid for his detective work.
August 9, 2024
A private detective is hired to guard the gifts at an expensive wedding, but he is slipped a mickey, and when he wakes up, things are missing AND there are two dead bodies! It gets worse, as he follows the trail of the thief/thieves - bribery, blackmail, pornographic movies and pictures, arson, and more dead bodies! And lots and lots of suspects! The story has a really strong start, but about halfway through, it seemed to get needlessly complicated. Even at the end, I wasn't quite sure if it had been totally unraveled or not. But Ben Gates is a cool character, and I wouldn't be averse to reading the other books that he is in!
April 1, 2019
Not good. This is archaic remnant of the 50s pulp paperback era with hard-boiled PI mixed up in murder, blackmail, and arson surrounded by beautiful sexy females all who find him irresistable. The back drop for all this is pornographic movie maker who films rich men involved with underage girls. Sleazy characters would fit well in a C-movie.
March 28, 2023
After finishing Krashnahorkai's "War & war" I needed something light.
"Kill now, pay later" did the trick. It's entertaining pulp.
Truth is, I'm growing fond of these '50s & 60's detective stories.
Some might call it outdated, archaïc.. but to me the zeitgeist of those days/stories actually appeals far more to me than what sensitivity readers nowadays deem fit for publication.
"Kill now, pay later" did the trick. It's entertaining pulp.
Truth is, I'm growing fond of these '50s & 60's detective stories.
Some might call it outdated, archaïc.. but to me the zeitgeist of those days/stories actually appeals far more to me than what sensitivity readers nowadays deem fit for publication.
December 25, 2017
Tough and gritty. I love these Hard Case Crime books. It's like spending a couple days inside a Warner Brothers movie from the 40s or 50s.
January 14, 2019
Meandering
Liked the general noirish feel and storyline. However, characters were hard to keep straight. Authors should help a reader out by reminding us who these people are and consistently using the same name for each, rather than alternating first and last names.
Liked the general noirish feel and storyline. However, characters were hard to keep straight. Authors should help a reader out by reminding us who these people are and consistently using the same name for each, rather than alternating first and last names.
June 12, 2020
3.5/5⭐️
August 26, 2020
A noteworthy addition to the Hard Case Crime series. Good plot and enough twists and turns to be thoroughly mesmerised when all the knots are so easily undone. Highly recommended reading.
December 3, 2022
Pretty awful cliche filled and poorly written pulp novel. Only redeeming factor is the cover.
February 20, 2025
A good story. Very entertaining.A bit complicated at the end but, still, a good story.
September 25, 2012
Kill Now, Pay Later, by Robert Terrall, another release from those hard working Hardboiled folks at Hard Case Crime, is a mixed affair that did not quite manage to touch me. In the vein of Raymond Chandler and Ross MacDonald, this little gem strives to be Hardboiled but comes off a little soft boiled.
Detective Ben Gates is invited to a hi-so wedding to make sure the valuable presents aren't stolen. Unfortunately he drinks coffee laced with sleeping tablets and by the time he wakes up, the deed is done, his reputation is in tatters, the cops are after him and he is a top suspect in the crime.
Gates, who is laconic, handsome and as unrelenting in his pursuit of the truth and his efforts to clear himself as the genre dictates, soon uncovers there's more to this than simple robbery. He encounters all the requisite characters - femmes fatales, unsympathetic cops, psychotic young heirs to immense fortunes - and the story moves at a good pace while the language mostly hits its intended target and in several scenes in which Gates struggles with dames the writing is really rather good.
But Kill Now never quite reaches the insights of its most obvious template, the Chandler novel, nor is the examination of the dysfunctional American family executed with the singleminded-ness of MacDonald and so the novel remains stranded in a Noirish nowhereland on the corner of almost brilliant and too much pastiche.
Both the covers for the 1960s mass market paperback edition and the recent hard Case Crime effort by Robert McGinnis are great if excessive.
Detective Ben Gates is invited to a hi-so wedding to make sure the valuable presents aren't stolen. Unfortunately he drinks coffee laced with sleeping tablets and by the time he wakes up, the deed is done, his reputation is in tatters, the cops are after him and he is a top suspect in the crime.
Gates, who is laconic, handsome and as unrelenting in his pursuit of the truth and his efforts to clear himself as the genre dictates, soon uncovers there's more to this than simple robbery. He encounters all the requisite characters - femmes fatales, unsympathetic cops, psychotic young heirs to immense fortunes - and the story moves at a good pace while the language mostly hits its intended target and in several scenes in which Gates struggles with dames the writing is really rather good.
But Kill Now never quite reaches the insights of its most obvious template, the Chandler novel, nor is the examination of the dysfunctional American family executed with the singleminded-ness of MacDonald and so the novel remains stranded in a Noirish nowhereland on the corner of almost brilliant and too much pastiche.
Both the covers for the 1960s mass market paperback edition and the recent hard Case Crime effort by Robert McGinnis are great if excessive.
September 8, 2011
This book might have been a bit more mysterious if the detective was less sure of himself from the very beginning. However, I realize that this was part of a series of detective novels, and that sustaining an unreliable narrator for more than a short period of time can be quite difficult. I thought there could have been more play with him having been drugged in the beginning though, in the direction of him being sure that it happened, but that's just me. Otherwise the story is pretty fun and entertaining. Gates's comebacks aren't quite as snappy as many of the characters in the genre, but he does have a certain sluggish charm. One strange thing about him though, is that I can't imagine his character being a New York City type. Even for the sixties, his personality seems a little out-of-place amongst the would-be New York detective crowd.
The female characters are all pretty amusing. Even more amusing is the way that Gates is not worried about the ways that they are playing them. His secretary has an amusing line about how easy it is to meet attractive women in detective work. I wouldn't know about that in reality, but it does seem certainly true of pulp novels. They have created their own reality in that way.
The female characters are all pretty amusing. Even more amusing is the way that Gates is not worried about the ways that they are playing them. His secretary has an amusing line about how easy it is to meet attractive women in detective work. I wouldn't know about that in reality, but it does seem certainly true of pulp novels. They have created their own reality in that way.
January 27, 2016
I'm a huge fan of the Hard Case crime circulation, but there was something about this one I couldn't get into. The character of Ben was alright - a good detective with some witty lines and an intriguing brain - but it just seemed flat to me. It was almost like a series that I hopped in the middle of, where not enough explanation of the personality was given for me to care about the main man.
Actually, I didn't cozy up to many of them. It's hard to put my finger on, but each lacked warmth, or humor, or something appealing enough to sit up and take notice. It's a short story - 220 pages - but it took me quite awhile to finish it. Mystery wise the story isn't bad and is rich with twists, close encounters, dead end trails, and tight suspense...yet it never kept my attention the way I would have liked it to.
Surprisingly most people seem to disagree with me here, as I've only seen good ratings for this one so far. Maybe it's one of those times when the chemistry just isn't right for the reader and author. I'm in no way banning Robert Terrall's books from my future reading adventures, yet I won't be drooling in anticipation either.
Actually, I didn't cozy up to many of them. It's hard to put my finger on, but each lacked warmth, or humor, or something appealing enough to sit up and take notice. It's a short story - 220 pages - but it took me quite awhile to finish it. Mystery wise the story isn't bad and is rich with twists, close encounters, dead end trails, and tight suspense...yet it never kept my attention the way I would have liked it to.
Surprisingly most people seem to disagree with me here, as I've only seen good ratings for this one so far. Maybe it's one of those times when the chemistry just isn't right for the reader and author. I'm in no way banning Robert Terrall's books from my future reading adventures, yet I won't be drooling in anticipation either.
June 26, 2011
I love these pulp fiction classics. I love stories where the wiseguy detective may be a step or two behind but he's never at a loss. I love that every female character has something to hide and that every woman tries to get around the detective in the same way. And I love that in the 1960s era of this book, you had to be somewhat subtle about what that way was. This is a fun, satisfying read that is also a time capsule look at an era (who knew the slang term "dead presidents" was as old as 1960?) I will definitely be on the lookout for more Hard Case Crime classics.
February 22, 2008
There was so much talk in this book my head still hurts from all the gabbing going on in it. Like fucking birds these c*nts just chirped and chirped and chirped and I wished they would shut up for 5 minutes so I could focus on the inane drama involved.
Some girl pretends to be drunk at some party and steals a valuable necklace or some nonsense. Who cares? Even the cover is horrible, if that woman's legs were any longer she could rent them out as stilts. I'm ready to slap someone in the face!
Some girl pretends to be drunk at some party and steals a valuable necklace or some nonsense. Who cares? Even the cover is horrible, if that woman's legs were any longer she could rent them out as stilts. I'm ready to slap someone in the face!
November 7, 2009
A fun bit of pulp from 1960, this Ben Gates mystery may not quite be in the fair-play category - it introduces a crucial element very late in the game, although it doesn't give the sleuth anything the reader isn't privy to - but it's a very enjoyable read, with plenty of fist fights, double-crosses, and femmes fatale. It might be better with a little more familiarity with the series - it's not really a proper introduction to Ben Gates - but is still a highly entertaining read.
January 8, 2012
A great 'pulp fiction' read...sucked me right in, moved fairly quickly, though was skittle slower at some places at the start. If you power through for a couple of pages it picks up pace again :)
There was so much going on I had trouble predicting who the culprit was, a real change from other mystery/crime novels. If you're into mystery novels give this one a try.
I'm addicted now, which is kind of unfortunate as I don't know that I'll fit in much more reading than my challenges this year.
There was so much going on I had trouble predicting who the culprit was, a real change from other mystery/crime novels. If you're into mystery novels give this one a try.
I'm addicted now, which is kind of unfortunate as I don't know that I'll fit in much more reading than my challenges this year.
January 18, 2012
PI gets involved in fraud, extortion and murder with a rich family and their hangers on. Fairly light and, I think, written with a movie-deal in mind - most scenes were clearly framed with dialogue fairly easy and the plot not overly complex. Not the best entry in the Hard Case Crime canon. Rated PG for some violence and adult themes. 2.5/5
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