Really enjoyed this one! I should have read it so much sooner! But I don’t regret it. This maybe a new obsession! I love the characters, plot, etc.

After enjoying the previous Crime Novels collection (Crime Novels: Five Classic Thrillers 1961-1964) I was reading to dig in to four more crime classics. Three of these books I've already reviewed here on my blog and on Goodreads, though I'm including those reviews here. The fourth book, The Tremor of Forgery, I'm reviewing here first.

Once again, I enjoyed this collection overall. I wasn't familiar with Margaret Millar, but The Fiend definitely thrills. Ed McBain is a name I'm quite familiar with (I've spent many years working in bookstores) but I've never read anything by him. The Doll is a great introduction and does make me want to read more in the series.

Run Man Run didn't sit well with me, but it wasn't the writing - Chester Himes does a great job - but the subject always puts me on edge. And Patricia Highsmith is a name I've seen on the shelves but also hadn't ever read prior to this. The Tremor of Forgery is both subtle and complex.

I really appreciate editor Geoffrey O'Brien's hand in these selections and providing the background on the books and the time in which they were written.

The book includes a really great selection of Biographical Notes and Notes On The Texts. Especially as someone still relatively new to the genre, I found these extremely helpful and informative.

To the reviews:



THE FIEND by Margaret Millar
Margaret Millar's The Fiend is a story of the mentally deranged individual, Charlie Gowen. There had been an incident in Charlie's past, involving a child, which has made him the town pariah. Today, though, at least on the surface, he is more or less coping and the few people he does interact with consider him more or less "cured." His brother, Ben Gowan, seems to be aware that Charlie needs constant watching and has given up his own life to keep a watchful eye on his brother. For good reason.

Charlie is slowly showing signs of returning to his old life with an unhealthy interest in children. Charlie should not be sitting in a car across from a park and watching the children.

Charlie has fixated on one particular little girl, Jessie Brant, when he watches her scramble around a jungle gym and fall. Charlie believes it is his duty to warn her parents - that she needs protecting, from dangers like the jungle gym as well as from people like himself.

The book is not so simple, though, as a pedophile with an interest in a particular child. Millar digs in and examines a number of people in the story, including the girl's parents and friends of the family - who also have an apparent unhealthy obsession with the neighbor's child.

While we're tempted to label Charlie as the titular 'fiend' based on what we know about him and the actions we see him engage in, Millar shows us how ugly people can be and how so many are able to hide their more unsavory sides.

This was a really engaging and surprisingly fascinating read ('surprising' because I didn't think I'd enjoy a book with a child molester at the forefront). It's a psychological thriller that really keeps the reader guessing and changing opinions.

Looking for a good book? From 1964 comes Margaret Millar's psychological thriller, The Fiend. It's a powerful novel examining the vagaries of the human psyche.

4 stars

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DOLL by Ed McBain
A woman, model Tina Sachs, is killed, brutally slashed to death while her young daughter sat in another room, quietly playing with her doll.

In the squad room of the 87th Precinct, Steve Carella asks his lieutenant to assign Bert Kling to the case. Kling has been a bit belligerent since the loss of his fiancé. He's about to get booted out of the squad but Carella still believes in him and thinks he just needs the chance to prove his worth. But Kling and Carella have an argument during the investigation and Carella orders Kling to go home.

Shortly after Kling leaves, Carella makes a discovery in his investigation and heads off to follow up on his lead. Unfortunately Carella never calls in to report on what he's discovered and the criminal(s) behind the crime surprise and subdue the officer.

Stripped naked and bound to a radiator, the killers torture (mentally and with doses of drugs) Carella to try and force him to tell them how he discovered them as they believed they had covered their tracks. As the torture gets more intense, Carella's only hope to survive is that the men at the 87th precinct can find him.

I've never read an Ed McBain book but I recognize his name from my browsing of bookstores. I'm quite sure I never knew about his 87th Precinct series but after reading this I am more curious to read more.

What I liked here was the absolute tension that McBain provides. The mystery of 'who dunnit' took a back seat to 'is Carella going to survive'? We also wonder (along with the killers) how Carella figured it out.

Being just one in a long series of books about the precinct, I do wonder what kind of relationships there are among the men. Are the books mostly about solving crimes, or are they about the men who work there (or a bit of both)? This is what has me curious to read more.

What doesn't work here for me is how quickly the book ends. We have so much tension built up and then it's over in a couple of pages and hardly any denouement (and what there was made almost no sense unless, perhaps, we're more familiar with the series).

Looking for a good book? Doll is a good (but not great) introduction to Ed McBain and the 87th Precinct series. Excellent for fans of dark, police thrillers.

4 stars

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RUN MAN RUN by Chester Himes
Matt Walker is a white cop with a bad temper. Drunk and stumbling around Harlem after a rough visit with a prostitute one night, Walker can't find his car and is sure that a Black man - a porter at the hotel - he runs into has stolen it. He threatens the man, pointing a gun at him, trying to make him say where the car is when the gun 'accidentally' goes off. Walker isn't so drunk that he isn't aware of the trouble he'll be in, so he finishes the man off- killing him with another shot.

Another Black porter is aware of what's happened and Walker kills him as well. And still another man, Jimmy Johnson, is in Walker's way to a free and clear exit and Walker shoots him, too. But Jimmy survives and when he wakes from his coma, he points the finger at Walker. But Walker was at least smart enough not to use his service revolver (which was tested after the allegation) so who are people going to believe? A New York cop or a Black man in Harlem?

But Walker isn't satisfied leaving a possible witness to his crime and stalks Johnson, looking for a way to get rid of him. What Walker doesn't know is that he is also being stalked - by someone he would never suspect.

It's more than a little bit sad that a story about a cop killing a Black man, published in 1960, is still a story that resonates, perhaps even more-so, today.

I have to be honest and say that this kind of racism is really hard for me to read and enjoy. Of course I read through it, hoping that Walker would not come out unscathed, but it's still the rare kind of story that puts me on edge and I really have difficulty enjoying.

There's a fair amount of tension in the stalking, which I suspect is what holds this book together for most readers, but I actually found it not only uncomfortable, but a bit boring.

This is not a book I would recommend and it's not something I would consider to be a classic.

Looking for a good book? Run Man Run by Chester Himes is a thriller from 1960 that is much too close to home today and shows how poorly we've done with race relations.

3 stars

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THE TREMOR OF FORGERY by Patricia Highsmith
The exotic Tunisia is the setting for Patricia Highsmith's slow-building thriller.

American Francis J. Adams - short, paunchy, bombastic (ie the 'typical' American) - pulls up a beach chair and starts talking to Howard Ingham. Ingham, a writer, is quiet and reserved - not your typical American. Adams invites Ingham back to his bungalow where he plies the writer with booze and conversation. When asked what he does for a living, Adams tells Ingham that he considers himself a self-appointed ambassador - spreading goodwill and Our Way of Life. This latter so important to Adams that Ingham takes to thinking of him as OWL.

Ingham, stuck in Tunisia and looking to write his novel (tentatively title The Tremor of Forgery) also befriends Danish patriot Anders Jensen. Jensen appears to be quite the opposite of OWL Adams, though both have some obvious biases toward Arabs.

When someone (Ingham believes it to be a particular Arab) attempts to break into his bungalow, Ingham grabs the only thing he can find to use to protect himself - his typewriter, which he throws out the window toward the intruder. There's a scream and a thud, but there is no body and Ingham is sure there should be a body. Did OWL Adams or Jensen, who seem to be looking out for Ingham have anything to do with it?

I referred to this as a 'slow-building' thriller, and I hold to it. And if you think about it ... 'slow-building' and 'thriller' are terms that don't exactly go together well.

Mostly I was bored with this book. Historically, I can understand why this book is something that was included in the Four Classic thrillers collection. There's a lot of powerful messages regarding Americans and how we're often viewed by those in other countries. The war going on in the background of the book (the Six Day War between the Arabs and the Israelis) also reflects an American ignorance of what is happening elsewhere in the world while the OWL Americans proclaim some sort of superiority.

Then the tossing together of strangers who form some sort of unique bond, though it's all facade, has some strong social commentary (it might be interesting to note - at least I thought it was interesting - that Highsmith is also the author of Strangers on a Train which has some very similar themes).

All this is well and good and definitely has its place in literature. It's the sort of book that I would expect to be taught in a good English literature class. But, except for about three of you reading this (yeah, you know who you are), a book taught in English Lit is not generally the sort of book one reads for entertainment.

There's a little too much background, too much set-up, which doesn't significantly impact the plot, though I'd agree in some discourse that it does impact character and intent.

Looking for a good book? As a novel of importance, Patricia Highsmith's The Tremor of Forgery is impactful. As a "classic thriller" ...? Not so much.

3 stars

#####

I received a digital copy of this collection from the publisher, through Netgalley, in exchange for an honest review.

The collection gets 4 stars.

A second volume in crime mysteries of the past is a winner.
Margaret Millar’s The Fiend (1964) a nine-year-old girl disappears and a local sex offender comes under suspicion.

Ed McBain in DOLL pioneered the multi-protagonist police procedural in his long-running series of 87th Precinct novels, set in a parallel Manhattan called Isola. (1965)

Chester Himes writes about the racial paranoia of a drunken police detective in Run Man Run (1966) In addition there is a double murder and a young black man on the run.

In Patricia Highsmith’s The Tremor of Forgery (1969) a man whose personality is disintegrating is writing a book called The Tremor of Forgery about a man whose personality is disintegrating,

*edited book descriptions from Net Galley

This is a compelling collection that brings together four iconic works of American crime fiction. From Margaret Millar’s The Fiend, which explores themes of suspense and fear, to Run Man Run, which follows a police detective’s relentless pursuit of the sole witness to a double murder, to Ed McBain’s police procedural Doll, set in a parallel Manhattan where the everyday professionalism of cops includes murder, drugs, and gore, and finally, Patricia Highsmith’s gripping thriller The Tremor of Forgery. This collection of four hardboiled American crime novels is a must-read for fans of mystery classics.

A phenomenal introduction to authors once known but forgotten today. Very well-written and essential reads for fans of crime fiction. Great collection.

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this eARC.

Crime Novels: Four Classic Thrillers 1964-1969 is a compelling anthology that encapsulates the essence of crime fiction in the transformative years of the 1960s. This collection, featuring works by Margaret Millar, Ed McBain, Chester Himes, and Patricia Highsmith, offers a panoramic view of the genre’s evolution, showcasing the daring themes and literary experimentation that defined the era.

The Fiend by Margaret Millar is a chilling narrative that delves into the psyche of a troubled individual, blurring the lines between protector and predator.

Doll by Ed McBain takes readers into the gritty streets of the 87th Precinct, where a murder investigation becomes a deep dive into the dark underbelly of city life. My personal favorite, Doll is a stand out in this collection.

Run Man Run by Chester Himes is a relentless pursuit of justice and survival.

The Tremor of Forgery by Patricia Highsmith transports readers to Tunisia, where an expatriate writer grapples with his own moral compass.

Together, these four novels not only entertain but also challenge readers to consider the complexities of crime and punishment, guilt and innocence, and the human capacity for both good and evil. This collection is a must-read for aficionados of the genre and a testament to the enduring power of well-crafted crime fiction.

Thanks to NetGalley for making this terrific collection available! I read this kind of fiction when I was younger and I am surprised at how well it holds up. Each of these authors delivers every time when it comes to excitement and suspense. Dialogue seems simpler but more realistic. These books are not ones I read in particular, so that was particularly great for me.

This mid-to-late 1960s collection features more familiar authors than its early ‘60s counterpart and delivers even more firepower in execution. Reading lesser known titles from McBain, Himes, and Highsmith was a treat. Highly recommended.

All of these books are written by writers of hard core fiction and are full of drama, suspense. I used to read them a lot in my younger days, unfortunately, my heart won"t stand up to the suspense these days (sic)
They are great stories, and will appeal to people who like stories that have a big and long suspenseful build up, before an ending that one does not see coming.. Enjoy.. Thanks you NetGalley and the publishers for the DR..

Crime Novels: Four Classic Thrillers 1964-1969 is a collection omnibus which includes 4 full-length novels. Released 12th Sept 2023 as part of the Library of America series, it's 950 pages and is available in hardcover and ebook formats. It's worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links and references throughout.

The four novels included are true classics and will be familiar to most readers of crime fiction. Ed McBain's Doll is an early(ish) 87th Precinct novel and is an exemplary example of an early police procedural. The others range from single protagonist thrillers to psychological drama. All are well known capable writers writing at the top of their formidable forms.

The editor, Geoffrey O'Brien, has also included biographical and background notes and an essay on text selection. For lovers and students of classic form American mystery, these extras and introduction will undoubtedly prove valuable and interesting.

Four and a half stars. The actual novels included in this and its sister volumes will likely be familiar to most die-hard lovers of American crime fiction; much of the value of the series comes from having the library as a reference source and to revisit the classics over and over again. It would be a superlative choice for public library acquisition, for authors home reference, and for lovers of classic American fiction.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.

Really enjoyed these four novels. Ed McBain was my favorite of the four, but all were great.

The Fiend by Margaret Miller - This was an enjoyable read, and a great introduction to Margaret Millar. Lots of great characters, well developed, and a twist ending. Interesting plot, and great pacing. Will need to find my of Margaret Millar's books.

Doll by Ed McBain - I really enjoyed this novel by Ed McBain. I've always wanted to read his 87th Precinct novels, but haven't started. Now I'm not sure why. This novel was great, characters, story, and pacing. Will definitely start reading the series now.

Run Man Run by Chester Himes - First time reading Chester Himes, and really enjoyed it. The characters were interesting, and the plot/pacing was great. Couldn't put it down. Will definitely be reading more from Chester Himes.

The Tremor of Forgery by Patricia Highsmith - Also enjoyed this book by Patricia Highsmith. Characters that I liked and a good story. Will be reading more from her.

#CrimeNovelsFourClassicThrillers19641969LOA371 #NetGalley

First published in 1969; republished by the Library of America in Crime Novels of the 1960s, Volume 2 on September 12, 2023

The Tremor of Forgery is one of four novels collected in Crime Novels of the 1960s, Volume 2. The other three are The Fiend by Margaret Millar, Doll by Ed McBain, and Run Man Run by Chester Himes. I don’t know much about Millar. I read a fair amount of McBain when I was younger. I’m a big fan of Himes but a bigger fan of Patricia Highsmith, so I decided to read this novel first. Maybe I’ll get to the others at some point.

The Tremor of Forgery takes place in 1967. We know the year because the Six Day War begins and ends in the middle of the story.

Howard Ingham is a writer. He lives in New York and is engaged to Ina Palant, a writer who works for CBS. Ingham has traveled to Tunisia to work on a screenplay for John Castlewood. As he waits for Castlewood to arrive, he pokes around, trying to soak up atmosphere before he starts writing. I suspect that Highsmith did the same. She paints a vivid word picture of Tunis and surrounding villages.

While waiting for Castlewood, Ingham meets another American, Francis Adams, who professes to be an unofficial ambassador spreading “the American way of life.” Ingham refers to Adams as OWL, Our Way of Life. Adams manages to be both antisemitic and anti-Arab, which he regards as evidence that he, like God, is a true American. Adams supports the Vietnam War and hates Russia. Ingham thinks he might be a spy.

After a few days, Ingham learns that, for tragic reasons, Castlewood won’t be joining him. He decides to hang out and wait for a meaningful letter from Ina. Ingham eventually learns that Ina is the kind of woman who can’t go a few days without a man’s attention. If he is gone, some other man will do.

Ingham turns down a gay man’s pass but befriends him. He beds an American woman, rather unsuccessfully. All of this nonjudgmental sexual freedom is pretty daring for 1969, but Highsmith was a writer who wrote about the world that interested her, not the world guardians of morality wanted Americans to see.

Ingham begins to encounter ominous events. He stumbles upon the body of a man who has been stabbed to death. His jacket is stolen from his car and his cufflinks are stolen from his bungalow. Later, his violent response to a burglar adds to his worries. Adams intuits that Inghan did something harmful and makes relentless efforts to persuade Ingham to confess.

Deciding that a change of location might be best, Ingham abandons his bungalow for a cheap room with no amenities in the same building as his gay friend. The primitive nature of his lodging causes Adams to wonder whether Ingham is punishing himself. Ingham uses his time to begin writing a book about an embezzler who does good deeds with his stolen money.

The story moves forward at a steady pace, creating characters and atmosphere while introducing occasional dramatic moments — Castlewood's fate, Ingham’s confrontation with the burglar, the dead man in the street, the thefts of Ingham’s property, Adams’ belief that Ingham is keeping secrets — that might or might not become the plot’s focus. Whether various crimes to which Ingham is exposed have anything to do with the plot is a mystery for much of the story. Ingham’s violent act probably isn’t a crime, but it becomes the novel’s psychological focus.

In the meantime, the characters have interesting discussions (from a late 1960s perspective) about sexuality, religion, Israel, the Vietnam War, individuality, and morality. Whether moral values change with the place in which one lives becomes a key to the story. Ingham “had the awful feeling that in the months he had been here, his own character or principles had collapsed, or disappeared.” Ingham tries to work out his own views on morality through the protagonist in the book he’s writing, a man who might or might not be seen as morally innocent, or whose conduct might at least be forgivable.

He also vacillates about the kind of relationship he wants to have with Ina, if any at all. He is troubled by his other temptations. “Wasn’t sleeping with Ina a form of deception now?” He regrets breaking up with his previous lover, or he doesn’t, depending on his mood.

None of the characters are quite happy with their lives, although they are not overwhelmingly sad. None are particularly likable but none are bad people who deserve to be disliked. Yet Highsmith made me care about Ingham and his gay friend and Ina (Adams, not so much).

Highsmith generates a surprising amount of suspense in a book that doesn’t depend on an explosive ending to wow the reader. Highsmith eschews reliance on the traditional elements that produce thrills and chills in conventional crime novels yet holds the reader’s attention with a low-key anticipation of dread that never disappears. The story is ultimately about a few digressive weeks in the life of a man who dances around his fears without confronting or understanding them, never quite deciding who he wants to be or how he would ever change. He is nevertheless a man who has a life ahead of him. Whether it will be a better life, nobody knows, but that’s true of all lives.

RECOMMENDED

These are four books that bend the mystery and suspense genre and added a new layer to an already awesome group of books we have The Feindd about a nine year old girl Jessie who goes missing and 3 suspects the lonely wife next-door who husband loves her but is always out of town Aunt Virginia,, her best friend Mary Martha‘s mother Kate who is a little lonely and newly divorced and the newly released Charles who is soon to get married to timid Louise Louise proves she’s not as timid as soon to be brother-in-law been first thought. Then we have the book the doll by Ed McBain A model named Tinker is murdered and she died with a man’s name on her lips, but I see the killer and why did he do it in front of her daughter Hannah and her baby doll? This book is good it’s about drug addiction getting sober and the thing that kept coming to my mind is too little too late it is really a good book and a crime mystery with the great detective. In the third book a black man witnesses a murder and he is sought as a witness but there was a lot of racism in this book it is also good it’s like the 1960s version of the Democrats novel and the thing that kept coming to my mind was Maya Angelou‘s saying when you know better you do better The last book it’s called tremors and if the first three were great then trimmers is phenomenal it is one of the first psychological thrillers will you read about someone who is mentally coming apart and OMG there was a murder and it is so good I feel bad because I forgot who wrote it but OMG it’s in this book a book any mystery suspense and thriller fan should read. You get it all psychological thriller crime mystery a kidnapping in celebrity scandal this is so so good I loved the book and highly recommend it I want to thank the American library and Net Galley for my free arc copy please forgive any mistakes as I am blind and dictate my review.

Great choice of books by a wide variety of authors. Thanks to Netgalley for the opportunity to read this enjoyable anthology.

If the title of this book was as descriptive as it should be would read.....Four Classic Thrillers By Some of The Best Authors to Ever Grace Us With A Story. And it would be true. These stories are forerunners for today's crime novels. These authors had the abilities to take their readers into the story, you will refuse to acknowledge anyone trying to talk to you. If you have never read these stories, I envy you the experience. Enjoy.

A weaker outing than the previous Library of America "1960s crime novels" omnibus, unfortunately. I praised that collection for its variety of crime plots, and wondered at the time whether this second volume would continue having unique representatives of the crime genre; I was pleased to see that it did. To wit:

- The Fiend - a "missing child" plot coupled with a psychological portrait of a character who may or may not be the criminal
- Doll - a right-down-the-middle police procedural
- Run, Man, Run - sort of a cat and mouse game between a witness and a criminal (a dirty cop, no less)
- The Tremor of Forgery - Patricia Highsmith Patricia Highsmithing

That last one is a bit tongue in cheek, in part because frankly there is not much of a crime plot whatsoever in <i>The Tremor of Forgery</i>, which is without question my least favorite Highsmith novel of the thirteen I've read. It may be emblematic of Highsmith's late 1960s, for better or (mostly) worse, but there are many better candidates if you wanted to throw in a 1960s Highsmith novel. It drags down the whole collection, not least because it's the last inclusion and sends you off on a sour note.

I was looking forward to this because of the Highsmith -- you may notice that I'm the most familiar with her work out of all the authors included. But I enjoyed the other three books quite a bit, and Margaret Millar has entrenched herself on my TBR list through the quality of <i>The Fiend</i>. My late grandfather (a retired NYPD lieutenant, albeit with the Rescue Squad instead of a criminal beat) was devoted to Ed McBain novels, so I appreciated finally reading one here. Not high art, sure, but scratches the same itch as a good episode of Law and Order. I'll probably read more.

This book includes 4 excellent crime novels from the late 1960's. I really liked the first three stories. Although I liked the fourth story, which did have crime in it; it didn't have the same thriller aspect of the first three. I love the mid twentiest century mysteries and this is a great introduction if you've never read any of them.

The first story by Margaret Millar, includes Charlie, a young man who has been convicted of child molestation, but loves little girls, and three somewhat disfunctional families. Charlie usually eats his lunch across from the school playground, and he has picked a very active nine year old, Jessie, as his favorite. She is usually with her girlfriend, Mary Martha, and Charlie isn't sure which girl belongs in which house. Mary Martha's mother is divorced; Jessie's father is involved with the woman next door whose husband travels a lot. She has no children and dotes on Jessie. When Jessie disappears, their are a lot of possible scenarios, making the story very exciting.

The second story, Doll, by Ed McBain, features detective Carella of the 87th precinct. It begins with a woman being murdered in her bedroom while her daughter sits in the next room with her doll. The woman is a well known model named Tinka. When the dead woman is discovered the next morning, Carella goes to the crime site, and the young girl is still there. The girl tells him her mother was laughing when he first came but then he was hitting her and her mother was crying, but Anna was talking with her doll Chatterbox so she couldn't hear much from the next room. The supervisor describes the man who was there, and then Carella looks in Tinka's address book and suddenly grabs the doll and runs out. He goes to the address where he breaks into the apartment. Unfortunately, before he can do anything someone hits him with a gun and knocks him out. He awakes chained to the radiator. His wife thinks he dead, and his team is trying to solve the murderer and to find Carella.

The third story is Run Man Run by Chester Himes. Matt Walker, a white cop who is drunk and carrying both his service pistol and another with no ID can't find where he parked his car. When he sees a black porter working outside a luncheonette. The man outside tells the man to go inside and talk to his buddy Fat Sam. Walker shoots Fat Sam, and when the first one comes looking he is shot as well. When the third black Porter, Jimmy, comes inside, he sees Walker lift the gun and runs.
Walker continues to stalk Jimmy, who becomes more scared all the time as Walker figures out where he lives and where his girlfriend lives. The story is VERY exciting and full of suspense - a great read.

Lastly, is The tremor of forgery by Patricia Highsmith. Author Howard Ingham has gone to Tunisia to work on a movie. He is very frustrated when he doesn't hear from his girlfriend or the man who is supposed to be working with him. While waiting to hear from his New York colleagues, he is working on writing a book. He meets another man with whom he often has dinner and goes for outings. The man tells him that he is broadcasting messages to Russia. He keeps seeing an Arab around his car, and the man eventually steals some items out of the car. He also makes friends with a Danish man who has a dog. When he finally hears from his girlfriend she tells him she has been having an affair with the man he's supposed to be working with and the man has committed suicide. When the Arab tries to come into his bungalow in the middle of the night, Howard throws his typewriter at him. Then the Arab seems to disappear, and he thinks he may have killed him.

I thank Netgalley and Library of America for the ARC.

The 1960s was a time of change in culture and attitude, and mystery books evolved during that era. These four books are representative of the period. They often focus on the psychological content and impact of the crimes, the personality of the victims, survivors, and police officers, along with the mental state of the villains. My memory of crime thrillers during the 1950s usually categorized them as pulp fiction featuring hard-boiled private detectives and conniving dames with lurid cover illustrations. There were a few popular and widely read series about crime detection, such as the books by Agatha Christie and the older Sherlock Holmes stories.

This collection of four mystery novels serves as an example of books from the late 1960s, and an updated introduction to each author is included. Margaret Millar was a favourite of mine when her books were current. Her stories were classed as psychological thrillers and narrated from a woman's viewpoint. The Fiend is more of a domestic drama centring on two families with young daughters. An aura of menace prevails due to a creepy man who takes too much interest in the girls. I wish a book by the author's husband, Ross MacDonald, had been included, as I remember taking much pleasure in his crime novels.

Doll, by Ed McBain, is a police procedural and one of his 87th Precinct novels set in a location similar to NYC. It involves the kidnapping of one of their officers and the desperate search to save him.

I had never read anything by Chester Himes and was unfamiliar with his books set in Harlem. Some were made into movies. I found the narrative of Run, Man, Run to be shocking and with profane language. The attitude seemed to reflect a racist tone. It features a prejudiced and paranoid drunken police detective with a hatred towards Blacks. Violence, murder and deception ensue. After learning more about the author, I realized the story was written from the perspective of the victims, and this changed the mood, making it a powerful picture of prejudice, hatred and fear.

The Tremor of Forgery by Patricia Highsmith is a solid psychological thriller. A man in a deteriorating mental state has been stranded in a foreign country. He is writing about a man who is also becoming unstable.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this volume of four collected books that brought back some enjoyable memories. Publication is set for September 12.

I was hesitant to get this ARC because of the length alone, but I opened it and it immediately grabbed my interest. These stories were written beautifully. Four authors from the 1960’s who excelled at crime writing all in one collection. These stories do not disappoint and each bring something different to the reader.
I highly recommend this collection for someone who wants to dive into an incredibly readable collection that will keep you reading.
Highly recommend!
#CrimeNovelsFourClassicThrillers19641969LOA371 #NetGalley #LibraryofAmerica

"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 four of their finest works.

This is the second 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 Margaret Millar's The Fiend (1964) a nine-year-old girl disappears and a local sex offender comes under suspicion. So begins a suspenseful investigation of an apparently tranquil California suburb which will expose a hidden tangle of fear and animosity, jealousy and desperation.

Ed McBain (a pen name of Evan Hunter) pioneered the multi-protagonist police procedural in his long-running series of 87th Precinct novels, set in a parallel Manhattan called Isola. Doll (1965) opens at a pitch of extreme violence and careens with breakneck speed through a tale that mixes murder, drugs, the modeling business, and psychotherapy with the everyday professionalism of McBain's harried cops.

The racial paranoia of a drunken police detective in Run Man Run (1966) leads to a double murder and the relentless pursuit of the young Black college student who witnessed it. In Chester Himes's breathless narrative, New York City is a place with no safe havens for a fugitive whom no one wants to believe.

In Patricia Highsmith's The Tremor of Forgery (1969) a man whose personality is disintegrating is writing a book called The Tremor of Forgery about a man whose personality is disintegrating, "like a mountain collapsing from within." Stranded unexpectedly in Tunisia, Howard Ingham struggles to hold on to himself in a strange locale, while a slightly damaged typewriter may be the only trace of a killing committed almost by accident.

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."

Finally more Patrica Highsmith! I have been DEMANDING, OK, it's more like begging, Library of America to release all her books for years. Or just the Ripley ones... Please?