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Nolan #1-2
Two for the Money
AFTER 16 YEARS ON THE RUN,
WOULD NOLAN BURY THE HATCHET WITH THE MOB…
OR WOULD THEY BURY HIM FIRST?
WOULD NOLAN BURY THE HATCHET WITH THE MOB…
OR WOULD THEY BURY HIM FIRST?
They don’t come tougher than Nolan – but even a hardened professional thief can’t fight off the entire Chicago mafia. So when an old friend offers to broker a truce, Nolan accepts the terms. All he has to do is pull off one last heist – and trust the Mob not to double cross him.
Fortunately, Nolan has a couple of things going for him: an uncanny knack for survival and an unmatched hunger for revenge…
Books #1 and #2 in the Nolan series
383 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1973
49 people are currently reading
486 people want to read
About the author
Max Allan Collins
802 books1,321 followersReceived the Shamus Award, "The Eye" (Lifetime achievment award) in 2006.
He has also published under the name Patrick Culhane. He and his wife, Barbara Collins, have written several books together. Some of them are published under the name Barbara Allan.
Book Awards
Shamus Awards Best Novel winner (1984) : True Detective
Shamus Awards Best Novel winner (1992) : Stolen Away
Shamus Awards Best Novel nominee (1995) : Carnal Hours
Shamus Awards Best Novel nominee (1997) : Damned in Paradise
Shamus Awards Best Novel nominee (1999) : Flying Blind: A Novel about Amelia Earhart
Shamus Awards Best Novel nominee (2002) : Angel in Black
Japanese: マックス・アラン・コリンズ
or マックス・アラン コリンズ
He has also published under the name Patrick Culhane. He and his wife, Barbara Collins, have written several books together. Some of them are published under the name Barbara Allan.
Book Awards
Shamus Awards Best Novel winner (1984) : True Detective
Shamus Awards Best Novel winner (1992) : Stolen Away
Shamus Awards Best Novel nominee (1995) : Carnal Hours
Shamus Awards Best Novel nominee (1997) : Damned in Paradise
Shamus Awards Best Novel nominee (1999) : Flying Blind: A Novel about Amelia Earhart
Shamus Awards Best Novel nominee (2002) : Angel in Black
Japanese: マックス・アラン・コリンズ
or マックス・アラン コリンズ
Ratings & Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 79 reviews
January 16, 2025
From 1973
There are two novels here, Bait Money and Blood Money.
I was reading his Hit Man character, Quarry. Quarry is first person.
Bait Money introduces his Thief character Nolan. Nolan is third person.
In the afterword, Collins calls Nolan a pastiche of Richard Stark’s Parker.
Like Parker other characters here have perspectives.
I liked Quarry better, but these are good too.
There are two novels here, Bait Money and Blood Money.
I was reading his Hit Man character, Quarry. Quarry is first person.
Bait Money introduces his Thief character Nolan. Nolan is third person.
In the afterword, Collins calls Nolan a pastiche of Richard Stark’s Parker.
Like Parker other characters here have perspectives.
I liked Quarry better, but these are good too.
October 29, 2020
Two for the Money consists of two stories that are two parts to the same story. The first, Bait Money, was Collins' first book. The second, Blood Money, was written as a sequel, but some years later. They are perfectly paired together here by Hard Case Crime. Collins explains in an afterward that Westlake's Parker character was the inspiration for his character Nolan and that, before creating a whole series based on the Nolan character, he discussed the enterprise with Westlake, obtaining approval.
Bait Money was his first published novel, but it is hard to imagine that this was Collins' first published novel. It is that good. It is what readers like to call a page-turner. It's a good solid story set in the Midwest, in Iowa to be precise. Nolan, who originally was a nightclub manager for a mob-controlled enterprise, had a disagreement with a mobster, who ordered Nolan to kill a friend. Nolan ended up killing the mobster and fleeing with the Mob's money. The call comes and an intermediary offers to negotiate a truce so that Nolan can get his hands on money he had socked away. The price, however, is steep. Nolan must pay off his nemesis, Charlie, and can't use any of his socked-away assets. He has to earn his keep. Unfortunately, none of the usual suspects are willing to work with Nolan until he makes permanent peace with the mob. He's just too hot to deal with now. So, instead, the Planner sets Nolan up with a virgin crew, a bunch of college kids who collect comic books and long-haired stoned out hippies. This is who he is going to use to help him rob the largest bank in town. The bulk of the tale is about how the daring daylight robbery is pulled off with only one professional in on the job and Nolan's eventual confrontation with his nemesis, Charlie. It's a great story, well written, finely paced. Its good old fashioned crime fiction set in the early seventies in the Midwest. Collins combines fast action with doses of humor of levity and does it well.
Blood Money is the sequel. A year has gone by and things have changed and boy have they changed. Nolan is now operating a motel for the mob and his nemesis is nowhere to be found. Another daring robbery takes place and Nolan's future with the mob, once-assured, is no longer safe. Bodies are falling. People are being snatched. Witnesses are being wiped out before Nolan can talk to them. This book is a little different than Bait Money. It is more of a live action, mob action tale of intrigue and lacks some of the levity found in the first book. However, a lot of the same characters are here and the story flows nicely from the ending of the first book.
Bait Money was his first published novel, but it is hard to imagine that this was Collins' first published novel. It is that good. It is what readers like to call a page-turner. It's a good solid story set in the Midwest, in Iowa to be precise. Nolan, who originally was a nightclub manager for a mob-controlled enterprise, had a disagreement with a mobster, who ordered Nolan to kill a friend. Nolan ended up killing the mobster and fleeing with the Mob's money. The call comes and an intermediary offers to negotiate a truce so that Nolan can get his hands on money he had socked away. The price, however, is steep. Nolan must pay off his nemesis, Charlie, and can't use any of his socked-away assets. He has to earn his keep. Unfortunately, none of the usual suspects are willing to work with Nolan until he makes permanent peace with the mob. He's just too hot to deal with now. So, instead, the Planner sets Nolan up with a virgin crew, a bunch of college kids who collect comic books and long-haired stoned out hippies. This is who he is going to use to help him rob the largest bank in town. The bulk of the tale is about how the daring daylight robbery is pulled off with only one professional in on the job and Nolan's eventual confrontation with his nemesis, Charlie. It's a great story, well written, finely paced. Its good old fashioned crime fiction set in the early seventies in the Midwest. Collins combines fast action with doses of humor of levity and does it well.
Blood Money is the sequel. A year has gone by and things have changed and boy have they changed. Nolan is now operating a motel for the mob and his nemesis is nowhere to be found. Another daring robbery takes place and Nolan's future with the mob, once-assured, is no longer safe. Bodies are falling. People are being snatched. Witnesses are being wiped out before Nolan can talk to them. This book is a little different than Bait Money. It is more of a live action, mob action tale of intrigue and lacks some of the levity found in the first book. However, a lot of the same characters are here and the story flows nicely from the ending of the first book.
April 3, 2021
Nolan. No first name given. Tough guy. Resume includes managing nightclubs for the Chicago branch of “The Family” and also a professional thief – a true master. Of note: he once killed an incompetent mobster who also happened to be the brother of an underboss. Not good.
Nolan has been laying low for over a decade, dodging his former employers. He’s nearing 50 years of age but his hard life makes him feel closer to 80. So, when a friend offers to broker a deal to grant Nolan a clean slate with The Family, he feels he must take them up on the offer. The deal turns out to be one last job. A bank robbery that Nolan must carry out along with three rookies who are little more than college age juvenile delinquents. But the rewards are high; not just the take from the bank but also that promised clean slate. If only Nolan could trust the deal.
This book combines the first two novels in the Nolan series by Max Allan Collins: “Bait Money” and “Blood Money”. Collins makes it clear in the afterward that he considers these two books to really be one larger novel and indeed, that’s the way this reads. This combined book was first published by Hard Case Crime in 2004 (with unspectacular cover art) but thankfully the publisher has committed to re-publishing the entire Nolan series with new cover art, beginning with this volume. In reading the first half of this book, I was amazed to discover it was actually Max Allan Collins’ very first published novel, written back in 1969-70 while he was a college student himself. But it reads like a veteran writer’s work, all the way through. It’s clearly an homage to Richard Stark’s (Donald Westlake’s) Parker series, readily admitted to by Collins in the afterword. In fact, Collins sought out Westlake’s approval before continuing the Nolan series.
As for the story itself, it’s a wonderful read. The first part is a gripping heist novel with all the meticulous planning and unforeseen snags that occur in the best of that genre. The second part is a little more character-driven but with just as many edge-of-your-seat scenes to keep the pages turning. Together, the larger story really creates an unforgettable character, Nolan, a hardened criminal with a code that makes you want to root for him all the more. Bring on the next one pronto!
Nolan has been laying low for over a decade, dodging his former employers. He’s nearing 50 years of age but his hard life makes him feel closer to 80. So, when a friend offers to broker a deal to grant Nolan a clean slate with The Family, he feels he must take them up on the offer. The deal turns out to be one last job. A bank robbery that Nolan must carry out along with three rookies who are little more than college age juvenile delinquents. But the rewards are high; not just the take from the bank but also that promised clean slate. If only Nolan could trust the deal.
This book combines the first two novels in the Nolan series by Max Allan Collins: “Bait Money” and “Blood Money”. Collins makes it clear in the afterward that he considers these two books to really be one larger novel and indeed, that’s the way this reads. This combined book was first published by Hard Case Crime in 2004 (with unspectacular cover art) but thankfully the publisher has committed to re-publishing the entire Nolan series with new cover art, beginning with this volume. In reading the first half of this book, I was amazed to discover it was actually Max Allan Collins’ very first published novel, written back in 1969-70 while he was a college student himself. But it reads like a veteran writer’s work, all the way through. It’s clearly an homage to Richard Stark’s (Donald Westlake’s) Parker series, readily admitted to by Collins in the afterword. In fact, Collins sought out Westlake’s approval before continuing the Nolan series.
As for the story itself, it’s a wonderful read. The first part is a gripping heist novel with all the meticulous planning and unforeseen snags that occur in the best of that genre. The second part is a little more character-driven but with just as many edge-of-your-seat scenes to keep the pages turning. Together, the larger story really creates an unforgettable character, Nolan, a hardened criminal with a code that makes you want to root for him all the more. Bring on the next one pronto!
June 19, 2024
Two for the Money (Review)
Two For the Money by Max Allan Collins is a novel that defies convention. It is a tale of two halves. The first part, 'Bait Money ', marked Collins' debut in the literary world. The second part, its sequel, was penned years later: 'Blood Money '. Charles Ardai, an award-winning author and the mastermind behind Hard Case Crime publications, decided to combine and publish the two novels, renaming them 'Two For the Money ', in line with Max Allan Collins' vision. It’s a clever title, as you’re essentially getting two books for the price of one… he-he. I saw what you did there!
Nolan (no first name) would reach the top ten if I had to pick a complex character. Both novels are shorter than the average paperback (My copy is about 360 pages, not including the afterword by the king himself). But still, only a few books come close to Max Allan Collin’s achievement. Max wrote 'Bait Money' during his residency at the University of Iowa. The first part is about an ageing man of 48 years who is forced out of whatever retirement plan (It’s not precisely retirement per se. More like exile with insurance money.) to make peace with an enemy after he is shot in the side and his false identity and money disappear. Naturally, it packs a delicious punch. There’s some special feeling when the protagonist is not a young, inexperienced lad but a washed-up, middle-aged man with scars proof of his exploits. He gets a sidekick (an apprentice?) from Jon, a 20-something-year-old who loves posters and comics and is equally lovable as our protagonist.
Once you read that sensual prologue in 'Bait Money'… he-he. Oh, the action! I’ll put it meekly while slowly shaking my head, “It never slows down, champ. Never…”
So, why do I like Nolan? Come on, he’s stoic, intelligent, sarcastic, and very mature in his line of work. He gives me the Ocean’s vibe… I know he’s a scoundrel and always a step ahead, but the qualities I’ve mentioned overshadow the negative. Nolan is respected by his 'friends'. Irish, for example, or Planner. Both of them praise (shall I say worship?) Nolan. There’s a reason why we romanticise thieves. Perhaps it’s the thrill? Or is it the unrealistic excitement of success? We should not be thieves, though! Nolan tries to hammer that lesson to Jon. It’s the ending (of Bait Money) that hooked me.
Why do I like Jon? There’s no other way to put it… He’s us, nerds. Or better yet, children who play games like Trap the Mouse, Monopoly, or, if you live in Malta, a game of Police and Thieves (A group of kids chasing the 'thieves' who are just another group of children. If the 'police' catch you, you get thrown in 'jail')—an outcast fancying the chase. Jon is not a child, though. He lives in his own house, wanting to fulfil a remarkable dream. We all have our dreams. One of Jon’s goals, however, is to plan and join a bank heist. So what does his uncle (Planner) do? He makes Nolan babysit Jon. In the sequel, Jon picks up some of Nolan’s habits… he-he.
What’s interesting is the heist. Many might think the detail is necessary, but Max makes it short, realistic, and hilarious. How many shots were fired? I’m not joking; only one. Remember that this is the Midwest's early seventies—no Artificial Intelligence or fancy technology, just pure wit, paper, and a lot of filing. Perhaps a Vault that combines locks or an antique store with a sleek collection of varied buttons…he-he.
In our monotonous lives, we read about technology every second, and I appreciate it when I stumble upon a book set before technology took over. I’m not too fond of technology, but I still use it.
The second part: 'Blood Money', is about Nolan getting screwed over (again) for something he did in part one. You’ll watch him scheme and blackmail as he undergoes a personal vendetta against one of the syndicates’ (I will not call it Family) members. Nolan and Jon are wronged here, but I must say, after that small interlude at the pool with Sherry and Felix… What methodical planning. Nolan is a force to be reckoned with.
I was brought up never to trust an organisation which calls itself family. Family till what end? If you fuck up, they’ll be the ones ready to replace you. Same thing here.
'Blood Money' mainly focuses on a cast of characters other than just Nolan. But Nolan is still the central character. I felt his absence for the most part. It introduces a new character, the agitated Walter, who accompanies his old man to do a dirty deed.
Walter gradually falls into panic. He is considered to be an innocent in this line of work. He is brought into this line of work to accompany his father (whom I will not name). Walter wants to spend time with his dad. I’ll tell you this: the identity of Walter’s father was a surprise.
I enjoyed this book and will read the rest of Nolan's adventures.
19/06/2024
5/5
Two For the Money by Max Allan Collins is a novel that defies convention. It is a tale of two halves. The first part, 'Bait Money ', marked Collins' debut in the literary world. The second part, its sequel, was penned years later: 'Blood Money '. Charles Ardai, an award-winning author and the mastermind behind Hard Case Crime publications, decided to combine and publish the two novels, renaming them 'Two For the Money ', in line with Max Allan Collins' vision. It’s a clever title, as you’re essentially getting two books for the price of one… he-he. I saw what you did there!
Nolan (no first name) would reach the top ten if I had to pick a complex character. Both novels are shorter than the average paperback (My copy is about 360 pages, not including the afterword by the king himself). But still, only a few books come close to Max Allan Collin’s achievement. Max wrote 'Bait Money' during his residency at the University of Iowa. The first part is about an ageing man of 48 years who is forced out of whatever retirement plan (It’s not precisely retirement per se. More like exile with insurance money.) to make peace with an enemy after he is shot in the side and his false identity and money disappear. Naturally, it packs a delicious punch. There’s some special feeling when the protagonist is not a young, inexperienced lad but a washed-up, middle-aged man with scars proof of his exploits. He gets a sidekick (an apprentice?) from Jon, a 20-something-year-old who loves posters and comics and is equally lovable as our protagonist.
Once you read that sensual prologue in 'Bait Money'… he-he. Oh, the action! I’ll put it meekly while slowly shaking my head, “It never slows down, champ. Never…”
So, why do I like Nolan? Come on, he’s stoic, intelligent, sarcastic, and very mature in his line of work. He gives me the Ocean’s vibe… I know he’s a scoundrel and always a step ahead, but the qualities I’ve mentioned overshadow the negative. Nolan is respected by his 'friends'. Irish, for example, or Planner. Both of them praise (shall I say worship?) Nolan. There’s a reason why we romanticise thieves. Perhaps it’s the thrill? Or is it the unrealistic excitement of success? We should not be thieves, though! Nolan tries to hammer that lesson to Jon. It’s the ending (of Bait Money) that hooked me.
Why do I like Jon? There’s no other way to put it… He’s us, nerds. Or better yet, children who play games like Trap the Mouse, Monopoly, or, if you live in Malta, a game of Police and Thieves (A group of kids chasing the 'thieves' who are just another group of children. If the 'police' catch you, you get thrown in 'jail')—an outcast fancying the chase. Jon is not a child, though. He lives in his own house, wanting to fulfil a remarkable dream. We all have our dreams. One of Jon’s goals, however, is to plan and join a bank heist. So what does his uncle (Planner) do? He makes Nolan babysit Jon. In the sequel, Jon picks up some of Nolan’s habits… he-he.
What’s interesting is the heist. Many might think the detail is necessary, but Max makes it short, realistic, and hilarious. How many shots were fired? I’m not joking; only one. Remember that this is the Midwest's early seventies—no Artificial Intelligence or fancy technology, just pure wit, paper, and a lot of filing. Perhaps a Vault that combines locks or an antique store with a sleek collection of varied buttons…he-he.
In our monotonous lives, we read about technology every second, and I appreciate it when I stumble upon a book set before technology took over. I’m not too fond of technology, but I still use it.
The second part: 'Blood Money', is about Nolan getting screwed over (again) for something he did in part one. You’ll watch him scheme and blackmail as he undergoes a personal vendetta against one of the syndicates’ (I will not call it Family) members. Nolan and Jon are wronged here, but I must say, after that small interlude at the pool with Sherry and Felix… What methodical planning. Nolan is a force to be reckoned with.
I was brought up never to trust an organisation which calls itself family. Family till what end? If you fuck up, they’ll be the ones ready to replace you. Same thing here.
'Blood Money' mainly focuses on a cast of characters other than just Nolan. But Nolan is still the central character. I felt his absence for the most part. It introduces a new character, the agitated Walter, who accompanies his old man to do a dirty deed.
Walter gradually falls into panic. He is considered to be an innocent in this line of work. He is brought into this line of work to accompany his father (whom I will not name). Walter wants to spend time with his dad. I’ll tell you this: the identity of Walter’s father was a surprise.
I enjoyed this book and will read the rest of Nolan's adventures.
19/06/2024
5/5
November 3, 2011
Compare,
When a fresh-faced guy in a Chevy offered him a lift, Parker told him to go to hell. the guy said, "Screw you, buddy," yanked his Chevy back into the stream of traffic, and roared on down to the tollbooths. Parker spat in the right-hand lane, lit his last cigarette, and walked across the George Washington Bridge.
...
Out in the middle, the bridge trembled and swayed in the wind. It does it all the time, but he'd never noticed it. He'd never walked it before. He felt it shivering under his feet, and he got mad. He threw the used-up butt at the river, spat on a passing hubcap and strode on.
Office women in passing cars looked at him and felt vibrations above their nylons. He was big and shaggy, with flat square shoulder and arms too long in sleeves too short. He wore a gray suit limp with age and no pressing. His shoes and socks were both black and both holey. The shoes were holey on the bottom, the socks were holey at the heel and toe.
His hands, swinging curve-fingered at his sides, looked like they were molded of brown clay by a sculptor who thought big and liked veins. His hair was brown and dry and dead, blowing around his head like a poor toupee about the fly loose. His face was a chipped chunk of concrete, with eyes of flawed onyx. His mouth was a quick stroke, bloodless. His suit coat fluttered behind him, and his arms swung easily as he walked.
and Contrast.
A woman was usually a night to a week in Nolan's life, yet this one had lasted a month and five days. But then, before it was different-before he'd never had so bad a need for one.
He sat up in bed, aware that the pain in his side was lessening, and scanned the room. He took in its drabness, and a slight smile came to his lips. Christ, had he really been staring at these four suffocating walls for over a month now? He closed his eyes, seeking not rest but relief from pink stucco walls and second-hand furniture.
I could have gone on for a few more paragraphs of the first example, the opening paragraphs of The Hunter, the Richard Stark novel that first stars Parker. The next paragraph. The next paragraph in the second example begins some dialogue that mostly lets you know that Nolan, the similarly single named thief of Max Allan Collins, Bait Money doesn't say many words to women.
I shared these two opening bits from Bait Money (the first of two novels in this book) and The Hunter to show how much better Richard Stark is than Max Allan Collins. Is this fair to do? Sure, since Collins is writing a homage to the Parker novels, and wrote Bait Money when the first series of Parker novels were either done, or else coming close to coming to a close. What's important about Nolan? What is the first thing the reader is given? Well he likes ladies, but doesn't like relationships. Then we learn he's been injured in someway and that he is critical of the interior design of where he is staying. Parker? Well we learn he's pissed off, he's scary looking, he's more concerned with whatever is pissing him off enough to make him walk across the the GWB than with the holes in his shoes, the ill-fitting suit or getting it pressed. But besides those details, the opening passage of The Hunter is immediate and memorable, who gives a shit about some dude waking up in some woman's bed that he's managed to shack up with for a whole month? That's not really the best opening of a book out there.
Collins is very clear in his afterword that he set out to write a Parker homage, and I guess I'm happy he admitted it. This is basically a bit of a twist on the first couple of Parker novels. A guy gets double-crossed in someway, and he runs afoul with the Mob (or whatever you want to call them) and goes to war with the Italians. Both characters only have one name. Collins' character is slightly less elusive though, he makes it clear that Nolan is a last name. Stark never gives up (well through the first twelve books or so that I've read) if Parker is a first or last name, and when someone asks Parker he doesn't answer. They also both have a knack for planning and running heists. Nolan seems to have just stumbled upon this talent after he had to leave being a night-club manager, Parker, you get the idea, he learned it by always being a criminal.
Yeah, Collins writes that Donald Westlake liked Bait Money and didn't mind if Collins continued using the Nolan character for a series of books, but that still doesn't make (at least the first two novels, which are here in this volume) a second rate version of the Parker novels.
If you like the Parker novels and want something that is written in pretty much the same style, with generally the same narrative structure then you will probably enjoy these. Story-wise they are about as good as the lesser-Parkers. There is something formulaic about the way the main characters are introduced and reading these two novels back to back in one book the reader has to slog through some whole introductory paragraphs that feel like they were just cut and pasted out of the earlier book. This reminded me of the awful action adventure serial novels I used to read and love as a kid, and is something very pulpish. Stark seems to avoid that general cut and paste feeling in his re-introducing of Parker for each novel, I'm not positive of this but Stark seems to have created a way of telling his story that would allow a new reader to quickly get a handle on the back-story, but also not making continuing readers feel like they are just reading the same old stuff again.
Am I being unfair though? Is this like whining about how shitty a Guns n' Roses tribute band is because they aren't the real thing? Probably.
Ok, last whining gripe.
Why is Max Allan Collins so icky ewwww when it comes to women and sex? Seriously, I thought maybe you were just a creepy old man when I read The Last Quarry but apparently the younger you was like this, too.
When a fresh-faced guy in a Chevy offered him a lift, Parker told him to go to hell. the guy said, "Screw you, buddy," yanked his Chevy back into the stream of traffic, and roared on down to the tollbooths. Parker spat in the right-hand lane, lit his last cigarette, and walked across the George Washington Bridge.
...
Out in the middle, the bridge trembled and swayed in the wind. It does it all the time, but he'd never noticed it. He'd never walked it before. He felt it shivering under his feet, and he got mad. He threw the used-up butt at the river, spat on a passing hubcap and strode on.
Office women in passing cars looked at him and felt vibrations above their nylons. He was big and shaggy, with flat square shoulder and arms too long in sleeves too short. He wore a gray suit limp with age and no pressing. His shoes and socks were both black and both holey. The shoes were holey on the bottom, the socks were holey at the heel and toe.
His hands, swinging curve-fingered at his sides, looked like they were molded of brown clay by a sculptor who thought big and liked veins. His hair was brown and dry and dead, blowing around his head like a poor toupee about the fly loose. His face was a chipped chunk of concrete, with eyes of flawed onyx. His mouth was a quick stroke, bloodless. His suit coat fluttered behind him, and his arms swung easily as he walked.
and Contrast.
A woman was usually a night to a week in Nolan's life, yet this one had lasted a month and five days. But then, before it was different-before he'd never had so bad a need for one.
He sat up in bed, aware that the pain in his side was lessening, and scanned the room. He took in its drabness, and a slight smile came to his lips. Christ, had he really been staring at these four suffocating walls for over a month now? He closed his eyes, seeking not rest but relief from pink stucco walls and second-hand furniture.
I could have gone on for a few more paragraphs of the first example, the opening paragraphs of The Hunter, the Richard Stark novel that first stars Parker. The next paragraph. The next paragraph in the second example begins some dialogue that mostly lets you know that Nolan, the similarly single named thief of Max Allan Collins, Bait Money doesn't say many words to women.
I shared these two opening bits from Bait Money (the first of two novels in this book) and The Hunter to show how much better Richard Stark is than Max Allan Collins. Is this fair to do? Sure, since Collins is writing a homage to the Parker novels, and wrote Bait Money when the first series of Parker novels were either done, or else coming close to coming to a close. What's important about Nolan? What is the first thing the reader is given? Well he likes ladies, but doesn't like relationships. Then we learn he's been injured in someway and that he is critical of the interior design of where he is staying. Parker? Well we learn he's pissed off, he's scary looking, he's more concerned with whatever is pissing him off enough to make him walk across the the GWB than with the holes in his shoes, the ill-fitting suit or getting it pressed. But besides those details, the opening passage of The Hunter is immediate and memorable, who gives a shit about some dude waking up in some woman's bed that he's managed to shack up with for a whole month? That's not really the best opening of a book out there.
Collins is very clear in his afterword that he set out to write a Parker homage, and I guess I'm happy he admitted it. This is basically a bit of a twist on the first couple of Parker novels. A guy gets double-crossed in someway, and he runs afoul with the Mob (or whatever you want to call them) and goes to war with the Italians. Both characters only have one name. Collins' character is slightly less elusive though, he makes it clear that Nolan is a last name. Stark never gives up (well through the first twelve books or so that I've read) if Parker is a first or last name, and when someone asks Parker he doesn't answer. They also both have a knack for planning and running heists. Nolan seems to have just stumbled upon this talent after he had to leave being a night-club manager, Parker, you get the idea, he learned it by always being a criminal.
Yeah, Collins writes that Donald Westlake liked Bait Money and didn't mind if Collins continued using the Nolan character for a series of books, but that still doesn't make (at least the first two novels, which are here in this volume) a second rate version of the Parker novels.
If you like the Parker novels and want something that is written in pretty much the same style, with generally the same narrative structure then you will probably enjoy these. Story-wise they are about as good as the lesser-Parkers. There is something formulaic about the way the main characters are introduced and reading these two novels back to back in one book the reader has to slog through some whole introductory paragraphs that feel like they were just cut and pasted out of the earlier book. This reminded me of the awful action adventure serial novels I used to read and love as a kid, and is something very pulpish. Stark seems to avoid that general cut and paste feeling in his re-introducing of Parker for each novel, I'm not positive of this but Stark seems to have created a way of telling his story that would allow a new reader to quickly get a handle on the back-story, but also not making continuing readers feel like they are just reading the same old stuff again.
Am I being unfair though? Is this like whining about how shitty a Guns n' Roses tribute band is because they aren't the real thing? Probably.
Ok, last whining gripe.
Why is Max Allan Collins so icky ewwww when it comes to women and sex? Seriously, I thought maybe you were just a creepy old man when I read The Last Quarry but apparently the younger you was like this, too.
February 27, 2010
Bait Money: In order to pay off the Family and get his access to his old cover identity and savings, Nolan takes on a heist no one else would take: a bank, with three amateurs as his crew. Can Nolan pull it off and will the family keep their end of the deal if he does?
According to the afterword, Nolan was created as an homage to Richard Stark's Parker and it shows. Nolan is an older, slightly softer version of Parker. The thing that keeps him from being a Parker ripoff is his relationship with Jon, one of the youngsters that's helping him with the bank heist. There's a little bit of a father-son vibe between them. Grossman and Shelly were a little thin as characters and the angle with Shelly, Nolan, and John was fairly predictable, as was Grossman's reaction. The heist was believable and the car chase was done well. I liked the supporting characters Tillis and Irish. All in all, Bait Money was a solid yarn.
Blood Money: Someone took out The Planner, snatched the money from the bank job, and took Jon hostage, and Nolan goes looking for him. Only all signs point to someone who is supposed to be dead...
Blood Money is a better-crafted story then Bait Money. The action is better, there are more shocking twists, and Collins even works in some parallelism, contrasting the relationship of Nolan and Jon with that of Walter and his father. I caught a Donald Westlake reference early on. Afganistan Banana Stand indeed. The final twist of the story was a jaw dropper. Jon continues to be my favorite character in the series. He's a comic collecting Robin to Nolan's Batman.
So, after reading Two for the Money, I'm prepared to admit that Nolan rose above his roots as a Parker rip-off. I'll be snatching up the rest of the series as I find them. For affordable prices, of course.
According to the afterword, Nolan was created as an homage to Richard Stark's Parker and it shows. Nolan is an older, slightly softer version of Parker. The thing that keeps him from being a Parker ripoff is his relationship with Jon, one of the youngsters that's helping him with the bank heist. There's a little bit of a father-son vibe between them. Grossman and Shelly were a little thin as characters and the angle with Shelly, Nolan, and John was fairly predictable, as was Grossman's reaction. The heist was believable and the car chase was done well. I liked the supporting characters Tillis and Irish. All in all, Bait Money was a solid yarn.
Blood Money: Someone took out The Planner, snatched the money from the bank job, and took Jon hostage, and Nolan goes looking for him. Only all signs point to someone who is supposed to be dead...
Blood Money is a better-crafted story then Bait Money. The action is better, there are more shocking twists, and Collins even works in some parallelism, contrasting the relationship of Nolan and Jon with that of Walter and his father. I caught a Donald Westlake reference early on. Afganistan Banana Stand indeed. The final twist of the story was a jaw dropper. Jon continues to be my favorite character in the series. He's a comic collecting Robin to Nolan's Batman.
So, after reading Two for the Money, I'm prepared to admit that Nolan rose above his roots as a Parker rip-off. I'll be snatching up the rest of the series as I find them. For affordable prices, of course.
July 31, 2020
This book is a play on words. "Bait Money" and "Blood Money" are two books for the money and, worth every cent. Hard Case Crime reprinted these two Max Allan Collins gems originally published in the early '70's. Our protagonist Nolan, a mob thief, has been out of the mob for some time and wants what is owed him. However he has to complete one task, to bring money to his rival...a great sum of money. These books follow Nolan and a young protege, Jon, a tough comic book nerd, as they work on this together. There are other players, the mobsters lording over all, as well as the quiet antiques dealer who has and can get whatever you need. Add in the goons, pretty molls and a sleepy setting along the mid-western Mississippi and you have quite the noir tale.
Recommended...
Recommended...
October 26, 2022
The first time I encountered Two for the Money was the original two-in-one edition that Hard Case Crime published in 2004 (if I remember correctly). I loved that painted cover at the time, but man, this new edition cover by Mark Eastbrook really pops. The book is still the great double feature of the first two Nolan novels, which work really well as a double dip. I must say that when I read them for the first time, I identified much more with Jon, the comic book loving early-20s guy. Reading it now some 18 years later, I feel much, much closer to 48-year-old Nolan. Max Allan Collins is one of, if not my favorite writers, and he came out blazing with these two novels full of great action, a thrilling heist and of course, sexy babes. Everything I want in a great crime caper book. As always, Hard Case Crime delivers with not only a great reprint of a classic series, but a beautiful cover to top it off.
Special Thanks to Hard Case Crime, Titan Books and Edelweiss Plus for a digital ARC.
Special Thanks to Hard Case Crime, Titan Books and Edelweiss Plus for a digital ARC.
June 12, 2020
Two for the Money works as a title for the story, and even better as the description of this two-fer reprint of the Curtis OPB novels "Bait Money" and "Blood Money." In his Afterword, author Max Allan Collins provides the details on the originals and how they came to be paired under the Hard Case Crime imprint. I kinda wish it had been a Foreword. The redundant recap of key plot points from the first novel in the second are more forgivable when you have the facts. Nonetheless, the two represent Collins’ first published novel: "Bait"—and, "Blood," if not his second, certainly another early effort. Both are serviceable, but felt padded with over-long descriptions and several fully rendered scenes that could’ve easily been summarized in a paragraph or two instead of a chapter.
April 9, 2024
Finally starting the Nolan series and it did not disappoint! High action and lots of killing.
This is two books in one. Bait Money and Blood money. They dovetail nicely together. Book 1 is about a bank heist and the 2nd about getting the $$$ back.
Nolan is a bit of an anti hero. Much like another MAC story Quarry, they live by a set of rules for themselves. It keeps them alive. The bank heist goes on with out a hitch. The after is where it goes sideways. The volatility of a young love leads to death. It definitely was unexpected. Then everything starts to unravel.
Book2 is set almost a year later and you see how Nolan is doing and how what he thought was true was a big lie.
Chaos and double crosses in this one. Blood Money is right!
This is two books in one. Bait Money and Blood money. They dovetail nicely together. Book 1 is about a bank heist and the 2nd about getting the $$$ back.
Nolan is a bit of an anti hero. Much like another MAC story Quarry, they live by a set of rules for themselves. It keeps them alive. The bank heist goes on with out a hitch. The after is where it goes sideways. The volatility of a young love leads to death. It definitely was unexpected. Then everything starts to unravel.
Book2 is set almost a year later and you see how Nolan is doing and how what he thought was true was a big lie.
Chaos and double crosses in this one. Blood Money is right!
July 1, 2021
A professional thief. One last job. What can go wrong? Plenty, as these, the first two novels about Collins' Nolan, establish colorfully. On first glance, these tales may feel like prototypical noir. Collins admits as much in an afterward in which he says these books were his tribute to Richard Stark's Parker right down to the hero with one name. Some reviewers have a problem with this obvious source of inspiration. I found them highly entertaining; full of action and twists, these stories move. The two novels combined here, Bait Money and Blood Money, would feel incomplete apart; together, they make for a fast, fun read.
August 19, 2010
From ISawLightningFall.com
THREE-AND-A-HALF STARS
We all know the old saying about imitation being the sincerest form of flattery, and that aphorism holds no less true in the world of writing. Homages to the works of famous authors not only honor the individuals but show the extent of their influence in their chosen fields. The eldritch imaginings of H.P. Lovecraft have gotten mileage far beyond their original iterations thanks to artists as diverse as Brian Lumley and Neil Gaiman. Entire swathes of fantasy are basically testaments to Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings. What happens, though, when a pasticheur can't quite imitate another's excellence? Can the resulting work be considered a success? It's a question I found myself asking while reading Two for the Money, hardboiled author Max Allan Collin's tribute to Richard Stark's Parker novels.
Nolan is feeling his age. No, scratch that, he definitely feels older than his forty-eight years. Running from the Family will do that to you, and Nolan can't exactly blame the Chicago crime syndicate for chasing him. He'd been doing fine as Family nightclub manager until Gordon got promoted, the thug. You see, Gordon told Nolan to off an old friend, and ... Well, let's just say things got messy. Killing Gordon might've been excusable on its own, but absconding with $20,000 of Family money? That definitely wasn't. Now after sixteen years of hiding from Gordon's brother Charlie, Nolan's ready to call it quits. But to do so he'll have to pull off the most difficult job of his career, a bank robbery where he has a crew of amateurs, a bullet in his side and no other options.
You can't say Collins doesn't line up the Parker tropes like a row of dominos. An amoral, single-named protagonist. A high-stakes heist. A deadly double cross. Plenty of blazing guns and down-n-dirty fisticuffs. Yet despite such similarities, Two for the Money never quite feels like a Stark book. It simply doesn't read the same. Stark's name could describe his style. His novels are bare and unadorned, peeled all the way back to the bone. In fact, the actions of Parker and his associates often seem a little mysterious at first because Stark doesn't let readers into their heads or comment on their actions. He's almost a hardboiled Hemmingway. Conversely, Collins lets his characters unspool paragraphs of internal monologue, ruminating at length about most everything under the sun. That isn't to say the book's bad. Two for the Money does what pulp ought to, namely entertain. But somehow it never quite adds up to the works which inspired it.
THREE-AND-A-HALF STARS
We all know the old saying about imitation being the sincerest form of flattery, and that aphorism holds no less true in the world of writing. Homages to the works of famous authors not only honor the individuals but show the extent of their influence in their chosen fields. The eldritch imaginings of H.P. Lovecraft have gotten mileage far beyond their original iterations thanks to artists as diverse as Brian Lumley and Neil Gaiman. Entire swathes of fantasy are basically testaments to Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings. What happens, though, when a pasticheur can't quite imitate another's excellence? Can the resulting work be considered a success? It's a question I found myself asking while reading Two for the Money, hardboiled author Max Allan Collin's tribute to Richard Stark's Parker novels.
Nolan is feeling his age. No, scratch that, he definitely feels older than his forty-eight years. Running from the Family will do that to you, and Nolan can't exactly blame the Chicago crime syndicate for chasing him. He'd been doing fine as Family nightclub manager until Gordon got promoted, the thug. You see, Gordon told Nolan to off an old friend, and ... Well, let's just say things got messy. Killing Gordon might've been excusable on its own, but absconding with $20,000 of Family money? That definitely wasn't. Now after sixteen years of hiding from Gordon's brother Charlie, Nolan's ready to call it quits. But to do so he'll have to pull off the most difficult job of his career, a bank robbery where he has a crew of amateurs, a bullet in his side and no other options.
You can't say Collins doesn't line up the Parker tropes like a row of dominos. An amoral, single-named protagonist. A high-stakes heist. A deadly double cross. Plenty of blazing guns and down-n-dirty fisticuffs. Yet despite such similarities, Two for the Money never quite feels like a Stark book. It simply doesn't read the same. Stark's name could describe his style. His novels are bare and unadorned, peeled all the way back to the bone. In fact, the actions of Parker and his associates often seem a little mysterious at first because Stark doesn't let readers into their heads or comment on their actions. He's almost a hardboiled Hemmingway. Conversely, Collins lets his characters unspool paragraphs of internal monologue, ruminating at length about most everything under the sun. That isn't to say the book's bad. Two for the Money does what pulp ought to, namely entertain. But somehow it never quite adds up to the works which inspired it.
July 31, 2007
Two for the Money is an omnibus edition of two novels, Bait Money and Blood Money, that Max Allan Collins originally wrote in 1973 and then revised for re-publication in 1981. He wrote them partly as a tribute to Donald E. Westlake's Parker series, which Westlake wrote under his Richard Stark pseudonym. Unlike Parker, however, Nolan is about as convincingly tough as a five-year-old wearing an eyepatch and pretending to smoke a cigarette. At no point in either of these novels does Nolan ever seem like anything more than what he is; the one-dimensional creation of a fawning fanboy who never misses an opportunity to remind us that Nolan looks exactly like Lee Van Cleef, a particularly banal and lazy form of description, not to mention adolescent and pathetic hero worship. There are apparently three more novels in Collins's Nolan series. They might be better than these two, but I'll probably never find out. Life's too short.
March 12, 2025
An excellent double helping of Max Collins’ likeable villain who we only ever know as Nolan.
July 29, 2012
Two for the money is, of course, a pun, and the book contains two novellas, sort of. No spoilers. You will just have to read this book to understand why I can’t tell you about Book Two or provide much of the plot.
Excellent Nolan the thief story. Nolan is getting old, or at least to an age that he thinks is old (he’s forty-nine but [spoiler coming: turns fifty in Book Two.) He’s also an Iowan, or at least Iowa has become his locale of preference given his problems with Chicago.
Iowa City depressed Nolan. It wasn’t the Midwestern atmosphere that bothered him, or even Iowa itself—he liked being left alone, which was basically what people did to each other in Midwestern states, as opposed to East Coast rudeness, West Coast weirdness and Southern pseudo-hospitality. Iowa City was a college town, and that depressed Nolan. Or more specifically, college-town girls depressed him. Maybe it was this new awareness of what he was beginning to view as the onrush of senility. Or just an awkwardness that came from being around people he couldn’t relate to. But these young girls, damn it, all looking so fuckable and at the same time untouchable, in their jeans and flimsy tee-shirts. . . . He guessed it was ego; he didn’t like looking at a desirable woman without at least the remote possibility of getting in. Not that he’d ever been much for playing the stud, that wasn’t it; sex was a gut need to be filled when time and circumstance allowed. But with young girls like these, daughters and possibly granddaughters of the one or two generations of women he’d had intercourse with, he had no basis for rapport, no way, man, none at all to relate with such creatures. Conversation was enough of a pain for Nolan without having to struggle for whatever wave-length these children were on this week. So Nolan is alone.
He has returned to the Chicago area where he is recognized and shot by a member of the “Family” with which Nolan has a long-standing grudge. He had killed the brother of “Charlie,” one of the Family bosses who has sworn revenge and who has had a contract out on Nolan for fifteen years. Nolan, tired of hiding, running, and thieving, seeks a reconciliation with Charlie so he can have access to all the money he has squirreled away from assorted heists over the years under an alias that Charlie now controls. Charlie agrees, but with a condition: he must pay $100,000 for the privilege.
“You heard me, Nolan. Go out and get it for me. Earn it. Steal it. Counterfeit it if you can do a good enough job. But you got to be able to show me where you got it. I want to pick up the newspaper and see such-and-such jewelry store got hit, or so-and-so rich bastard was robbed. Don’t even think about using any of the Earl Webb money to pay me off.” “Why the hell not?” “Because I don’t want you to. Because it would be too goddamn fucking easy.”
So Nolan is stuck planning a bank heist with some amateurs. The heist goes well but things begin to go very wrong. He has the money to pay off Charlie, but is he just being set up?
Collins has the ageism and worry for the future dead on. It’s uncanny how this book has the feel a Richard Stark Parker novel. High praise, indeed. Kudos to the publisher who resurrected these these early novels as ebooks.
There’s a very interesting historical afterword that’s worth reading [spoiler alert] in which Collins discusses the origin of his pen name Michael Allan Collins, his real name. He had originally written under the name Max Collins (even though he had submitted the books under the name Allan Collins – his father’s name was Max.) But another writer, Michael Collins, whose real name was Dennis Lynds asked him to stop using the name. He didn’t at first and both of them wrote books entitled The Slasher, “and the two ‘M. Collins’ mystery writers caused all sorts of bibliographic nightmares." He later used the pseudonym, Max Allan Collins, which is his real name.
Collins also expresses accolades to Donald Westlake/Richard Stark for the Parker series which became a sort of model for Nolan. BTW, if you find Nolan’s first name listed anywhere, in some old card catalog, perhaps, as “Frank,” that’s incorrect. It was added by an editor who felt Nolan should have a first name for the cover copy, much to Collin’s distinct displeasure. Nowhere in the books is Nolan’s first name identified.
Excellent Nolan the thief story. Nolan is getting old, or at least to an age that he thinks is old (he’s forty-nine but [spoiler coming: turns fifty in Book Two.) He’s also an Iowan, or at least Iowa has become his locale of preference given his problems with Chicago.
Iowa City depressed Nolan. It wasn’t the Midwestern atmosphere that bothered him, or even Iowa itself—he liked being left alone, which was basically what people did to each other in Midwestern states, as opposed to East Coast rudeness, West Coast weirdness and Southern pseudo-hospitality. Iowa City was a college town, and that depressed Nolan. Or more specifically, college-town girls depressed him. Maybe it was this new awareness of what he was beginning to view as the onrush of senility. Or just an awkwardness that came from being around people he couldn’t relate to. But these young girls, damn it, all looking so fuckable and at the same time untouchable, in their jeans and flimsy tee-shirts. . . . He guessed it was ego; he didn’t like looking at a desirable woman without at least the remote possibility of getting in. Not that he’d ever been much for playing the stud, that wasn’t it; sex was a gut need to be filled when time and circumstance allowed. But with young girls like these, daughters and possibly granddaughters of the one or two generations of women he’d had intercourse with, he had no basis for rapport, no way, man, none at all to relate with such creatures. Conversation was enough of a pain for Nolan without having to struggle for whatever wave-length these children were on this week. So Nolan is alone.
He has returned to the Chicago area where he is recognized and shot by a member of the “Family” with which Nolan has a long-standing grudge. He had killed the brother of “Charlie,” one of the Family bosses who has sworn revenge and who has had a contract out on Nolan for fifteen years. Nolan, tired of hiding, running, and thieving, seeks a reconciliation with Charlie so he can have access to all the money he has squirreled away from assorted heists over the years under an alias that Charlie now controls. Charlie agrees, but with a condition: he must pay $100,000 for the privilege.
“You heard me, Nolan. Go out and get it for me. Earn it. Steal it. Counterfeit it if you can do a good enough job. But you got to be able to show me where you got it. I want to pick up the newspaper and see such-and-such jewelry store got hit, or so-and-so rich bastard was robbed. Don’t even think about using any of the Earl Webb money to pay me off.” “Why the hell not?” “Because I don’t want you to. Because it would be too goddamn fucking easy.”
So Nolan is stuck planning a bank heist with some amateurs. The heist goes well but things begin to go very wrong. He has the money to pay off Charlie, but is he just being set up?
Collins has the ageism and worry for the future dead on. It’s uncanny how this book has the feel a Richard Stark Parker novel. High praise, indeed. Kudos to the publisher who resurrected these these early novels as ebooks.
There’s a very interesting historical afterword that’s worth reading [spoiler alert] in which Collins discusses the origin of his pen name Michael Allan Collins, his real name. He had originally written under the name Max Collins (even though he had submitted the books under the name Allan Collins – his father’s name was Max.) But another writer, Michael Collins, whose real name was Dennis Lynds asked him to stop using the name. He didn’t at first and both of them wrote books entitled The Slasher, “and the two ‘M. Collins’ mystery writers caused all sorts of bibliographic nightmares." He later used the pseudonym, Max Allan Collins, which is his real name.
Collins also expresses accolades to Donald Westlake/Richard Stark for the Parker series which became a sort of model for Nolan. BTW, if you find Nolan’s first name listed anywhere, in some old card catalog, perhaps, as “Frank,” that’s incorrect. It was added by an editor who felt Nolan should have a first name for the cover copy, much to Collin’s distinct displeasure. Nowhere in the books is Nolan’s first name identified.
August 4, 2016
Description:
“AFTER 16 YEARS ON THE RUN,
WOULD NOLAN BURY THE HATCHET WITH THE MOB…
OR WOULD THEY BURY HIM FIRST?
They don’t come tougher than Nolan – but even a hardened professional thief can’t fight off the entire Chicago Mafia. So when an old friend offers to broker a truce, Nolan accepts the terms. All he has to do is pull off one last heist – and trust the Mob not to double cross him.
Fortunately, Nolan has a couple of things going for him: an uncanny knack for survival and an unmatched hunger for revenge…
Books #1 and #2 in the Nolan series” - Quoted from book's description.
Max Allan Collins wrote these first two instalments (& a further six) as a homage to Richard Stark's (Donald E. Westlake) Parker series. Admittedly he wrote Nolan's #1+#2 at the beginning of his career, in his early twenties, but that hardly excuses the sloppy editing apparent in these first two books. Collins concedes these two books are in fact meant to be one book, as they together constitute one story. When it was decided to publish both books together, why didn't Collins edit them into one coherent book?
Forgetting for a moment these are a pastiche of the 'Parker' novels, the story itself is o-kay. My problem with these two books are twofold (at the least):
1. The first 15% of book #2 repeats all the salient points from book #1 to such an extent, it renders book #1 redundant.
2. It seems every second page makes some reference to Nolan's age (49-50) & that he's “getting too old for this shit” & yet he still kicks ass at every opportunity, making repeated references to his age another irrelevant redundancy.
Since these are presented as a homage, it begs comparison to the original 'Parker' series by Richard Stark & on that basis, it sucks. Stark's writing is brutal, brilliant, spare & lean, with not a word or praise wasted. 'Parker' is a sociopath, a complete bastard, with no empathy for his fellow man (or women). He doesn't kill for pleasure, but kills when it's expedient or he has no other choice. Nolan by comparison, is a complete pussy. He doesn't kill once, even though his actions may cause others to kill in his wake. Nolan has a naive comic geek as a sidekick & this (apparently) is enough to set it apart from the 'Parker' series. Not enough of a difference, in my opinion. Parker also had a companion in a couple of books (Alan Grofield) & although he was far from naive, he was at least an appropriate sidekick. I can't help but think Collins was inserting himself into these 'Nolan' books as the comic loving twenty year old off-sider.
Many contemporary crime writers admire & seek to emulate in some way their heroes, but the best ones bring their own special touch to their art, in a way that breathes fresh air into their creations. Max Allan Collins adds nothing to Richard Stark's 'Parker' series, but neither does he take anything away, since his homage is of so little import. I have the six 'Nolan' books in the series following these first two, but I can't imagine ever wanting to read them. If I feel like a hit of Parker, I’ll just reread one of Stark's original 16 in the 'Parker' series. Even the eight 'Parker' novels written after a twenty year hiatus (by Stark) would be better than these egregious efforts by Max Allan Collins.
As a work of Hard-boiled crime I give these first two 'Nolan' books 3 stars, with the reservations outlined above. As a homage to the 'Parker' series, I give the above work a rating of 2 stars.
“AFTER 16 YEARS ON THE RUN,
WOULD NOLAN BURY THE HATCHET WITH THE MOB…
OR WOULD THEY BURY HIM FIRST?
They don’t come tougher than Nolan – but even a hardened professional thief can’t fight off the entire Chicago Mafia. So when an old friend offers to broker a truce, Nolan accepts the terms. All he has to do is pull off one last heist – and trust the Mob not to double cross him.
Fortunately, Nolan has a couple of things going for him: an uncanny knack for survival and an unmatched hunger for revenge…
Books #1 and #2 in the Nolan series” - Quoted from book's description.
Max Allan Collins wrote these first two instalments (& a further six) as a homage to Richard Stark's (Donald E. Westlake) Parker series. Admittedly he wrote Nolan's #1+#2 at the beginning of his career, in his early twenties, but that hardly excuses the sloppy editing apparent in these first two books. Collins concedes these two books are in fact meant to be one book, as they together constitute one story. When it was decided to publish both books together, why didn't Collins edit them into one coherent book?
Forgetting for a moment these are a pastiche of the 'Parker' novels, the story itself is o-kay. My problem with these two books are twofold (at the least):
1. The first 15% of book #2 repeats all the salient points from book #1 to such an extent, it renders book #1 redundant.
2. It seems every second page makes some reference to Nolan's age (49-50) & that he's “getting too old for this shit” & yet he still kicks ass at every opportunity, making repeated references to his age another irrelevant redundancy.
Since these are presented as a homage, it begs comparison to the original 'Parker' series by Richard Stark & on that basis, it sucks. Stark's writing is brutal, brilliant, spare & lean, with not a word or praise wasted. 'Parker' is a sociopath, a complete bastard, with no empathy for his fellow man (or women). He doesn't kill for pleasure, but kills when it's expedient or he has no other choice. Nolan by comparison, is a complete pussy. He doesn't kill once, even though his actions may cause others to kill in his wake. Nolan has a naive comic geek as a sidekick & this (apparently) is enough to set it apart from the 'Parker' series. Not enough of a difference, in my opinion. Parker also had a companion in a couple of books (Alan Grofield) & although he was far from naive, he was at least an appropriate sidekick. I can't help but think Collins was inserting himself into these 'Nolan' books as the comic loving twenty year old off-sider.
Many contemporary crime writers admire & seek to emulate in some way their heroes, but the best ones bring their own special touch to their art, in a way that breathes fresh air into their creations. Max Allan Collins adds nothing to Richard Stark's 'Parker' series, but neither does he take anything away, since his homage is of so little import. I have the six 'Nolan' books in the series following these first two, but I can't imagine ever wanting to read them. If I feel like a hit of Parker, I’ll just reread one of Stark's original 16 in the 'Parker' series. Even the eight 'Parker' novels written after a twenty year hiatus (by Stark) would be better than these egregious efforts by Max Allan Collins.
As a work of Hard-boiled crime I give these first two 'Nolan' books 3 stars, with the reservations outlined above. As a homage to the 'Parker' series, I give the above work a rating of 2 stars.
March 24, 2016
Two for the Money is a fun pair of novels packaged together, which has its pluses and it's drawbacks. When you read a book and its sequel, I suppose a bit of recapping is to be expected, but when the two novels appear together, it seems sort of silly to have to reread the same backstory solely because it appears in both books. On the other hand, there's an interesting shift in style between the first and second novels that I may not have noticed if I'd read the books separately.
Collins characterizations are pretty standard here- he's good at fleshing the characters out to a point, but they are still a little stereotypical. The exceptions here are the counter-culture folks that he seems to have a better idea of, maybe because he is closer to their generation than to the old-style underworld figures contained within. The mobsters are a little over-the-top, but I think one expects that in a crime novel.
The true strength, particularly in the second novel, is evoking of sympathy that comes from the main antagonist's family members. The strain of the life on his family is probably the most nuanced part of this book, and it really makes you feel a little sad for the maniacal figure that the villain is.
Collins characterizations are pretty standard here- he's good at fleshing the characters out to a point, but they are still a little stereotypical. The exceptions here are the counter-culture folks that he seems to have a better idea of, maybe because he is closer to their generation than to the old-style underworld figures contained within. The mobsters are a little over-the-top, but I think one expects that in a crime novel.
The true strength, particularly in the second novel, is evoking of sympathy that comes from the main antagonist's family members. The strain of the life on his family is probably the most nuanced part of this book, and it really makes you feel a little sad for the maniacal figure that the villain is.
September 13, 2011
This is actually two novels by Collins - Bait Money and Blood Money. According to the Afterward, Bait Money is the first novel he had published. Compared to many of the Hard Case Crime books I've read it's quite good - impressive for a new author.
In fact I enjoyed Bait Money more than Blood Money. Blood Money suffered from quite a bit of clunky exposition that retold bits of the story from Bait Money. Considering the two novels were combined into one book for Hard Case, someone should have done a bit of editing.
Still, the books were entertaining. I'd read more Nolan novels if they were still in print. . .
In fact I enjoyed Bait Money more than Blood Money. Blood Money suffered from quite a bit of clunky exposition that retold bits of the story from Bait Money. Considering the two novels were combined into one book for Hard Case, someone should have done a bit of editing.
Still, the books were entertaining. I'd read more Nolan novels if they were still in print. . .
September 19, 2009
Nolan is a solid, tough-guy character and he's made better in these two books by linking up with Jon, the comic book collector. Together, they make an odd but interesting pair. I did feel a bit of a fizzle towards the end of the second book but it never made me want to put it down for a "rest" like some books do. Collins shows here that he is a student of the genre and has some very good writing skills even in these, his first two books. Looking forward to reading further adventures of this character.
March 2, 2016
Hard Case Crime put the first two Nolan novels into this one volume---Bait Money and Blood Money. The character pays homage to the Donald Westlake's, writing as Richard Stark, Parker novels. He captures the hardboiled anti-hero style and character wonderfully. Collins is one of the most prolific writers today that follows the hard boiled heritage that came before. Almost any of his novels are worth a read.
March 10, 2012
"Bait Money" is remarkably good for a first novel, gritty and mesmerizing, but somewhat spoiled by the ridiculously commercial ending demanded by Collins' agent. The sequel, "Blood Money", is quite disappointing by comparison. It's unfocused and rambling, and far too much time is spent rehashing material from the first book; ironically, it has a more interesting conclusion.
August 3, 2010
Interesting, imperfect two-fer republication from a crime fiction heavyweight. Great ambivalent ending, in any case.
January 24, 2012
Another enjoyable Hard Case Crime novel.
November 1, 2024
Bait Money
[....] needing money, the Family hot on his ass and nobody in the trade wanting to share the heat with him, Nolan had turned to Planner for anything Planner could come up with for him. And Planner had given him the Port City job. Seemed that Planner’s nephew, Jon, a kid of nineteen or twenty, was in with a couple of other lads, one of whom was a pretty young bitch who worked as a teller at the Port City bank, which these kids were planning to rob. Nolan decided that having an inside person at the bank was an advantage that might offset the lack of experience and the immaturity of the kids, and out of sheer desperation, he went ahead with the robbery.
And so had begun his relationship with Jon. Jon was a somewhat naive, basically shy kid who had dreams of drawing comic books for a living some day; he was a smart kid, a strong little bastard who lifted weights and all that and had been a state wrestling champ in his high school days. Jon’s only (if overriding) eccentricity was this thing of being a comic book nut: drawing the things, collecting them, talking about them almost constantly. Nolan didn’t mind, figuring everybody had a right to a quirk or two, but in the beginning he certainly hadn’t pictured the boy as someone he’d be entering a long-term partnership with.
* * *
Blood Money
[....] Jon had [after Bait Money] taken Nolan to Planner’s and stayed by him like a damn nurse for six or eight fucking months. Nolan was not the sentimental type, but Jon was no longer just a silly damn comic book freak to him; Jon was a silly damn comic book freak who had saved Nolan’s life, and that was different.
A lot had happened since then. Planner had been killed, shot to death in the back room of the antique shop when some old “friends” of Nolan’s had come calling. Nolan and Jon had evened the score as best as possible, but lost a pile of money in the process. In the meantime, Nolan’s long-standing feud with the Chicago Family finally fizzled out when a new regime came into power; the new Family people even hired Nolan, and he ran a motel and restaurant complex for them for a while. But he soon got a bad taste in his mouth, working for people who were in his opinion just a bunch of pimps and pushers and killers come up in the world. So he’d quit, amicably, and had decided to take the offer made him by another of his old working cronies who was retired and living in Iowa City, a very close friend of Planner’s named Wagner, who was having some health troubles and wanted Nolan to take over his restaurant business for him. Thanks to a heist he and Jon had pulled in Detroit a few months back, Nolan had had the necessary capital to buy in, and now here he was: settled down perhaps too close to the site of a fairly recent bank job, which was a risk, yes, but a risk he’d decided was worth taking.
[....] needing money, the Family hot on his ass and nobody in the trade wanting to share the heat with him, Nolan had turned to Planner for anything Planner could come up with for him. And Planner had given him the Port City job. Seemed that Planner’s nephew, Jon, a kid of nineteen or twenty, was in with a couple of other lads, one of whom was a pretty young bitch who worked as a teller at the Port City bank, which these kids were planning to rob. Nolan decided that having an inside person at the bank was an advantage that might offset the lack of experience and the immaturity of the kids, and out of sheer desperation, he went ahead with the robbery.
And so had begun his relationship with Jon. Jon was a somewhat naive, basically shy kid who had dreams of drawing comic books for a living some day; he was a smart kid, a strong little bastard who lifted weights and all that and had been a state wrestling champ in his high school days. Jon’s only (if overriding) eccentricity was this thing of being a comic book nut: drawing the things, collecting them, talking about them almost constantly. Nolan didn’t mind, figuring everybody had a right to a quirk or two, but in the beginning he certainly hadn’t pictured the boy as someone he’d be entering a long-term partnership with.
* * *
Blood Money
[....] Jon had [after Bait Money] taken Nolan to Planner’s and stayed by him like a damn nurse for six or eight fucking months. Nolan was not the sentimental type, but Jon was no longer just a silly damn comic book freak to him; Jon was a silly damn comic book freak who had saved Nolan’s life, and that was different.
A lot had happened since then. Planner had been killed, shot to death in the back room of the antique shop when some old “friends” of Nolan’s had come calling. Nolan and Jon had evened the score as best as possible, but lost a pile of money in the process. In the meantime, Nolan’s long-standing feud with the Chicago Family finally fizzled out when a new regime came into power; the new Family people even hired Nolan, and he ran a motel and restaurant complex for them for a while. But he soon got a bad taste in his mouth, working for people who were in his opinion just a bunch of pimps and pushers and killers come up in the world. So he’d quit, amicably, and had decided to take the offer made him by another of his old working cronies who was retired and living in Iowa City, a very close friend of Planner’s named Wagner, who was having some health troubles and wanted Nolan to take over his restaurant business for him. Thanks to a heist he and Jon had pulled in Detroit a few months back, Nolan had had the necessary capital to buy in, and now here he was: settled down perhaps too close to the site of a fairly recent bank job, which was a risk, yes, but a risk he’d decided was worth taking.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 9, 2019
Collecting the first two of Max Allan Collins' Nolan novels, Two for the Money revives Collins' earliest work for new readers. First published in 1973, both novels (Bait Money and Blood Money) serve as period pieces for the noir genre's shift from professional detectives to professional thugs, replete with plenty of familiar cultural sentiments popular at the time of the book's composition. Tough guys worry about their image, flirt indiscriminately with floozy women, and shoot each other up when they feel like shooting each other up. Collins treats the genre with respect, even as he subverts some of our expectations; in neither novel, for example, does the protagonist Nolan actually get what he wants.
Nevertheless, age has not necessarily been kind to these novels; the second book, for example, is far too heavy on the exposition when included as though it were part of a singular novel, and characters hardly feel dynamic. Nolan and Jon, the two protagonists of the novels, feel two-dimensional, and other characters paper-thin. Moreover, the book's period politics feel too clichéd and overworn.
All in all, there are parts of the novel that I want to like. I want to like Nolan's no-nonsense attitude, his pragmatic approach to social issues, his keen eye for sizing people up at a glance, but I still find myself unable to care about the character or about his stakes. I find myself unwilling to invest in comic-book nerd Jon, or to worry about what mafioso Charlie is going to do next. I want to enjoy Collins' temporal and spatial narrative leaps, but the whole book just doesn't come together into anything I truly enjoyed. After having read Quarry, with all of its own problems, I just get the sense that Collins seems to pick out all the least interesting bits of the noir genre and tries to double down on them as though that's what makes his books interesting.
Unfortunately, they just come off as uninspiring. Maybe these were better left to the '70s.
Nevertheless, age has not necessarily been kind to these novels; the second book, for example, is far too heavy on the exposition when included as though it were part of a singular novel, and characters hardly feel dynamic. Nolan and Jon, the two protagonists of the novels, feel two-dimensional, and other characters paper-thin. Moreover, the book's period politics feel too clichéd and overworn.
All in all, there are parts of the novel that I want to like. I want to like Nolan's no-nonsense attitude, his pragmatic approach to social issues, his keen eye for sizing people up at a glance, but I still find myself unable to care about the character or about his stakes. I find myself unwilling to invest in comic-book nerd Jon, or to worry about what mafioso Charlie is going to do next. I want to enjoy Collins' temporal and spatial narrative leaps, but the whole book just doesn't come together into anything I truly enjoyed. After having read Quarry, with all of its own problems, I just get the sense that Collins seems to pick out all the least interesting bits of the noir genre and tries to double down on them as though that's what makes his books interesting.
Unfortunately, they just come off as uninspiring. Maybe these were better left to the '70s.
July 28, 2018
Early 1970's Chicago, professional heist man Nolan has been running from the mob for the last 16 years, but now as he approaches retirement, he has a chance to make one last big score and wipe his slate clean. To do so, he must knock off a bank for $800,000 working with three long-haired hippie college kids who have no skills, no experience, and no idea what they are up against.
I normally like Max Allan Collins' solo books (I am not as much a fan of the many collaborative novels he completed for Mickey Spillane after Spillane's death), but this one is a bit of a slog. It was originally published in two volumes--Bait Money and Blood Money. The former was Collins' first novel, which he wrote as an undergraduate in college. The second was a sequel written a few years later. They are presented together as a single novel for the first time.
It was clear Collins had talent, but this effort was marred by passages of stilted prose, redundant scenes, and some awkward characters. It was not all bad. The buildup to the heist was overlong, although the scenes in the bank themselves were taut and exciting, and the multiple double crosses in its immediate aftermath were fun, even if clearly influenced by Westlake and Cain.
Nolan himself was modeled on Westlake's iconic Parker character, according to the author. Collins felt he was doing something unique in the genre by teaming up an old school archetype with contemporary younger characters of his generation. Collins was in college, so maybe he felt the ideals of the hippie movement were a vital cultural force at the time, but I cannot say crime fiction was hurting from its overall lack of free love and flower power; the results here were… meh.
The back half of the story--the Blood Money section--felt like a bad Hollywood sequel. A bad guy emerges from the dead, the young apprentice thief is kidnapped, Nolan must hunt to get his money back…. again, meh. By the end, I had long since quit forcing myself to care.
I normally like Max Allan Collins' solo books (I am not as much a fan of the many collaborative novels he completed for Mickey Spillane after Spillane's death), but this one is a bit of a slog. It was originally published in two volumes--Bait Money and Blood Money. The former was Collins' first novel, which he wrote as an undergraduate in college. The second was a sequel written a few years later. They are presented together as a single novel for the first time.
It was clear Collins had talent, but this effort was marred by passages of stilted prose, redundant scenes, and some awkward characters. It was not all bad. The buildup to the heist was overlong, although the scenes in the bank themselves were taut and exciting, and the multiple double crosses in its immediate aftermath were fun, even if clearly influenced by Westlake and Cain.
Nolan himself was modeled on Westlake's iconic Parker character, according to the author. Collins felt he was doing something unique in the genre by teaming up an old school archetype with contemporary younger characters of his generation. Collins was in college, so maybe he felt the ideals of the hippie movement were a vital cultural force at the time, but I cannot say crime fiction was hurting from its overall lack of free love and flower power; the results here were… meh.
The back half of the story--the Blood Money section--felt like a bad Hollywood sequel. A bad guy emerges from the dead, the young apprentice thief is kidnapped, Nolan must hunt to get his money back…. again, meh. By the end, I had long since quit forcing myself to care.
July 11, 2024
Pretty good! Lower side of 4 stars, think 3.7ish. I went into this having only read two of Stephen King's HCC pieces (Joyland and Later, I think it was) and wasn't really sure what to expect... and then even less sure what to expect when I hit the first few pages of this one.
Hardboiled crook dude nursing a fresh bullet wound, then immediately bangs some chick whose name he doesn't even remember? Yeah, that's my understanding of this genre of pulp crime fiction. ;)
But! Once the story actually began, I got pretty swept up in it. This is two separate novels squished together in one, which the author states in the afterword (and this is actually I think one of the only times I've read a fore/afterword all the way through) that he's started thinking of them as just two parts of the same story. And it really does work that way! The first portion is a pretty fun, standard heist story, tense in the right places, violent in other places, and surprisingly character-driven. The second portion follows up on this by being a LOT more character-driven, with many revisits on characters introduced in the first who've now gone on to other places in their lives.
It's good! I actually have another book by Collins on my to-read shelf, and after this one I'm looking forward to it a bit more. I hear that there's several other books featuring Nolan here, so I'll probably keep an eye out for those.
Hardboiled crook dude nursing a fresh bullet wound, then immediately bangs some chick whose name he doesn't even remember? Yeah, that's my understanding of this genre of pulp crime fiction. ;)
But! Once the story actually began, I got pretty swept up in it. This is two separate novels squished together in one, which the author states in the afterword (and this is actually I think one of the only times I've read a fore/afterword all the way through) that he's started thinking of them as just two parts of the same story. And it really does work that way! The first portion is a pretty fun, standard heist story, tense in the right places, violent in other places, and surprisingly character-driven. The second portion follows up on this by being a LOT more character-driven, with many revisits on characters introduced in the first who've now gone on to other places in their lives.
It's good! I actually have another book by Collins on my to-read shelf, and after this one I'm looking forward to it a bit more. I hear that there's several other books featuring Nolan here, so I'll probably keep an eye out for those.
June 25, 2021
Yes, this is a collection of the first two Nolan novels, "Bait Money" and "Blood Money", so expect some duplication of background. And yes, these are very specific homages of Stark's (AKA Westlake's) Parker novels, and like most homages they are not as good as the originals. And yes, they were written in an earlier time, so don't expect very enlightened attitudes.
But they are good, pulp, hardcore crime novels. These types of books show criminals as professionals, with their own codes to uphold, their own idea of honor, their own brand of trust. And Nolan is getting old for the game, looking to retire. But first he has to clean up some trouble with the Chicago mafia, if he wants to retire without looking over his shoulder for the rest of his life. And so we go to one more score before it's all over. This time we Nolan gets a partner, a young comic-loving nephew with a score that might solve Nolan's issues. Hopefully there won't be any double-crosses....
Very enjoyable, quick reads. Maybe read the author's "Afterward" first.
But they are good, pulp, hardcore crime novels. These types of books show criminals as professionals, with their own codes to uphold, their own idea of honor, their own brand of trust. And Nolan is getting old for the game, looking to retire. But first he has to clean up some trouble with the Chicago mafia, if he wants to retire without looking over his shoulder for the rest of his life. And so we go to one more score before it's all over. This time we Nolan gets a partner, a young comic-loving nephew with a score that might solve Nolan's issues. Hopefully there won't be any double-crosses....
Very enjoyable, quick reads. Maybe read the author's "Afterward" first.
April 8, 2021
This is the first in a series of Hard Case Crime reprints of the “Nolan” series. The first two novels (Bait Money & Blood Money) have been combined for this edition. I think this works well because the second novel is a direct continuation of the first.
According to the author, Nolan is a pastiche of the Parker character created by Donald Westlake (Using his Richard Stark pen name). While they are similar, Nolan is a very enjoyable character in his own right, and these novels are not just retreads of a similar theme.
The novels have everything I have come to expect from Max Allan Collins: fast paced writing, interesting characters, witty humor, and thrilling climaxes. I highly recommend giving Nolan a try. This series fits right in with the type of books that Hard Case Crime publishes, if that is your cup of tea.
According to the author, Nolan is a pastiche of the Parker character created by Donald Westlake (Using his Richard Stark pen name). While they are similar, Nolan is a very enjoyable character in his own right, and these novels are not just retreads of a similar theme.
The novels have everything I have come to expect from Max Allan Collins: fast paced writing, interesting characters, witty humor, and thrilling climaxes. I highly recommend giving Nolan a try. This series fits right in with the type of books that Hard Case Crime publishes, if that is your cup of tea.
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