LOA follows up their previous collections of crime fiction of the 1930s-1950s with one focused on the early years of the 1960s. This volume contains a quintet of excellent novels, all of them short but still brimming with suspense and psychological insight.

Things get off to a wild start with Fredric Brown's THE MURDERERS. It's the classic noir set-up - lovers conspire to bump off an inconvenient spouse - only it unfolds in Beat-era Los Angeles, so the lazy couple of Hollywood hangers-on in question might not have their hearts in the plan. But they back into mayhem anyway. Tremendous atmosphere, Brown's usual sly sense of humor, and a doozy of an ending.

Author Dan J. Marlowe's life is something out of pulp fiction. (It's recounted by editor Geoffrey O'Brien in the thorough biographical section.) But in THE NAME OF THE GAME IS DEATH, Marlowe wrote the quintessential Gold Medal paperback. As a criminal sets out after the loot from a bank job, he flashes back to incidents from his life that made him the way he is. The result is a slow-burn revenge yarn in the wilds of Florida that's also a hardboiled case study. Marlowe later rewrote the book to turn his unnamed protagonist into a series character. LOA serves up the original text in all its gut-punch glory.

Charles Williams's nautical thriller DEAD CALM is the best known title in the collection, adapted into the 1989 film starring Sam Neill and Nicole Kidman. The book is stronger than the movie, drawing on Williams's extensive experience as a sailor.

A young Black doctor driving to a family wedding in the Southwest picks up a hitchhiking girl and comes to regret his act of kindness in THE EXPENDABLE MAN by Dorothy B. Hughes. With a plot touching on race and abortion, it's a hot-button novel with a cool and steady pulse, its protagonist inexorably plunged into a nightmare.

You can never go wrong with any of the novels by Richard Stark (aka Donald E. Westlake) about the icy professional thief Parker. In THE SCORE, Parker assembles a crew to knock over an irresistible target: an entire town.

This collection is the first of two volumes of classic crime novels from the 1960s, issued by the Library of America. And what a fabulous collection it is! As is usual for the LOA volumes, the introduction and the additional biographical material and notes really add to appreciating the novels themselves.

My two favorites stories in this collection were The Expendable Man by Dorothy Hughes, and The Score by Richard Stark (pseudonym for Donald Westlake), one of the best entries in the legendary Parker series.

My thanks to LOA and to Netgalley for providing an ARC of this book.

This was an absolute great introduction to five different thriller writers from the 1960s. Every one was great, and difficult to pick a favorite.

Fredric Brown, The Murderers - I always like these classic noir novels, and this one was no exception. The characters are well developed, with a great story/pacing. Especially enjoyed the ending, but no spoilers. Will be picking up more books by Fredric Brown.

Dan J Marlowe, The Name of the Game is Death - Wow. I read Dan Marlowe before (the whole Johnny Killian series), and this was just as good. Enjoyed the character (Drake). Also had great story/pacing. A little dark noir is always a great read. Will need to read more in the series.

Charles Williams, Dead Calm - Have read several novels by Charles Williams, but this is my favorite (so far). This had great characters, pacing, and story. The location is a little unsettling, but it definitely works. Will be reading more from Charge Williams.

Dorothy B Hughes, The Expendable Man - Wow. This book was great. Always look a good mystery/suspense story, and this book was fantastic. Great characters, great pacing, great story. Social commentary thrown in, but in a very good way. This book made me go out and get other Dorothy Hughes books. Hopefully all will be as great as this one.

Richard Stark (Donald E Westlake), The Score - The Parker series never disappoints, and the Score is no exception. As usually, a great band of characters, and another great story, with great pacing. Donald E Westlake never disappoints.

#CrimeNovelsFiveClassicThrillers19611964LOA370 #NetGalley

This review will be published on the June the 7th at restingandreviewing.wordpress.com

Book Review: Crime Novels: Five Classic Thrillers 1961-1964 Library of America

A Thank-you

Thank-you Library of America for giving me access to this book. Expected Publication September 12, 2023

Blurb

“In the 1960s the masters of crime fiction expanded the genre’s literary and psychological possibilities with audacious new themes, forms, and subject matter—here are five of their finest works

This is the first of two volumes gathering the best American crime fiction of the 1960s, nine novels of astonishing variety and inventiveness that pulse with the energies of that turbulent, transformative decade.

In The Murderers (1961) by Fredric Brown, an out-of-work actor, hanging out with Beat drifters on the fringes of Hollywood, concocts a murder scheme that devolves into nightmare. This late work by a master in many genres is one of his darkest and most ingenious.

Dan J. Marlowe’s The Name of the Game Is Death (1962) channels the inner life of a violent criminal who freely acknowledges the truth of a prison psychiatrist’s “Your values are not civilized values.” Written with unnerving emotional authenticity, the story hurtles toward an annihilating climax.

Charles Williams drew on his experience in the merchant marine for his thriller Dead Calm (1963). A newlywed couple alone on a small yacht find themselves at the mercy of the mysterious survivor they have rescued from a sinking ship, in a suspenseful story that chillingly evokes the perils of the open ocean.

In the beautifully told and sharply observant The Expendable Man (1963), Dorothy B. Hughes’s final masterpiece of suspense, a young man in the American Southwest runs afoul of racial assumptions after he picks up a hitchhiker who soon turns up dead.

In twenty-four brilliantly constructed novels, Richard Stark (a pen name of Donald Westlake) charted the career of Parker, a hard-nosed professional thief, with rigorous clarity. The Score (1964), a stand-out in the series, finds Parker and his criminal associates hatching a plot to rob simultaneously all the jewelry stores, payroll offices, and banks in a remote Western mining town, only to come up against the human limits of even the most intricate planning.

Volume features include an introduction by editor Geoffrey O’Brien ( Hardboiled America ), newly researched biographies of the writers and helpful notes, and an essay on textual selection.”

Ebook

I read the ebook of this book and I would have liked, considering it is a whopping omnibus with over five novels, links I could click on in the contents page. I do like going back and forth, so instead of manual bookmarks links would have been appreciated. As this is not yet published, maybe it would be possible to add them in.

Book by Book

If you follow R&R you will know, we like our Crime Fiction. Old, New, Noir, Pulp, if it’s good – we like it. Here we’ll give you a breakdown of all the books included in this omnibus.

Murderers – Fredric Brown

Blurb

“A struggling actor, Willy Griff keeps himself entertained with the wife of a business mogul, but he wants more: He also wants the business mogul’s money. The mistress, Doris, likes the idea even more than Willy does, and figures if she helps plan the murder, she can ditch the husband and keep the cash.

It’s a dangerous scheme for two low-level, aspiring criminals. But Willy comes up with an ingenious, foolproof plot for pulling it off. At least, he better hope it’s foolproof . . .

The Murderers is a gritty tale of crime and passion from Fredric Brown, a master of noir and mystery and winner of the prestigious Edgar Award.” (Goodreads, The Murderers, n,d).

Review

This was a brilliant book, putting you right into the heart of a criminal. Or is Willy Griff a criminal? If somebody asked you how much money would you want for murdering someone, would you give them a figure? How much does a life cost? Murderers contemplates these questions, wrapped up into a gritty thriller set in Los Angeles, the city of angels, or more likely, a hub of dying dreams. I found myself contemplating what Hollywood has to offer. How many dreamers are there out there? How many has life passed by, or the cameras stained too much? How many people are now auditioning for an advert, a play, a film, a tv series, an extra? How many people want to be seen and heard by billions across the world? Is that something everyone wants? Personally, I have never been interested in Acting. The line of work has never appealed to me. Do I think acting is hard? Yes. It is hard, but not in the sense of back breaking work, more mental toil and fatigue. All work is hard. Acting takes skill, as much skill as anything else, if not more. It’s a niche area, something that Murderers made me respect even more. Willy Griff is a cheater, a liar, an adulterer and maybe something more. But it’s his skill in acting which allows him to perform on the worlds most dangerous stage, real life. Unfortunately, although a rational, law abiding citizen, I was suckered in by his outrageous charm. Is he a nice person? No. So why did I find myself liking this chap, who would throw anyone under the bus, including new actresses, who come to Hollywood, with stars in their eyes and dreams in their minds….. I do not know. He is charming, enough so to make everyone around him like him. Is that what murderers do? I think it was a great read and the first person style which it was written in is perfect for this genre. I read it within a few days and could not put it down; because you need to know what was going to happen. Would it work out? Was there going to be a fairytale ending? What I did learn from this book, is avoid Hollywood. It sounds like a dangerous place.

The Name of the Game is Death – Dan J Marlowe

Blurb

“”Two guys with guts and a go-to-hell-with-you-Jack regard for consequences have about three chances in ten of pulling off a big, well-planned smash-and-grab. If one of them can shoot like me . . . the odds are a damn sight better.”

In the course of his line of business, the man who calls himself Roy Martin has robbed a bank in Phoenix, killed three men, and caught a bullet in his arm. Safety–and one half of $178,000–awaits him on the other side of the country. All that separates “Martin” from his destination are two thousand treacherous miles and three lethal to trust the wrong friend, to love the right woman, and to start believing that a man like himself can ever be safe.

The Name of the Game is Death combines a narrative as taut as a hangman’s rope with chillingly authentic insights into the psychology of casual murder.” (Goodreads, The Name of the Game is Death, n,d).

Review

This story is in the form of first person perspective as well. I enjoyed it, a rapid read, the pace is good and yet again, the first person allows for a smooth flow where you’re as close to the action as your going to get. Meet Roy Martin, or Chet, or Adrian, who knows who he really is. A killer, a robber, a rapist, a thief, but a good guy? What’s a bad guy? The lines are blurred. Is he selfish? Does he rob banks and try to hurt as few people as possible? Has he all his life stood up to bullies? Did an experience as a child shape how he views authority. Spent a lifetime getting back at the law, for what they did to him. Can you blame someone who thinks all cops are corrupt? Can you blame someone when we see that the cops are corrupt? But he’s an unreliable narrator. Maybe this robin hood image isn’t true at all, but he never tried to hide anything. When he kills, he says so. He doesn’t try and justify it, he gloats over his marksmanship, someone that good with a gun, must be good at killing. He learnt a lot in prison, saw the system. An overall action packed read and definitely a pulp.

Dead Calm – Charles Williams

Blurb

“John and Rae Ingram are alone on their honeymoon yacht in the Pacific, becalmed. It shoud be idyllic. . .but it’s not.

On the near horizon a ship is sinking. They rescue its lone passenger, a young man who claims he buried his wife and another couple, dead from food poisoning. But suspicion gnaws at Ingram, a suspicion only too soon justified. Soon Ingram and his wife are nearly overside with the killer’s other victims!

“A brilliant tour de force … breathtaking.” (The New York Times)”

Review

This was awful. I watched the film as well. Sam Neil and Nicole Kidman’s performances as actors were decent, however the script was as awful as the book. A great premise and a great potential seed for a novel, stranded, psychological episode in the middle of the ocean, the only conceivable modern fear. Isolation at sea – everywhere there is civilisation, but the sea. Even in the Amazon rainforest I think you would find litter and debris from tourists or who knows what. But at sea there is no calling for help , unless now in 2023 there are things which go beyond the technology then, like satellite phones. However a budding writer could do things like trip the wire, or destroy the machinery….. Anyway, a great premise and a great idea soon fizzles out. The writing is lacklustre, the pace slow compared to the two first person stories preceding it. It is an odd choice to put such a slow burner right after two stories with such intensity. Sure, a few things happen in the book, but the time between each of them makes you bored. Bored is not something you want when reading any book, but being bored while reading a thriller is not very thrilling. I was ready for the end when I turned the first few pages, and I only kept on reading to see how the book differed from the film. IT DIFFERS. If I had to compare, I would say the book is better, but it’s like comparing a leak in your ceiling to a leak in your sink, you want neither. Terry Hayes wrote the screenplay and instead of turning a great idea into something with real potential, they wasted a really good opportunity. (Scripts, n,d). This is also the second book in a series, with the first called Aground. I think Charles should have either started here or killed it with Aground. I have not read aground, so I cannot say what that book is like, I have not read any of their other books, but this certainly was awful. I don’t understand it’s good reviews, there’s perspective shifts as sudden as car crashes, which were very confusing. Monologue episodes of thoughts, rolling at you like the waves of the ocean, and the plot was what? It certainly sounded exciting, but reading it all the suspense and tension drifts away. Stay away from this one.

The Expendable Man – Dorothy B Hughes

Blurb

““It was surprising what old experiences remembered could do to a presumably educated, civilized man.” And Hugh Denismore, a young doctor driving his mother’s Cadillac from Los Angeles to Phoenix, is eminently educated and civilized. He is privileged, would seem to have the world at his feet, even. Then why does the sight of a few redneck teenagers disconcert him? Why is he reluctant to pick up a disheveled girl hitchhiking along the desert highway? And why is he the first person the police suspect when she is found dead in Arizona a few days later?

Dorothy B. Hughes ranks with Raymond Chandler and Patricia Highsmith as a master of mid-century noir. In books like In a Lonely Place and Ride the Pink Horse, she exposed a seething discontent underneath the veneer of twentieth-century prosperity. With The Expendable Man, first published in 1963, Hughes upends the conventions of the wrong-man narrative to deliver a story that engages readers even as it implicates them in the greatest of all American crimes.”

Review

Dorothy had me hooked from the start. I won’t spoil a twist, but it blindsided me and this deals with complex social issues. It was harrowing. Academically I have studied the era and the civil rights movement that went on in America, but to see the Veneers written so well by Dorothy, made my gut twist. I cannot say too much in this review without spoiling the plot, or giving something away. I will say it was a brilliant read, more a sociological study, than a crime novel. The crime was compelling, but Dorothy used the crime genre as a spring board to give her access to wider issues. I was being educated while being entertained and that is how you write a brilliant crime novel.

The Score – Richard Stark

(Goodreads, The Score, n,d).

Blurb

“It was an impossible crime: knock off a huge plant payroll, all the banks, and all the stores in one entire city in one night. But there was one thief good enough to try — Parker. All he needed was the right men, the right plan, and the right kind of help from Lady Luck. The men and the plan were easy; Lady Luck was another story. She turned out to be a good-looking blonde with a taste for booze and eyes for Parker. And Parker knew this chilling caper could either be the perfect crime… or a set-up that would land him in jail — for life.”

Review

The Expendable Man was a tough act to follow. I suppose the omnibus highlights this, sometimes you have a really good read and if the next one does not live up to the same standard, you’re left with a bitter taste in your mouth. I am reviewing this omnibus book, which is made up of all these books. As I go through them one after another I cannot help compare them. Is this book better, is the writing better. I think The Expendable man should have been the one to end the book. The Score is a gritty pulp, which is also part of a larger series. I have never read Parker before and have no affinity for the character. It seems to be the fifth novel in the series and although it may fit the time line of 61-64, I could not help feel I was missing out on something. Being a series and jumping into the fifth novel head first, although the story is understandable, I feel like this is a book where if you like the character from the off, great. But compared to Willy Griff? Roy Martin? Hugh? I prefered these characters, these criminals, these protagonists. I prefered there stories.

Review of Crime Novels: Five Classic Thrillers 1961-1964 Library of America

All too often today you have the boring, lacklustre whodunnit. You stare at your television set or wander down the pages of a typed out best selling novel, to dumbly follow piecemeal traces of evidence and blindly follow the all knowing detective who seems to find a theory or know the killer above all else. These detectives are superhuman and you look at them, like a child who is bad at maths looks at a calculator. But Chandler, Macdonald, Dorothy. B Hughes they have what these new writers lack, they have style. I can hear people cry now, philistine! How can you say that? Give the new writers a chance! I’m all for giving new writers a chance, I know in this business it is so hard for budding writers to accomplish their goals, the good ones aren’t in it for the “business”, sure they want to make a living, who doesn’t(?), but thats what literature has seemed to turn into, business. The art and style has been paved over for novels that are whacked out in a few months, all so they can snap up the pay cheque and satisfy the agents. Rarely have I opened a modern crime novel and been blown away. So in times when you’re looking for a good thriller, mystery, noir or pulp, look no further than the classics. You get that with this omnibus, sure I liked some more than others, but that’s going to happen. Your favourites may not be mine. The only book I did not like was Dead Calm. My reasons are above and that may be a controversial statement, but here at restingandreviewing, we dont want confusing, multiple perspectives, or boring long winded monologues with our fast paced, nail biting thrillers.

I would recommend this collection for any crime fan. Get in on your bookshelf, and when you want a good crime thriller, remember, they are classics for a reason.

References:

Library of America Book Cover. Accessed via: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/83171964-crime-novels
Goodreads. Crime Novels: Five Classic Thrillers 1961-1964 (LOA #370): The Murderers / The Name of the Game Is Death / Dead Calm / The Expendable Man / The Score. Accessed via: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/83171964-crime-novels
Goodreads. The Murderers. Accessed Via: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/439115.The_Murderers
Goodreads. The Name of the Game is death. Accessed via: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/672989.The_Name_of_the_Game_Is_Death
Scripts. (n.d). Dead Calm. Accessed via: https://www.scripts.com/script/dead_calm_6477
Goodreads, The Murderers, n,d. Accessed via: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/439115.The_Murderers
Goodreads, The Name of the Game is Death, n,d. Accessed via: https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/672989
Goodreads, Dead Calm, n,d. Accessed via: https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/829913
Goodreads, The Expendable Man, n,d. Accessed via: https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/939794



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. This is the first of two volumes gathering the best American crime fiction of the 1960s, nine novels of astonishing variety and inventiveness that pulse with the energies of that turbulent, transformative decade.
In The Murderers (1961) by Fredric Brown, an out-of-work actor, hanging out with Beat drifters on the fringes of Hollywood, concocts a murder scheme that devolves into nightmare. This late work by a master in many genres is one of his darkest and most ingenious.

Dan J. Marlowe's The Name of the Game Is Death(1962) channels the inner life of a violent criminal who freely acknowledges the truth of a prison psychiatrist's diagnosis: "Your values are not civilized values." Written with unnerving emotional authenticity, the story hurtles toward an annihilating climax.

Charles Williams drew on his experience in the merchant marine for his thriller Dead Calm (1963). A newlywed couple alone on a small yacht find themselves at the mercy of the mysterious survivor they have rescued from a sinking ship, in a suspenseful story that chillingly evokes the perils of the open ocean.

In the beautifully told and sharply observant The Expendable Man (1963), Dorothy B. Hughes's final masterpiece of suspense, a young man in the American Southwest runs afoul of racial assumptions after he picks up a hitchhiker who soon turns up dead.

In twenty-four brilliantly constructed novels, Richard Stark (a pen name of Donald Westlake) charted the career of Parker, a hard-nosed professional thief, with rigorous clarity. The Score (1964), a stand-out in the series, finds Parker and his criminal associates hatching a plot to rob simultaneously all the jewelry stores, payroll offices, and banks in a remote Western mining town, only to come up against the human limits of even the most intricate planning.

This Volume features include an introduction by editor Geoffrey O'Brien (Hardboiled America), newly researched biographies of the writers and helpful notes, and an essay on textual selection.
Atmospheric and deftly plotted story The characters are richly drawn-the details of the book are fascinating-gives a very vivid picture of life at this time-I was transported every time I picked up this highly imaginative stories
This omnibus edition linking five American thrillers from the early 1950’s is quite a lengthy read at 950 pages including the commentary by Geoffrey O’Brian but I thought it highly enjoyable and I’m looking forward to reading the second volume from Library Of American available through netgalley.co.uk Both volumes and e-books are due to be published in the UK on the 12th September 2023. Strongly recommended.

As a rule, I much prefer reading physical books to e-books. The big exception is LOA--they publish great material, but I'm not a fan of their physical format. So I was very happy to receive an advance copy of this book.

I was especially interested in reading the Fredric Brown title, because I've seen his name mentioned often but my library doesn't have any of his books, and I hadn't gotten around to interlibrary loan. I enjoyed his The Murderers here, but the favorite novel I read in this book was Dan Marlowe's The Name of the Game is Death. I recently bought a physical copy of Hughes's The Expendable Man which I haven't read yet, so I skipped that one here.

Another nice collection from LOA--I think their multiple author collections are my favorites of their books. Thanks to LOA and NetGalley for the early edition to review.

This new omnibus from LOA offers a great look back at 1960’s noir by some of the best in the business.
The Murderers by Frederic Brown- A would-be actor and a wayward wife, married to some wealthy big shot decide that killing the big shot and getting his money is what they should do. They just need a plan. But things don’t always go to plan.
The Name of The Game is Death by Dan J. Marlowe-A brutal revenge story that never let’s up from start to the agonizing last page.
Dead Calm by Charles Williams-A young couple cruising along in their yacht pick up a ship-wrecked castaway, offering him rescue and help. But they’ve let the devil on board and now their in danger. I saw the movie years ago. This is much better.
The Expendable Man by Dorothy B. Hughes-Picking up a hitchhiker in Arizona proves to be a mistake which leads to one deadly problem after another.
The Score by Richard Stark- Written by Donald Westlake in one of his darker moments, this is a Parker novel about a heist that involves stealing from a whole town, the banks, jewelry stores, etc. Parker puts together a crew, a plan, and sets things in motion until the unexpected happens. I’ve read this tense novel a few times and even have the original 1963 paperback that I bought when it was new. The story is lean, expertly crafted, and won’t let you go until you finish!
All in all some great entertaining noir, a blast from the past, not to be missed. Thank you NetGalley for this dark and relentless ARC!

What a fantastic collection of absolute classics. Dead Calm is the shining star for me, but all of them are great and all have stood the test of time in terms of sheer quality crime novels. So well written, with a real sense of nostalgia as you enter worlds where mobile phones and computers do not play a part in the stories and their resolution.