BEAT TO A PULP#39!

BEAT TO A PULP#39!

MIDNIGHT SHOWDOWN BY SANDRA SEAMANS

Jagged lightning speared through the black clouds that were stampeding their way across the face of the moon, flickering torches that kept the darkness at bay. Sheriff Tom Gage stumbled as he stepped out of the Silver Lady Saloon to make his evening rounds. Righting himself, he looked around to see if anyone had noticed. He'd worked too hard to gain a position of trust in this town to lose it because of a few drinks.

Sandra Seamans makes her second appearance on BEAT to a PULP with a brisk tale from the western variety. Don't miss the "Midnight Showdown."

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Sandra is a short story writer whose stories can be found in places like PulpPusher, The Thrilling Detective, and Spinetingler. Her story "Grace on the Case" will be part of this year's Toys for Tots Christmas anthology entitled The Gift of Murder available from Wolfmont Press (http://www.wolfmont.com) on October 1, 2009. Among the writers who donated their stories to this worthy charity are Bill Crider, Elizabeth Zelvin and Stephen D. Rogers, to name just a few.

TO READ CLICK HERE

Next week: Hilary Davidson's "Insatiable"

KILLER COVERS!

KILLER COVERS!

EARLIER THIS WEEK J. KINGSTON PIERCE TOOK TIME AWAY FROM HIS THE RAP SHEET BLOG TO POST AN IN-DEPTH INTERVIEW ON HIS KILLER COVERS BLOG WITH HARD CASE CRIME FOUNDER, EDITOR, AND AUTHOR CHARLES ARDAI REGARDING THE PUBLISHING LINES FANTASTIC COVERS . . .

Ardai wasn’t even a gleam in his parents’ eyes when many of HCC’s books first debuted. (“As my mathematician friends would put it, I’m 39.8 years old,” he concedes. “Keeping 40 at bay through heroic measures.”) Yet this New York native, Columbia University graduate, and Edgar Award-winning author has become something of a, well, savior for crime and mystery fiction of the mid-20th century. More than a few novelists, critics, and bloggers, when lamenting the unavailability of particular volumes by long-forgotten authors, have uttered variations on the lament, “If only Hard Case Crime would bring them back into print ...” Because Ardai works closely with illustrators old and new to create his line’s distinctive covers (some of which are now available for purchase on T-shirts), he has also gained recognition as a historian of paperback jackets.

Recently, I took the opportunity to interview Charles Ardai via e-mail. We discussed the origins of Hard Case Crime, how he works with cover artists old and new, how idiosyncratic modern American tastes affect his line’s book fronts, and the future of both HCC and its newer sister line, The Adventures of Gabriel Hunt.

TO READ THE FULL INTERVIEW CLICK HERE

THE RETURN OF HIGH ADVENTURE!

THE RETURN OF HIGH ADVENTURE!

FROM BAWISECONSULTING'S BLOG:

GEOFFREY JENKINS, one of the world’s greatest “adventure-thriller” writers, is coming to iUniverse this fall. The classics, “A Twist of Sand,” and “Hunter Killer,” featuring the famous Jenkins character, Commander Geoffrey Peace, will soon be returning, along with all the other sixteen classic Jenkins adventures, including “A Grue of Ice,” “The Unripe Gold,” “A Bridge of Magpies,” “River of Diamonds,” and many, many more.

Jenkins, himself, a direct protegee’ of James Bond author, Ian Fleming, was born in 1920 in South Africa, and migrated to England, where he first met Fleming…Fleming and Jenkins shared a tremendous mutual respect and were fast friends for life.

When Ian Fleming died, suddenly, in 1964, at age 56, the “James Bond Mania” that swept the world, after the screen performances of Sean Connery as 007 in “Dr. No,” “From Russia, With Love,” and “Goldfinger,” left a void in the literary world of James Bond.

In 1966, Geoffrey Jenkins was chosen by the Ian Fleming Estate, (Now Ian Fleming Publications) to write the first James Bond 007 continuation novel, “Per Fine Ounce,” under the pseudonym, “Robert Markham.”

Unfortunately, a contractual dispute kept the finished book from ever being published, and anyone who can locate the original manuscript is urged to contact bawiseconsulting@yahoo.com . Eighteen pages of the 300 page manuscript have been located, but in the last forty-three years much has happened, and the Jenkins manuscript of this Bond thriller has completely disappeared, creating one of the greatest literary mysteries of recent times.

TO READ THE FULL POST CLICK HERE

RUCKA'S QUEEN & COUNTRY!

RUCKA'S QUEEN & COUNTRY!

With one of his titles coming to the big screen shortly ("Whiteout," starring Kate Beckinsale), wordsmith Greg Rucka has yet another adaptation of one of his comic book titles grinding through the Hollywood machinery.

Hollywood hot (In Hollywood speak this is a term meaning the writer hasn’t had a script make it to the big screen yet, but everybody just loves his work) screenwriter Ryan Condal has been brought in to take a second crack at the high-stakes spy tale “Queen & Country”, an adaptation of the Oni Press comic series written and created by Rucka. The film is currently set up at Fox with the first draft of the script being penned by writer John Moore.

The "Queen & Country" comic books focus on Tara Chace, a covert operative under the employ of the United Kingdom's Secret Intelligence Service. Chace's adventures have been detailed in numerous ways, including the Rucka-penned ongoing series, a handful of "Queen & Country: Declassified" miniseries and even some prose novels.

The film version of "Queen & Country" pits a female Special Ops agent in a fugitive situation after carrying out a high-level assassination in Eastern Europe.

The movie is also described as a female version of "The Bourne Identity," a descriptor also used in conjunction with the Angelina Jolie-starring "Salt." It's also a similar premise to "The Insiders," the Jessica Alba-starring spy flick based on the French comic book of the same name.

THE SUPREMES GO BROADWAY!

THE SUPREMES GO BROADWAY!

The Supremes Sing Rodgers & Hart, released in 1967 comprises covers of show tunes written by Richard Rodgers and Lorenz Hart that have been used in countless movies. This album was original member Florence Ballard's last recorded appearance as a Supreme and heralded Diana Ross' leadership of the group.

TO DOWNLOAD CLICK HERE (YOU HAVE TO GO TO THE COMMENTS SECTION OF THE POST FOR THE LINK)

A FINGER SNAP TO REEL COOL

SPIES AND DOLLS!

SPIES AND DOLLS!

HERE’S A RARITY FROM THE CHAQUITO BIG BAND FILLED WITH SUPERB ARRANGEMENTS AND SPY-FI ACTION SUPERVISED BY THE ONE AND ONLY JOHN GREGORY (AKA: CHAQUITO)!

GET WHACKED OUT WITH SHAFT AND LISTEN HOW MR TIBBS OUTFUNKS THE ORIGINAL.

SPIES AND DOLLS

TRACKS

01 They Call Me Mister Tibbs
02 Bullitt
03 The Anderson Tapes
04 Spies And Dolls
05 The Looking Glass War
06 The French Connection
07 When Eight Bells Toll
08 The Spy's Wife
09 Heist - Money Is
10 Our Man Flint
11 The Spy With A Cold Nose
12 Shaft

TO DOWNLOAD CLICK HERE

NINA SIMONE: JAZZ AS PLAYED IN AN EXCLUSIVE SIDE STREET CLUB (1958)!

NINA SIMONE: JAZZ AS PLAYED IN AN EXCLUSIVE SIDE STREET CLUB (1958)!

MORE COOL JAZZ FROM KELLY’S LOUNGE SOUNDZ . . .

ALBUM REVIEW:

Nina Simone's first official album, 1958's "Jazz as Played in an Exclusive Side Street Club" is pure perfection, an amazing accomplishment for a 24-year-old pianist arranging and singing studio renditions of songs from her live set. Captured here are moments of intrigue as Simone magically takes the listener through musical caverns that want to be explored again with repeated spins.

The rendition of "Plain Gold Ring" is exotic and draws the listener back, just as the Richard Rodgers/Lorenz Hart classic "Little Girl Blue" (the alternate title of the album stamped on the label of the vinyl as well as on the back cover) is a gorgeous work of art, Simone adding the melody from the traditional "Good King Wenceslas" to the standard Janis Joplin would bring to rock audiences a decade later.

The cover photograph of the artist on a park bench in Central Park is a play on her only songwriting contribution, "Central Park Blues".

In her autobiography Simone gives insight into the recording of this masterpiece, an album that sets different tones with each melodic adventure. The uptempo blues of "Mood Indigo" drops quietly into "Don't Smoke in Bed" and the even deeper blues of "He Needs Me". One can hear Billie Holiday's influence pushing Simone on her own musical path.

While Roger Williams was tearing up the popular charts with his middle-of-the-road magic, Simone elegantly plays her jazz with adult contemporary leanings cracking the Top 20 herself with "I Loves You Porgy" in 1959. "Jazz as Played in an Exclusive Side Street Club" (aka "Little Girl Blue") is a superb fusion of jazz, blues and pop that reveals something new each time it is played. ~ Joe Viglione

TRACKS:

01) Mood Indigo
02) Don't Smoke In Bed
03) He Needs Me
04) Little Girl Blue
05) Love Me Or Leave Me
06) My Baby Just Cares For Me
07) Good Bait
08) Plain Gold Ring
09) You'll Never Walk Alone
10) I Loves You Porgy
11) Central Park Blues
12) He's Got The Whole World In His Hands
13) For All We Know
14) African Mailman
15) My Baby Just Cares For Me

TO DOWNLOAD CLICK HERE

INSPECTOR LEWIS MYSTERIES ~ SEASON 2!

INSPECTOR LEWIS MYSTERIES ~ SEASON 2!

This weekend, Masterpiece Mystery! (PBS) presents the second series of Inspector Lewis mysteries. Kevin Whately and Laurence Fox return as Detective Inspector Lewis and Detective Sergeant Hathaway in seven all-new episodes. As the relationship between the two develops, new sides to the inimitable duo emerge. Memories of his wife's sudden death continue to haunt Lewis while Hathaway's understanding with the Inspector deepens with every case.

This Sunday, August 30th, the season starts with the airing of an episode entitiled, "And the Moonbeams Kiss the Sea." A body is in the library, but not just any library. A man is dead in the basement of Oxford's Bodleian Library, the first murder there in 500 years. The maintenance worker had a curious interest in old books and a more contemporary proclivity for gambling. Lewis and Hathaway's investigation takes them into the secrets and contrasts of Oxford life — the closed world of gambling support groups and the rarified arena of arts and literature. But when the murders start to stack up like books in the Bodleian and the surreal link seems to be the poet Shelley, Lewis and Hathaway scramble to get an education and catch a killer.

New episodes air each of the following Sundays through October 18th (except September 27th).

Inspector Lewis is a spin-off from the long-running Inspector Morse mystery series, based on the characters created by Colin Dexter. Set in Oxford, it takes place chronologically five years after the death of Inspector Morse.

A TIP OF THE FEDORA TO MYSTERY BOOK NEWS

MICHAEL BUBLÉ ~ CRAZY LOVE CD!

MICHAEL BUBLÉ ~ CRAZY LOVE CD!

PER BILLBOARD:

Canadian singer Michael Bublé is releasing his first album featuring original material since 2007, his label announced this week. Entitled “Crazy Love,” after a 1970 Van Morrison tune of the same name, the album is due Oct. 13 on 143/Reprise Records.

Bublé recorded “Crazy Love” in New York and Vancouver and co-wrote both of album’s two original songs — “Hold On” and “Haven’t Met You Yet,” which is the lead single and debuts at radio on Aug. 31. The remaining 11 tracks include covers of “Cry Me A River,” “Georgia On My Mind” and “Baby (You’ve Got What It Takes),” which features Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings.

“I dug way deeper and was more introspective on this one,” Bublé said in a statement. “Basically, I sang the truth — made each song autobiographical — and you can definitely hear the difference.”

“Crazy Love” was produced by David Foster, Bob Rock and Humberto Gatica, and Bublé says it was recorded more organically than his past records. “The musicians and I all sat in the room, recorded it right from the floor and we let the sounds all come together and bleed into one another. It’s not contrived. Not too perfect. It just feels really good,” he explains.

Bublé’s last studio album, 2007’s “Call Me Irresponsible,” reached No. 1 on the Billboard 200 and has sold 1.9 copies in the United States, according to Nielsen SoundScan.

TRACK LISTING

“Cry Me A River”
“All Of Me”
“Georgia On My Mind”
“Crazy Love”
“Haven’t Met You Yet”
“All I Do Is Dream Of You”
“Hold On”
“Heartache Tonight”
You’re Nobody Till Somebody Loves You”
“Baby (You’ve Got What It Takes)”
“At This Moment”
“Stardust”
“Whatever It Takes” (bonus track)

AN EVENING AT THE BUDDIES LOUNGE #69!

AN EVENING AT THE BUDDIES LOUNGE #69!

Join the BIG W every Friday evening as he continues to explorer, with drink in hand, the Space-Age Pop Hi-Fi musical sounds of the 1950’s and the 1960’s in LIVING STEREO!

PLAYLIST:

• Look Out For Love - Nat “King” Cole
• Blue Blazer - David Carroll
• Dancing In The Dark - Frank Sinatra
• Holiday For Strings - Sid Ramin
• What Now My Love - Sammy Davis, Jr,
• How To Murder Your Wife - Neal Hefti
• Gabrielle – Nelson Riddle
• Guys And Dolls - Ella Fitzgerald
• Baby, It’s Cold Outside - Stereo Brass Choir
• I Love Being Here With You - Buddy Greco
• The Good Life - Bobby Darin
• Sunset Strip - Buddy Morrow
• Together Wherever We Go - Peggy Lee
• Let’s Go - Floyd Cramer
• Mambo Rock - The John Buzon Trio
• Playboy Theme - Cy Coleman
• Johnny One Note - Bob Rosengarden
• The Lively Ones - Vic Damone
• Dragnet - Si Zentner
• The Church On Time - Rosemary Clooney

TO DOWNLOAD CLICK HERE

TALES OF THE RED PANDA: THE CRIME CABAL!

TALES OF THE RED PANDA: THE CRIME CABAL!

JUST GOT MY COPY FRESH FROM AMAZON AND CAN'T WAIT TO DIVE IN. LOVE THE RED PANDA ADVENTURES AT DECODER RING THEATRE. KNOW I’M GOING TO LOVE ‘EM ON THE PAGE!

AUTHOR AND MASTER AUDIO DRAMATIST GREG TAYLOR HAS IT GOING ON! TALES OF THE RED PANDA IS PULP AT ITS BEST!

THE CAT'S MEOW ~ DOUBLE PLAY!

THANKS TO LOL CATS

Y/A CORNER: SKULDUGGERY PLEASANT: THE FACELESS ONES

Y/A CORNER: SKULDUGGERY PLEASANT: THE FACELESS ONES

BY DEREK LANDY

AS SKELETON DETECTIVE SKULDUGGERY PLEASANT AND VALKRYIE CAIN (AKA FOURTEEN-YEAR-OLD STEPHANIE EDGLEY) ATTEMPT TO SOLVE A RASH OF MURDERS, A TRUSTED FRIEND HAS A VISION THAT THE APOCALYPSE IS ON ITS WAY AND THE FACELESS ONES WILL RETURN — ALL BY FRIDAY!

THIS IS A FUN SERIES, SCARY AND HUMOROUS AT THE SAME TIME.

CLIVE CUSSLER!

CLIVE CUSSLER!

I’M NOT A HUGE CLIVE CUSSLER FAN, ESPECIALLY NOW HE’S SIMPLY A BRAND LIKE ROBERT LUDLUM. HOWEVER, I REALLY DID ENJOY HIS EARLY BOOKS, AND AS I CONSIDER HIM THE ONLY CURRENT WRITER FULFILLING THE HIGH ADVENTURE GENRE LEFT VACANT BY ALISTAIR MACLEAN, DESMOND BAGLEY, AND THEIR ILK, HE STILL HAS A SOFT SPOT IN MY COLLECTOR’S HEART.

HE’S ALSO SPECIAL TO ME BECAUSE HE TOOK THE TIME TO WRITE MY SON A PERSONAL LETTER (HE REMAINS ONE OF MY SON’S FAVORITE AUTHORS) TO CONGRATULATE HIM ON OBTAINING HIS EAGLE SCOUT AWARD.

SPARTAN GOLD!

In bookstores September 1st!

Clive Cussler unveils his newest heroes, a husband-and-wife team who hunt treasure for a living—even at the risk of dying . . .

Thousands of years ago, two superpowers of the ancient world went to war, and a treasure of immeasurable value was lost to the shadows of history. In 1800, while crossing the Pennine Alps with his Grand Reserve Army, Napoleon Bonaparte stumbled across a startling discovery. Unable to transport it, he created an enigmatic map on the labels of twelve bottles of rare wine. When Napoleon died, the bottles disappeared—and the treasure was lost again. Until now.

Treasure-hunting husband-and-wife team Sam and Remi Fargo are exploring the Great Pocomoke Swamp in Maryland when they are shocked to discover a World War II German U-boat. Inside, they find a bottle taken from Napoleon’s famous “Lost Cellar” and fascinated, they set out to find the rest of the collection. But another connoisseur of sorts is hunting his own prize, and the Lost Cellar is his key to finding it. That man is Hadeon Bondaruk, a half-Russian, half-Persian millionaire, and the treasure will be his, no matter what.

Filled with the high-stakes suspense and boundless invention that are unique to Cussler, Spartan Gold is a dazzling thriller from the grand master of adventure fiction.

THE WRECKER!

In bookstores November 17th!

It is 1907, a year of financial panic and labor unrest. Train wrecks, fires, and explosions sabotage the Southern Pacific Railroad’s Cascades express line and, desperate, the railroad hires the fabled Van Dorn Detective Agency. Van Dorn sends in his best man, and Bell quickly discovers that a mysterious saboteur haunts the hobo jungles of the West, a man known as the Wrecker, who recruits accomplices from the down-and-out to attack the railroad, and then kills them afterward. The Wrecker traverses the vast spaces of the American West as if he had wings, striking wherever he pleases, causing untold damage and loss of human life. Who is he? What does he want? Is he a striker? An anarchist? A revolutionary determined to displace the “privileged few”? A criminal mastermind engineering some as yet unexplained scheme?

Whoever he is, whatever his motives, the Wrecker knows how to create maximum havoc, and Bell senses that he is far from done—that, in fact, the Wrecker is building up to a grand act unlike anything he has committed before. If Bell doesn’t stop him in time, more than a railroad could be at risk—it could be the future of the entire country.

Filled with intricate plotting and dazzling set pieces, The Wrecker is one of the most entertaining thrillers in years.

CHERUB NEWSLETTER!

CHERUB NEWSLETTER!

FOR FANS OF YOUNG BOND AND ALEX RIDER, THE CHERUB BOOKS ARE FILLED WITH SPY ACTION!

BLOOD 'N' THUNDER #24!

BLOOD 'N' THUNDER #24!

NOW AVAILABLE

Blood 'n' Thunder #24 (Summer 2009) packs plenty into its latest hundred-plus-page issue.

Feature articles include Part One of editor Ed Hulse's massive survey of Street & Smith's The Popular Magazine; Jean-Marc Lofficier's fascinating overview of pulp-like French crime fiction; and Will Murray's look at the post-pulp career of prolific fictioneer Arthur J. Burks. The Burks article is accompanied by a reprint of his most notorious weird-menace yarn (featuring a necrophiliac protagonist) from Mystery Tales.

Also: a heavily illustrated report on this year's Windy City pulp-collector show, guidelines for Depression-era writers trying to crack Ten Detective Aces, individual pulp reviews, and a lengthy article presenting newly discovered information on the long-lost 1928 movie serial, Tarzan the Mighty. A limited number of copies sold at the recent PulpFest and Ed reports that all subscriber copies were mailed out as of 8/26.

Each issue of the award-winning Blood 'n' Thunder now tops 100 pages and sports laminated color covers, giving it the appearance of a trade paperback. Single-copy price is $11.95 plus $2.50 postage, but Ed is now offering one-year, three-issue subscriptions for $30, which represents a considerable savings.

Please make your checks or money orders payable to Ed Hulse and send to him at 2467 Route 10 East, Bldg. 15, Apt. 4B, Morris Plains, NJ 07950.

Ed also accepts Paypal payments at bnteditor@yahoo.com.

MANLY ADVENTURES WITH GABRIEL HUNT!

MANLY ADVENTURES WITH GABRIEL HUNT!

SARAH WEINMAN HAS A NICE PIECE TODAY ON THE GABRIEL HUNT ADVENTURE SERIES IN HER LOS ANGELES TIMES DARK PASSAGES COLUMN:

One need not list example after example of bad news dominating the headlines of late, but the desire for escapism has never seemed stronger. Economic woes and the success of genre fiction, time and time again, are directly correlated, which explains why romance novels are booming, why vampires and other supernatural beings have permeated American culture, and why big commercial fiction titles by Richard Russo, Thomas Pynchon, Pat Conroy and Stieg Larsson have ridden high on the bestseller lists in August.

But what to do when the mood strikes for a flat-out adventure story, of the type first popularized by H. Rider Haggard, captured on celluloid in Saturday afternoon serials and satirized by Michael Palin in his underrated 1970s series “Ripping Yarns”? The opening day lines around the block for "Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull" -- not to mention the crestfallen faces of those leaving the theater more than two hours later -- demonstrated with utter clarity how much people still yearn for reluctant heroes to save the world from epic-style danger as they move from sea to shining sea through a carnival of worldly wonders.

Hard Case Crime publisher Charles Ardai was one of those disappointed fans, the sting that much sharper because, as he told crime fiction critic and editor J. Kingston Pierce in an interview earlier this week, "Seeing 'Raiders of the Lost Ark' was a transformative experience for me, back when I was 11 years old -- I came out of the theater literally trembling, my heart racing. . . . And pretty much from that moment I was determined to someday do something that would recapture that feeling, or provide it to someone else." And if Indy's architects, George Lucas and Steven Spielberg, "weren't giving the world a proper high adventure experience anymore, maybe I could."

Enter Gabriel Hunt, who took his first globe-trotting, adventure-laden bow with "Hunt at the Well of Eternity" (Leisure: 232 pp., $6.99 paper) and appears a second time in "Hunt Through the Cradle of Fear" (Leisure: 268 pp., $6.99 paper), with four more books still to come over the next 12 months.

TO READ THE FULL COLUMN CLICK HERE

AIR TRAVEL’S GLORY YEARS!

AIR TRAVEL’S GLORY YEARS!

Flying these days is about as pleasant as a root canal, with security hassles, delays, poor service, expensive or nonexistent food, and cramped seats.

But was it always this way? The answer, of course, is no. And so, we decided to take a look back to the glory days of flight - when the stewardesses resembled beauty pageant contestants, when pilots seemed likes heroes, and when flying still seemed to be an adventure - to remind us, of just how things once were.

TO ENJOY 50 PHOTOS OF STEWARDESSES FROM THE GOOD OLD DAYS OF AIR TRAVEL CLICK HERE

RETURNING MY SEAT TO ITS PROPER UPRIGHT POSITION FOR MISS CELLANIA

JAZZ AGE JUSTICE LEAGUE!

JAZZ AGE JUSTICE LEAGUE!

ALEX MITCHELL HAS PREVIOUSLY MADE HIS CASE FOR REMIXING FAMILIAR SUPERHEROES AS TURN-OF-THE-CENTURY OCCULT HEROES ON HIS DEVIANTART PAGE.

WELL, HE'S AT IT AGAIN, THIS TIME REMIXING DC’S JUSTICE LEAGUE HEROES AS JAZZ AGE CHARACTERS.

DC's Justice League of America as a 1920's crime-busting team.

You'll notice that I chose to use the Animated Universe version of the team-- I did it because I love the series, and because in my opinion they do a great job of making a well-balanced ensemble out of what in the comics is a difficult to manage rotating roster.

The J.L.A. is a borderline legal bounty-hunter/vigilante group with limited governmental sanction ("Department of Justice Licensed Agency"). Made up of individuals from various walks of life, all are committed to the take-down of the rising criminal empires that threaten America.

Shayera "Hawk" HolFormer nightclub singer, onetime Gun moll for the infamous Hawk Gang, run by the ruthless immigrant-turned-gangster Katar Hol. Now she lends her vocal talent, crime world contacts, and mean lever-action shotgun to the fight. No dumb Dora, this bearcat is tops.

TO CHECK OUT MORE CHARACTERS CLICK HERE

ONE TOO MANY BLOWS TO THE HEAD!

ONE TOO MANY BLOWS TO THE HEAD!

BY JB KOHL AND ERIC BEETNER

COMING IN OCTOBER

In a world of fixed fights and mob influence Ray Ward and his brother Rex are two of the only clean fighters in town. With Ray in the corner and Rex in the ring they are headed for the big time. Until that fateful night. Now Ray has a score to settle using a lifetime of lessons in how to fight back.

Dean Fokoli is a detective with a new partner, an alcoholic wife and a guilty conscience. At least the boxer on the radio who just got beat to a pulp won’t end up in his homicide file.

But when the dregs of the crooked fight world start turning up dead, Fokoli is on the hunt for the killer. The chase will take him to the underbelly of the Kansas City night and hopefully keep him one step ahead of his past.

THE CAT'S MEOW ~ DOUBLE PLAY!

THANKS TO LOL CATS

SOME DAYS ARE WORSE THAN OTHERS!

LOSERS LIVE LONGER!

LOSERS LIVE LONGER!

HARD CASE CRIME'S COOLEST COVER EVER ~ AND NOT A BAD STORY EITHER!

MICHEAL BUBLÉ ~ CRAZY LOVE!

MICHEAL BUBLÉ ~ CRAZY LOVE!

NEW CD SET FOR RELEASE TUESDAY OCTOBER 13TH!

First Single, the Bublé penned “Haven’t Met You Yet,” hits radio on Monday, August 31st . . .

“Crazy Love,” Michael Bublé’s first CD in two and a half years, features two original songs along with Bublé’s always original take on 11 standards from various eras.

The multi-Grammy winning artist has been hunkered down in recording studios in LA, Brooklyn, New York, and his hometown of Vancouver for the last six months to make his “ultimate record about the inevitable rollercoaster ride of relationships.”

The first single, “Haven’t Met You Yet,” written by Bublé (with Alan Chang and Amy Foster) is scheduled to be released to radio on August 31st. Additional tunes on the album include “Cry Me A River,” “You’re Nobody Till Somebody Loves You,” “Georgia On My Mind” and “Baby (You’ve Got What It Takes).”

The title song is a cover of the Van Morrison gem “Crazy Love,” and closes out with a haunting version of “Stardust” performed with the a cappella group Naturally 7. The album was produced by David Foster, Bob Rock, and Humberto Gatica.

Commenting on the recording process for “Crazy Love,” Bublé stated, “I started this knowing I was going to record it differently than my previous ones. I dug way deeper and was more introspective on this one. Basically, I sang the truth - made each song autobiographical - and you can definitely hear the difference. I went back to the way my idols made their records. I wanted an organic feel - so people could feel like they were in the studio with me. The musicians and I all sat in the room, recorded it right from the floor and we let the sounds all come together and bleed into one another. It’s not contrived. Not too perfect. It just feels really good.”

Michael Bublé has sold over 22 million CDs worldwide. His previous CD, the Grammy winning “Call Me Irresponsible” (2007), was a number one album in over 15 countries. His 2005 CD “It’s Time” holds the record as the longest running title to remain on the Billboard Traditional Jazz charts - a full two years. It sat in the Number One position for over 80 weeks. He has had two Number One singles, “Everything” and “Home,” which was also a Number One hit for Blake Shelton on the Country charts.

TRACKLIST:

Cry Me A River
All Of Me
Georgia On My Mind
Crazy Love
Haven’t Met You Yet
All I Do Is Dream Of You
Hold On*
Heartache Tonight
You’re Nobody Till Somebody Loves You
Baby (You’ve Got What It Takes)
At This Moment
Stardust
Whatever It Takes

SPY JAZZ ~ THE WORLD OVER!

SPY JAZZ ~ THE WORLD OVER!

I’m putting out a C.O.B.R.A.S. alert on this post as I absolutely love this soundtrack for an imaginary ‘60s/’70s spy movie. A tribute to John Barry by British musician Steve Hillman, this is a rich blend of acoustic and synthetic jazz/pop capturing the essence of an iconic era.

Repeat listenings show Hillman was influenced in this project not just by John Barry, but also Ennio Morricone and Lalo Schifrin – I WANT to see the film. I know it doesn’t exist, but the soundtrack is so evocative, I can see every scene unfolding – the track titles themselves tell the story, pacing the soundtrack just as the film would be paced.

I picked this up on a whim and had my socks knocked off. Very cool stuff.

TRACK LISTING:

01 FIRED UP
02 LINDA'S THEME
03 LONG HOT NIGHT
04 THE WORLD OVER
05 AS CHANCE WOULD HAVE IT
06 FLUTE JAZZ
07 THIRTIES THING
08 LOOKING BACK
09 IN DREAMS
10 SLOW DOWN
11 WHAT THE HELL
12 REGRETS
13 THE CHASE IS ON
14 JOURNEY'S END

TO LISTEN TO SAMPLES CLICK HERE

SPYBOY!

SPYBOY!

Alex Fleming was a typical 15 year old. Like many of his contemporaries, he often found himself the butt of the bully’s attention. He was the kid who gets his head shoved into the toilet bowl. And like many teenagers, he would dream of things being different – in fact, he kept having visions of what he could do in given circumstances. It was like he always knew how to handle a situation, but couldn’t bring himself to go ahead and do it.

Then his life abruptly changed with the entry of two things: First, a mysterious female named Bombshell (who started hanging around his house and simply watching him, but disappearing with the help of fairly severe explosions whenever he noticed her); and second, being intercepted by mysterious individuals who unleash from within him the abilities hidden in his core – a new persona, codename: Spyboy!

Spyboy is Alex’s split personality, only taking over when a certain combination of flashing lights is set off in front of him. He is a superspy for S.H.I.R.T.S. (Secret Headquarters International Reconnaissance, Tactics and Spies) who battle against S.K.I.N.S (Supreme Killing Institute).

Created by Peter David – modified from an idea developed by Dark Horse Comics.

MASQUERADE ~ VOL. 1 (GRAPHIC NOVEL)!

MASQUERADE ~ VOL. 1 (GRAPHIC NOVEL)!

Exploring the origins of the beautiful and mysterious Masquerade, writer Phil Hester opens with young Diana Adams who would grow up, inspired by the heroes of the age, to fight crime in her own unique way!

Illustrated by the art-team from Project Superpowers: Chapter One - Carlos Paul and Debora Carita - the 4 issue series is overseen by Alex Ross, who also provides the incredible cover to issue #1 (and the series).

Features a complete gallery by the likes of Ross, Paul, Cho, Romita and more!

FOR MORE INFO CLICK HERE

BRAND NEW YOUNG BOND BOOK COMING!

BRAND NEW YOUNG BOND BOOK COMING!

PER THE YOUNG BOND DANGER SOCIETY WEBSITE:

Featuring a brand-new story by Charlie Higson, the Young Bond Dossier is the complete and definitive guide to the world and adventures of Young Bond.

Packed with information - from in-depth character profiles to the cars, the weapons and the exotic locations, plus facts, statistics, photographs, maps, and illustrations by Kev Walker.

Available 29 October 2009.

JAZZ FOR PLAYBOYS ~ (1956)!

JAZZ FOR PLAYBOYS ~ (1956)!

ANOTHER COOL DOWNLOAD FROM KELLY'S LOUNGE SOUNDZ . . .

ALBUM NOTES:

This album has three songs apiece from two similar sessions. One half of the set features Frank Wess (doubling on flute and tenor) accompanied by both Kenny Burrell and Freddy Green on guitars, bassist Eddie Jones and drummer Gus Johnson. The other three titles add trumpeter Joe Newman and have Ed Thigpen in Johnson's place. The music is essentially cool-toned swing/bop very much in a Count Basie vein and is easily recommended to straightahead jazz fans. ~ Scott Yanow

TRACKS:

01) Playboy
02) Miss Blues
03) Baubles, Bangles and Beads
04) Low Life
05) Pin Up
06) Blues For A Playmate

TO DOWNLOAD CLICK HERE

THE VILLAGE ~ LIMITED EDITION

THE VILLAGE ~ LIMITED EDITION

PER THE UNMUTAL PRISONER BLOG . . .

Lovers of Portmeirion and associated books or artwork will be delighted to hear that a new highly limited edition book has been released in July 2009.
"Portmeirion" features beautiful art by Leslie Gerry, with accompanying text of each scene from Sir Clough Williams-Ellis' Grandson Robin Llywelyn.

Featuring a series of seven original prints drawn on an electronic tablet, the tome is printed on specialist materials and is limited to only 350 copies (290 "standard" and 60 fully signed by the artist) in total, priced at £195 for the standard version.

Portmeirion is the extraordinary Italianate village created by the architect and town-planner Clough Williams-Ellis on a remote peninsula in North Wales (AND USED AS THE BACKDROP FOR THE ORIGINAL THE PRISONER SERIES)

FOR MORE INFO CLICK HERE

SOPHIE MILMAN ~ LIVE IN MONTREAL (2008)

SOPHIE MILMAN ~ LIVE IN MONTREAL (2008)

CANADA'S JAZZ CHANTUSE IN A LIVE PERFORMANCE!

TRACK LIST:

01 It Might as Well Be Spring
02 People Will Say We're in Love
03 Something in the Air Between Us
04 Rocket Love
05 So Long, You Fool
06 (It's Not Easy) Bein'Green
07 Ochi Chornye
08 Reste (Stay)
09 Fever
10 Matchmaker, Matchmaker
11 Undun
12 Bye Bye Love
13 Eli, Eli

TO DOWNLOAD CLICK HERE

HAPPY BIRTHDAY ~ SEAN CONNERY!

LEN DEIGHTON'S SECRET FILES GALLERY!

LEN DEIGHTON'S SECRET FILES GALLERY!

C.O.B.R.A.S. ALERT: STEVE HOLLAND HAS SOME COOL SPY SCANS OVER AT HIS BEAR ALLEY BLOG . . .

One of my favourite authors... and one of my favourite series. Len Deighton's nameless hero was given the name Harry Palmer when he appeared in The IPCRESS File movie adaptation starring Michael Caine. I scanned these ages ago and stumbled across them this evening while I was looking for an old article I'd written about Deighton. I hate to see scans going to waste, so here they are.

TO CHECK THEM OUT CLICK HERE

CRYPT ABOVE MARILYN MONROE SELLS FOR $4.6 MILLION!

CRYPT ABOVE MARILYN MONROE SELLS FOR $4.6 MILLION!

LOS ANGELES (AP): The price for spending eternity above Marilyn Monroe is $4.6 million.

That's how much the crypt directly above the actress went for in an online auction that ended Monday.

The eBay.com listing says the space at Westwood Village Memorial Park Cemetery above Monroe is being vacated, making room for someone else.The listing also offers the detail that the current occupant is "looking face down on" Monroe.

Bidding for the auction started at $500,000 on Aug 14.

Monroe was laid to rest at the cemetery in 1962.

SARAH BERNHARDT ~ SQUIRREL VERSION!

ORDERS IS ORDERS!

WISEGUY ~ REISSUE OF SEASON ONE!

WISEGUY ~ REISSUE OF SEASON ONE!

ONE OF MY ALL TIME FAVORITE CRIMES SERIES – RIGHT UP THERE WITH CRIME STORY SEASON TWO – WISEGUY IS GREAT TELEVISION!

Ken Wahl starred as a Justice Department agent reassigned to the Organized Crime Bureau (OCB) in Wiseguy. The series aired on CBS for 4 seasons.

Created by veteran producer Steven J Cannell, Wiseguy deviated from traditional crime dramas by allowing stories to span several episodes allowing the OCB to bring its case—and its charismatic criminal suspects—to a logical conclusion. No matter the cost to criminal, victim, or cop.

The Wiseguy: Season One DVD set of 4 discs contain the 21 episodes that aired on CBS from September 1987 through March 1988.

LIE TO ME ~ SEASON ONE!

LIE TO ME ~ SEASON ONE!

THE MOST ENTERTAINING SHOW ON TELEVISON COMES TO DVD:

Tim Roth stars as Dr. Cal Lightman, a man who can detect the truth by analyzing a person's face, in Lie to Me, a Fox series that debuted as a mid-season replacement in January 2009. The series has been renewed for a second season, scheduled to premiere September 28, 2009.

Assisting federal law enforcement, government agencies and local police with their most difficult cases, Lightman's company, The Lightman Group, study facial expressions and involuntary body language to discover if someone is lying and why.

In its first season, the drama unfolds as the team is faced with numerous cases to unravel, including a student fleeing a murder scene, a college basketball player accused of accepting a bribe from his university, a NASA test pilot accused of intentionally crashing a multimillion dollar aircraft, and much more.

The Lie to Me: Season One DVD set of 4 discs contain the 13 episodes that aired during the spring of 2009.

A TIP OF THE LIE DETECTOR TO MYSTERY BOOKS NEWS

BOOKER ~ SEASON ONE!

BOOKER ~ SEASON ONE!

I REALLY ENJOYED THIS SHORT LIVED SERIES , SO WILL PROBABLY PICK UP THE NEW DVD RELEASE . . .

The success of 21 Jump Street prompted Fox to spin-off one of the characters in his own series. Booker featured Richard Grieco as Dennis Booker, a disgraced former member of the Vancouver police department now working as an investigator with a Japanese conglomerate.

The series also starred Carmen Argenziano, Marcia Strassman, Katie Rich, and Lori Petty.The series was scheduled as a lead-in to the 4th season of 21 Jump Street (Grieco as Booker having been introduced during the 3rd season), but it never caught on with viewers and lasted only one season.

The Booker: The Complete Series DVD set of 4 discs contain the 22 episodes of the series that aired on Fox from September 1989 through May 1990.

A SHRUG OF THE LEATHER JACKET TO MYSTERY BOOK NEWS

HOW TO EMULATE THE SAINT ON A LIMITED BUDGET!

HOW TO EMULATE THE SAINT ON A LIMITED BUDGET!

JUST CAME ACROSS THIS HILARIOUS POST BY GARY DOBBS OVER AT THE TAINTED ARCHIVE . ..

A person can be whatever they want to be - that's the philosophy of the Tainted Archive. Reinvention of yourself is easy if you follow a few simple steps. From time to time The Archive will show you how to become someone else, or at least appear to do so. And so in this, the first of an irregular series, The Tainted Archive goes all self help and shows you how to become a man like The Saint at the minimum cost.

1 - Clothes are important as is your style. Never never dress down and always make sure you are at your most impeccable. Even while digging the garden you should wear well pressed trousers and a comfortable shirt. And of course it goes without saying you must be clean shaven and your hair neatly combed with a side parting and slight quiff. These days this can easily and inexpensively be achieved with clothing produced in some sweat shop in a far off country and sold in most major supermarkets. Remember to remove the labels as it looks expensive enough but just be careful of any sudden movements.

TO READ THE FULL POST CLICK HERE

POSITIVELY THE MOST ~ JOANIE SOMMERS (1960)!

POSITIVELY THE MOST ~ JOANIE SOMMERS (1960)!

ANOTHER COOL DOWNLOAD FROM KELLY’S LOUNGE SOUNDZ . . .

REVIEW NOTES:

Joanie Sommers was not so modestly heralded on the front album jacket as "the greatest discovery in singing ... in the past fifteen years", and her debut did reveal a vivacious vocalist exhibiting a tremendous amount of depth for someone still in her teens. Released in 1960, "Positively the Most" comprises a dozen Great American Songbook entries with distinct arrangements by the top-shelf talents of Tommy Oliver and Marty Paich. Rather than attempting to market Sommers as an old-style balladeer, the smart jazz and pop scores not only update the familiar titles, but likewise provide the perfect point of departure for the singer and her audience alike.

Much of Paich's true artistry lies in his uncanny ability to present performers at their best -- vocalists and instrumentalists alike. A prime example can be heard as Sommers mixes sensitivity with a profundity of character, ultimately conjuring up the likes of Billie Holiday and Lena Horne. As evidenced on this long-player, she unquestionably possessed talents well beyond her years. ~ Lindsay Planer

SIDE 1:

01) It Might As Well Be Spring
02) My Heart Belongs To Daddy
03) Something I Dreamed Last Night
04) I'm beginning To See The Light
05) I Like The Likes Of You
06) What's New

SIDE 2:

01) So In Love
02) Oh But I Do
03) That Old Devil Moon
04) Heart And Soul
05) Squeeze Me
06) Too Young For The Blues

TO DOWNLOAD CLICK HERE

COCKTAIL NATION #88 ~ KOOPER WORKS THE PHONES!

COCKTAIL NATION #88 ~ KOOPER WORKS THE PHONES!

On the Cocktail Nation this week, our sponsor Brad Parker from Tiki Shark swings by with a giveaway and he's hinted that it has something to do with Bela Lugossi (see below). And Koop Kooper has the latest from Waitiki 7 with their new album, Adventures in Paradise.

Koop also takes a look at the future of the Cal Neva hotel with Will the Thrill who has an intimate knowledge of the venue. And how would you like to meet the man behind the robot Hymie on Get Smart?
There’s also a report from Tiki Oasis with Andy Nazzal, plus all the classic, neo lounge, and exotica you can handle broadcast from Sydney's home of Swank.

PLAYLIST:

Tiki Joe's Ocean ~ Rio De Jean
AccaDaiquis ~ Cocaine
Skip Heller ~ Hurricane Apartment
Alvino Rey ~ A Swingin Fling.
Lalo Schifrin ~ Barney Does It All
Billy May ~ Autumn Leaves
Vikki Carr- Better Than Anything
Janet Seidel ~ Why Don't You Do Right
Lucas Vigor ~ So Daco Samba
Tikiyaki Orchestra ~ Last Sampan to Kowloon
Grace Knight ~ Sway
Les Baxter ~ Flight Concert
Mel Tormé ~ Makin' Whoopee
Frank Sinatra ~ The Second Time Around
Waitiki 7 ~ Coronation

TO DOWNLOAD CLICK HERE

!!!!WIN THIS BRAD PARKER ARTWORK FOR YOUR TIKI BAR!!!!

BEAT TO A PULP #38!

BEAT TO A PULP #38!

Hit Women by Clair Dickson

I jammed the car into reverse. Changing gears got a short squawk out of the tires. Of course, I didn't have the address. I stopped at the police department, figuring I could kill two birds with one stone.

Wendy was at the front desk. When we're getting along, we leave bite marks on each other. I strolled right past her, which makes her chatter like an angry squirrel. She's even got the big tail.

BTAP is pleased to say Clair Dickson's hard-hitting PI, Bo Fexler, is the Weekly Punch at BEAT to a PULP. Get your Fexler fix with Hit Women.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

More than fifty Bo Fexler short stories have walked the internet. Links to those stories are at www.bofexler.blogspot.com. Bo's first novel is currently looking for agents to seduce. And the author, Clair Dickson, writes when she's not teaching alternative high school or working one of her other jobs.

TO READ HIT WOMEN CLICK HERE

Next: Sandra Seamans brings us Midnight Showdown