Murder Books

THERE WAS ALOT OF INFORMATION IN THE BOOK THAT WASNT IN THE TRIA

Boy oh boy, Pam Smart can tell one lie, back it up with another, and not miss a beat or blink an eye...but such is common for those who have no conscience.

This book can serve as a cautionary tale in many respects: A) there are reasons laws are in place to prevent incidences of statutory rape, no sex between "adults" and children, and no sex between educators and pupils...B) if you are so unhappy in your marriage, for the love of God, please leave rather than take an innocent life!!! No amount of insurance money will wash that spot off of your hands, lady McPamBeth.

It sickens me that Gregg Smart was robbed of his chance to have actual happiness, to have the kids he dreamed of having, to even experience another beautiful sunset or holiday with his family...yet Pam is on televison constantly...wanting to "expose the truth" to the story. Oh well, at least she is doing the broadcasts from prison and not in the free world.

I will say this, she is quite humorous in that she constantly contradicts herself and DOES NOT EVEN REALIZE IT. reach wayyy into that cluebag, Pam, and don't hit your head on the bottom. Me thinks she doth protest too much...

I couldn't put the book down. Ken Englade never disappoints me.

Pam Wojas was a rock groupie who refused to grow up and enter adulthood when her (late) husband Gregg did. She was hanging around with high school kids and going places with them socially. She's having an affair with a 15 year old kid!

Justice was done. Only "Pame" and her small circle of followers believe the lies she continues to tell about that night in 1990 when an innocent man was killed for no other reason than the spoiled brat he married was tired of him.

Victoria still reigns, the Boors are making ugly war on the British Empire in southern Africa, and American millionaires are flocking to Europe to pick up culture--including the old masters. One enterprising art dealer specializes in serving the needs of the Americans--whether this means locating great art, or creating it on demand. It's all very civilized in a way, and even similar to the way that many British manors were stuffed with ersatz 'old masters' from centuries of trips to the continent. But the murder of an art critic throws the entire business into turmoil.

Investigator Lord Francis Powerscourt interveins when his wife reminds him that the victim is something of a cousin (Powerscourt believes that half of English society is a cousin of some sort to his wife). The case looks clearcut--the dead man had been having an affair with a married woman whose husband had recently learned of the affair and was not happy about it. But Powerscourt doesn't trust any case that looks too obvious and he finds other motives--motives involving money and great art.

Author David Dickinson writes convincingly of English 'society' near the end of the 19th century. British nobles are finding their ancestral homes to be expensive monstrosities that they still must maintain, manners remain critical, and a woman can be ruined by scandal--but both men and women still seek out adventure in their lives. Powerscourt is a well developed and sympathetic character--often lost in the case but never too busy to make time for his wife (and occasional co-investigator) and children. Dickinson doesn't look beneath the upper crust of English society, but even that upper crust is pretty rotten.

Dickinson throws out a number of red herings, sends Powerscourt through England and even to Corsica, and gives the reader enough interest in art and art forgery to make for a fascinating read.

This is the third installment in the Lord Powerscourt series, which I've been reading in order, and it's definitely my favourite so far. I don't know how accurately the art market of the 1890s is portrayed, but Dickinson describes it wittily and seemingly knowledgably. I found myself becoming just as interested in how the conniving gallery owner was able to jack up prices and foist his forgeries on unsuspecting and gullible American millionaires as I was in discovering the murderer of the art historian who was about to expose these schemes. The courtroom drama at the end of the book was also dramatic, with witty observations and asides that made it most entertaining. Finally, in addition to the fascinating historical touches and the intriguing sub-plots (in particular, the pathetic story of the young forgerer who loses the woman he loves and is forced to produce his masterful forgeries against his will), this is a good mystery story. There are plenty of suspects with means and motive, and my guess is that most readers will be wondering "whodunit" for about as long as I did (figured it out a few chapters ahead of the revelation).

This book is set in London in 1899. A leading art critic has been murdered. Now I hesitate to read books about the art world because either the writer talks down to the reader, or a non-art historian hasn't a clue what it's all about. This writer manages to explain the art world quickly, simply and effectively. I understood and I didn't feel patronized.

This is a good story; it moves right along with plenty of action. The characters are so well drawn that you don't even notice the writer doing it. The background is authentic and the various motivations very true to the time, the setting and the plot. The dialogue was crisp and the transitions barely noticeable.

This is John Buchan meeting Anne Perry, with the addition of a sense of humor. I really enjoyed it.

On a chilly fall night in October 1891, New Orleans Police Chief David Hennessey was shot by unknown assailants near his home, and died several hours later. After a rumor spread that his last words were "Dagoes did it", anti-Italian sentiment seized the city. Nineteen men of Italian birth or descent were accused of orchestrating the chief's murder. When a court of law declared them not guilty, a mob stormed the jail where they were being held and killed eleven of them. Some were beaten and shot, others were hung. This mass lynching remains a dark spot in New Orleans history.

In Deep Water, Hennessy's assassination and the mass slaying of his suspected killers is revisited from the perspective of J.P. Macheca, a fruit-shipping merchant with intricate ties to the city's corrupt Democratic ring and evolving American Mafia. Legend has credited Macheca with being the earliest Mafia `godfather'. Authors Thomas Hunt and Martha Sheldon make a convincing argument for the theory that the lynching of Macheca and ten of his alleged co-conspirators was not a random and rabid act of mob retribution for Hennessey's death, but rather a spectacular execution whose victims had been chosen well in advance.

The book is also an engrossing look at Louisiana history during the Civil War / Reconstruction period. J.P. Macheca fought for the Confederacy, and during the postwar years, he behaved less honourably by moving in Sicilian underworld circles and instigating vicious attacks on African Americans. His fortunes declined when he did not soften his rougher instincts to stay in tune with the gentrification of the times. His export business failed, his old friends and allies abandoned him, and the final stop in his downward spiral was a bullet in the skull.

As I was reading Deep Water, I found the book open up to a time long ago but not so far away. It is an insight into how one family affected it's community politically and financially. It is truly an education in the behind the scenes working of the Mafia. How they come together in secret to control everything from the slave trade to fixing elections. The Mafia formed unions to control the ports bringing in food stuffs and guns. Deep Water doesn't stop there. It covers the daily life of a family dealing with jealousy and vengeance. It is a complete work of a time which has been covered up until now.

Few incidents in American history have inspired more legend and controversy than the so-called "Mafia Incident" of New Orleans in 1891. Following their acquittal on a charge of assassinating Police Chief David Hennessey, eleven men of Italian extraction were shot or hung in possibly America's worst lynching. The episode nearly led to war with Italy and embellished accounts of the story have appeared in countless books and articles, including Herbert Asbury's The French Quarter and the sensationally embroidered Brothers in Blood by David Leon Chandler. Richard Gambino attempted to debunk the "Mafia" aspect in his book Vendetta, a fine work that's almost convincing in its portrayal of the event as merely the result of anti-Italian bigotry. But all is not as it seems and the investigations of Thomas Hunt, a first-rate organized crime historian, and Martha Macheca Sheldon, a relative of the most prominent lynch victim, have uncovered a compelling reassessment of the case. Joseph Macheca, the fruit-shipping magnate, was neither innocent nor a Sicilian Mafioso but a native-born Louisianan and Confederate war veteran active in both New Orleans politics and crime. Both he and Hennessey come across as less than martyrs but both must be considered in the light of their time, when machine politics was the rule, street duels the norm, and New Orleans still very much a gaudy frontier town. But it now appears there was an early-day Mafia at work, and equally sinister forces within the Democratic Ring and the police department, and that the victims--eleven of the nineteen accused--were very selectively chosen in what was more a political conspiracy than the impassioned mob act portrayed in past accounts. This is a well-written and classic re-appraisal of a celebrated case and essential reading for crime historians. And, yes, this was the birth of the American Mafia.

Police Chief Joe Weiss of the Lackenby police department hires Dr. Matthew Shea as an investigative consultant for a dollar a day plus expenses. Shea teaches a popular class at the local university on "Socio-Emotional Origins of Crime". Weiss once served on the New York City Police Department. Shea brings extensive investigative work and a degree in behavior sciences. Together they form an unbeatable team.

Shea tells his students that all crimes have a pattern, if only you closely enough. But Weiss can't find the pattern in a recent rash of murders; three people have died in two weeks, and Weiss hopes a fresh pair of eyes will help. Weiss assigns the nitty-gritty work to his department, thus freeing himself and Shea to examine the bigger picture.

The victims of the crimes have nothing in common. Different ethnic groups, male and female, economics and method of death separate them. Soon Shea realizes that the killer is staging the murders, making a victim look like she fought back, for example, when she was actually too drugged to do so. Then several of Shea's students unexpectedly complicate the investigation when they try to use techniques taught in the classroom on the streets.

An extraordinarily well constructed mystery, DEGREES OF MURDER will hold the reader's attention riveted as plenty of misdirection and suspects fill the tale with suspense. The setting of a university for the class and many of the cast of characters lends the tale a touch of authenticity, without pushing the envelope of possibility. Moreover, Murphy's background in military experience in security and police work lends the narrative voice a complexity and depth that marks it as a classic. DEGREES OF MURDER is going on my keeper shelf. Very highly recommended.

With a background in writing, military, and police work, Kevin P. Murphy brings his own special expertise to the world of mystery writing. He has written more than 800 pieces, published in newspapers, the web, and magazines. He won third place in the 1998 Ridgewriters Branch of the California Writers Club Screenplay competition with "Something Bright and Alien."

Set in Lackenby, Illinois, Police Chief Joe Weiss calls on his friend, Matt Shea, a behavioral sciences professor at State Line University when two murders occur. Shea is uniquely qualified to assist in the investigation, since his background consists of considerable experience in investigation. As the two search for identifiable patterns in the murders, more murders occur, and the only pattern that emerges is the lack of a pattern:

"`What it says to me, Matt," Weiss continued, "is that we're dealing with a person who has some reason for making things look different than they are, and that is our pattern so far. What's the matter, Matt?' Shea shook his head as he muttered, `There was something there for a second -- almost visible -- something you just said triggered a memory of something -- but I can't get it out where I can see it.'"

Murphy creates almost a modern day American Poirot, as Weiss and Shea puzzle their way through serial homicides. There is plenty of action to satisfy the reader; much of the trivial police work is handled by officers, leaving Weiss and Shea to formulate their theories. Murphy creates a clever twist and denouement, by placing the killer right smack under their noses. The final chapters contain the chase, which is suspenseful, intriguing, and just plain great entertainment. The university setting, with people's children at risk, makes a chilling setting.

Degrees Of Murder is a well thought out old fashioned mystery designed to keep the reader at the edge of their seat. We never know when the killer will strike next, and as we get to know the characters better, we as readers develop an emotional stake in the outcome. Matt Shea and Joe Weiss are friends, honorable men, and we want them to succeed. The killer is a hateful villain: secretive; soulless; and intent on creating pain and suffering for kicks.

Shelley Glodowski
Reviewer

Police Chief Joe Weiss of the Lackenby police department hires Dr. Matthew Shea as an investigative consultant for a dollar a day plus expenses. Shea teaches a popular class at the local university on "Socio-Emotional Origins of Crime". Weiss once served on the New York City Police Department. Shea brings extensive investigative work and a degree in behavior sciences. Together they form an unbeatable team.

Shea tells his students that all crimes have a pattern, if only you closely enough. But Weiss can't find the pattern in a recent rash of murders; three people have died in two weeks, and Weiss hopes a fresh pair of eyes will help. Weiss assigns the nitty-gritty work to his department, thus freeing himself and Shea to examine the bigger picture.

The victims of the crimes have nothing in common. Different ethnic groups, male and female, economics and method of death separate them. Soon Shea realizes that the killer is staging the murders, making a victim look like she fought back, for example, when she was actually too drugged to do so. Then several of Shea's students unexpectedly complicate the investigation when they try to use techniques taught in the classroom on the streets.

An extraordinarily well constructed mystery, DEGREES OF MURDER will hold the reader's attention riveted as plenty of misdirection and suspects fill the tale with suspense. The setting of a university for the class and many of the cast of characters lends the tale a touch of authenticity, without pushing the envelope of possibility. Moreover, Murphy's background in military experience in security and police work lends the narrative voice a complexity and depth that marks it as a classic. DEGREES OF MURDER is going on my keeper shelf. Very highly recommended.

As a former detective inspector with the Amsterdam police, A.C. Baantjer is one of the most respected and acclaimed authors in the Netherlands. His nearly forty year career has spawned sixty crime novels with Inspector Detective Dekok, a television series, and more than five million sales. Baantjer has been dubbed the "Dutch Conan Doyle."

Jean-Paul Stappert and Erik Bavel are friends and share the distinction of having been ex-addicts. So it is particular confounding when they are both murdered on the same night by strangulation. Their irascible landlady is an ex-prostitute and is an old acquaintance for Inspector DeKok, who never gets over the sad spectacle that violent death presents. Jean-Paul was also un undeveloped musical genius, who found an unlikely mentor in Alex Waardenburg, an area classical musician who students were mostly garnered from the very rich. Yet it is Waardenburg who discovers the body of Erik Bavel:

"'But there were other remarkable parts to his story. When Jean-Paul had not shown up by quarter past ten, the feelings, or lack of them, drove Waardenburg to the rooming house. There he found the corpse of Erik Bavel.'

Dekok raised an index finger into the air. 'That's what Waardenburg told us...what he wants us to believe.'

Vledder looked nonplussed."

Baantjer uses his considerable expertise to develop Dekok's police procedural methods, With Vledder looking on as his sidekick. Dekok's a crusty yet soft cop who never loses his compassion for fellow human beings, even if it's the old prostitute, "Aunt" Mina Lyons, who runs the boardinghouse occupied by the two victims and who eventually becomes a victim herself. In fact, Dekok uses an extensive network of contacts and informers to eventually entrap the killer, in the most unlikely of places.

DEKOK AND MURDER BY MELODY is a nice mix of a plot that confounds the reader, even as Dekok is plying his trade. Characters represent a cross-section of Amsterdam's society, and Baantjer uses irony to solve this entertaining imbroglio.

Shelley Glodowski
Senior Reviewer

Baaantjer is a legend in The Netherlands for good reasons. This series is a superb police procedural series for fans of Simenon's Maigret, Ed McBain's 87th precinct, Christie's Poirot, Inspector Morse and Janwillem de Wetering. I look forward to each new translation of these books. The translations are very good. Thankfully there are still about 40 more that haven't been translated into English.

In Amsterdam, Inspector DeKok looks into the murder of heroin addict Erik Bavel. The victim was strangled to death so the Inspector concludes the culprit had to have strong hands to do that to a twenty-five year old male. The boardinghouse keeper, uncooperative Mina Lyons, reacts as if the homicide was a personal affront to her and is more upset that Bavel broke the rules by making coffee in his room.

A second strangulation victim surfaces identical to that of Bavel. The victim, Jean-Paul Stappert, was a young drug user too, but like Erik had no recent needle marks making it seem they also shared in common kicking the habit. DeKok talks with Mina about Erik only to learn by chance that Jean-Paul was a resident of her boardinghouse too. This time Mina faints. Music pedagogue Alex Waaredenberg gives testimony that he was Jean-Paul's teacher, but his New Age mumbo jumbo leads DeKok to think he knew Erik too but said nothing except seeing the corpse when he looked for his star pupil. The case turns cacophonous as the list of suspects grows connected to a musical arrangement.

This translation of a Dutch police procedural is a fabulous investigative tale starring a delightful protagonist toiling to solve the double homicides. DeKok is a wonderful lead holding the who-done-it together with his interviews of suspects and follow up on clues that showcase the city. His protégé, junior partner Vledder, struggles to understand the logic of the inquiries until the lead cop explains afterward to him (and the audience) without interrupting the superior story line flow mindful of Holmes to Watson, but in a 1980s Holland context.

Harriet Klausner

This is the first of Peter Brandvold's Westerns that I've read. If his others are anywhere as good as this one,I be reading lots more.
This yarn has everything in it that I look for in a Western and stays clesr of becoming more of a Whodunit or mystery novel.
In this tale, we know who the culprit is, right off in the first chapter ;and the storyline stays on focus right up to the end.
Along the way we get introduced to lots of Old West characters;including young damsels who have been wronged,homesteaders,Indians,Deputy Marshals &local Sherriffs,ranchers,owlhoots,saloons & their bars,pianos,card games ,bar tenders,and the ever present bat-wing doors. Dusty ,hastily constructed old west towns,lots of descriptions of the country,horses, trail camps,guns,hunt downs and shoot-outs; and even a travelling Preacher to round out the story.
What I like about Brandold,is that his writing is so descriptive and he keeps the story moving right along;and never ends up with a bunch of verbage . Not even each chapter,but every page holds your interest and conveys what life was on the Owlhoot trail;and even makes you feel you're travelling along with them all. One can almost hear the din of the saloon,the hoofbeats of the horses,the smell of the coffee at the desert campsites;and even the crack of the snipers rifles and the blast and agony of the shoot-outs.
There is no mistaking the character of the main hero,Lou Prophet. He is a Bounty Hunter,through and through. There is no doubt as to where he stands ;and all he comes into contact with him; soon learn or pay the price.
"He always believed in giving a man-no matter how evil-a chance to be taken alive. It was part of the code necessary in an occupation where,if you weren't vigilent,you could easily become as depraved as the men you hunted."
I am always interested in the artwork of the covers.In this case we get a good idea of the desert landscape as well as the two main characters in the story.It leaves no doubt of what the author had in mind when he created these intriguing people. I only wish that a little more effort was put forth by the publishers ;and we were given pictures of several other principle characters. It would add an awful lot to the story ,and only prove that a picture is worth a thousand words.
As this is my first Western by Peter Brandvold,I must say that I have been very impressed. I don't know if Lou Prophet is a charaacter in his others,I hope so,because he looks like he is well thought out and would be great for a continuing series. My interest has been whetted,and I'd really like to see where Lou goes from here. Wouldn't it be fun to see Lou and that delightful Louisa meet up again along the Owlhoot Trail.
I really got a kick out of Prophet's thoughts on "The Vengence Queen"..
"Fool girl,"he called, "You're gonna be the death of me yet!"
If you are on the hunt for a great Western;gou can't go wrong with this one.

On a dreary Sunday afternoon in Minnesota, Pete Brandvold took me through the Dakotas and all the way to Kansas. This book was such an easy, exciting read that it would have taken me longer to drive (or ride a Mean & Ugly horse) than it took me to read the book...I couldn't put it down. I couldn't believe how much I really hated Dave Duvall by the end of the book. Pete Brandvold is a fantastic writer with much to offer the literary world.

Brandvold has an amazing ability to stick you smack dab in the middle of the action in just a few short pages with little pretense or wasted words.
Once again bounty hunter Lou Prophet is in business doing what he does best-tracking down not just stereotypical bad guys but refreshingly new bad guys for reasons and motive that have more to do than just money.
What I like about Brandvold's style is that he is not only a good storyteller but he has a keen grasp of the territory, weapons, and people who lived in a time lonmg gone but live again in his stories. Good fiction? You bet but also a good look into the hearts and souls of the men and women who made the West young before it got old!
Oh hell, it's just another good book and more fun to read than a bunch of who-dunnit novels.

This adventure is a descent into the bowels of the earth. Philosophy meets adventure. One of the most interesting books I've read in a long time. Like all great epics it deserves the big screen. The words great literature comes to mind. Before that scares you off, I'll use some other words, great story, wonderful adventure. This book has everything you'd expect to pop up if you were on your way to meeting God while still alive. Beautiful and sexy spirits and demons who bring joy, horror and a great chase, all with the trappings of fine writing. Movie people where are you? Why do we have to wait so long for the great ones to be noticed?

DIVINE MURDER draws the reader ever deeper into a
spellbinding web of mystery. It is sheer escapism yet with a disturbing
plausiblility and philosophical logic underpinning each strange twist of the
tale. The two central characters are well-developed, especially Zoe, who is a
strong and resourceful woman, always one jump ahead of her husband in
unravelling the truth behind everything that happens on her journey with him.

I thoroughly recommend this compelling story concerning the divine, the
diabolical and the struggles of two mortals to discover their momentous
destiny.

Ward Kelley's Divine Murder is an odyssey on a par with Tolkien's Lord of the Rings. His style of examining circumstance and perpetuity and the graves we dig in terms of soul is a cross between C.S. Lewis and Dante, an engaging mix of speculation and inner truth. Kelley's poetic pen has an eroticism reminiscent of Nabokov, where scenery is more than scenery. It is a playground for temptation and a test of moral cues.

Kelley opens the novel near the sea, travels through a veritable galaxy of emotion, and the reader falls in love with the complexity of both his protagonists and his villains. In Divine Murder, you will meet both the devil and the god, the beams of light and the complex shades of darkness, but they are at times indistinguishable, and rightly so. It's the reader's job to intuit and draw the line, which adds nothing but fascination to the experience of reading this book. Science fiction has never seen such a startling command of both the earthly and the imaginative.

Price is back with a fast-moving, exciting story with his continuing character Chad Belmontes and Chad's feisty financee Cassie Wong. I really admire her courage in dealing with the gangsters. There is no putting this book down. I live on a Pacific Island, and I took the book with me to a fiesta, on a fishing boat, and had my wife drive us to a wedding, so I could finish the last three chapters on the road. If you want a close-up look at American-Chinese crime, and some romance and mystery, and some shooting and dead bodies, this is the book for you. Now that Chad has retired from the police, and getting married, what's his next move?

This is a wonderfully imaginative mystery, which rapidly unfolds into a fast-pace action filled story. It's a commendable debut sequel to 'Lair of the Dragon,' and I'm surprised this author did not receive more recognition as a new mystery writer upon publication of his first book. Although 'Dragon's Ghost' does read well without having read the first book, I recommend reading 'Lair of the Dragon' first, which captures the personalities of the characters. And by the time one begins the sequel, he knows the players quite well. A good read that you won't want to put down until the very end.

Once again, Frederick Price has written a galvanizing book. I started reading, and couldn't stop. This book is a roller coaster that never slows down. Action, suspense, mystery ... it's all there in Dragon's Ghost. Price is a consummate story teller and his characters are believable and captivating. I haven't enjoyed a book the much in a very long time.

I found Dressed For Murder and outstanding mystery. The plot was well thought out and put together superbly. It held my interest and the ending surprised me. I hope Earlene Adkins Wetherbee comes up with more mysteries. She is in a genre that was made for her style.

Oh, the things that go on in a small Texas town! The secrets, the conniving, the intrigue. And, of course, the romance. A psycho killer is on the loose, and his next target is a sitting duck. So much packed into a few short days. Did I say short? Certainly not short for the detective who is targeted to die.

This was a great book! It keeps you guessing and has a wonderfully twisted ending! Dressed for Murder is destined to be a classic. This novel is full of twists and turns and I never expected the plot to play out that way.

"Early Film Noir" by William Hare is a pure delight for fans of the genre. Too many books on the subject churn out the same old abridged history with an emphasis on plot synopsis. That's alright, I suppose, if you only want a brief overview of this fascinating subject, but if you've read a few books on film noir, and you now want to delve deeper into the genre, then I recommend "Early Film Noir" as the book for you. This intelligent, well-researched book traces the beginnings of film noir, and delves into the talents of the triptych of film noir novelists Hammett, Cain and Chandler. Author, Hare explores each novelist's essential literary characteristics, and their contributions to the genre, and even the authors' reactions to each others' work. It was Chandler's job to write the screenplay for "Double Indemnity" from Cain's novel, and amongst other things, Chandler called Cain "Proust in dirty overalls."

The book also includes an in-depth analysis of several important films--including--"Double Indemnity", "The Postman Always Rings Twice", and "Murder, My Sweet." "Early Film Noir" is a wealth of information--for example, the author even includes data regarding the comparative sales of Hammett's books in America versus France, and this surprising information is a lead-in into the origins of term 'film noir' and the first time this term emerged into popular film culture.

Hare includes an amazing amount of detail thus creating a fuller picture of the times. Film noir can be seen as a very natural result of certain sociological conditions. Hare's New Historicism approach places events in their appropriate context, and this grants the reader a greater understanding of the genre. Hare, for example, analyzes the film industry at the time, and it does not escape his attention that "Going My Way" received an Oscar for Best Picture over "Double Indemnity" as critics labeled the latter film as a "blueprint for murder." When one considers "Going My Way"--(it's an almost impossibly sunny film with Bing Crosby as the singing priest), it's difficult to align the film with the dark depths of "Double Indemnity." These two films represent two very different worlds. Hare's New Historicism analysis explores the world of film noir, and why audiences in the 40s and 50s were so receptive to its dark mysterious allure.

The author also includes details regarding the making of the films--for example, the role of the lead male role in the classic film, "Maltese Falcon" was first offered to Paul Muni, Edward G Robinson, John Garfield and George Raft. No one wanted the role. Huston had never directed before, and the 'big names' didn't want to risk it. Humphrey Bogart eagerly accepted (good thing, too). "Early Film Noir" even quotes Bogart's acceptance of the role to a delighted Huston. Similarly, Bette Davis and Barbara Stanwyck both turned down the title role of"Mildred Pierce." But a desperate Joan Crawford fought for the role. Then there's the alternate ending to "Double Indemnity" and George Raft's conditions for accepting the role of Walter Neff. The book also touches on the American government's hunt for Communists in Hollywood through the House Un-American Activities Committee, and how this impacted film noir through the careers of directors and stars.

One whole section is devoted to British Noir, and there's in-depth analysis of several films and details of the careers of Sir Carol Reed, director of "The Third Man" and Ken Annakin, director of "Across the Bridge." An index and a bibliography are included. While reading the book, I felt as though I needed to take notes. What a gold mine of information! The author clearly knows his subject and is obviously a dedicated aficionado of the genre. "Early Film Noir" is worth the price tag, and I've gained new respect for the careers of Robert Mitchum and Jane Greer--displacedhuman

Choosing a book to read is often like delving into Forrest Gump's box of chocolates: You never know what you're going to get. You sample all the nuts, chews and creams and finally you come across that one that is so good, so special, that you just can't get enough of it, you want more. That's the way I felt after reading "Early Film Noir," by William Hare, a book that takes you into the realm of cinematic shadows and perpetual night, where the landscape is shrouded in fog through which neon lights glow and the sound of footsteps in the dark takes on a whole new meaning. Welcome to the world of shady characters, tough stand-up guys and the fast, calculating women who take them all for that long ride on a short pier; welcome to the world of "Film Noir."

Beginning with "The Maltese Falcon," the nine films discussed here in depth by film historian and writer Hare are ones that have given us some of the most magical and memorable moments on the silver screen, movies that veritably define the genre. These are the classic films, favorites of die hard film buffs and casual movie fans alike, all given a fresh perspective and new appreciation under the incisive examination and studied eye of the author.

Taking you behind the scenes for a captivating look at these films from inception to completion to "classic" status, Bill Hare makes you privy to the professional and private lives of those who brought these magnificent movies to life, the collective creative genius behind and in front of the camera and the power struggles, politics and off-screen drama that often equaled or surpassed that which played out on the screen. He introduces you to the leading men, like Humphrey Bogart, who brought Sam Spade so vividly to life in "Falcon;" Dick Powell as Philip Marlowe in "Murder My Sweet;" Fred MacMurray, the doomed Walter Neff in "Double Indemnity;" and the definitive interpreter of "noir," Robert Mitchum, who turned in one of his most memorable performances as the pragmatic Jeff Markham in "Out of the Past." Then there's the leading ladies, the "Femme Fatales," like Claire Trevor, the calculating Ann Grayle of "Murder My Sweet;" Barbara Stanwyck, irresistible as Phyllis Dietrichson in "Double Indemnity;" and the lovely, unforgettable Jane Greer as Kathie Moffett in "Out of the Past." Last, but not least, you meet the array of character actors, all too often overlooked, but without whom these films just wouldn't be the same. Who can forget Mike Mazurki as Moose "Find my Velma!" Malloy in "Murder My Sweet?" or the likes of Greenstreet, Lorre and Elisha Cook, Jr., all of whom are at last given their due here.

Acknowledging the collaborative nature of the medium, Mr. Hare, as well as to the actors, gives special consideration to the directors, such as John Huston, Carol Reed and Ken Annakin (who contributed the forward to this book), and the methods through which they managed to bring their personal visions to fruition. He takes a succinct look as well at the writers in whose fertile imaginations these stories were born, novelists and screenwriters including Raymond Chandler, James M. Cain and Dashiell Hammett (among others). Through his careful and comprehensive exploration of the intricacies and complexities of this multi-faceted business, Mr. Hare offers the kind of insight that engenders a deeper understanding and appreciation of a truly unique art form which, beginning in the early forties, evolved from within the broader spectrum of the field most commonly referred to as that of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.

From the first page to the last, the author's passion for and knowledge of his subject is clearly evident, and he treats it accordingly. Eloquent and accessible, "Early Film Noir" is without question the most intelligent and informative-- not to mention entertaining-- book of it's kind I have ever read. In a word, it is transporting. For students of film and filmmaking, the information Mr. Hare provides here will be invaluable; fans of "noir" will find it riveting; and for anyone who has ever had a favorite film, or those who just enjoy a good movie purely for the sake of entertainment, this book will be a rewarding experience. In that big box of chocolates we call The Humanities, this is that one special piece we're all hoping to find. The best way to sum it all up, I think, is to say that I was sorry it had to end; it's one of those rare books you just wish would keep on going forever. This is one for the home library, one you're going to savor and to which you'll find yourself returning again and again. And hopefully, one day Mr. Hare will favor us with yet another volume, an "EFN2." I'll put in my order right now.

Do you like your movies filled with suspense and evil? Did you enjoy any of the following movies: The Maltese Falcon; Double Indemnity; Murder, My Sweet; Crossfire; Out of the Past; Laura; The Postman Always Rings Twice; The Third Man; or Across the Bridge? If you answered "yes" to either question, I highly recommend Early Film Noir to you.

Mr. Hare has written a fine exposition of how the film noir style evolved, the development of the key films in this genre and brief biographies of the important actors, directors, cameramen and producers who influenced the key films. If you are unfamiliar with any of the films, Mr. Hare does an excellent job of summarizing the story lines so that you can understand the subject without having seen the films. I have seen all of these films many times, and encourage you to use the book to decide which ones you would enjoy.

If you already have a great knowledge in this area, you may find the book to be mostly redundant to what you know already. As someone who had seen the films but not studied their backgrounds, this book added greatly to my understanding of the films and my appreciation of them. I especially enjoyed learning about how the scripts were developed. Some books translate easily onto the big screen, while others require substantial story and dialogue development. The Third Man is especially interesting from this perspective.

Each chapter includes one or more great stills from the films. Those add just the right touch of adding noir color.

Many books about film focus on the most famous people involved. Mr. Hare has made a great decision to focus instead on those who are most intriguing. I had always found Jane Greer to be fascinating on screen and was pleased to find a while chapter about her.

Before reading this book, I did not fully realize the connection between the detective novels of Dashiell Hammett and Raymond Chandler and the later developments of film noir and Albert Camus's writing. Making that link was a very helpful perspective for me.

As I finished the book, I realized that one of the appeals for me about film noir is that the female characters have strength, texture and nuance . . . just like real women. Early film noir was way ahead of its time in portraying the image of women as having all of the potential to be saints and devils that men have. I wondered about why so many current films seem to present women as having more potential than men. Does that mean we will come to see that as the reality in the future?