Brute in Brass

by Harry Whittington

With a new retrospective, "Harry Whittington: The Last of His Kind" by Woody Haut, author of Heartbreak and Vine: The Fate of Hardboiled Writers in Hollywood, Pulp Culture: Hardboiled Fiction and the Cold War and Neon Noir.

He was a tough, brutal cop — until he fell in love!

Originally published in 1956 by Gold Medal, then reissued as Forgive Me, Killer by Black Lizard in 1987, Brute in Brass is a hardboiled novel about Mike Ballard, a crooked cop desperate to make up for previous sins, but unable to control his own desires.

Genres: Noir, Crime, Fiction, Mystery, Pulp, 20th Century, Hard Boiled

157 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 1956

About the author

He also wrote under the names Ashley Carter, Harriet Kathryn Myers, and Blaine Stevens, Curt Colman, John Dexter, Tabor Evans, Whit Harrison, Kel Holland, Suzanne Stephens, Clay Stuart, Hondo Wells, Harry White, Hallam Whitney, Henri Whittier, J.X. Williams.

Harry Whittington (February 4, 1915–June 11, 1989) was an American mystery novelist and one of the original founders of the paperback novel. Born in Ocala, Florida, he worked in government jobs before becoming a writer.

His reputation as a prolific writer of pulp fiction novels is supported by his writing of 85 novels in a span of twelve years (as many as seven in a single month) mostly in the crime, suspense, and noir fiction genres. In total, he published over 200 novels. Seven of his writings were produced for the screen, including the television series Lawman. His reputation for being known as 'The King of the Pulps' is shared with author H. Bedford-Jones. Only a handful of Whittington's novels are in print today.
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Reviews

[Melki · Rating 4 out of 5]

She was a bad chick; the only time she was on the level was when she was staring at the ceiling.

Mike Ballard is a big, tough, bought cop. Sick of living on a cop's crappy salary, he'll take whatever he can earn on the side. But now, to get the woman he desires, he's got to prove that an accused killer who's currently on death row is innocent. Poor Mike. His extra-curricular earnings are being investigated by internal affairs, and his other "employer" wants him to knock off the murder investigation.

It's gettin' hard out there for a corrupt cop.

People like to believe there's just one bad apple. They don't like to think about the barrel. They don't pay cops a decent salary, either. They want them poor and honest.

This is a pretty good crime thriller. Ballard makes with the tough talk, and though you probably won't like him, you can't help rooting for the guy. The last quarter of the book is action-packed. The only thing that kept this one from earning five stars? The hokey romantic dialogue - it reads more like something out of True Romance rather than True Detective.

[Lawyer · Rating 3 out of 5]

Brute in Brass: A Cop on the Take and an Innocent Man on Death Row


Paperback issue of Brute in Brass

Lieutenant Mark Ballard is a dirty cop. Works Vice. Knows where it is, but doesn't take it down. What he does is live high for a cop. It takes brass to live like Ballard. Driving a shiny Olds 98. Wearing tailored suits. The regular guys on the force don't see the inside of his apartment. There's wouldn't compare to his, put togetther by an interior decorator.

When an honest cop is down on his luck, Ballard is the go to guy for a loan. Wife's in the hospital at Christmas? All the bills come due at the same time? Your three kids need Christmas? Santy Claus ain't gonna come on your honest cop's lousy take home pay? Ballard will spot you. You'll feel like less of a man. Maybe he'll pause, look at you, make you spell out your problems before he opens that shiny wallet and takes out two crispy fifties. You promise to pay it back. But Ballard says that won't be necessary. No, it won't. But it don't make you feel any better.

Maybe Ballard was a good cop once. Like his Dad was. But wearing the Badge got his old man nothing. Nothing but a grave. And Ballard. When Ballard made Vice, Ballard tried to bust the rackets. But the higher ups they protected the rackets. The guys in the suits that went to the same church on Sunday. Played Bridge in the same club on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Busting the rackets was a no go.

If you can't beat 'em, join 'em. Say, Luxtro, he's one of the biggest. He wants a man on the inside. One with all the scoop, the low down. Take Luxtro's money. Get somewhere. Drive the Olds, wear the suits, live in the decorated apartment. But don't get close to nobody.

Take Hilma, she looks good. Good in bed. Put her kid in private school. Drop a hundred a month for her private apartment. Visit when the itch needs scratching. But now she's whining about a gold ring. That's a no go. Every visit is a fight. It's not worth it. Easy enough to go to a whore house. What's the difference. He's paying Vilma. It's expensive snatch.

Then there's this poor shmuck Earl Walker. Calls Ballard up to the Pen where his clock is ticking down on Death Row. Going to sizzle for offing a high class call girl. But the guy says he's innocent. Well, don't they all. Jesus Christ, the guy cries. Damn, how he hates it when the dumb shmucks cry. And Walker says he's prayed for Ballard to come see him. Don't they all pray the closer it come s to sittin' in the chair.

Walker says, "You was the only one decent to me. Treated me like a human being. Didn't beat out of me what you wanted to hear."

The look on Walker's face when Ballard told him he was nice to him because he just didn't give a shit about him. Didn't give a rat's ass about anything anymore. And you don't, when you been through everything Ballard has and seen how the whole damn system stinks. Why care. Take what you can while you can.

Then Walker's wife Peggy comes to visit. Peggy with the pert breasts filling out the gray dress she chose to make an impression. Peggy who's not like all the other little hausfraus down at the super market. Peggy who's been a good girl but obviously never known what it's like to be with a real man. You know, maybe Ballard maybe should look into this Walker case more.

Damned if Ballard doesn't go and fall in love with Peggy Walker. And where Harry Whittington starts off spinning a yarn with all the trappings of a classic Noir tale, the trolley slips the line. Because Ballard starts doing the honorable thing no matter the cost. Jesus, he believes Earl Walker is innocent!

BUT IS IT NOIR?

Which brings us to the point to talk a little about just what Noir Fiction is about. You can't get a better definition for my book than Otto Penzler, the founder of The Mysterious Press. As he has so aptly defined it, Noir fiction is about losers, not P.I.s, or in this case Police Detectives. Their motives are greed, lust, jealousy, or, as Penzler puts it a form of alienation. See Noir Fiction Is About Losers, Not Private Eyes, Otto Penzler, Huffington Post, Books, 08/10/2010, updated May 25, 2011, http://www.huffingtonpost.com/otto-pe.... My grandmother would have said, "He just doesn't look quite right out of his eyes." Think of The Killer Inside Me.

So, what we end up with here is something of a hybrid Noir-Hard Boiled Detective Novel. Without giving away too much of the plot, let's just say Mark Ballard, with all his faults, having fallen in love, strikes out on a path to redemption.

Otto Penzler tells us, "The characters in these existential, nihilistic tales are doomed. They may not die, but they probably should, as the life that awaits them is certain to be so ugly, so lost and lonely, that they’d be better off just curling up and getting it over with. And, let’s face it, they deserve it." Ibid

Don't get me wrong. Ballard has no easy time getting to the end of Brute in Brass. The tables are turned. The cards become stacked against him. The odds are high. The corruption of Luxtro's rackets extend all the way to the Office of the Police Commissioner.

Harry Whittington: King of the Paperbacks


Harry Whittington (February 4, 1915 – June 11, 1989)

Born in Ocala, Florida, Whittington wrote over eighty five pulp novels, sometimes writing as many as seven a month. You'll find many of his titles in the original Fawcett Gold Medal Editions that sold for 25 cents a copy. His most influential titles are his hard-boiled and noir titles appearing in the 1950s and early 1960s. However, he wrote 200 novels under nearly twenty pen names. He was also known as a writer of westerns. Among his screen credits is the Lawman television series airing on ABC from 1968 to 1972.

Brute in Brass: The Verdict

This is a quick, entertaining read. Whittington holds your attention. 3.5 Stars out of 5. For those interested, Mark Ballard returns in Any Woman He Wanted. The action takes up four years after that of Brute in Brass.

[Carla Remy · Rating 4 out of 5]

10/2019

From 1956
A corrupt Police Officer finds redemption by way of violence and murder.

[Still · Rating 4 out of 5]

Disappointing novel by one of the giants of Original Paperback Novels.

I just bumped it up 1 star due to Whittington's outstanding memoir which precedes the novel in the Black Lizard edition.
I love "I Remember It Well" while I only tolerated "Forgive Me, Killer".


Recommended.

[Franky · Rating 3 out of 5]

Mike Ballard is a “tough as nails” lieutenant who doesn’t mind being a little unclean if it can get him a little extra on the side. But now, even his own department is turning on him, investigating his “unethical” methods and possible infractions.

It seems that a poor mug named Earl Walker is in the big house, apparently for homicide. And unless someone can prove he didn’t murder Ruby Venuto, he might be going to the other Big House, the one in the sky. He seeks out Ballard, but Ballard could care less, and is cynical enough to know that these convictions don’t overturn themselves. However, Ballard sings a different tune once he meets Peggy Walker, Earl’s wife….So, what happens when a crooked lieutenant starts doing the right thing?

With Ballard as our personal narrator, he is honest (and brutal) enough to “tell it like it is”, so I think this definitely gives Forgive Me, Killer a bit of a gritty and hard edge to it, as Ballard doesn’t sugarcoat anything. In his quest to find out the truth about Venuto’s murder, the plot gets thicker as Ballard goes deeper into seedier places and has experiences with less-than-holy types. However, this type of mission is right up Ballard’s alley.

Overall, Forgive Me, Killer is a decent thriller, the pace is swift and the tension mounts as Ballard finds himself in a bit of dilemma (in more ways than one), especially in the book’s final stages. That being said, I found certain points of the plot a bit of a stretch and convenient for our hero (or perhaps antihero is more apt) and the romantic interest (with Peggy Walker) not only distracting, but forced and contrived.

Not bad, an easy and quick read and look forward to finding more from this author.

As a side note, this vintage edition has a nice introduction from Whittington and he discusses his love for writing and some of the origins of how he got started. Pretty interesting stuff.

[Steven · Rating 4 out of 5]

Any definition of noir that doesn't have room for Whittington's crooked cop sliding down the slippery slope to oblivion is too narrow a definition.

Although crooked cops are much more a staple of neo-noir, I think Whittington's tale of vice cop Lt. Mike Ballard's descent belongs in the pantheon of classic noir, and not just as a neo-precursor. He makes his losing choices, willfully starts down the path that he has no chance of surviving, and that is a classic noir theme. He brings doom upon himself.

The last third of this novel is absolutely fantastic: tense, propulsive, and climactic. Five-star stuff. (And interestingly, Whittington said he always started with the end first, then wrote the story that would lead to that ending.)

The beginning is a slow burning setup. We readers are given plenty of time to see what a first-rate asshole our protagonist Mike Ballard is. We see him making bad choices and pissing off every one, cops and criminals alike. Whittington works the first-person narrative to perfection. Even though trapped in Ballard's POV, we can see what he can't: his choices, and particularly his attitude, is leaving him no way out. All sides will be coming for him. And that is when the mood starts to change. Ballard becomes the underdog. Despite Ballard being less than likeable, it's hard not to root for him in the second half of the book. That really makes the long ending sequence work even better.

Lean, spare prose with minimal descriptions, plus hard-boiled dialog for those who like that style.

Some of the investigative sections in the middle third were a bit contrived, and that coupled with the slow start makes me rate this lower, even if overall I think it is a great crime/noir novel. Whittington did writer better, however.

[Edwin · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fine noir about a crooked cop who decides to do the right thing for the wrong reason, getting himself involved in something that neither the corrupt police department or the mob wants uncovered. "Brute in Brass" has everything that I expect from a great paperback original from this era. I need to seek out more of Whittington's work.

[Charles · Rating 4 out of 5]

A short book, a quick read. Right down the line it evokes the noir. Whittington knows how to turn a phrase but get to the action and the point. Good stuff.

[Dave · Rating 5 out of 5]

Harry Whittington was known as the "King of the Paperbacks." He published over 170 of them. He is best known for his fifties and sixties pulp novels. "Brute in Brass" is so good you'd think it would be more well known than it is. Every single page in this book is good. The writing is just fantastic.

What is the book about except the distance between Heaven and Hell? There's a man on death row and a crooked cop on the take. There's his mistress who has set up in an apartment and whose kid he's put through private school. There's the wife of the man on death row pleading with him to find evidence of actual innocence. There's the hoodlum who runs the town and everyone in it. And there's the commission looking for someone to take the fall.

Through every page you feel Mike Ballard struggle with a glimpse of heaven that seems just out of reach in the form of a woman who melts not just his heart but his soul. But it doesn't matter because the truth is he is just walking through hell.

Whittington wrote a powerful noir novel that isn't dark and gloomy. It's not filled with endless unnecessary descriptions. It's very easy to read and flows quickly. And when you finish, you just gotta find out what else the King has written.

[Joe Nicholl · Rating 4 out of 5]

Forgive Me, Killer (1956) by Harry Whittington, one of the classic pulp crime-fiction writers of the 1950's (along with Day Keene amongst others). Forgive is another fine, entertaining read as are all by this author are who cranked out 150+ novels. A crooked cop, Mike Ballard, has problems everywhere he turns...the mob, his boss, woman...and everybody wants something from him...loans, enforce some laws, ignore others, marriage. A cop who can't escape the heat no matter whether he does good, or bad....enjoyable quick read!

[Bruce · Rating 4 out of 5]

Entertaining and fast-paced tale about a crooked cop who rediscovers his conscience. Became a compelling read for me about halfway through. One of Whittington's strengths is that he knows how to tell a story that will hold your interest. No bog spots in this one.

[Vicent · Rating 5 out of 5]

Molt bona novel·la negra. La trama funciona molt bé, sense les típiques complicacions exagerades que et fan perdre el fil; el ritme sempre és el correcte: frenètic unes vegades, pausat quan fa falta que ho siga; els diàlegs són dels més versemblants que he llegit mai, i els personatges estan molt ben desenvolupats, fins i tot en la seua evolució.

La traducció de na Montserrat Solanas no està a l'altura, ni de bon tros. Frases traduïdes mecànicament, sense gust pel català, i una quantitat de pleonasmes i de possessius que fa feredat. No és de les pitjors traduccions que he llegit, però juga en aquesta lliga.

[Larry Webber · Rating 5 out of 5]

a cool classic

[Kurt Reichenbaugh · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a good one by Harry Whittington. Another title it was published under is Brute In Brass. My version is the Black Lizard edition that has a good essay by Whittington recalling his writing career. The novel itself is a fast ride about a crooked cop, Mike Ballard, who is drawn in to investigate the murder of a B-girl named Ruby Venuto. Earl Walker is the patsy who took the fall for Ruby's murder. From death row, Earl tries to convince Ballard into reinvestigating the murder to prove his innocence. Later that same night, Ballard gets a visit from Earl's wife, Peggy Walker. Peggy has an allure about her that hooks Ballard and, against his better judgement, promises her that he'll look find Ruby's real killer. Doing so means pissing off a lot of people that Ballard has been accepting protection money from, including a well-connected hood named Luxtro, who would rather see Ruby's murder remain closed.

"Listen to me, Ballard. I worked hard to get where I am. I pay hard money to stay there. I'm not going to have it fouled up by a detective who got snarled up. I'm a respectable member of this community. You're right. I do play bridge at the club with the police commissioner. I go to church with a lot of other people. I intend to keep what I have--one way or another, and at whatever cost. You swagger around pretty big. But I pay you. Don't ever forget that!"

So yeah, that's the kind of book it is. Good old-fashioned crime in a musty paperback. What have you got better to do in the hottest month of the year?

[Van Roberts · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another Whittington classic about a corrupt vice squad detective who finds himself in trouble with the police commissioner decides to have him investigated for taking bribes.

[Randy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mike Ballard is not a nice man. A cop on the take, keeping a woman on the side(treating her like dirt), even though single, he gets called to the prison where a man scheduled for execution wants to see him. Walker pleads with him to find the true killer, he's innocent, and Ballard is the only one he can trust. Ballard was the only police officer that hadn't beat him to get a confession.

Ballard tells Walker that he just didn't care one way or the other. he knows he's guilty.

Shortly, he learns he's being investigated for graft by the commissioner, a cop he knows is on the take from the same hood as himself. And he gets a visit from Walker's wife pleading her husband's case. Though dressed in a cheap outfit, Ballard sees something in her that he wants, desires, and knows he can get if he works it right.

That's what causes him to investigate the murder trial from last year.

Two things happen that convince him Walker is innocent. The prosecution's witness that had destroyed Walker's alibi, and whom Walker had been sure would back him gives a false address as his own: the address of the bar he worked as a bartender, and no one had questioned it, and then he dropped out of sight right after the trial. Then he gets orders from the hood paying him to drop the case.

And Ballard begins to get a conscience. Walker's wife he desired and she seemed to reciprocate(having already admitted she and her husband didn't have much of a love life), he begins to check the story out in earnest.

And the pressure goes up on him from the hood, the police.

He knew then he was onto something.