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The Best of Manhunt
First appearing on newsstands in late 1952, Manhunt was the acknowledgedsuccessor to Black Mask, which had ceased publication the year before, as the venue for high-quality crime fiction. By April of 1956 it was being billed as the “World’s Best-Selling Crime-Fiction Magazine.” On its pages, over its 14-year run, appeared a veritable Who’s Who of the world’s greatest mystery writers Ed McBain, Mickey Spillane, Richard Deming, Jonathan Craig, Hal Ellson, Robert Turner, Jack Ritchie, Frank Kane, Craig Rice, Fletcher Flora, Talmage Powell, Richard S. Prather, David Alexander, Harold Q. Masur, Gil Brewer, Helen Nielsen, Erskine Caldwell, Henry Slesar, David Goodis, Lawrence Block, John D. MacDonald, Clark Howard, Fredric Brown, Donald E. Westlake, Harlan Ellison, Harry Whittington and Steve Frazee.The Best of Manhunt includes 39 of the original stories, a Foreword by LawrenceBlock and Afterword by Barry N. Malzberg, as well as an introduction to the tortured history of the magazine by editor, Jeff Vorzimmer.
392 pages, Paperback
Published July 29, 2019
56 people are currently reading
72 people want to read
About the author
Jeff Vorzimmer
18 books37 followersJeff Vorzimmer is the editor of The Best of Manhunt, The Best of Manhunt 2 and The Manhunt Companion. He spent twenty years at The Austin American-Statesman and is currently a member of the team at Stark House Press. His writing has appeared in Down and Out, The Digest Enthusiast, The Philadelphia Inquirer, 2600 and Cool and Strange Music. He is an avid traveler, having visited over 40 countries and territories on all seven continents.
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
July 8, 2022
If I were to use my normal method of writing about a book of short stories this review could stretch to five feet long. I usually like to state how many of the stories in a collection I found to be good to excellent and proceed to write a couple of sentences about each. Here however it would be quicker to simply say that of the thirty-nine stories in this collection, there were just a couple that I didn’t get on with, and four others which I felt just fell below the high standards set by the others. Which is to say that I enjoyed thirty-three out of the thirty-nine stories - easily making it the best book of short stories by different authors that I have read. Many are not just good, but are amongst the most entertaining stories I’ve read; both in, and out of the genre.
Manhunt was a crime fiction magazine of the hard boiled variety, published between 1952 and 1967. These are perhaps tougher and grittier than stories written in the genre’s earlier days, but there’s a deeper psychological analysis going on that sometimes instils them with the power to move. So many of these have a poignancy that took me by surprise. I’ve listed a few below.
All the noir traditions, characters and themes are here; but the overall standard is so high that there is a freshness to almost all of the stories.
The absolute crème de la crème for me:-
‘On The Sidewalk, Bleeding’ by Evan Hunter. An innocent sixteen year old, watching his team, leaves the game in order to buy a packet of cigarettes; but is stabbed. Despite the tragic scenario, I enjoyed reading this opening story in sheer admiration of the very fine style. It’s a tough, gritty, and very moving story.
‘Mugger Murder’ by Richard Deming. A reporter wonders why a cop sits in on a coroner’s court to watch a case he had nothing to do with. Another classily written story, which, minor gripe, just slightly fades towards the end.
‘Decision’ by Helen Nielsen. Life of a woman who has a violent father, a frightened mother, and works with a man who is after just one thing! Told by a woman from a woman’s perspective – these are the results of living in the hard boiled world. It’s a dark, compulsively written narrative that draws you in.
‘The Collector Comes After Payday’ by Fletcher Flora. A man kills his bum of a drunken father and gambles away his money. One of my favourites. This one has it all. Great hard boiled writing: witty, dry, and with a lot of brooding sense of inevitable doom. A lot goes on, but it flows so smoothly.
‘Movie Night’ by Robert Turner. In the cinema with his family, a father gets angry watching a film about delinquent kids, only to come up against a few during the intermission. A great character study and set-up. It’s a tough, no nonsense story which you can imagine happening.
‘In Memory of Judith Courtright’ by Erskine Caldwell. Two new young female teachers arrive at a school; one has to leave after breaking the no boyfriends rule, the other is fancied by a young male student who is devastated that she doesn’t accept his advances, and even more devastated when he misjudges a later situation. Another great character study with plenty of emotion. The ending lingered with me for a long time.
‘Bad Word’ by David Alexander. A man feels the urge to kill a prostitute. A riveting slow burner that pulls you in from the start, and grips you to its climax.
‘Return Engagement’ by Frank Kane. A PI’s client claims to have killed a man six months ago, but newspaper reports claim that the man was only killed yesterday in a hit-and-run. This could be the archetypal noir story – a PI trying to solve a bizarre scenario, cops, a femme fatale, a big heavy, and plenty of stylish writing. It’s all here.
‘The Little Lamb’ by Fredric Brown. A man believes his wife is having an affair and goes out in search one night. A dark and atmospheric piece that’s another highly enjoyable read.
‘Professional Man’ by David Goodis. Story of a professional killer, his boss, and a woman. Very atmospheric in its seedy locale and vividly drawn cast of characters – the lead character being especially cold, but real. Dark, but with a touch of poignancy, this exceptionally well written story is one of the best in the book.
‘Hit and Run’ by Richard Deming. A PI witnesses a hit and run accident, but instead of going to the police, he offers his services to the perpetrator. The longest story in the collection moves fast. It’s typical noir, with the man losing all common sense by digging his hole deeper and deeper, plus a psycho femme fatale who’s as cold as ice. Great characters and set-up, which hold up for pretty much all of the thirty-five pages.
‘Night and Crisis’ by Harry Whittington. A man witnesses a shooting, but finds himself under suspicion by the police. A gripping story that constantly leaves you guessing at where it’s all heading.
‘Body on a White Carpet’ by Al James. A man picks up a classy ‘broad’ at a bar who suggests a night of passion with him if he’ll do her a favour. Great atmosphere and wise-cracking dialogue that had me laughing all the way through. It’s everything you expect from the genre. And it’s hot! A great read.
‘A Piece of Ground’ by Helen Nielsen. A farmer spends time in the big city to make money in order to buy land. A finely written, sad story of a man caught in tough circumstances.
In addition to a great collection of stories there are informative essays and introductions. I can’t recommend this book highly enough. And there’s a Volume 2! Which I shall start before the year is out.
Manhunt was a crime fiction magazine of the hard boiled variety, published between 1952 and 1967. These are perhaps tougher and grittier than stories written in the genre’s earlier days, but there’s a deeper psychological analysis going on that sometimes instils them with the power to move. So many of these have a poignancy that took me by surprise. I’ve listed a few below.
All the noir traditions, characters and themes are here; but the overall standard is so high that there is a freshness to almost all of the stories.
The absolute crème de la crème for me:-
‘On The Sidewalk, Bleeding’ by Evan Hunter. An innocent sixteen year old, watching his team, leaves the game in order to buy a packet of cigarettes; but is stabbed. Despite the tragic scenario, I enjoyed reading this opening story in sheer admiration of the very fine style. It’s a tough, gritty, and very moving story.
‘Mugger Murder’ by Richard Deming. A reporter wonders why a cop sits in on a coroner’s court to watch a case he had nothing to do with. Another classily written story, which, minor gripe, just slightly fades towards the end.
‘Decision’ by Helen Nielsen. Life of a woman who has a violent father, a frightened mother, and works with a man who is after just one thing! Told by a woman from a woman’s perspective – these are the results of living in the hard boiled world. It’s a dark, compulsively written narrative that draws you in.
‘The Collector Comes After Payday’ by Fletcher Flora. A man kills his bum of a drunken father and gambles away his money. One of my favourites. This one has it all. Great hard boiled writing: witty, dry, and with a lot of brooding sense of inevitable doom. A lot goes on, but it flows so smoothly.
‘Movie Night’ by Robert Turner. In the cinema with his family, a father gets angry watching a film about delinquent kids, only to come up against a few during the intermission. A great character study and set-up. It’s a tough, no nonsense story which you can imagine happening.
‘In Memory of Judith Courtright’ by Erskine Caldwell. Two new young female teachers arrive at a school; one has to leave after breaking the no boyfriends rule, the other is fancied by a young male student who is devastated that she doesn’t accept his advances, and even more devastated when he misjudges a later situation. Another great character study with plenty of emotion. The ending lingered with me for a long time.
‘Bad Word’ by David Alexander. A man feels the urge to kill a prostitute. A riveting slow burner that pulls you in from the start, and grips you to its climax.
‘Return Engagement’ by Frank Kane. A PI’s client claims to have killed a man six months ago, but newspaper reports claim that the man was only killed yesterday in a hit-and-run. This could be the archetypal noir story – a PI trying to solve a bizarre scenario, cops, a femme fatale, a big heavy, and plenty of stylish writing. It’s all here.
‘The Little Lamb’ by Fredric Brown. A man believes his wife is having an affair and goes out in search one night. A dark and atmospheric piece that’s another highly enjoyable read.
‘Professional Man’ by David Goodis. Story of a professional killer, his boss, and a woman. Very atmospheric in its seedy locale and vividly drawn cast of characters – the lead character being especially cold, but real. Dark, but with a touch of poignancy, this exceptionally well written story is one of the best in the book.
‘Hit and Run’ by Richard Deming. A PI witnesses a hit and run accident, but instead of going to the police, he offers his services to the perpetrator. The longest story in the collection moves fast. It’s typical noir, with the man losing all common sense by digging his hole deeper and deeper, plus a psycho femme fatale who’s as cold as ice. Great characters and set-up, which hold up for pretty much all of the thirty-five pages.
‘Night and Crisis’ by Harry Whittington. A man witnesses a shooting, but finds himself under suspicion by the police. A gripping story that constantly leaves you guessing at where it’s all heading.
‘Body on a White Carpet’ by Al James. A man picks up a classy ‘broad’ at a bar who suggests a night of passion with him if he’ll do her a favour. Great atmosphere and wise-cracking dialogue that had me laughing all the way through. It’s everything you expect from the genre. And it’s hot! A great read.
‘A Piece of Ground’ by Helen Nielsen. A farmer spends time in the big city to make money in order to buy land. A finely written, sad story of a man caught in tough circumstances.
In addition to a great collection of stories there are informative essays and introductions. I can’t recommend this book highly enough. And there’s a Volume 2! Which I shall start before the year is out.
May 12, 2023
07/2020
This is a great collection of pulp stories. According to one of the brilliant introductions, MANHUNT was the successor to Black Mask. I must say, this is so much better to me than a book of Black Mask stories I read. I know why this is. I love 1950s writing. In, again, one of the introductions , it says crime fiction became less about the Whodunit and more about the Whydunit and the Howdunit.
This is full of short pieces with shocking endings and longer ones like pulp novellas. So many writers I already love, and so many that are new to me.
This is a great collection of pulp stories. According to one of the brilliant introductions, MANHUNT was the successor to Black Mask. I must say, this is so much better to me than a book of Black Mask stories I read. I know why this is. I love 1950s writing. In, again, one of the introductions , it says crime fiction became less about the Whodunit and more about the Whydunit and the Howdunit.
This is full of short pieces with shocking endings and longer ones like pulp novellas. So many writers I already love, and so many that are new to me.
October 12, 2019
A must-have, must-occasionally-read for fans of pulp and/or hardboiled fiction.
Brilliantly anthologized and selected from the short-lived (?) -3 years is short lived? "mystery fiction" digest, Manhunt.
Terrific notes, introduction, forewords, etc.
Can't praise it highly enough but it's time to put this up on the to-be-finished shelf.
Wish the entire original run of this genre digest was available for purchase.
It's not but this is.
If you ever loved a shock! thriller tale this is your fine cup of mead.
Quite a few of these tales were adapted for the Alfred Hitchcock anthology television show.
A few of your favorite authors have stories in this anthology.
Buy it.
What have you got to lose?
Support Stark House Press and they'll support you.
Brilliantly anthologized and selected from the short-lived (?) -3 years is short lived? "mystery fiction" digest, Manhunt.
Terrific notes, introduction, forewords, etc.
Can't praise it highly enough but it's time to put this up on the to-be-finished shelf.
Wish the entire original run of this genre digest was available for purchase.
It's not but this is.
If you ever loved a shock! thriller tale this is your fine cup of mead.
Quite a few of these tales were adapted for the Alfred Hitchcock anthology television show.
A few of your favorite authors have stories in this anthology.
Buy it.
What have you got to lose?
Support Stark House Press and they'll support you.
March 13, 2019
There is always a dilemma when creating an anthology of the best stories from a single source, such as by a specific author or, in this case, magazine. You quickly realize that, by the very fact of their being the best stories, they’ve already made appearances in other (numerous) anthologies, but yet must be included in any “best of” collection. That is certainly true of some of the stories we have included, especially the stories by Evan Hunter and Fletcher Flora’s “The Collector Comes After Payday,” which are probably the most anthologized stories in this collection. But many of the stories included here are making their first appearance in print in sixty years. Even stories the reader might have encountered previously, are worth reading again, especially in the context of other stories from Manhunt from the same period to get a clear historical perspective on the era and the nourish quality of the magazine itself.
We tried to be as objective as possible in the selection of the stories. Aside from the popularity of stories as measured by inclusion in previous collections, we also considered reviews, awards, input from mystery writers and appearances as the basis for television series episodes, such as Alfred Hitchcock Presents and M. Squad.
Manhunt stories have been the basis for 20 episodes of Alfred Hitchcock Presents/Alfred Hitchcock Hour, two episodes of M-Squad, one episode of Schlitz Playhouse and, more recently, three episodes of ShowTime’s Fallen Angels series from the mid-’90s. Seven of those stories are included here.
Although stories from Manhunt have appeared in over a hundred anthologies, there have been two collections of stories specifically from Manhunt, published in 1958 and ’59, edited by Scott & Sidney Meredith. The first of these anthologies, The Best From Manhunt, was the starting point for this collection. The first 13 stories duplicate the content and order of the stories from that book.
There was also a collection of stories from the British version of Manhunt magazine, Bloodhound Detective Story Magazine. The book, The Bloodhound Anthology, published a year later in 1959, was also edited by Scott & Sidney Meredith. It duplicated the contents of The Best From Manhunt, with exception of replacing Erskine Caldwell’s “In Memory of Judith Courtright” with Henry Kane’s “I’m No Hero”, which appeared in the British version of Suspense magazine, and added three new Manhunt/Bloodhound stories, “Return Engagement” by Frank Kane, “Bad Word” by David Alexander and “Self-Defense” by Harold Q. Masur.
The three additional Manhunt/Bloodhound stories from The Bloodhound Anthology are included in this collection and follow the 13 from The Best From Manhunt collection, so that the first 19 stories make up the content of The Bloodhound Anthology, minus, of course, the Henry Kane Suspense story.
We tried to be as objective as possible in the selection of the stories. Aside from the popularity of stories as measured by inclusion in previous collections, we also considered reviews, awards, input from mystery writers and appearances as the basis for television series episodes, such as Alfred Hitchcock Presents and M. Squad.
Manhunt stories have been the basis for 20 episodes of Alfred Hitchcock Presents/Alfred Hitchcock Hour, two episodes of M-Squad, one episode of Schlitz Playhouse and, more recently, three episodes of ShowTime’s Fallen Angels series from the mid-’90s. Seven of those stories are included here.
Although stories from Manhunt have appeared in over a hundred anthologies, there have been two collections of stories specifically from Manhunt, published in 1958 and ’59, edited by Scott & Sidney Meredith. The first of these anthologies, The Best From Manhunt, was the starting point for this collection. The first 13 stories duplicate the content and order of the stories from that book.
There was also a collection of stories from the British version of Manhunt magazine, Bloodhound Detective Story Magazine. The book, The Bloodhound Anthology, published a year later in 1959, was also edited by Scott & Sidney Meredith. It duplicated the contents of The Best From Manhunt, with exception of replacing Erskine Caldwell’s “In Memory of Judith Courtright” with Henry Kane’s “I’m No Hero”, which appeared in the British version of Suspense magazine, and added three new Manhunt/Bloodhound stories, “Return Engagement” by Frank Kane, “Bad Word” by David Alexander and “Self-Defense” by Harold Q. Masur.
The three additional Manhunt/Bloodhound stories from The Bloodhound Anthology are included in this collection and follow the 13 from The Best From Manhunt collection, so that the first 19 stories make up the content of The Bloodhound Anthology, minus, of course, the Henry Kane Suspense story.
December 10, 2019
Thirty-nine of the best stories from the premier crime fiction digest of the 1950s and 1960s. Topped off with notes from Lawrence Block, Barry N. Malzberg, and editor Jeff Vorzimmer, this collection is one of Stark House’s very best!
June 13, 2021
Manhunt was acknowledged as the successor to Black Mask, which had stopped publishing the year before in 1951. It was a venue for high-quality crime fiction and by April of 1956 it was being billed as the "World's Best-Selling Crime-Fiction Magazine." This volume of stories is representative of Manhunt's contents and a must-read for fans of this genre. The editor, Jeff Vorzimmer, chose to replicate the contents of the 1958 paperback The Best from Manhunt, edited by Scott and Sidney Meredith, and of the 1959 British volume The Bloodhound Anthology. Together these stories represent over a third of the overall content of this volume.
The authors included in this single book reads like a rogue’s gallery of postwar mystery and mid-twentieth century short fiction giants, including: Lawrence Block, Nelson Algren, Evan Hunter (Ed McBain), Gil Brewer, Richard S. Prather, Erskine Caldwell, Donald Westlake, Frank Kane, Harlan Ellison, Mickey Spillane, David Goodis, John D. MacDonald, and Harry Whittington…and that’s only about a third of the roster.
Some stories include familiar private eye series characters including Richard S Prather’s Shell Scott and Frank Kane’s Johnny Liddell. But these are not the focus of this collection and are not indicative of the creatively diverse stories to be found here. This is a fantastic collection of stories accompanied by several essays about the history of Manhunt, including an interesting introductory piece by Lawrence Block wherein he describes his experiences with the publisher early in his phenomenal career. I enjoyed almost every one of these stories and that in itself speaks volumes considering there are 39 stories here. I chose to read one story between each novel I read so as to appreciate each on its own merits and not risk burnout from the whole batch at once. After all, most of these stories have pretty grim plots and endings with rather sordid characters.
Thankfully, there is a Volume 2 out there to be had along with plenty of pressure on Stark House Publishers, I’m sure, to add even more. I certainly hope so.
The authors included in this single book reads like a rogue’s gallery of postwar mystery and mid-twentieth century short fiction giants, including: Lawrence Block, Nelson Algren, Evan Hunter (Ed McBain), Gil Brewer, Richard S. Prather, Erskine Caldwell, Donald Westlake, Frank Kane, Harlan Ellison, Mickey Spillane, David Goodis, John D. MacDonald, and Harry Whittington…and that’s only about a third of the roster.
Some stories include familiar private eye series characters including Richard S Prather’s Shell Scott and Frank Kane’s Johnny Liddell. But these are not the focus of this collection and are not indicative of the creatively diverse stories to be found here. This is a fantastic collection of stories accompanied by several essays about the history of Manhunt, including an interesting introductory piece by Lawrence Block wherein he describes his experiences with the publisher early in his phenomenal career. I enjoyed almost every one of these stories and that in itself speaks volumes considering there are 39 stories here. I chose to read one story between each novel I read so as to appreciate each on its own merits and not risk burnout from the whole batch at once. After all, most of these stories have pretty grim plots and endings with rather sordid characters.
Thankfully, there is a Volume 2 out there to be had along with plenty of pressure on Stark House Publishers, I’m sure, to add even more. I certainly hope so.
August 9, 2020
Hard-boiled crime short stories by the Masters. It couldn't be better
If you like Richard Stark / Westlake, Lawrence Block, or any of the other hardcore crime story writers, then this is for you. Great short stories, quick and easy to read, because they're written by experts, and you'll find a whole lot of new authors for you to read
If you like Richard Stark / Westlake, Lawrence Block, or any of the other hardcore crime story writers, then this is for you. Great short stories, quick and easy to read, because they're written by experts, and you'll find a whole lot of new authors for you to read
November 1, 2022
Recommended by paperback warrior #thebestofmanhunt is a brilliant collection of short stories mostly from the 1950s. Most are well written. Some are poignant and moving. The majority are brutal or bleak with twist endings. The others are Effective and moody and powerful. Darkly ironic. Creepy and haunting. Shocking and terrifying.
Dark and menacing. Tragic and traumatic. One or two are fine but forgettable. A couple have surprisingly happy endings. Will have to get volume 2!
Dark and menacing. Tragic and traumatic. One or two are fine but forgettable. A couple have surprisingly happy endings. Will have to get volume 2!
May 14, 2022
Talk about your fun reads. This is one of my highest recommendations for pure escapism. These short stories came from the pages of the magazine MANHUNT, one of the prolific offerings of the 50's, 60's and 70's in men's magazines.
Some of the wildest adventures dreamed up by the most popular pulp writers of that time. The old pulp magazines morphed into these magazines appearing on the racks for 35 cents, quite the increase from the dime magazines of the past but worth it.
Exotic locales, exotic women, and horrendous antagonists were brought to the readers monthly. What more could you ask for in exchange for a few cents?
I thoroughly enjoyed these stories. They are an escape from the mundane daily humdrum. They are just plain fun.
I have volume 2 on the night table TBR pile.
Some of the wildest adventures dreamed up by the most popular pulp writers of that time. The old pulp magazines morphed into these magazines appearing on the racks for 35 cents, quite the increase from the dime magazines of the past but worth it.
Exotic locales, exotic women, and horrendous antagonists were brought to the readers monthly. What more could you ask for in exchange for a few cents?
I thoroughly enjoyed these stories. They are an escape from the mundane daily humdrum. They are just plain fun.
I have volume 2 on the night table TBR pile.
December 19, 2024
The guys and gals writing these stories were masters that, unless I'm missing them, one just can't find today. This collection will entertain. Bringing back these highly skilled writers from a bygone era is a service to us all. Snap this up and read, and I bet you'll agree!
January 3, 2021
Background on St John and the magazine, an intended noir successor to Black Mask in digest format, in addition to the stories.
Includes the contents of the original Best From Manhunt anthology.
On the Sidewalk, Bleeding by Evan Hunter: About what I expect to see a lot of here.
Mugger Murder by Richard Deming: Clever courtroom vignette.
Decision by Helen Nielsen: Great emotional punch Stories of this type hold up well to reading aloud.
The Collector Comes After Payday by Fletcher Flora: Effective compact fable.
Try It My Way by Jack Ritchie: Decorative vignette.
Movie Night by Robert Turner: Grim little JD chiller.
In Memory of Judith Courtright by Erskine Caldwell: Seemingly inappropriately titled, pointless sketch. Surprisingly dull writing, too.
Day's Work by Jonathan Lord: The trivial point is made too too tenuously. Best of collections shouldn't have any fillers.
The Scrapbook by Jonathan Craig: A tidy little tale although one wonders about his coworkers.
Quiet Day in the County Jail by Craig Rice: Deadly cynical jailhouse mood piece.
The Set-Up by Sam Cobb: Familiar, but effective.
The Double Take by Richard S Prather: Meaty adventure (typical of?) popular private eye Shell Scott.
The Man Who Found the Money by James E Cronin: Exemplary Vegas noir, closely adapted for a classic Hitchcock Presents episode.
Self-Defense by Harold Q Masur: More-than-meets-the-eye kidnap case.
Bad Word by David Alexander: Effective stream of consciousness with a couple of riddles.
Return Engagement by Frank Kane: Somber Johnny Liddell PI experience.
Graveyard Shift by Steve Frazee: Tough police procedural.
A Little Lamb by Fredric Brown: Beautifully written troubled narrator piece.
The Girl Behind the Hedge by Mickey Spillane: Keeps you guessing all the way, tho' I have my doubts.
Professional Man by David Goodis: Some writers produce a magical effect with seemingly ordinary language and sentence structure. Not surprisingly, the best (and grimmest) in the book so far.
The Quiet Room by Jonathan Craig: Successful quickie.
Pistol by Hal Ellson: Promising JD opening, then ???
Hit and Run by Richard Deming: A strong substantial complex novella. Second best so far.
The Killer by John D. MacDonald: Another almost perfect strongly written standout story, but what's with the uncreative title?
The Day It Began Again by Fletcher Flora: Judicial near-hopelessness leads to surprising outcome.
Moonshine by Gil Brewer: Unsettling countdown to disaster.
Rat Hater by Harlan Ellison: Gangster-mode shortie.
The Last Spin by Evan Hunter: Sad inevitable JD gang short.
Night of Crisis by Harry Whittington: A familiar suspenseful situation with unnecessary minor complicating details
Pigeon in an Iron Lung by Talmage Powell: Lulled me into a too-easy expectation, nicely done.
Cop for a Day by Henry Slesar: Worked well as a memorable Hitchcock episode with Walter Matthau.
Somebody's Going to Die by Talmage Powell: Betrayal, perfect crime from a somewhat underestimated author.
Stranger in the House by Theodore Pratt: Foreboding vignette.
Enough Rope for Two by Clark Howard: Another Hitchcock adaptation, altered both in the original and revival series versions.
Body on a White Carpet by Al James: Minor amusement (why here?)
A Piece of Ground by Helen Nielsen: Strong sad bleak tale.
Say a Prayer for the Guy by Nelson Algren: Not exactly sure what went on here.
Empty Threat by Donald E Westlake: Tiny moment-of-truth.
Frozen Stiff by Lawrence Block: Not-so-satisfying.
The Graveyard Rats by Barry N Malzberg: Inflated afterword on the era.
Looking forward to Best of Manhunt Vol 2!
Includes the contents of the original Best From Manhunt anthology.
On the Sidewalk, Bleeding by Evan Hunter: About what I expect to see a lot of here.
Mugger Murder by Richard Deming: Clever courtroom vignette.
Decision by Helen Nielsen: Great emotional punch Stories of this type hold up well to reading aloud.
The Collector Comes After Payday by Fletcher Flora: Effective compact fable.
Try It My Way by Jack Ritchie: Decorative vignette.
Movie Night by Robert Turner: Grim little JD chiller.
In Memory of Judith Courtright by Erskine Caldwell: Seemingly inappropriately titled, pointless sketch. Surprisingly dull writing, too.
Day's Work by Jonathan Lord: The trivial point is made too too tenuously. Best of collections shouldn't have any fillers.
The Scrapbook by Jonathan Craig: A tidy little tale although one wonders about his coworkers.
Quiet Day in the County Jail by Craig Rice: Deadly cynical jailhouse mood piece.
The Set-Up by Sam Cobb: Familiar, but effective.
The Double Take by Richard S Prather: Meaty adventure (typical of?) popular private eye Shell Scott.
The Man Who Found the Money by James E Cronin: Exemplary Vegas noir, closely adapted for a classic Hitchcock Presents episode.
Self-Defense by Harold Q Masur: More-than-meets-the-eye kidnap case.
Bad Word by David Alexander: Effective stream of consciousness with a couple of riddles.
Return Engagement by Frank Kane: Somber Johnny Liddell PI experience.
Graveyard Shift by Steve Frazee: Tough police procedural.
A Little Lamb by Fredric Brown: Beautifully written troubled narrator piece.
The Girl Behind the Hedge by Mickey Spillane: Keeps you guessing all the way, tho' I have my doubts.
Professional Man by David Goodis: Some writers produce a magical effect with seemingly ordinary language and sentence structure. Not surprisingly, the best (and grimmest) in the book so far.
The Quiet Room by Jonathan Craig: Successful quickie.
Pistol by Hal Ellson: Promising JD opening, then ???
Hit and Run by Richard Deming: A strong substantial complex novella. Second best so far.
The Killer by John D. MacDonald: Another almost perfect strongly written standout story, but what's with the uncreative title?
The Day It Began Again by Fletcher Flora: Judicial near-hopelessness leads to surprising outcome.
Moonshine by Gil Brewer: Unsettling countdown to disaster.
Rat Hater by Harlan Ellison: Gangster-mode shortie.
The Last Spin by Evan Hunter: Sad inevitable JD gang short.
Night of Crisis by Harry Whittington: A familiar suspenseful situation with unnecessary minor complicating details
Pigeon in an Iron Lung by Talmage Powell: Lulled me into a too-easy expectation, nicely done.
Cop for a Day by Henry Slesar: Worked well as a memorable Hitchcock episode with Walter Matthau.
Somebody's Going to Die by Talmage Powell: Betrayal, perfect crime from a somewhat underestimated author.
Stranger in the House by Theodore Pratt: Foreboding vignette.
Enough Rope for Two by Clark Howard: Another Hitchcock adaptation, altered both in the original and revival series versions.
Body on a White Carpet by Al James: Minor amusement (why here?)
A Piece of Ground by Helen Nielsen: Strong sad bleak tale.
Say a Prayer for the Guy by Nelson Algren: Not exactly sure what went on here.
Empty Threat by Donald E Westlake: Tiny moment-of-truth.
Frozen Stiff by Lawrence Block: Not-so-satisfying.
The Graveyard Rats by Barry N Malzberg: Inflated afterword on the era.
Looking forward to Best of Manhunt Vol 2!
May 27, 2023
"On the Sidewalk Bleeding" by Evan Hunter: 8.5
- An effective little morality tale, wallowing in grit and grime, albeit to make a social plea, like some fin-de-siecle Social Gospeler raising funds for settlement houses by regaling a genteel audience in a suburban den with sadsack tales of big-city suffering. The mixture, therefore, of blame and sympathy, recognizing those decisions that, of course, the do-right crowd would never make, but placing them within a sordid urban context in which the decisions make complete sense in that time and in that place. In this way, it’s hard to call this story of seemingly deep pessimism, despondency, and hopelessness actually nihilistic, or at least in the way often assumed of the noir, or hard boiled. STORY:
“Decision” by Helen Nielsen: 4.5
- Belabored, inch-deep psychological portrait of a female killer, fed up with the constrained life into which her cold family has put her. STORY: woman on trial for murdering parents. We get the backstory of how it all came to be, of her abusive father and passive mother, and how she tried to make something of herself and how when that didn’t come to be, she turned on the two of them.
"Mugger Murder": 6.75
- Interesting comparative piece on psychological differences in the reaction to vigilante killers between the 80s and the 50s. The former, a more bloodthirsty time, prone to see not just virtue, but catharsis in the IDEA (Gaetz) of the innocent killing the guilty in righteous self-defense , whereas the latter had an air of sinister maliciousness in the possibility that one might attempt the same.
"The Collector Comes After Payday" by Fletcher Flora: 8.75
- Like all these Manhunt stories, a short, sharp shot of criminal darkness (and, again like Manhunt, better than it has any right to be).
- An effective little morality tale, wallowing in grit and grime, albeit to make a social plea, like some fin-de-siecle Social Gospeler raising funds for settlement houses by regaling a genteel audience in a suburban den with sadsack tales of big-city suffering. The mixture, therefore, of blame and sympathy, recognizing those decisions that, of course, the do-right crowd would never make, but placing them within a sordid urban context in which the decisions make complete sense in that time and in that place. In this way, it’s hard to call this story of seemingly deep pessimism, despondency, and hopelessness actually nihilistic, or at least in the way often assumed of the noir, or hard boiled. STORY:
“Decision” by Helen Nielsen: 4.5
- Belabored, inch-deep psychological portrait of a female killer, fed up with the constrained life into which her cold family has put her. STORY: woman on trial for murdering parents. We get the backstory of how it all came to be, of her abusive father and passive mother, and how she tried to make something of herself and how when that didn’t come to be, she turned on the two of them.
"Mugger Murder": 6.75
- Interesting comparative piece on psychological differences in the reaction to vigilante killers between the 80s and the 50s. The former, a more bloodthirsty time, prone to see not just virtue, but catharsis in the IDEA (Gaetz) of the innocent killing the guilty in righteous self-defense , whereas the latter had an air of sinister maliciousness in the possibility that one might attempt the same.
"The Collector Comes After Payday" by Fletcher Flora: 8.75
- Like all these Manhunt stories, a short, sharp shot of criminal darkness (and, again like Manhunt, better than it has any right to be).
August 14, 2020
A great collection of 39 shorts from the 50s that were in the crime magazine Manhunt. In most collections that are this vast, you expect your share of stinkers. Though in this book there was only one that I didnt really like (and it wasnt bad just kind of there) and again I would say thats rare. Some of the best crime writers of all time are in this collection, along with a few I was unfamiliar with and now want to read more of.
Highly recommended if you have any desire for short crime fiction. Also enjoyed the informative introduction and forward which gave a lot of history about the history of the magazine and crime fiction in general.
Highly recommended if you have any desire for short crime fiction. Also enjoyed the informative introduction and forward which gave a lot of history about the history of the magazine and crime fiction in general.
July 22, 2021
In crime noir, there are multiple paths to the heart of darkness.
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