What do you think?
Rate this book
Trouble is My Beat: The Bill Armbrewster, Hollywood Troubleshooter Mystery Novelettes in Classic Pulp Style
Hollywood, 1945. The war is over and the boys are coming home. But in Tinseltown it's crime as usual.Bill Armbrewster is the troubleshooter for National-Consolidated Pictures. That means getting leading men out of the drunk tank … or a murder rap. It means keeping wolves away from starlets and dancers away from temptation. Once it even means helping Bette Davis out of a jam.
His beat is trouble and his fists are ready. And when he isn’t solving studio problems he's pounding a typewriter, writing crime stories for the fabled Black Mask pulp magazine.
From City Hall to the Sunset Strip—and all points in between—William “Wild Bill” Armbrewster, a Marine who fought in France in the first World War, gets between the studio talent and a raft of swindlers and hooligans, killers and thieves.
Fair Don’t get on his bad side.
As tough as Sam Spade and as wisecracking as Philip Marlowe, Bill Armbrewster will appeal to fans of Dashiell Hammett, Raymond Chandler and Robert B. Parker.
From International Thrillers Writers Award winner James Scott Bell, here are six complete novelettes written in classic pulp style. Also included is a glossary of pulp slang. Learn to tell a fin from a sawbuck, a clip joint from a flophouse, and what it means to order Adam and Eve on a Raft.
His beat is trouble and his fists are ready. And when he isn’t solving studio problems he's pounding a typewriter, writing crime stories for the fabled Black Mask pulp magazine.
From City Hall to the Sunset Strip—and all points in between—William “Wild Bill” Armbrewster, a Marine who fought in France in the first World War, gets between the studio talent and a raft of swindlers and hooligans, killers and thieves.
Fair Don’t get on his bad side.
As tough as Sam Spade and as wisecracking as Philip Marlowe, Bill Armbrewster will appeal to fans of Dashiell Hammett, Raymond Chandler and Robert B. Parker.
From International Thrillers Writers Award winner James Scott Bell, here are six complete novelettes written in classic pulp style. Also included is a glossary of pulp slang. Learn to tell a fin from a sawbuck, a clip joint from a flophouse, and what it means to order Adam and Eve on a Raft.
234 pages, Kindle Edition
Published April 10, 2022
64 people are currently reading
34 people want to read
About the author
James Scott Bell
132 books1,032 followersJim is a former trial lawyer who now writes and speaks full time. He is the bestselling author of Try Dying, No Legal Grounds, Presumed Guilty, Glimpses of Paradise, Breach of Promise and several other thrillers. He is a winner of the Christy Award for Excellence in Inspirational Fiction, and was a fiction columnist for Writers Digest magazine. He has written two books in the Writers' Digest series, Write Great Fiction: Plot & Structure and Revision & Self-Editing.
Jim has taught writing at Pepperdine University and numerous writers conferences. He attended the University of California, Santa Barbara where he studied writing with Raymond Carver.
Series:
* Shannon Saga (with Tracie Peterson)
* The Trials of Kit Shannon
* Ty Buchanan
Jim has taught writing at Pepperdine University and numerous writers conferences. He attended the University of California, Santa Barbara where he studied writing with Raymond Carver.
Series:
* Shannon Saga (with Tracie Peterson)
* The Trials of Kit Shannon
* Ty Buchanan
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews
April 16, 2022
Love the writing style. Bell is one of my favorite authors. The stories leave something to be desired.
December 9, 2022
This was such a fun and entertaining read! I’ve never read stories in this style before and I loved it. I really hope there are going to be more stories with Bill Armbrewster. Fun mysteries and Bill is a fantastic character. Loved this one!
May 3, 2022
“Trouble is my beat.”
“This is Hollywood. Stranger things have happened.”
“Listen, I’ve got one job to do and that’s to keep the studio out of trouble. Right now, you’re the trouble, and you’re either coming with me nice and easy or you’re coming with me all mussed up. What’ll it be?”
I love hard boiled detective stories. And James Scott Bell has created a perfect character in Bill Armbrewster, a pulp writer in 1945 who also works as a troubleshooter for a movie agency. Trouble is Bill’s beat and Hollywood is the location. James Scott Bell does an amazing job of transporting you back to that era. His use of language (complete with a glossary of pulp slang in the back) is perfect and it had some great humor with the one liners. And what a cool book cover! Bill is the ultimate tough guy who’s not afraid to bust someone’s nose in search of helping stars and starlets get out of jams. I pictured Bill as a larger and taller version of Humphrey Bogart and that was who narrated the book in my head.
Trouble Is My Beat was six stories as opposed to one. I actually enjoyed this format. Not every story was the classic whodunnit with clues and red herrings. Some Bill just stumbled onto the truth and others had a nice mystery aspect. But they all had one thing in common; they were all great and fun reads! I hope James Scott Bell puts out more of these!!
“This is Hollywood. Stranger things have happened.”
“Listen, I’ve got one job to do and that’s to keep the studio out of trouble. Right now, you’re the trouble, and you’re either coming with me nice and easy or you’re coming with me all mussed up. What’ll it be?”
I love hard boiled detective stories. And James Scott Bell has created a perfect character in Bill Armbrewster, a pulp writer in 1945 who also works as a troubleshooter for a movie agency. Trouble is Bill’s beat and Hollywood is the location. James Scott Bell does an amazing job of transporting you back to that era. His use of language (complete with a glossary of pulp slang in the back) is perfect and it had some great humor with the one liners. And what a cool book cover! Bill is the ultimate tough guy who’s not afraid to bust someone’s nose in search of helping stars and starlets get out of jams. I pictured Bill as a larger and taller version of Humphrey Bogart and that was who narrated the book in my head.
Trouble Is My Beat was six stories as opposed to one. I actually enjoyed this format. Not every story was the classic whodunnit with clues and red herrings. Some Bill just stumbled onto the truth and others had a nice mystery aspect. But they all had one thing in common; they were all great and fun reads! I hope James Scott Bell puts out more of these!!
June 11, 2022
These stories of Bill Armbrewster not only intrigue the reader with the jams of a 1940’s detective, but they record history in a post-World War II setting in Hollywood. A tough guy, Bill’s good looks and the pipe he smokes make him fit right into the glamour days of Bette Davis and Joan Crawford. He works as a troubleshooter for National-Consolidated Pictures and has a girlfriend there who keeps him grounded. His job requires him to do everything from stick with an alcoholic male star to keep him from drinking, at least until he finishes shooting a movie, to getting in fights to solve a murder. He even comes to the rescue of Bette Davis before the book ends.
Mr. Bell took me right into the streets of 1940’s Hollywood and I loved hanging out with the stars and watching the bad guys from afar. I highly recommend this thriller for a fascinating, fun read steeped in history, mystery and good versus evil.
Mr. Bell took me right into the streets of 1940’s Hollywood and I loved hanging out with the stars and watching the bad guys from afar. I highly recommend this thriller for a fascinating, fun read steeped in history, mystery and good versus evil.
June 8, 2024
This is my third new genre in five weeks, and it is a pip. I had no idea Pulp Fiction was so much fun. Bill Armbrewster is the troubleshooter for the National-Consolidated Pictures Co. This episodic tale is about Bill's troubles with Hollywood stars, gangsters, and shysters. Bill is also a writer (of note) for a magazine, BLACK MASK.
I knew I would love this book when a kid asked Bill, "With all the work involved, what kind of writing brings the best financial return?" Without a pause, Bill responded, "Ransom notes." The jokes are fast and furious. I'm looking for more from this author.
There is a glossary; read it first, and you will be ready to understand the 1940-50s lingo.
Collections
Fresh Kills (2010) (with others)
Watch Your Back (2011)
One More Lie (2011)
** Trouble is My Beat (2022)
I knew I would love this book when a kid asked Bill, "With all the work involved, what kind of writing brings the best financial return?" Without a pause, Bill responded, "Ransom notes." The jokes are fast and furious. I'm looking for more from this author.
There is a glossary; read it first, and you will be ready to understand the 1940-50s lingo.
Collections
Fresh Kills (2010) (with others)
Watch Your Back (2011)
One More Lie (2011)
** Trouble is My Beat (2022)
July 1, 2024
It's a very pleasant sensation to witness someone who knows what they're talking about.
Oftentimes, especially in the indie world, we see authors write and give lots of advice about writing, but their own work never seems to be that good themselves. Recently I've come across the Bell on Writing Series, and it quickly became one of my favorites in that segment.
So I can say that I'm very satisfied with this collection of stories. The dialog is snappy, the characters are memorable and the plots themselves are interesting enough to keep you turning the page.
I would surely check out more stories from Mr. Armbrewster and his crew in the future. Props to Mr. Bell for crafting such fun and engaging tales. He surely can talk the talk and walk the walk.
Oftentimes, especially in the indie world, we see authors write and give lots of advice about writing, but their own work never seems to be that good themselves. Recently I've come across the Bell on Writing Series, and it quickly became one of my favorites in that segment.
So I can say that I'm very satisfied with this collection of stories. The dialog is snappy, the characters are memorable and the plots themselves are interesting enough to keep you turning the page.
I would surely check out more stories from Mr. Armbrewster and his crew in the future. Props to Mr. Bell for crafting such fun and engaging tales. He surely can talk the talk and walk the walk.
July 11, 2024
I hadn't read a classic pulp book before, so this was my introduction to this world. The clothes, food, and the language were a fun ride. The dictionary was an entertaining addition. I usually look up words I don't know when I'm reading to understand the full context, so JSB saved me a lot of time. Most slang could be figured out in context, but I still enjoyed reading the dictionary. And yes, as a kid, I did read the encyclopedias in our home library. :)
The first-person POV puts the reader easily into the setting of 1945, so for a few hours, you can be a wise-cracking writer and a studio troubleshooter, who has a sweet romance brewing.
It was a fun read with a creative plot.
The first-person POV puts the reader easily into the setting of 1945, so for a few hours, you can be a wise-cracking writer and a studio troubleshooter, who has a sweet romance brewing.
It was a fun read with a creative plot.
April 15, 2022
In Trouble is My Beat, James Scott Bell takes us back to the years of Dashiell Hammett and Raymond Chandler, and for those of us who enjoy reading of those years in Tinseltown, no one could do it better. In Bill Armbrewster, we have the quintessential hard-nosed-with-a-soft-heart PI as he rescues dames in distress and hapless would be stars of the film world. Armbrewster's food and beverage choices left me with raised eyebrows and a grin. I look forward to becoming better acquainted with Bill Arbrewster.
June 18, 2022
Pure Genius Fun From James Scott Bell...
One of my favorite authors, James Scott Bell can spin a wonderful yard that can deftly hit all the right notes to tell a terrific story! This is a great noir story that's not too dark - as Goldilocks would say, "It's just right..." Worth the price of admission for all the great dialogue contained within. For example, "He had a face like a bucketful of knuckles." There are too many more to present here, but you get the idea. Do yourself a favor and read this book - a fine selection of pulp-style stories!
One of my favorite authors, James Scott Bell can spin a wonderful yard that can deftly hit all the right notes to tell a terrific story! This is a great noir story that's not too dark - as Goldilocks would say, "It's just right..." Worth the price of admission for all the great dialogue contained within. For example, "He had a face like a bucketful of knuckles." There are too many more to present here, but you get the idea. Do yourself a favor and read this book - a fine selection of pulp-style stories!
October 7, 2022
James Scott Bell transports us back in time to the heyday of Tinseltown and the legendary actors of the timespan between the Great Depression and World War II. Also the era of pulp fiction. Bill Armbruster is a tough, no-nonsense troubleshooter for one of the big movie production houses. This collection of stories offers a glimpse into vintage Hollywood, a town with a high sleaze factor, crooked cops, and hired muscle to keep things in order. An entertaining read.
April 27, 2022
I. Loved. This.
OMG. Can't remember when I've ever had this much fun reading! If you like movies from the 40s and 50s, especially film noir, especially The Thin Man series, plus Dead Men Don't Wear Plaid, then this gem is for you. The dialog and pacing are masterful. I'm a new fan!
OMG. Can't remember when I've ever had this much fun reading! If you like movies from the 40s and 50s, especially film noir, especially The Thin Man series, plus Dead Men Don't Wear Plaid, then this gem is for you. The dialog and pacing are masterful. I'm a new fan!
June 30, 2023
A very enjoyable combination of cozy and hardboiled mysteries. Its like Hammett and Chandler, but with the rough edges filed off and plenty of humor mixed in. Bill Armbrewster is a fixer for a movie studio, but one with a heart and some sense of ethics. This is a series of short stories about his work looking into mysteries, protecting actors and workers for the studio, and so on.
July 3, 2024
These stories are set in Hollywood shortly after the end of the Second World War. The first-person narrator, Bill Armbrewster, handles problems for Morton Milder, the head of National-Consolidated Pictures. Armbrewster also writes hardboiled crime fiction for Black Mask, and he talks in that style, which provides continual humor for the reader.
April 13, 2022
Pulp fiction
This collection of six novelettes by one of my favorite writers, James Scott Bell, reminds me of the original Dragnet series. The hero is a troubleshooter for a movie studio and writes crime stories for magazines on the side. Love this !
This collection of six novelettes by one of my favorite writers, James Scott Bell, reminds me of the original Dragnet series. The hero is a troubleshooter for a movie studio and writes crime stories for magazines on the side. Love this !
April 24, 2022
fun reading book
James Scott Bell has given us a fun book to read. Takes us back to the golden ages of Hollywood, the stars, the gangsters, the studio execs and the crazy lives they led. Fun and interesting reading. Highly recommend!
James Scott Bell has given us a fun book to read. Takes us back to the golden ages of Hollywood, the stars, the gangsters, the studio execs and the crazy lives they led. Fun and interesting reading. Highly recommend!
April 29, 2022
still smilin’
So glad e-books have allowed this writer to publish more of his works! This was a refreshing bit of classic pulp fiction. Mr Bell nailed his main character, Mr Armbrewster, a tough guy, who never stumbled or skipped a beat.
So glad e-books have allowed this writer to publish more of his works! This was a refreshing bit of classic pulp fiction. Mr Bell nailed his main character, Mr Armbrewster, a tough guy, who never stumbled or skipped a beat.
January 16, 2023
I really enjoyed this book. The language is perfect for the time. Definitely a different genre from most of his books. Would recommend to anyone looking for a light, clean, quick read. Hope there are more.
April 22, 2022
Fun Reads
These stories are brief and fun to read. They keep the pages turning. Another round will be welcomed and eagerly awaited.
These stories are brief and fun to read. They keep the pages turning. Another round will be welcomed and eagerly awaited.
May 30, 2022
like Short Black & White Movies
Loved this book! Like old private eye books and movies from black and white movie days. The lack of foul language, etc. was appreciated!
Loved this book! Like old private eye books and movies from black and white movie days. The lack of foul language, etc. was appreciated!
January 7, 2024
Fun read.
March 4, 2024
These are a riot. So nicely done. No great literature but it's not trying to be. Read it for FUN.
April 14, 2022
epub via Patreon - kobo 145 pages
Several shorts in pulp/noir style - Hollywood troubleshooter, as the subtitle says, also writes for said pulps. Enjoyable, light rfeading.
Several shorts in pulp/noir style - Hollywood troubleshooter, as the subtitle says, also writes for said pulps. Enjoyable, light rfeading.
April 26, 2022
loved it
A Collection of short stories that you will enjoy. Bill Armbrewster is invincible as he takes the bad guys and makes them say uncle. All around tough guy and working for a movie studio to keep the studio out of trouble. Lol. I have thoroughly enjoyed his cases and you will too. Be sure and get your copy today.
A Collection of short stories that you will enjoy. Bill Armbrewster is invincible as he takes the bad guys and makes them say uncle. All around tough guy and working for a movie studio to keep the studio out of trouble. Lol. I have thoroughly enjoyed his cases and you will too. Be sure and get your copy today.
April 26, 2022
A conscious call back to the noir detective stories from the pulps. I thought the dialogue was a little heavy on the slang, but overall I had a good time with Bill Armbrewster. I would not mind in the least seeing more stories about I'm and his slice of 1940's L.A.
Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews