What do you think?
Rate this book
Never Say No to a Killer
“You lissen to me!” he rasped. “You lissen to me, you cheap sonofabitch, and you lissen good!”
I was too startled to make a move. I hung there like some ridiculous scarecrow from the end of his huge arm. I felt an angry heat rush to my face, swell my throat, but there wasn’t a thing I could do but hang there. Calvart’s self-control had vanished in an explosion of rage. That smooth, professor-like speech of his had suddenly reverted to character.
“You lousy gutter rat!” he grated. “I ought to kill you right here, right where you’re sittin’, and if you say one word, make one sound, I’ll do it! You just lissen to me and get one thing straight; I’m not goin’ to be your goddamn patsy, O’Connor. You got me by the tenders this time, but don’t think you can keep milkin’ me; don’t think you can gouge me again; I don’t care what you dig up against me. You just keep one thing in mind, O’Connor. You try a thing like this again, and you’re dead. I don’t care if I burn for it, you’re dead!”
Then he let go and I fell back in the chair.
I was too startled to make a move. I hung there like some ridiculous scarecrow from the end of his huge arm. I felt an angry heat rush to my face, swell my throat, but there wasn’t a thing I could do but hang there. Calvart’s self-control had vanished in an explosion of rage. That smooth, professor-like speech of his had suddenly reverted to character.
“You lousy gutter rat!” he grated. “I ought to kill you right here, right where you’re sittin’, and if you say one word, make one sound, I’ll do it! You just lissen to me and get one thing straight; I’m not goin’ to be your goddamn patsy, O’Connor. You got me by the tenders this time, but don’t think you can keep milkin’ me; don’t think you can gouge me again; I don’t care what you dig up against me. You just keep one thing in mind, O’Connor. You try a thing like this again, and you’re dead. I don’t care if I burn for it, you’re dead!”
Then he let go and I fell back in the chair.
148 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 1956
16 people are currently reading
42 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews
September 24, 2016
Classic pulp fiction from the late 1950s, recommended for 87th Precinct series readers. Roy breaks out of prison, full of self-belief and confidence that a jailbird friend will help him disappear. He succeeds, but finds someone else waiting for him, who expects to be paid in kind. Roy is a stone cold killer, but is smart and determined, parlaying his freedom into riches and a beautiful woman. But, can he succeed? Well worth 99 cents from Amazon.
November 17, 2022
Originally published as an Ace double novel with Trimble’s Stab in the Dark as the twin novel, Adams’ Never Say No to a Killer is a dark crime story about Roy Surratt. Unlike Adams’ other crime novels (Death’s Sweet Song and Whom Gods Destroy), there is absolutely no inkling here that Surratt was ever a wide-eyed innocent. There is no thought that maybe some crooked dame bewitched him to do her bidding. Not here. Surratt, from beginning to end, is a vicious cutthroat criminal and makes no bones about it.
Set in Lake City (which was probably a made-up town in Oklahoma), Surratt opens the book by busting out of prison where he is busy building a runway under the shotguns of the prison guards. In a violent escape, he takes no one else with him and escapes to a waiting car in the nearby town, where he is told by the widow of his buddy (Venci) that he has a debt to pay by killing a prominent man who wants her dead. She also gives him Venci’s blackmail files and Surratt decides he is going to go after the crooked politicians that Venci compiled files on and one-by-one such $20,000 from each of them. His dalliance with the widow, Dorris, is odd. She is available, though he does not regard her as a looker, but is surprised to find she is into sadomasochism.
The violent prison escape which one would think would loom large over the story takes a backseat to everything else and is barely relevant for much of the story. Thus, it is not a man on the run story as one would expect. Surratt is an unusual character, not only for his odd relationship with Dorris, but his romance with his neighbor down the hall, Pat Kelso, the secretary of one of his targets. He quotes her philosophy from the Marquis de Sade and Frederich Neitzsche. He tells her his theory is to take whatever he wants. She is fascinated by the mink coat he buys her and the endless catered dinner he has prepared in his apartment in his seduction of her. Surratt is a loner. He has no buddies. No henchmen. No one on his team except for Venci, who was murdered before the prison break.
When there is action in this novel, Adams makes it thorough and unrelenting action, demonstrating quite ably his writing chops. This is true both with the prison break and when Surratt is later confronted with desperate blackmail victims. A surprise ending ties it all together.
Set in Lake City (which was probably a made-up town in Oklahoma), Surratt opens the book by busting out of prison where he is busy building a runway under the shotguns of the prison guards. In a violent escape, he takes no one else with him and escapes to a waiting car in the nearby town, where he is told by the widow of his buddy (Venci) that he has a debt to pay by killing a prominent man who wants her dead. She also gives him Venci’s blackmail files and Surratt decides he is going to go after the crooked politicians that Venci compiled files on and one-by-one such $20,000 from each of them. His dalliance with the widow, Dorris, is odd. She is available, though he does not regard her as a looker, but is surprised to find she is into sadomasochism.
The violent prison escape which one would think would loom large over the story takes a backseat to everything else and is barely relevant for much of the story. Thus, it is not a man on the run story as one would expect. Surratt is an unusual character, not only for his odd relationship with Dorris, but his romance with his neighbor down the hall, Pat Kelso, the secretary of one of his targets. He quotes her philosophy from the Marquis de Sade and Frederich Neitzsche. He tells her his theory is to take whatever he wants. She is fascinated by the mink coat he buys her and the endless catered dinner he has prepared in his apartment in his seduction of her. Surratt is a loner. He has no buddies. No henchmen. No one on his team except for Venci, who was murdered before the prison break.
When there is action in this novel, Adams makes it thorough and unrelenting action, demonstrating quite ably his writing chops. This is true both with the prison break and when Surratt is later confronted with desperate blackmail victims. A surprise ending ties it all together.
September 28, 2012
I've got a free time slot, and I wanted to say a few things about this title. First, you can pick it up over at munseys.com as an ebook. I think Adams wrote this one under the pseudonym Jonathan Grant. He's a new author to me, so I can't speak of his other titles (including the Westerns he wrote). This 1956 noir is a compact (~150 pages) Ace that concerns one Roy Surratt, a young desperado convict. He busts loose from a chain gang building the prison airfield. Joe Venci, Roy's old cellmate who's out now, cooked up the escape plan with Roy.
Roy discovers Joe is dead, but his accomodating wife Dorris picks up Roy at the prearranged spot, and they go on the lam together. They end up in Lake City where the Vencis live. Roy soon learns Joe left a blackmail file on the leading citizens which is a cash cow. Roy also finds out Dorris likes it rough. Their scenes are rather explicit for 1956, too.
Before long, Joe hooks up with Patricia Kelso, the girlfriend of his first blackmail victim. Pat is the girl of his dreams, so he shifts his blackmail schemes into high gear to extort more cash so he can woo her with expensive gifts such as a fleet of Caddies. Unfortunately, Roy probably has met his match in the hard-nosed Pat.
Of course, it falls apart on Roy. He views himself as a crime philosopher/genius, and his superior attitude plus boundless ego get the better of him. There are clear echoes of Jim Thompson here except not quite as raw and visceral. On the other hand, Adams knows how to elongate a chase scene and squeeze out its sweaty suspense and mental anguish. I liked the small city atmosphere and gritty characters. I'm not sure why Clifton Adams isn't better known today, but I plan to read more of his fiction, and soon, I hope.
Roy discovers Joe is dead, but his accomodating wife Dorris picks up Roy at the prearranged spot, and they go on the lam together. They end up in Lake City where the Vencis live. Roy soon learns Joe left a blackmail file on the leading citizens which is a cash cow. Roy also finds out Dorris likes it rough. Their scenes are rather explicit for 1956, too.
Before long, Joe hooks up with Patricia Kelso, the girlfriend of his first blackmail victim. Pat is the girl of his dreams, so he shifts his blackmail schemes into high gear to extort more cash so he can woo her with expensive gifts such as a fleet of Caddies. Unfortunately, Roy probably has met his match in the hard-nosed Pat.
Of course, it falls apart on Roy. He views himself as a crime philosopher/genius, and his superior attitude plus boundless ego get the better of him. There are clear echoes of Jim Thompson here except not quite as raw and visceral. On the other hand, Adams knows how to elongate a chase scene and squeeze out its sweaty suspense and mental anguish. I liked the small city atmosphere and gritty characters. I'm not sure why Clifton Adams isn't better known today, but I plan to read more of his fiction, and soon, I hope.
February 19, 2025
Good advice.
And don't say "yes" either ... unless you've listened to the question real, real careful.
And don't say "yes" either ... unless you've listened to the question real, real careful.
July 26, 2020
The Dollar-Store version of Kiss Tomorrow Goodbye.
May 14, 2017
Good action scenes, otherwise quite dark and slightly boring.
May 19, 2021
A solid first person crime novel. Has a nice feel and the prose was simple and straightforward. The main character thought he was a genius in philosophy and human behaviors, so he thought he could be a criminal mastermind. After breaking prison he finds that a girl is waiting on him instead of a former cellmate who was suppose to be there. From there he gets that this is his former cellmate's (who is now dead) wife and that she is in some trouble of her own. A guy who her late husband was blackmailing wants her dead and to get the blackmail material. Well that suits our psychopath just fine he has no qualms in killing and he has uses for the material that his former acquaintance has on other figures as well.
I would recommend, it can be a little tedious at times since there isnt a single likable person in the entire narrative. But it does gave a nice feel of a 40s noir film and it does keep your interest up to see what will happen to the main character.
I would recommend, it can be a little tedious at times since there isnt a single likable person in the entire narrative. But it does gave a nice feel of a 40s noir film and it does keep your interest up to see what will happen to the main character.
May 18, 2018
Good Pulp
Clifton Adams/Jonathan Craig was one of the best hardboiled,authors of the fifties and this is one of his best. Fast pace, action filled, this is pulp melodrama at its best.
Clifton Adams/Jonathan Craig was one of the best hardboiled,authors of the fifties and this is one of his best. Fast pace, action filled, this is pulp melodrama at its best.
February 26, 2020
A bit slow except around the couple of action scenes. Ultimately unlikable character. Would not recommend.
February 6, 2021
One of the least likable protagonists that I've read in a while. But pretty good with action and violence, and a satisfying ending.
March 9, 2022
Clifton Adams seems to be a very good writer. This book was very entertaining, but not much more than that. Solid noir thriller.
April 25, 2022
Fast paced noir. Good read.
April 20, 2013
Roy, krimineller Philosoph, begeht einen von langer Hand geplanten Gefängnisausbruch. In Freiheit muß er erfahren, dass sein Komplize ermordet wurde. Für dessen Witwe tötet er den Mörder und verliebt sich in dessen Sekretärin und Geliebte. Außerdem fallen ihm brisante Informationen über angesehene Leute in Lake City in die Hände und so verdingt sich Roy als Erpresser.
Spannend ist dabei nur die Frage, welche der beiden Femme fatales ihn zu Fall bringen wird. Denn dass der Held am Ende das Nachsehen hat, liegt in der Natur des Noir. Never say No to a Killer hat mir gut gefallen. Die Formatierung ist wieder katastrophal, willkürliche Zeilenumbrüche und Absätze, dafür aber kaum unidentifizierbare Wörter. Doch da diese Pulps aus dem Hause Black Mask in Papierform äußerst selten sind, ist das das kleinere Übel. Das eBook für Kindle gibt es allerdings jetzt auch nicht mehr.
Spannend ist dabei nur die Frage, welche der beiden Femme fatales ihn zu Fall bringen wird. Denn dass der Held am Ende das Nachsehen hat, liegt in der Natur des Noir. Never say No to a Killer hat mir gut gefallen. Die Formatierung ist wieder katastrophal, willkürliche Zeilenumbrüche und Absätze, dafür aber kaum unidentifizierbare Wörter. Doch da diese Pulps aus dem Hause Black Mask in Papierform äußerst selten sind, ist das das kleinere Übel. Das eBook für Kindle gibt es allerdings jetzt auch nicht mehr.
May 28, 2014
I downloaded this for free from Amazon, since I tend to try and grab every vintage crime novel that ends up free for a day, so I didn't really expect too much. The beginning of this book didn't really sell me on it, either, as I was a little put off by the unusually unapologetic, even for the genre and time, violence and sexism. As I kept, going, though, I kept getting more and more impressed by how the narrator and his interpretation of events were being used to obscure what was actually going on. Never Say No to a Killer isn't an atypical pulp crime novel in terms of story, but it tells the story in an interesting way that makes the inevitable ending very satisfying.
August 15, 2009
Gritty, hard-boiled study of a killer on the lam; in the style of Raymond Chandler and Dashiel Hammet, but from the point of view of a hardened killer. A fast-paced page-turner. It's not politically correct, but there's plenty of gritty realism.
December 31, 2012
After all the build, up the ending fell flat for me. The same for the last pulp that I read. I need to find a good pulp soon, or I am swithing to SF.
December 9, 2012
I enjoyed this quite a bit, but it's got nothing on Death's Sweet Song, in my opinion.
Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews