#4: Operation Breakthrough by Dan J. Marlowe

Drake, the Man with Nobody's Face, is doing a covert bank job for the the government; unfortunately, the job ends up botched and with his partner in the hands of an unfriendly nation, leaving Drake to fly solo to the rescue in Operation Breakthrough.

Dan J. Marlowe wrote a series of these undemanding spy novels in his latter years.  I am a bit more partial to his earlier Johnny Killain series of private eye novels, but as Marlowe had a colorful writing and personal life I feel like I should dip deeper into the well before drawing conclusions.

I would not place Drake in the same category as two of my favorite contemporaries, Joe "the Nullifier" Gall or Sam Durell, but would put him above a lot of the generic spy fare of the era.  That being said, your mileage may vary.

I bought a big stack of these from a used bookstore in Muncie, Indiana, and read this one quickly.

#3: Lynch Law Canyon by Frank Wynne

A gang of owlhoots hold sway over a remote town, until a reluctant gunfighter is pushed too far in Lynch Law Canyon by Frank Wynne.

This western is actually written by Brian Garfield, perhaps best known as the author of Death Wish, and is a very tough, very satisfying oater.  It is on half of an Ace Double (the other side is Stampede at Faraway Pass) which might make it easier to dismiss.  But it is worth seeking out if you are a fan of Elmore Leonard's westerns in the same vein.

Ace Doubles are always a treat, and often a rare one as well.  I found this one at a yard sale and kept it for a snowy day. 

#2: VJ: The Unplugged Adventures of MTV's First Wave by Alan Hunter, Mark Goodman, Martha Quinn, Nina Blackwood, Gavin Edwards

As somebody who stayed up with their mom and little brother to watch MTV on its very first day, I was very interested in The Unplugged Adventures of MTV's First Wave, an oral history of the early days of the video music station, as told by its five founding DJs.

That there was a lot of craziness and excess was not surprising (though I thought Mark Goodman and Alan Hunter were more frank than Martha Quinn and Nina Blackwood), but learning how MTV found its way in its early years was enjoyable to someone who was watching it unfold.

Although JJ Jackson has since passed, his story is also included, along with many other amusing anecdotes, especially Live Aid, and the fate of the Pink House in the John Mellencamp promotion.

I checked this out from the Morrisson-Reeves Public Library in Richmond, Indiana, and read it quickly.  Enjoyable for people my age who grew up with MTV.

#1: Assignment Karachi by Edward S. Aarons

U.S. super-spy Sam Durrell is off  to Pakistan to tangle with various villains in Assignment Karachi, part of the long and enjoyable spy series by Edward S. Aarons.

This entry, from 1962, is of note for the presentation of a very different Middle East than we see today, with a totally different political and cultural landscape.

Otherwise I found it to be a serviceable entry in the series (I have yet to find one that truly lays an egg, and I've read a lot of these). A slam-bang ending in the high mountains against various forces is a high point.

Readers can jump in anywhere in this solid and underrated spy series, and they are worth a look.  I have a big stack of these I got from ebay a long while back that I have chewed through at my leisure.

2013 In Review

For the first time in many years, I didn't make it to 50 books.  But that's okay.  If it wasn't for the intervention of my brand-new grandson, the first baby born at Cincinnati Mercy Hospital on New Years' Day 2014, I might just have made it.  All in all a good reason not to have made it to 50.  2014 is a new start.

Here's what I liked best this year:

NIGHT FILM by Marisha Pessl I have been recommending to everybody.

THE THIEF by Fuminori Nakamuro has stayed with me.

SWEET TOOTH by Ian McEwan, a literary author working in the spy genre.

I'M NOT SCARED by Nicolo Ammaniti is a top-notch thriller (and the movie version is good too).

THE QUANTUM THIEF by Hannu Rajaniemi is very dense and cerebral sci-fi, but rewarding.

THE CUCKOO'S CALLING by Robert Galbraith is a good mystery even if it wasn't written by J.K. Rowling.

11/22/63 by Stephen King is a good one for King fans and general readers.

COUNTDOWN CITY by Ben H. Winters is an unusual genre-bender.

FALSE NEGATIVE by Joseph Koenig is a very tough noir.

X FILMS by Alex Cox goes on my shelf as inspiration as a screenwriter, and is of interest to anyone who likes independent film.

#48: The Cuckoo's Calling by Robert Galbraith

A famous fashion model plunges to her death on a London street, but her brother thinks it was murder; it's up to down-on-his-luck private eye Cormoran Strike to find out the truth in The Cuckoo's Calling.

The Cuckoo's Calling was reportedly the first novel by Robert Galbraith, and it caused a minor sensation when the world learned it was actually J.K. Rowling writing under a pseudonym.  It seems more obvious now, as this novel is written more in her whimsical, humorous style, playing with character names and offbeat situations.

Strike is a fully-realized character, a former military policeman who lost a leg in the Middle East, and more famously the illegitimate son of a legendary rocker father.  His Girl Friday, Robin, a temp with a secret love of private eye life, is an interesting foil.


But The Cuckoo's Calling is definitely a novel for adults, and as far afield from Harry Potter as Rowling could go.  Why she wanted to write this under a pseudonym is certainly worth speculating on.

But nonetheless this is a solid, legitimate crime novel and I would hope--Rowling's outing as the author or no--that Rowling writes more about Strike and Robin. 

I checked this out as an audio book from the Morrisson-Reeves Public Library in Richmond, Indiana and finished it at the very end of the year.

#47: The Oxbow Deed by Clement Hardin

Fresh out of prison and wrongly accused, an aging cattle hand--and a hot-tempered friend he made behind bars--come home to find the ranch he left behind overrun by owlhoots, backstabbers, and other villainy in Clement Hardin's The Oxbow Deed.

Hardin, actually Dwight Bennett Newton, had a long run as a Western scribe, and this outing (the other half of an Ace Double on the flip side of Kincaid, which I reviewed earlier this year) is a highly serviceable read.

There are lots of standard characters--a blustery but fair ranch boss, his innocent daughter, a sinister gun hand who's actually a coward--but a few nice surprises and a satisfactory wrap-up.

I found this Ace Double Western at a flea market at a goodbye price and read both sides.

Undemanding but enjoyable, and I will keep my eyes peeled for more classic Clement Hardin.

#46: Give Our Regards to the Atomsmashers by Sean Howe

Fans of Jonathan Lethem and Michael Chabon will enjoy Give Our Regards to the Atomsmashers, a collection of essays where contemporary writers weigh in on their love of comic books, both reading and collecting.

This is an eclectic collection which covers everything from mainstream titles like Teen Titans to cult comic American Flag to classics like Little Nemo in Slumberland and a little of everything else along the spectrum.  Casual to hardcore comic book fans, or fans of some of the authors included (Brad Meltzer, Glen David Gold, Jonathan Lethem himself), will find something of interest within.

I was given this as a Christmas present from a friend and read it very quickly.  Enjoyable.

#45: Assignment Black Viking by Edward S. Aarons

American secret agent Sam Durell is after a device that controls the weather--which has inconveniently fell into the hands of the Red Chinese--in Edward S. Aaron's spy thriller Assignment Black Viking.

I think Aarons' Sam Durell books are underrated, considering the long span of time Aarons wrote them, and his ability to sustain an overall quality spy fiction series that is comparable to anyone.

This one, from the late 60s, tries for some of the outlandish plotting of the time period, which doesn't sit as easily on the normally sober agent called The Cajun.

Although I would consider this a minor Durell adventure, it is still enjoyable, especially as Durell deals with the deranged Scandinavian of the title, a seemingly unkillable foe who inexplicably wants to return the world to medieval times.

After a serious binge I had set aside Edward S. Aarons for a while, but I sense a return.  Recommended for fans of classic spy fiction.

#44: The Oxford Murders by Guillermo Martínez

A young mathematician teams up with his mentor to solve a series of murders seemingly tied to a mathematical problem in Guillermo Martinez's The Oxford Murders.

If you are a big fan of math, and a big fan of mysteries, this novel is for you.  As I bottomed out in high school Algebra II in 1983, I found myself skimming some of the brainteasing parts and focusing more on the very tidy little mystery (although it was marred, I thought, but a jarringly enigmatic ending). 

Overall nicely written from the point of view of the protagonist in the future, writing about arriving in Oxford in the distant past, with all the memories surrounding what became a significant event in his life.

Loaned to me by a colleague, I read it quickly.  Nice for mystery fans.

#43: Poisons Unknown by Frank Kane

Swinging P.I. Johnny Liddell is in bad old New Orleans, where he quickly gets mixed up in a voodoo sex cult at the center of multiple blackmail and murder schemes in Frank Kane's Poisons Unknown.

Liddell was a popular creation of the pulp era who appeared in many slam-bang thrillers, quick with a snappy retort, prone to fisticuffs and gunplay, and easy with the dames.

I had forgotten that I had read another Frank Kane some time ago and instead got hooked by a lurid paperback cover I glimpsed at a little used bookstore in Muncie, Indiana.  I picked this up on a whim and chewed through it quickly.

A fun read, but definitely a product of its time and place for more prudent readers.

#42: Solo by William Boyd

James Bond gets involved in African post-colonial politics in William Boyd's Solo, set firmly (and enjoyably) in the time of the original 1960s James Bond series.

Boyd is the second author, after Sebastian Faulks and his novel Devil May Care, to root his contemporary Bond tale in Ian Fleming's timeline.  Faulks' novel gave off more of that swinging 60s vibe--including a villain with a monkey's paw for a hand--than Boyd's more sober meat-and-potatoes Bond, but it is a grand adventure nonetheless (with some potentially politically incorrect elements given a more contemporary spin).

I have enjoyed William Boyd as more of a literary author so I was quite surprised to see him tackle a James Bond book.  It is a worthy addition to Fleming's canon as well as a good spy novel in its own right.

I checked this out from the Morrisson-Reeves Library in Richmond, Indiana and read it quickly.  Recommended for fans.

#41: 10,000 Ways To Die by Alex Cox

After visiting Italy three summers in a row I renewed my interest in Italian cinema, especially on the pulpy side; spaghetti westerns, poliziotteschi (police films), sword and sandal epics, giallo, eurohorror. 

I came to a strange intersection where I learned that offbeat film director Alex Cox, whose film Repo Man was a touchstone of my teen years, was also considered somewhat of a spaghetti western expert.

This lead me to 10,000 Ways To Die, Cox's opinionated but notable collection of essays about the genre.  His depth of knowledge, and his love of the work (presented without irony), makes this an important work for readers who find the names Django, Ringo, and Sabata bringing a smile to their faces.

I enjoyed this book as much as his filmmaking book I read earlier this year, another tome that should be on the shelf of any filmmaker.  Cox is an engaging writer and probably a pretty interesting person, and fans of the spaghetti western genre will not be disappointed with this purchase.

I found this on Amazon and consumed it quickly.

#40: The Prophet by Michael Koryta

Two brothers who have gone their separate ways--one, a highly respected high school football coach, the other a bail bondsman with an unfulfilled life--find their lives crashing together once more as a young woman's killing mirrors their own sister's death years before in Michael Koryta's The Prophet.

The Prophet is a big, solid thriller, in a beach read vein, but with rich, intriguing characters and a compelling plot.  Of most interest is the relationship between the two brothers--the coach, on the cusp of a state football championship, his brother on the edge of darkness--and the memories of their sister that have pulled them together even as they try to tear each other apart.

This is the first novel by Koryta that I have read, although I have been interested in him for some time as I know he is a fellow Hoosier.  I will definitely look for more of his thrillers after enjoying this one.

I listened to this on audio book on loan from the Morrisson-Reeves Public Library in Richmond, Indiana.

#39: Femme by Bill Pronzini

The Nameless Detective and his crew get mixed up with the dangerous woman of the title in Bill Pronzini's Femme.

Femme is a new entry in the long Nameless Detective private eye series that has been running for decades.  Although a devoted reader at one time, I had sporadic interest in the series in recent years until I saw this one on the shelves of the Morrisson-Reeves Public Library.  In fact, it seemed so different than its predecessors that I didn't know what I was looking at for a minute.

With its throwback cover and straight-on noir plotting I gained a new interest in what was going on with this long-running character.  I found that despite reaching into pulp roots for material, the protagonist continues to grow and change, along with his supporting cast.

I felt this to be an agreeable enough mystery, probably even more so for fans of Pronzini's work.

#38: Countdown City by Ben H. Winters

A small-town cop grows to believe that a suicide at a local fast-food restaurant might have actually been murder; but as a giant asteroid is coming to destroy the Earth, nobody much cares but him in Ben H. Winters' genre-bender Countdown City.

A strange mash-up indeed, as if Philip Marlowe washed up in Nevil Shute's On The Beach, and bumped in to Lew Archer.  Countdown City is a very philosophical entry in the apocalyptic genre and a cracking mystery to boot, topped with a harrowing ending (and it's not the world blowing up, this is the first of a trilogy).

This is the book I find myself recommending to everyone this season, joining The Dog Stars, Night Film, and The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo as my recommendations to people who just enjoy good reads.

I bought this in paperback sight unseen because of a recommendation from a friend (who happens to be the cousin of the author), and was sufficiently floored enough to pass it around to several others when I was done.  Suffice to say, recommended.

#37: Choke Hold by Christa Faust

Former porn star Angel Dare keeps trying to outrun trouble, but once again trouble runs faster in Christa Faust's Choke Hold.

At the apocalyptic denouement of Money Shot, the novel where Angel first appeared, Angel tried to leave behind the sordid porn industry.  However, meeting an old friend--and subsequently being asked for a favor--quickly puts her square in the middle of the only slightly less sordid world of underground fighting.

Very tough noir--part of the impeccable Hard Case Crime line--is for discerning readers only.  But it is a fast-moving, enjoyable read and a good crime story.  I am a fan of Faust and look forward to more of her work.

I bought this for my beloved Kindle and read it quickly.

#36: 11/22/63 by Stephen King

A schoolteacher finds a time portal in the back of a diner that leads him to 1958, and after a few experiments, he hatches a plan to prevent the Kennedy assassination; but as this is a Stephen King novel, nothing quite goes as planned in 11/22/63.

I have been a bit hot and cold on King's contemporary work, but this is a sprawling, emotionally resonant story that--despite being doorstop length--holds interest throughout.

At first our protagonist tries to undo a grisly murder spree that has left a contemporary friend scarred, and also tries to help another accident victim he learns of in the present. 

Then is a lengthy, ruminative section as the teacher gets a job in a small Texas school and waits for the assassination to get closer.  This is a surprisingly warm-hearted sequence where he (ill-advisedly) falls in love with a young woman and otherwise enjoys his life in what is in some ways a gentler, easier time.

Then the tension ratchets up as the teacher circles closer to his prey, setting in motion a very surprising turn of events.

I listened to this in audiobook from the Morrisson-Reeves Public Library in Richmond, Indiana, and felt the reading--by Craig Wasson--added tremendously to the story.

But this is a solid read for casual readers as well as long-time Stephen King fans.

#35: The Colombian Mule by Massimo Carlotto

Three old-school criminals band together to free a colleague framed for drug smuggling in Massimo Carlotto's The Colombian Mule.

Carlotto's very tough crime novel, from the World Noir line and set in Venice, depicts a bleak world where criminals follow their own code of honor but the police follow none; and yet Carlotto fills the story with lots of dark humor.   

The Colombian Mule is also livened by memorable characters, especially Old Rossini, a former gangster whose formidable presence and rather tarnished ethics make for some of the funnier, and most frightening, parts of the novel; and his philosophical protagonist, a semi-retired crook called The Alligator.

Apparently Massimo Carlotto is very popular in his native Italy, not only for his writing but for how closely his personal life hews to his storytelling.  Recommended for fans of hard-boiled crime.

#34: Night Film by Marisha Pessl

A disgraced journalist tries to resurrect his career by investigating the suicide of the daughter of a famous, reclusive horror film director, but soon finds himself on a dark, strange path of his own in Marisha Pessl's Night Film.

I first learned of Night Film because of the interactive elements, where icons in the text can be read with a phone app to bring up additional videos and images; but this gimmick is only the tip of the iceberg in a trippy narrative.

The book has photos, mock newspaper articles, and other clues salted throughout to help the reader unravel the knotted tales alongside the protagonist (but be warned:  the enigmatic ending leaves you to draw your own conclusions).

This dense, odd mystery/horror hybrid--sort of what might happen if Stephen King wrote All The President's Men--is worthwhile for ambitious readers, and one that I have been recommending to a lot of people.

I was given this as a gift, signed by the author, and consumed it steadily.  Recommended.

#33: The Crocodile by Maurizio de Giovanni

A good cop, unjustly accused of being a mafia informant, is shunted away to a desk job; but when a serial killer called The Crocodile--who leaves dead children and tear-stained tissues in his wake-- terrorizes Naples he is brought back to action in Maurizio de Giovanni's The Crocodile.

I have been interested in reading more Italian literature since visiting the country over the last few summers, so I was excited that World Noir, an imprint of Europa Editions, sent me several books in their new line.

This was a new author to me, but reminded me quite a bit of Andrea Camilleri and his well-known Inspector Montalbano series; and must have been the intention, as de Giovanni's protagonist is jokingly called "Montalbano" by his colleagues as the case unfolds.

The Crocodile is a compelling mystery where the grisly elements are offset by surprisingly rich slices of Italian life.  A good read for mystery fans, and fans of international literature.

#32: Gun Machine by Warren Ellis

A New York cop on the edge of burnout sees his partner killed; suddenly hungry for revenge, he gets involved in a case involving a strange and prolific serial killer in Warren Ellis' Gun Machine.

Ellis' first novel, Crooked Little Vein, was a glimpse into the weird underbelly of America; this novel aims closer to traditional mystery elements, with a little of Ellis' weirdness layered over it.

Ellis may be better known as the author of cult comic book series like Transmetropolitan and Planetary, where I first became acquainted with his work.  And therein lies the problem; I fear that fans of Ellis' unique comic book writing might find Gun Machine too bland, while casual mystery readers will find it too offbeat.

For me, however, it was just about right.  Recommended for those looking for a different type of mystery read.

I borrowed this from the Morrisson-Reeves Public Library in Richmond, Indiana and read it quickly.

#31: Joyland by Stephen King

In the 1970s, a young man spends his summer working at a southern amusement park at the end of its era; today, he contemplates that memorable summer of longing and death in Stephen King's Joyland.

Joyland is an unusual novel for Stephen King in a lot of ways. First, it was written for the Hard Case Crime line, a paperback series of lost noirs and original titles in the same vein; and second, despite having a ghost story at the center, and several characters who seem to display psychic powers (including a carnival fortune teller and a sick child), King firmly roots Joyland in the crime novel tradition.

Despite its unusual pedigree it is a solid thriller, infused with melancholy.  King writes in a sure-handed way and offers up a large-scale, cinematic conclusion.

I bought this for myself with an Amazon gift card and read it quickly.  Recommended for King fans and general readers.

#30: False Negative by Joseph Koenig

In 1950s Atlantic City a reporter who fell from grace ends up writing for true crime magazines; when he stumbles across a murdered woman on a lonely beach, he tries to resurrect his career and solve the crime in Joseph Koenig's False Negative.

This is another in the Hard Case Crime series, the eclectic series of lost noirs and similarly-themed contemporary novels, and has been of special note as the return of cult author Joseph Koenig, who had not published a book in several decades.

False Negative is a very tough noir, with many unpleasant elements for those with more delicate reading sensibilities.  But it is well-written with a good sense of time and place, as well as a compelling story from beginning to end.

I got this for my beloved Kindle and read it quickly.  Recommended for fans of the Hard Case Crime line.

#29: X Films: True Confessions of a Radical Filmmaker by Alex Cox

British filmmaker Alex Cox writes about the making of a handful of his films, including the cult classic Repo Man, and also shares his filmmaking tips and general philosophies in X Films:  True Confessions of a Radical Filmmaker.

As a person who has written some b-movies, I am a big fan of Alex Cox and his ethos (including his definitive writings on Spaghetti Westerns). However, I do think this collection of essays and stories would be of interest to anyone who follows independent or cult film.

Cox's frank stories and colorful adventures, frequently at the margins of mainstream Hollywood, are a fascinating read.  I would consider this collection, along with Robert Rodriguez's Rebel Without A Crew, John Russo's Making Movies, and Rick Schmidt's Feature Filmmaking at Used Car Prices and Extreme DV a must-read for independent filmmakers.

I was surprised to find this at a go-away price on Amazon; when I was finished with it, I mailed it to a friend who is also an independent filmmaker.  Recommended for the like-minded.