Point Blank discussion

Tell us Blanks what you're reading right now.

Well I finished all of my reading for “Girl with the Dragon Tattoo.” Which is good as we’ve already recorded the episode.
Next episode reading list:
“A Flash if Green” by John D MacDonald
“The Red Hot Typewriter: The Life and Times of John D MacDonald” by Hugh Merrill

For my own pleasure in reading the somewhat obscure crime fiction novel “October Heat” by Gordon DeMarco which takes place in 1934 San Francisco and involves the International Longshoreman’s Association Strike.

At the moment, I'm reading Chicago Slaughter, #6 in the "Lone Wolf" series, which Barry Malzberg wrote in the early 70s.

I think he signed up to do fourteen books in eight months, so he wrote them incredibly fast, and there is padding of the "Oh no it's not. It isn't that way at all." type. I should mention that #5 was the worst installment "to date." Entirely pointless. Havana Hit

But the whole series was on sale last month, so I figure I will read them all eventually.

Barry Malzberg is better known for his SF, of course.

Well, I'm not sold on Matzberg, but you definitely have my admiration Christopher, if only for your niche obscurism.

Looking forward to the reviews, Kurt!

Man, I'm killing myself with two behemoth reads: Don Delillo's Underworld and The Brothers Karamazov by Dostoyevsky. Girl With The Dragon Tattoo was long, but a fast read. Karamazov is long and reads like cold molasses. Looking forward to John D MacDonald's Flash of Green and October by China Mieville.

Hey-o!

I haven't read Flash of Green (or much MacDonald), so I'll certainly check that one out when the time comes.

A few years ago I read the "Lone Wolf" series, partly in paperbacks that I own and partly ebooks. At this point, all the books of the series are entirely indistinguishable to me, so I couldn't comment on which are better or worse, though I recall finding the thing as a whole diverting enough. I've actually never read any of Don Pendleton's Executioner series, whose success I assume Malzberg's books were trying to ride, but maybe I'll give it a shot someday.

The most recently crime book I've read is "45 Murderers" by Craig Rice (1952). It's my first Rice, though it's almost certainly an uncharacteristic effort in that it's 45 short true crime tales and not a screwball crime novel. Fun enough--a bit like watching Forensic Files without the forensics--and it ended with a longer than average piece on the the then relatively recent Black Dahlia murder.

The Lone Wolf series has a lot of Nixonian cynicism, but I think Malzberg took a lot from the Parker books, particularly Slayground.

Six had some late plot developments which kept the interest up.

That padding, tho.

Next up maybe Kitten with a Whip.

Justin wrote: "Man, I'm killing myself with two behemoth reads: Don Delillo's Underworld and The Brothers Karamazov by Dostoyevsky. Girl With The Dragon Tattoo was long, but a fast read. Karamazov is long and rea..."

There's that Hal Hartley short that I love that has a bunch of references to The Brothers Karmazov. It's called 'Surviving Desire'

Here's a very booky clip: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ofU9C...

Thanks, Geoff. I'll take a listen.

Read "Benny Muscles In" by Peter Rabe. It's good, but like the other Rabe I've read, I wasn't so overwhelmed with enthusiasm for the book as some other readers. (That may partly be because both novels were gangster themed, which isn't my favorite crime sub-genre.)

I've just finished Wonder by RJ Pallacio. Not noir at all, but a pretty damned good piece of writing.

Matt Phillips, Accidental Outlaws. Three interlinked novellas; in each Packard, a lone biker, interjects himself into the lives of people living on the edge of a small deeply rural working class town: Walmart, bars, fast-food places, used car lots (think, perhaps, Ebbing, Missouri with its three billboards.) Packard has a sense of justice and a need to be its enforcer, on his own terms. What is most interesting is that he is a social isolate, an extreme individualist who reminds me of western heroes who cannot live among people but who show up to help them, so a kind of Shane, Brave Cowboy, or Leatherstocking.

Jay wrote: "Matt Phillips, Accidental Outlaws. Three interlinked novellas; in each Packard, a lone biker, interjects himself into the lives of people living on the edge of a small deeply rural working class to..."


Accidental Outlaws sounds terrific.

I have resumed reading Nightmare Alley , but have also started reading The Lost Country . William Gay being in my top 10 writers, if not in my top 5.

The Snail on the Slope by Arkady Strugatsky

A very strange book. Science Fiction, but extremely wierd, surreal and Kafka-ish.

Paul wrote: "I have resumed reading Nightmare Alley, but have also started reading The Lost Country . William..."


Great books! I hope you're reading the UNCUT Nightmare Alley with the intro by Nick Tosches which you shouldn't read until after you've read the novel.

William Gay? Damn ... gravel road noir at its finest.
Terrific choices!

Me?
I'm taking a men's Sweat Mag paperback of a novel by Lou Cameron out for a spin:
-which I might not make it all the way through.

Never heard of William Gay - looks interesting.

I see promise in any story referred to as "gravel road noir."

Geoff wrote: "Never heard of William Gay - looks interesting."

Geoff, Geoff, Geoff... do yourself an ENORMOUS favour and read EVERYTHING William Gay wrote in his unfortunately short career.
I wouldn't start with 'The Lost Country', although there's nothing wrong with it, but read ANY of his other novels first.
Provinces of Night, Little Sister Death for statrters or if you want to dip your toes into his short stories, read either of his short story collections. Time Done Been Won't Be No More has the bonus of an interview with WG, which will give you an insight into the man.
I envy you, reading him for the first time.

He's on my want tos, Paul. Exciting stuff.

Still wrote: "Paul wrote: "I have resumed reading Nightmare Alley, but have also started reading The Lost Country [bookcover:The Lost Country|3336..."

The UNCUT, yes. Kindle version, but still.

Paul wrote: "Still wrote: "Paul wrote: "I have resumed reading Nightmare Alley, but have also started reading The Lost Country [bookcover:The Los..."

GREAT!
Now I see that I'm missing a couple of Gay anthologies and at least one William Gay novel.
Perfect time of the year for his writings.
They're not horror in the supernatural way of a Lovecraft but they're steeped in dread and awful suspense and heartbreak.

Speaking of William Gay I'm currently reading:


Provinces of Night by William Gay

also reading:


The Black Echo by Michael Connelly


Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier


The Secret History by Donna Tartt


Boy's Life by Robert R. McCammon


The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time by Mark Haddon


Alice's Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll


The Metamorphosis and Other Stories by Franz Kafka

and since it is October:


A Night in the Lonesome October by Roger Zelazny

Randy wrote: "Speaking of William Gay I'm currently reading:


Provinces of Night by William Gay

also reading:

[bookcover:The Black Echo|32..."

Provinces of Night by William Gay an excellent choice Randy.

Paul wrote: "Provinces of Night by William Gay an excellent choice Randy."

I like it a lot so far.

Just finished Peter Blauner's Sunrise Highway, and have to say I'm disappointed. I felt the same way after reading Proving Ground. Somehow, the tone and characterizations just didn't feel right to me. These books are as good as most series books, but I expected a better read from Blauner. Readers seem to favor series books these days, and this seemed like an effort to get on that train. There's nothing wrong with making money - writers gotta eat! - but I feel the Robles books aren't up to Blauner's past work.

I'm reading Die A Little by Megan Abbott, Junkie Love by Joe Clifford, and a biography of John D. MacDonald.

Over the past couple days I've been reading a couple anthologies of French decadent and 19th century horror tales--Excellent stuff. For mysteries, I recently read my first by Dolores Hitchens, "The Man Who Cried All the Way Home." A competent and fairly complex murder mystery that I very much enjoyed but that surely won't stick me with. Better still was "Pure Poison," a Fred Fellows police procedural by Hillary Waugh. Waugh is, I think, nowadays underappreciated, totally out of print, and barely read; however, I think his procedurals still hold up, especially because they never fell into a formula.

I like the name Fred Fellows quite a lot.

I just finished:
Total Chaos by Jean-Claude Izzo (Highly recommended)
Hope Never Dies: an Obama Biden Mystery (wacky but entertaining)

My read list this month:
Devil in a Blue Dress by Walter Mosley
The Dogs of Riga by Henning Mankell
Dirty Boulevard: crime fiction inspired by the songs of Lou Reed edited by David James Keaton
Florida Roadkill by Tim Dorsey
Savage Night by Jim Thompson
The Woman Who Married a Bear by John Straley

Some other non fiction mostly nautical stuff, but that fills my book box while at work. I “should” be able to get through all these.

Kurt wrote: "I just finished:
Total Chaos by Jean-Claude Izzo (Highly recommended)."

Kurt, have you already read the other two books, or did you go straight for Book 3?

Geoff. Total Chaos is the first in the series. I will be reading books 2&3 ASAP!

According to Amazon it's book 3, and Chuourmo is book one...
Looks like that's wrong.... It is indeed Book 1
So I'm invested now...
I'll have to read it.

Current reads:

Devil in a Blue Dress by Walter Mosley
Mystic River by Dennis Lehane
Flash: An Novel by Jim Miller
October by China Mieville

Geoff wrote: "According to Amazon it's book 3, and Chuourmo is book one...
Looks like that's wrong.... It is indeed Book 1
So I'm invested now...
I'll have to read it."

I put the Izzo books on my wishlist. Can't wait to read them.

I'm reading the new Joe Ide novel, 'Wrecked' . I love the IQ novels but it does feel as though Ide feels he has to make each book 'bigger' than the last, but I'm lovin' it still.

Geoff wrote: "I'm reading the new Joe Ide novel, 'Wrecked' . I love the IQ novels but it does feel as though Ide feels he has to make each book 'bigger' than the last, but I'm lovin' it still."

Finished 'Wrecked' a couple days ago Geoff. Very enjoyable.

I'm currently reading the Cold Six Thousand by James Ellroy, the second of three books in Ellroy's Underworld USA trilogy. I'm not sure if this series fits within the scope of this group, although there's a noir-ish element to it. Ellroy's unique writing style (4 to 5 word sentences are the norm) is annoying at first, but it really grows on you if you give it a chance. It's gritty, cynical and in your face. Not a book I would recommend to my mother.

Rob wrote: "I'm currently reading the Cold Six Thousand by James Ellroy, the second of three books in Ellroy's Underworld USA trilogy. I'm not sure if this series fits within the scope of this group, although ..."

Thanks for the rec.

Currently reading Ladies of Chance via Kindle Unlimited.

1936. I guess this was meant to be as salacious as possible. There is always a 'fade out' before the bedroom scenes, but the guy has hooked up four times already, and it's only half done.

Brett Halliday was the author of the Mike Shayne series.

Just finshed The Line That Held Us , which was really enjoyable. My review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Just finished The Hook
Review here; https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Not sure if this is the right place to post a recommendation for the podcast, but here it is:

No Beast So Fierce by Edward Bunker
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6...

If Justin or Kurt (or any member of this group) have not yet read this book, I highly recommend it. It's about an ex-con who has trouble adjusting to life outside of prison (largely to obstacles put up by the criminal justice system). It's largely informed by the author's personal experience. It had an influence on reform of the system following its publication and was an influence on Quentin Tarantino in writing Reservoir Dogs (Bunker also appeared in the film). On top of all that, it's a fantastic read.

Thanks for the rec, Rob. I'll check it out.

So, I finished Dodgers by Bill Beverly, and I've started The Axeman's Jazz - I'm having a really good reading year so far.

Reading On the Beach. Cold War era post-apocalypse -- quiet and frightening.

I just finished five quicky crime-reads:

1. Last night I finished Sleeping Beauty by Ross Macdonald...Lew Archer's the coolest...my fourth time reading the novel, never tire of it...complicated...the last page is a stunner...

2. Telefon by Walter Wager...probably the best fiction about the use of MK-Ultra...more a spy novel...made into a movie with Charles Bronson...the book is very good, very suspenseful...

3. The Outfit by Richard Stark...Parker #3...the early Parker's were really good...most of this book takes place in Buffalo, NY, of all places...I reread it because I'm going to watch the '73 movie with Robert Duvall which is supposed to be the best Parker movie...

4. Downtown by Ed Mcbain...a zany caper in NYC during the Christmas holiday week...a fun read...

5. Blood Innocents by Thomas H. Cook...Cook's first book...a dark NYC police procedural written in '80...excellent until the very end where it came together rather quickly...pretty good first novel though...Thomas Cook is really good, he's won a few Edgars and has written quite a few crime novels...

...about to start Total Chaos...

Cool list, Joe. "The woods are lovely dark and deep..."
I have read Sleeping Beauty, and liked it.

The Outfit is incredibly compact... all that stuff about the two suit jackets, the numbers running, the souped up VW. And then the mobster in his big Buffalo mansion, getting the analysis.. "Your people don't really see themselves as criminals."

I hope to see the movie version someday.

Even Downtown sounds familiar. I think I read it a long time ago.

Nice list! More books to add to my ceaselessly growing pile. . .

I'm having Librivox read Anna Karenina to me on my drive to work.

I'm also reading Nausea, Our Man in Havana, and She Rides Shotgun.

Plus, I'm on a post-apoc sci-fi kick. I'm all over the place to start 2019.