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Don't Crowd Me
1960. No Edition Stated. 157 pages. Paperback book. Notable foxing and tanning to endpapers and page edges. Pen mark inside rear cover. Moderate wear and tear to spine, cover edges and corners. Notable soiling and creasing to covers and spine. Pen mark to rear.
Paperback
First published January 1, 1953
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About the author
Evan Hunter
187 books115 followersBetter known by his pseudonym Ed McBain.
Born Salvatore Albert Lombino, he legally adopted the name Evan Hunter in 1952. While successful and well known as Evan Hunter, he was even better known as Ed McBain, a name he used for most of his crime fiction, beginning in 1956.
Born Salvatore Albert Lombino, he legally adopted the name Evan Hunter in 1952. While successful and well known as Evan Hunter, he was even better known as Ed McBain, a name he used for most of his crime fiction, beginning in 1956.
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
April 7, 2022
I've always been a sucker for redheads, so when I saw the Veronica Lake lookalike staring back at me from the original cover of Evan Hunter's pulp mystery novel
Don't Crowd Me,
on table of used paperbacks, I was more than happy to cough up a mere buck for it. Little did I know what I was getting into...
This was a copy from 1953; loose pages browned -- not just yellowed -- by the sun; spine broken; a couple, almost 70 year old cover creases, but it appeared to be in legible condition so I took it home and glued it back together (some of the pages upside down, but hey, beggars can't be choosers, right?).
At best, I thought Don't Crowd Me would be good for a chuckle; although I'd never read an actual pulp fiction story I'd heard they weren't exactly "high literature". What surprised me was how fun and engaging this yarn turned out to be.
When advertising copywriter, Steve Richmond, sets out for a relaxing two week Summer vacation camping on Lake George, he finds far more than he bargained for. He quickly meets two sultry sisters -- a blond and a brunette (there is no redhead as the cover promised!) -- and before long he's thrown into plenty of sex and violence, murder and mayhem.
'Murder was unthinkable in such beauty. Murder at Lake George was like a penciled mustache on the Mona Lisa.'
The writing and dialogue are brusque but not as corny or unrefined as I'd expected (despite the quotes I present here). Hunter had a wonderful knack for description and creating an atmosphere with his words, and I often felt like I was there camping alongside the characters, with the smell of the water and the pines, throughout. There were also quite a few passages that set me to laughter for their sudden injection into the plot, but they only endeared the story to me moreso.
'He'd probably left me for dead, the simple bastard. He was going to be mighty surprised when I turned up alive and kicking. Kicking at his face.'
This, and the fact that despite encountering multiple murders -- some near misses, some he becomes a suspect in -- Richmond continues to go about his vacation, swimming, boating, drinking, carousing and getting laid!
'Maybe you get used to finding bodies. Maybe you just get progressively better, at it, like bowling, or tiddlywinks. Maybe when you've found your tenth or eleventh body, you can go right on doing what you had been doing. Finish polishing your shoes, or go right ahead with your supper.'
The book was highly enjoyable and hard to put down; signs of a good read. There was a nice, clipping pace to the tale that kept me laughing, guessing, and eagerly devouring pages right through to the end. I was surprised to discover afterwards that Evan Hunter went on to write as Ed McBain, in a prolific career with even more recognition, so I'll definitely check out some of his later work. As for this, it was a hidden gem I'm glad I uncovered.
...even if that lusty cover had been misleading to begin with.
⭐⭐⭐⭐
This was a copy from 1953; loose pages browned -- not just yellowed -- by the sun; spine broken; a couple, almost 70 year old cover creases, but it appeared to be in legible condition so I took it home and glued it back together (some of the pages upside down, but hey, beggars can't be choosers, right?).
At best, I thought Don't Crowd Me would be good for a chuckle; although I'd never read an actual pulp fiction story I'd heard they weren't exactly "high literature". What surprised me was how fun and engaging this yarn turned out to be.
When advertising copywriter, Steve Richmond, sets out for a relaxing two week Summer vacation camping on Lake George, he finds far more than he bargained for. He quickly meets two sultry sisters -- a blond and a brunette (there is no redhead as the cover promised!) -- and before long he's thrown into plenty of sex and violence, murder and mayhem.
'Murder was unthinkable in such beauty. Murder at Lake George was like a penciled mustache on the Mona Lisa.'
The writing and dialogue are brusque but not as corny or unrefined as I'd expected (despite the quotes I present here). Hunter had a wonderful knack for description and creating an atmosphere with his words, and I often felt like I was there camping alongside the characters, with the smell of the water and the pines, throughout. There were also quite a few passages that set me to laughter for their sudden injection into the plot, but they only endeared the story to me moreso.
'He'd probably left me for dead, the simple bastard. He was going to be mighty surprised when I turned up alive and kicking. Kicking at his face.'
This, and the fact that despite encountering multiple murders -- some near misses, some he becomes a suspect in -- Richmond continues to go about his vacation, swimming, boating, drinking, carousing and getting laid!
'Maybe you get used to finding bodies. Maybe you just get progressively better, at it, like bowling, or tiddlywinks. Maybe when you've found your tenth or eleventh body, you can go right on doing what you had been doing. Finish polishing your shoes, or go right ahead with your supper.'
The book was highly enjoyable and hard to put down; signs of a good read. There was a nice, clipping pace to the tale that kept me laughing, guessing, and eagerly devouring pages right through to the end. I was surprised to discover afterwards that Evan Hunter went on to write as Ed McBain, in a prolific career with even more recognition, so I'll definitely check out some of his later work. As for this, it was a hidden gem I'm glad I uncovered.
...even if that lusty cover had been misleading to begin with.
⭐⭐⭐⭐
April 3, 2015
This was Evan Hunter's first pulp, I was surprised that someone had put this edition on here. One of my prized little finds, published Feb. 1953, mine is the third printing - Feb. 1954.
Mr. Hunter is more well known by his pseudonym - Ed McBain of the long running 87th Precinct series, that he started in 1956.
I can't get enough of these pulps from that era, that cost .25 cents back then.
Mr. Hunter is more well known by his pseudonym - Ed McBain of the long running 87th Precinct series, that he started in 1956.
I can't get enough of these pulps from that era, that cost .25 cents back then.
July 21, 2018
He needed room...
Young man on vacation meets a very warm young lady, who after a few exciting days is found very cold. A murder has been committed and our young man is the main suspect. Several other similar crimes have been found and an interesting story follows.
Young man on vacation meets a very warm young lady, who after a few exciting days is found very cold. A murder has been committed and our young man is the main suspect. Several other similar crimes have been found and an interesting story follows.
July 6, 2016
Buen libro, la trama es interesante en todo momento. Creo que el final no fue tan emocionante como el resto del libro.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews