TRUE CRIME THEATER: FROM BLONDE TO MORGUE!

TRUE CRIME THEATER: FROM BLONDE TO MORGUE!

The mystery continues to rage in J. Scooter Harris’s TRUE CRIME THEATER project with the first part of a three comic book mini-series, FROM BLONDE TO MORGUE. A terrifying and woeful tale about a detective, a dominatrix, a corpse, and the conspiracy that destroys all three in the dark heart of Texas. And in center of it all now, a beautiful burlesque dancer who was once the detective’s wife. His late wife.

Former Chief Inspector Adam Sheiks is constantly haunted by the murder of his wife Delia, a headlining performer at some of the upscale Texas night clubs. Now shot. Chased by police. And cornered by the mysterious dominatrix Paris Arizona at a movie theater. And who was that rotting corpse the police found in Sheiks’s office?

Another typical day in Crockett City, TX. to some. To others, the only escape from this city is six feet under. The answers still elude, after the successful debuts of the one shot TRUE CRIME THEATER: THE GRAND TOUR and graphic novel TRUE CRIME THEATER: SURFACE STREET CEMETARY. Story and art by J. Scooter Harris. This mixed media mystery is a must have for any collector of comics, pulp, and art!

After his wife was murdered and he was fired from the Crockett City Police, Adam Sheiks rides his hell bent revenge against the very city he swore to serve. The same city where even the dead refused to dwell in.

Written and Illustrated by J. Scooter Harris

FOR MORE INFO CLICK HERE

SPYING WITH LANA: YEAR ONE DECLASSIFIED!

SPYING WITH LANA: YEAR ONE DECLASSIFIED!

Lana is a spy possessed of a brilliant mind, superb marksmanship, great athletic ability…and very little luck. Working for a top-secret agency (so secret that nobody even knows its name!), Lana risks her life and her sanity in defence of truth, justice, and a bunch of trivial, pointless stuff that the agency is always mixed up in.

This contains Lana's first 3 cases, plus an exclusive full-color bonus case, as well as plenty of pin-ups and extras.

Written and Illustrated by Sean Harrington

FOR MORE INFO CLICK HERE

OPERATION FOR THE LOVE OF RUSSIA!

OPERATION FOR THE LOVE OF RUSSIA!

Field operations to clean up after the messy, destruction-prone secret agents take I.C.A. agents all over the world, but Agent Eben07 is always excitable when his cleaning assignments take him to Russia. In fact, the mere mention of "the land of hammers and sickles, of war AND peace" sends him dreaming of possibilities for adventure. However, when Eben07's partner, Ninja Dan, is unable to wake Eben07 from a seemingly peaceful train-ride nap he realizes that this will certainly not be a normal mission. It never is.

Field Operatives of the Intelligence Cleaner Agency, a tactical espionage waste management organization, safeguard the covert actions of the world's elite secret agents from public eyes through a janitorial-like service. These "cleaner agents" are sent in to recover, destroy, rebuild, and otherwise manage potential intelligence liabilities - be it dead henchmen, bodyguards, gold bullion, trains to Russia, tactical nuclear weapons, or the complete removal and repurposing of an underground space rocket facility inside a volcano. This is the adventure after the adventure, the cleaning of the cloak and dagger mess left behind. This is the job of the Intelligence Cleaner Agency. This is the job of Field Operative Eben07.

Written and Illustrated by E. Burgoon & D. Bethel

FOR MORE INFO CLICK HERE

COLD WAR #1!

COLD WAR #1!

Espionage agents Nigel and Sophie Cold manage a precarious balance between family life and a deadly serious line of work. As strange events move them towards the heart of a great mystery, they will need all of their skills and training to navigate an increasingly dangerous world.

Berlin, 1963. The epicenter of the Cold War, a global struggle of clashing ideologies. Two spies, Nigel and Sophie Cold. Husband and wife, agents of espionage. And, in a world where secrets are a commodity paid for in people’s lives, one great secret at the heart of everything. The myths of human societies are true. The creatures are real. Trolls, fairies, giants, centaurs, goblins and monsters, mermaids and mer-men, nymphs and satyrs, ghosts and gods. 84 races, sharing the world, occupying the hidden places and keeping a careful distance from mankind and its bludgeoning aggression. Cold War (book 1) is an Original Graphic Novel, serialized into 12 issues (chapters).

It follows the story of two spies, Nigel and Sophie, as they puzzle over a mysterious Soviet plot. A bold new aggression from the Red Army comes at the same time as a series of strange excavations by Soviet teams around the globe. Working for the secret, nameless Agency, the Colds race from site to site, trying to unravel the mystery. But the more they learn, the more elusive the plot becomes, and meanwhile, the 84 nations are being drawn into the global conflict.

Their anonymity protected by longstanding agreements, the hidden races are finding that the magnitude of the Cold War is threatening that safety, reaching beyond the human world to ensnare them in the fight for world hegemony. When the Colds learn the terrible purpose behind the Soviet plot, they are faced with an impossible choice: total domination is within the Soviet’s reach, but revealing this fact will almost certainly lead to nuclear war.

Written and Illustrated by Adam Masterman

FOR MORE INFO CLICK HERE

VELDA: GIRL DETECTIVE!

VELDA: GIRL DETECTIVE!

Burlesque queen turned private eye Velda Bellinghausen ekes out a living in the Greenwich Village of the 1950s in this series of tributes to the great crime comics of the Golden Age!

Velda must solve the mystery of the Homicide Hotel, discover the murderer of a nice old lady and unmask one of the most insidious murder schemes of her career!

Velda tells the pulse-racing story of her First Case! She foils a commie plot to blow up Margate, New Jersey! And she solves the mystery of the murderous Early Bird!

Written and Illustrated by Ron Miller

FOR MORE INFO CLICK HERE

BROTHER BONES:BULLETS OF JADE #1!

BROTHER BONES:BULLETS OF JADE #1!

He has been sent to avenge the innocent and punish the guilty. Haunting the dark streets of CAPE NOIR, he is BROTHER BONES, the UNDEAD AVENGER. A murderous gangster brought back from the dead and given a mysterious skull mask and twin .45 caliber automatics fights to redeem his immortal soul.

Written by Ron Fortier / Illustrated by John Polacek

FOR MORE INFO CLICK HERE

ROB HANES ADVENTURES!

ROB HANES ADVENTURES!

Justice International agent Rob Hanes is needed for a new mission, but no one knows where to find him. JI agents embark on a chase for the missing soldier of fortune that takes them around the globe in this introductory re-boot to the series (fresh from the pages of Adventure Strip Digest).

Rob Hanes Adventures is an all-ages comic-book series about a modern-day globetrotting private eye and troubleshooter. Under the auspices of worldwide Justice International, Rob travels the world on assignment, facing adventure, intrigue and romance at every turn!

Written and Illustrated by Randy Reynaldo

FOR MORE INFO CLICK HERE

JOHNNY RECON #1!

JOHNNY RECON #1!

Living his life one mistake at a time, and leaving it to his best friend, Finn, and sister, Kierra, to pick-up the pieces. We meet Johnny in the midst of a high-stakes poker game where pistols quickly become more than a side bet. As if trading ray blasts with the space-mob wasn’t enough, the trio must also contend with an unexpected adversary, one that will threaten more than just their lives…and what does this new enemy have to do with Johnny's distant past?

Presented in the tradition of pulp adventure serials from the early twentieth-century with a vibrant HI-FI modern twist, Mitch Gerads and Scott Dillon present an alternative reality where humanity is given a second chance – and a hero is born from it.

In the tradition of classic science fiction and action-adventure pulp stories, POPGUNPULP introduces the world to JOHNNY RECON, a high-flying adventure series about a man who prefers to fight his battles with charismatic wit first and his trusty ray-gun second. Sometimes.

Written by Scott Dillon Illustrated by Mitch Gerads.

FOR MORE INFO CLICK HERE

THE REAL HOUSE OF BLUES!

THE REAL HOUSE OF BLUES!

FROM PULP INTERNATIONAL . . .

Birthplace of mysterious blues legend to be restored.

Nearly everything about enigmatic bluesman Robert Johnson could have come directly from the pages of a pulp novel. Some say he sold his soul to the Devil at a dark crossroads in exchange for the ability to play guitar. Only two photographs were ever taken of him during his life. He died in 1938 after a jealous husband poisoned his whiskey with strychnine. And nobody knows for sure where he is buried, though there are three spots that claim the distinction.

The only agreed upon fact about Johnson’s life is that he came into the world in 1911 in a house in Hazlehurst, Mississippi. Now, that house is slated for restoration by its owners, the county of Copiah, Mississippi. Over the years it has fallen into disrepair, but when originally built by Johnson’s stepfather it was considered a spacious and modern home, particularly by the standards of the sharecropping south.

Copiah County officials hope to draw some of the music tourists that visit the nearby Mississippi Delta region, which seems a safe bet considering Johnson’s stature. He is considered by most music aficionados the greatest bluesman ever, and one of the most unique guitarists. He is also, without doubt, one of the most mysterious figures in musical history.

MISSION ACCOMPLISHED!

MISSION ACCOMPLISHED!

THE TAINTED ARCHIVE HAS A COOL INTERVIEW WITH THE PEOPLE BEHIND BRITAIN’S COMMANDO DIGEST SIZED WAR COMIC, WHICH CONTINUES TO ENJOY POPULARITY . . .

Commando Comics were launched by D.C. Thomson of Dundee, Scotland in 1961. The company already had a high profile in comics most noticeably with The Beano and Dandy but the Commando books were not like regular weekly comics, modelling themselves on the slightly more expensive digest size comic books of which there were many on the UK shelves. All these years later and only Commando remain.

Why when other war comics have bitten the dust does Commando continue to thrive? In 2005 when Carlton Books collected twelve of the most popular Commando comics and published them as a graphic novel, entitled The Dirty Dozen they had a best-seller on their hands and several other volumes followed...indeed, continue to follow.

The Tainted Archive slipped into combat jacket and fatigues and cornered Commados current editor Calum Laird as well as writer, David Whitehead who has written over two dozen of the books. That's nothing, David points out, when compared with writers like Ferg Handley who has done hundreds. This past week Commando published four more issues culminating with issue no 4245...and they'll be back again next week.

TO READ THE FULL INTERVIEW CLICK HERE

ROYAL CROWN REVUE'S PINUP PARTY!

ROYAL CROWN REVUE'S CR'S PINUP PARTY!

FIRST NIGHT OF THREE!

The Mint, one of LA's Oldest and Coolest Clubs, is proud to welcome one of LA's Coolest Bands for a Three Week residency!

This Wednesday Night Party is the place you want to be if you like Great Music, Cool People, and Amazing Pinup Girls

Each Night will be hosted by a Celebrity who knows what it means to ROCK! Come on down and meet our host, get your Dance on and drink and be merry.

NOTHING COMPARES TO THE ROYAL CROWN REVUE PINUP PARTY AT THE MINT!

ROYAL CROWN REVUE

Known as the “Gangster Bop Big Band”, you would never imagine that a group of Musicians from Manhattan, Watts, Hawaii, California, and Australia would be a group of dedicated devotees of Original American Music! Royal Crown Revue have been playing their special brand of American Music for 20 years, and they have never left the Big Beat Sound that Swings!

Featured on many film and television project soundtracks from Swingers to their celebrated on screen appearance in the Mask, this group of pros have been laying down authentic sound throughout their career. Their original hits include “Hey Pachuco”, “Zip Gun Bop”, and “Watts Local”. They mix their energetic set with original tunes from all 10 of their albums, plus a strong selection of the classics from all of the coolest stars of the classic era. “Great Music is Timeless”, according to the band, “and we love it when it Rocks!”

The band now features Mr. Eddie Nichols and Miss Jennifer Keith on Vocals. This double barreled approach creates a huge arsenal of song power, as Eddie croons, dances, and boxes his way through the RCR classics. Equal parts Frank, Dean, and the Raging Bull, Eddie carries of the swagger and the sound with the best of them. Jennifer, is our Sultry Songbird, and rocks the house on tunes that will leave you wondering how does such a big voice come out of a little bitty girl?

Backing them up is founding member Mando Dorame on Tenor Sax. A Hurricane with a reed, Mando plays a honkin’ style sure to get you out of your chair. Mark Cally is on Guitar and brings a Rock meets Jazz sensibility to the party. Keepin’ the Beat is Daniel Glass, a human rhythm machine that swings and David Miller or Veikko Lepisto on the Doghouse Bass. Rounding out the RCR horns are Trumpeter Lee Thornburg, Baritone Sax Jim Jediekin or Ron Dzubla, and Trombone Adam Liebreich-Johnsen.

The book is thick, and the tunes are hot! Whether you dance, or just listen to the music, these virtuosos will rock, swing, and jump their way to your soul.

COCKTAIL NATION #100 ~ KOOPER COMES ACROSS A BAD AGENT!

COCKTAIL NATION #100 ~ KOOPER COMES ACROSS A BAD AGENT!

CONGRATULATIONS TO KOOP KOOPER AND THE COCKTAIL NATION ON THEIR 100TH SHOW!

Thanks to Tiki Shark, Cocktail Nation has Koop Kooper behind the Tiki Bar in the Penthouse playing the very best classic and neo lounge, spy jazz, and exotica as he broadcasts 30 stories above the city of Sydney for show #100!

This week, Koop talks to spy genre king Bill Raetz about the just released third Bryce Attewelle adventure, Bad Agent!

He’ll also take a look at an interesting occurrence on the Tonight Show from just last week, look at the world of Swank, and the segment Ask Koop will tell us how to become a socialite in our own town.

PLAYLIST:

Lucas Vigor ~ Muito E Voltando
Spy Fi ~ Penetration
Frank Sinatra ~ Luck Be A Lady
Don Tiki ~ Bam-Boozled
Chaino ~ Zombie Bamboo
Martini Kings-Soft Sounds
Esquival ~ Whatamacallit
The Cocktail Preachers ~ Slave Girl
George Shearing ~ Easy Living
Waitiki ~ White Sandy Beach
Howard Roberts ~ L-O-V-E
Kava Kon ~ Zero Gravity Lounge
Tito Puente ~ Ritual Drum Dance
Martin Denny ~ The Enchanted Isle
The Londonaires ~ Dearest Emma
Mike Flowers ~ Light my fire

TO LISTEN OR DOWNLOAD CLICK HERE

ROBERT FATE ~ BABY SHARK!

ROBERT FATE ~ BABY SHARK!

I’VE ENJOYED ALL OF BOB FATE’S BABY SHARK NOVELS, ESPECIALLY THE LATEST, JUGGLERS AT THE BORDER. THEY ARE HARD HITTING, FAST PACED, WITTY, AND VERY REMINICENT OF THE 50s’ GOLD MEDAL ORIGINALS. GOOD STUFF.

THERE’S A GOOD INTERVIEW WITH FATE AT THE YSTERIOUS PEOPLE BLOG.

TO CHECK IT OUT CLICK HERE

TALES OF THE GOLD MONKEY ~ DVD!

TALES OF THE GOLD MONKEY ~ DVD!

CHRIS MILLS OVER AT ATOMIC PULP BRINGS US THIS NEWS SCOOP:

TV SHOWS ON DVD posted the news today that one of my all-time favorite television series, Donald Bellassario's Tales Of The Gold Monkey, starring Stephen Collins, Caitlin O'Heany and Roddy McDowell, will be coming to DVD in Spring, 2010.

I’M WITH CHRIS, TALES OF THE GOLD MONKEY HAS LONG BEEN ONE OF MY FAVORITE CAMPY TELEVISION SHOWS AND I CAN’T WAIT TO RELIVE THE SERIES WHEN THE REGION 1 DVD IS RELEASED!

AN EVENING AT THE BUDDIES LOUNGE #77!

AN EVENING AT THE BUDDIES LOUNGE #77!

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

PLAYLIST:

• Ev'rything I've Got - Buddy Greco
• Liza - Sauter/Finegan Orchestra
• The Song Is You - Nancy Wilson
• It Might As Well Be Spring - Bob Thompson
• ‘S Wonderful - Julie London
• Skokiaan - Al Hirt
• A Lot Of Livin’ To Do - Keely Smith
• Pagan Love Song - Ray Martin
• If I Were A Bell - Ella Fitzgerald
• Blue Steel - Henry Mancini
• One, Two, Three - Sarah Vaughan
• Espresso - Guitars Unlimited Plus 7
• The Lady Is A Tramp - Shirley Bassey
• This Thing Called Love - Tino Contreras
• On The Road To Mandalay - Frank Sinatra
• Face The Music And Dance - Nat “King” Cole
• Theme from The Alvin Show - Nelson Riddle
• After I’m Sorry - Bobby Darin
• Love In All Around - Sammy Davis, Jr.
• The Lady’s In Love With You - Sid Bass
• The Best Thing For You - Peter Nero

TO DOWNLOAD CLICK HERE

COLLISION!

COLLISION!

THIS SUNDAY ON PBS MASTERPIECE CONTEMPORARY!

This Sunday, PBS Masterpiece Contemporary airs the first part in the two part drama Collision. Written by Anthony Horowitz (YES, THE SAME ANTHONY HOROWITZ WHO WRITES THE ALEX RIDER NOVELS AND WAS ALSO RESPONSIBLE FOR THE BRILLIANT SERIES FOYLE’S WAR), Collision stars Douglas Henshall as Detective Inspector John Tolin and Kate Ashfield as Senior Investigating Officer Ann Stallwood, who are assigned to investigate a six car collision on England's busy A12 highway, which leaves two dead.

Cries of racism come from the family of one of the victims, but a methodical investigation only scratches the surface of the ten strangers involved, and the surprising and touching ways they are transformed after the accident.

As the investigation continues, allegations of corporate crime, infidelity, shameful secrets and murder slowly rise from the wreckage.A video preview and detailed synopsis of each episode is available on the PBS: Collision website.

The Collision DVD will be released on December 15th.

THANKS TO MYSTERY BOOK NEWS FOR THE REMINDER

DOME DOG: RISE OF THE HUNTER!

DOME DOG: RISE OF THE HUNTER!

NEW FROM ICEBOX RADIO THEATER!

Dome Dog is back! And his beloved Vikings want him in a tailback! In this first two episodes of the football-themed super-hero saga, a new villain arises to take the place of the missing Packer Backer.

He is The Hunter, and he's plotting an evil scheme involving Dome Dog getting a shot to actually play for the Vikings!

Dome Dog: Rise of the Hunter, Episodes 1 & 2. Starring Harley Droba, Aela Mackintosh, Jim Yount, Justin Kapla & Jeffrey Adams.

TO DOWNLOAD CLICK HERE

SOLOMON KANE: DEATH'S BLACK RIDERS #2!

SOLOMON KANE: DEATH'S BLACK RIDERS #2!

Coming in February!

Scott Allie (Writer), Mario Guevara (Art), Juan Ferreyra (Colors), and Darick Robertson (Cover)

Travelers beware! The roads of Germany's Black Forest are haunted by all manner of wolf, bandit, and demon! After a harrowing battle with the disgusting and deadly Black Rider creatures, even confident, stalwart combatants like Solomon Kane and the mysterious L'Armon know enough to seek safety during the sinister hours of the night.

The shelter they've stumbled upon looks foreboding, but its heavy doors will keep those that lurk in the forest at bay. However, will the wickedness within this strange tavern prove to be deadlier than the evil beasts roaming outside? Solomon Kane and L'Armon will soon find out.

They're staying at the ominously named Cleft Skull -- a place, it is said, that few come to visit twice!

Scott Allie (Star Wars: Empire, Exurbia) adapts Robert E. Howard's classic "Rattle of Bones" tale, as Mario Guevara (The Lone Ranger and Tonto) and Juan Ferreyra (Rex Mundi, Small Gods) join him in another excursion into horror, suspense, and adventure.

32 pages, $3.50

IN STORES ON FEBRUARY 10

DARK HORSE COMICS

SECRET AGENT X - NEW YAHOO NEWSGROUP!

SECRET AGENT X - NEW YAHOO NEWSGROUP!

Secret Agent X originated in the pulp magazines in February 1934 and ran for five years, ending in March 1939 after 41 adventures. Published by A.A. Wyn’s Ace publishing house, the series was created by Paul Chadwick, then turned over to a variety of pulp writers, eventually ending with pulp scribe, George Thomas Fleming-Roberts.

“X” fought everything from espionage agents to domestic crime lords. Touted as The Man of A Thousand Faces, he was constantly in disguise, and his true identity was never disclosed. His real face was only seen a couple of times. In the mid 1990s fan fiction stories began appearing by new writers, and continue to this day.

This Site was created for those fans of the character, and discussion should be centered on both the series and the character, but may certainly cover other areas of the pulps, as well as new fiction.

FOR MORE INFO CLICK HERE

THE SHARK STRIKES!

THE SHARK STRIKES!

THE COLLECTED ADVENTURES OF SHARK GOTCH

BY ALBERT RICHARD WETJEN

EDITED AND WITH AN INTRODUCTION BY DOUG ELLIS.

THE TERROR OF THE SOUTH SEAS LIVES AGAIN!

Few heroes of fiction are like Shark Gotch: cruel, often a killer by nature, ruthless; yet absolutely an honest man loyal to his creed that would got to any length to avenge a wrong done to himself or his friends. Shark Gotch’s name struck terror from Sydney to Singapore. Known as the fastest man with a gun, strong men thought it wise to steer clear of Gotch and his wrath.

One of the most thrilling characters to emerge from the action-adventure magazines, the volume assembles more than two dozen stories, collected from the pages of Danger Trail, Action Stories and other sources, along with non-fiction articles, photographs and additional background material by and about Albert Richard Wetjen.

BLACK DOG BOOKS

THE LETTER OF HIS ORDERS ~ TALBOT MUNDY!

THE LETTER OF HIS ORDERS ~ TALBOT MUNDY!

THE TALBOT MUNDY LIBRARY, VOLUME 4
THREE SHORT NOVELS FROM ADVENTURE, 1913

Three short novels from the pages of the classic Adventure pulp magazine, Mundy’s primary American market during the early years of his career. Included are “The Guzzler’s Grand Prix,” “Hookum Hai” and “The Letter of His Orders,” with an introduction by Gerry Conway.

MUNDY IS MY FAVORITE PULP ADVENTURE WRITER!

Trade paperback / $19.95

BLACK DOG BOOKS

AGE OF ACES PRESENTS!

AGE OF ACES PRESENTS!

NEW DOWNLOADABLE AIR WAR PULP STORY FOR THIS WEEK: RIP-CORD RUSE BY ARCH WHITEHOUSE FROM THE MAY 1940 FLYING ACES FEATURING THE GRIFFON!

The Griffon is in the air to solve another high flying mystery. When is a good dollar counterfeit? That was only one of the baffling riddles that faced Kerry Keen after he attended that fashionable night club—by request. Sure, bad money is queer, but some things are a lot queerer—getting offered half a million bucks just for putting on a 200-mile air express act, for instance. Certainly, that was one for the book. And as for the silk-hatted man of mystery who had invaded Graylands—well, that was already in the book!

TO DOWNLOAD CLICK HERE

YOUNG BOND TRADING CARDS!

YOUNG BOND TRADING CARDS!

NEWS FROM THE YOUNG BOND DANGER SOCIETY:

WIN A SET OF YOUNG BOND TRADING CARDS AND THE PUFFIN ADVENTURE BOOK FOR BOYS!

The Young Bond Dossier and Puffin Books are offering 10 lucky fans a chance to WIN a set of exclusive Young Bond trading cards and a copy of The Puffin Adventure Book for Boys.

These 12 exclusive cards come uncut on three sheets and feature spectacular full color character images by Kev Walker. Released in limited supplies with the hardcover edition of By Royal Command, these rare cards have become hot Young Bond collectibles.

The Puffin Adventure Book For Boys was a limited Christmas exclusive and features extracts from six of Puffin’s most popular boys adventure titles, including Charlie Higson’s By Royal Command, Artemis Fowl and the Time Paradox, Diary of a Wimpy Kid, Young Samuri: The Way of the Warrior and more.

TO ENTER THE CONTEST OR FOR MORE INFO CLICK HERE

I, SNIPER!

I, SNIPER!

I’M A FAN OF STEPHEN HUNTER’S EARLY NOVELS AND THOSE FEATURING BOB LEE SWAGGER. DIRTY WHITE BOYS, POINT OF IMPACT, AND THE HOUR BEFORE MIDNIGHT ARE ALL ESCELLENT, HARD HITTING EXAMPLES OF THE THRILLER FORM. WHILE HUNTER’S LAST TWO NOVELS HAVE NOT SCORED AS HIGH WITH ME, I’M LOOKING FORWARD TO HIS LATEST OUTING, I, SNIPER, DUE AT THE END OF DECEMBER.

Four famed '60s radicals are gunned down at long range by a sniper. Under enormous media scrutiny, the FBI quickly concludes that Marine war hero Carl Hitchcock, whose ninety-three kills were considered the leading body count tally among American marksman in Vietnam, was the shooter. But as the Bureau, led by Special Agent Nick Memphis, bears down, Hitchcock commits suicide. In closing out the investigation, Nick discovers a case made in heaven: everything fits, from timeline, ballistics, and forensics to motive, means, and opportunity. Maybe it's a little too perfect.

Nick asks his friend, the retired Marine sniper Bob Lee Swagger, to examine the data. Using a skill set no other man on earth possesses, Swagger soon discovers unseen anomalies and gradually begins to unravel a sophisticated conspiracy -- one that would require the highest level of warcraft by the most superb special operations professionals. As Swagger penetrates the deepest secrets of the sniper world and its new technology, Nick stands firm in the face of hardball PR initiatives and an inflamed media calling for his ouster.

Swagger soon closes in, and those responsible will stop at nothing to take him out. But these heavily armed men make the mistake of thinking they are hunting Bob, when he is, in fact, hunting them.

I, Sniper will satisfy Stephen Hunter's legions of fans and win him droves of new ones with its signature blend of brilliant plotting, vivid characters, razor-sharp dialogue, and extraordinary gunfights. And when Swagger and the last of his antagonists finally face each other, reenacting a classic ritual of arms, it is clear that at times there's nothing more necessary than a good man with a gun and the guts to use it.

STUFF TO SPY FOR!

STUFF TO SPY FOR!

THIS ONE SOUND FUN AND READY FOR THE MOVIES . . .

Best friends James Lessor and Skip Moore in their third adventure are still stuck in dead-end jobs, still living in their ratty apartment in Carol City, Florida, and still dreaming of hitting the big time. It seems those dreams are finally within reach when James lands a job to install a state-of-the-art security system for Synco Systems.

There's a huge commission-and plenty of strings-attached. To collect on the cash, James will have to provide 'additional services' by assuming the role of pretend boyfriend of Sarah Crumbly, an employee who's having an affair with Sandler Conroy, Synco's married president. When Sandler's wife offers James a tidy sum for the dirty details about what's going on at Synco, James and Skip resurrect their entrepreneurial dreams and go into the business of being spies.

The spymobile-their beloved, rattletrap of a boxtruck-is on its last legs, and they'll have to spend a small fortune on spy equipment, but there's no business like spy business.In this spy game, James and Skip may be the ones who get played-or worse.

HERE’S WHAT AUTHOR DON BURNS HAS TO SAY:

Grown Up Hardy Boys. That's the rap my characters are getting in the Stuff series. STUFF TO SPY FOR comes out this week, and it's getting great reviews, but the majority of coverage brings up the Hardy Boys...all grown up. And that's pretty tough to live up to. My two protagonists, Skip and James, have been lifelong friends and have recently graduated from college.

They partied a little too hard, got bad grades and are locked into some dead-end jobs. So they decide to buy a used box truck and go into business for themselves, making millions of dollars in the process. I will give away the ending. They aren't nearly as successful as they'd like to be. But, they do have an adventure that puts them in a number of dangerous situations.

FEMME NOIR: DARK CITY DIARIES!

FEMME NOIR: DARK CITY DIARIES!

WRITTEN BY CHRISTOPHER MILLS & ILLUSTRATED BY JOE STATON.

DON’T FORGET THE TRADE PAPERBACK COLLECTION OF THIS GREAT HARDBOILED COMIC TITLE. FEMME NOIR IS HARDBOILED FUN AT ITS BEST.

On the mean streets of Port Nocturne justice is blonde! This volume collects all four issues of the critically acclaimed crime fiction miniseries (including the sold out issue #1!) about a mysterious, gun-toting dame fighting for justice in a dark city drowning in violence and corruption.

This volume also includes two complete bonus stories, conceptual artwork by Eisner Award-winning artist Joe Staton, and an introduction by the Shamus Award-winning author of Road To Perdition, Max Allan Collins.

FOR MORE INFO CLICK HERE

THE ROOK!

THE ROOK!

'WHEN THE GOOD IS SWALLOWED BY THE DARK, THERE THE ROOK SHALL PLANT HIS MARK!' - MAX DAVIES, THE ROOK

In late 2005, author Barry Reese introduced the world to Max Davies, an intensely driven man plagued by painful visions of crimes yet to come. Having witnessed his father's violent death as a child, Max set out to become a scourge of evil, traveling the world to master every known fighting skill and scientific discipline. At first operating in the Northeastern United States, the Rook fled to Atlanta in 1936 where he became romantically involved with actress Evelyn Gould. United in love and adventure, the duo has now appeared in three bestselling pulp adventure volumes, with more on the way! The Rook has been depicted by many fine artists, including Anthony Castrillo, Cari Reese, Frank Brunner, Storn Cook and Ver Curtiss.

VOLUME 1

Only one man dares to stand against the Forces of Darkness... Max Davies aka THE ROOK is driven by visions of Death and Destruction as he travels the globe on one death-defying adventure after another! In the grand Pulp-era Tradition of The Shadow, Doc Savage, and The Spider, THE ROOK is the newest Hero in an a time where the world needs all the Heroes it can get... Features a Guest Appearance by THE MOON MAN! This amazing book collects 2 Novellas and 3 Brand-New Short Stories...

VOLUME 2

A veil of darkness is descending on the world... Evil forces are rising across the globe. Supernatural madmen vie for control of vast mystical energies, their goal to enslave the world and bend reality to their will... The conflict between light and darkness is raging - with only a handful of brave adventurers risking their lives and very souls to stem the rising tide of evil...Max Davies, aka THE ROOK, wages relentless war against diabolical foes to save the innocent from obliteration! Aided by his beautiful wife Evelyn, police chief Will McKenzie and the Russian superman, Leonid Kaslov, the vision-haunted vigilante battles vampires, zombies, Asian super-villains and a demon-worshiping cult all bent on destruction! Written by veteran author Barry Reese, this second collection of six new tales in the saga of THE ROOK will thrill all fans of pulse-pounding pulp action!

VOLUME 3

A veil of darkness is descending on the world. Evil forces are rising across the globe. Supernatural madmen vie for control of vast mystical energies, their goal to enslave the world and bend reality to their will. The conflict between light and darkness is raging - with only a handful of brave adventurers risking their lives and very souls to stem the rising tide of evil! The Rook wages relentless war against diabolical foes to save the innocent from obliteration! Aided by his beautiful wife Evelyn, police chief Will McKenzie, and a new cast of allies, the vision-haunted vigilante battles Nazi occultists, zombies, Asian super-villains, and other unnatural menaces all bent on destruction! Written by veteran author Barry Reese, this third collection of six new tales in the saga of THE ROOK will thrill all fans of pulse-pounding pulp action!

VOLUME 4

Max Davies - the masked vigilante known as The Rook - returns in six new tales of blazing pulp action! The Rook's never-ending war against the forces of darkness takes him into desperate battle against undead assassins, ghostly pirates, extra-dimensional devilspawn, a power-mad megalomaniac, and a squadron of Nazi vampires, until - deep in the heart of Berlin - he faces the twisted Master of the Third Reich himself! Author Barry Reese (Guan-Yin and the Horrors of Skull Island, Savage Tales of Ki-Gor) once again keeps you on the edge of your seat in these two-fisted tales!

FOR MORE CLICK HERE

THE SCARLET SHROUD!

THE SCARLET SHROUD!

CHRIS & WILLIAM CARNEY

"Let Evil Beware... The Scarlet Shroud!" ... He appears like a wraith, stalking the darkness. Emerging from mist to strike fear in the hearts of criminals, The Scarlet Shroud brings justice to New York's deadliest villains! Aided by inventor Miles Hawkins, and his other ally and pilot, Takeshi Harada, Assistant D.A. Alexander Holt wields various gas and smoke devices, along with a pair of blazing .45's, to battle the forces of evil... The creative team of Chris and William Carney bring you a new action hero in the tradition of The Shadow, The Spider and The Phantom Detective. This is the first-ever anthology of four stories starring The Scarlet Shroud, including three stories never before published!

FORGOTTEN BOOKS: THE VENETIAN AFFAIR BY HELEN MACINNES!

FORGOTTEN BOOKS: THE VENETIAN AFFAIR BY HELEN MACINNES!

Helen MacInnes was a female author ahead of her time. Because of the romantic subplots inherent in her writing, critics would have preferred to class her as simply a romance writer. They would even have been happy to have her exist in the world of cozy mysteries along with Agatha Christie and Dorothy Sayers. But MacInnes’ writing defied these classifications. She wrote thrillers in a time when thrillers were the exclusive stomping ground of male authors.

What to do? What to do? Instead of giving MacInnes her due, critics tagged her as a suspense writer – a sort of Daphne DeMaurier of the espionage set.

In reality, MacInnes excelled at writing thrillers about innocent travellers (almost always Americans in Europe) who fall into an espionage situation and find their patriotism driving them to go where they never would have thought of going before. Her novels did feature romantic sub-plots, but they were always linked in some manner to the main thiller plot. As one reviewer wrote, "North By Northwest is almost a perfect MacInnes novel, except that it wasn't. But if you've seen the movie, you'll know what I mean.”

I read MacInnes while I was in my teens and twenties and enjoyed most of her output. The Venetian Affair remains one of my favorites, written during the peak of the Cold War and at the peak of her career. It is typical MacInnes – a resourceful, intelligent amateur finds himself by chance in a situation where a skilled agent would fear to tread, and then manages with luck and pluck to get back out again.

New York drama critic Bill Fenner arrives in Paris, only to discover that his coat has accidentally been switched with another – and that he is therefore now $100,000 richer.

But when the American Embassy refers him to NATO and the CIA, what started as a simple mistake becomes something far more complicated and deadly. For when Fenner hears of a Communist plot to assassinate DeGaulle, he is also informed that the key to stopping it lies in his own past...

While the plot to assassinate De Gaulle is dated, MacInnes writing is excellent. I recently read The Venetian Affair again while on a trip to Venice earlier this year. MacInnes’ descriptions of Venice so brought the city to life, I could have used the novel as a guidebook (along with Brunetti’s Venice taken from the novels of Donna Leon).

While MacInnes characters are not exceedingly complex, I enjoy them – they are smart, tough, and always respond intelligently to jeopardy. I also enjoyed the twists of the plot, the touch of romance, and the happy ending. You can’t ask for much more.

While four of MacInnes novels were made into films in the sixties, including The Venitian Affair, the screenplays had little in common with the books beyond the titles. It’s probably time for a revival ala’ Ludlum’s Jason Bourne books. Like Ludlum, MacInnes takes her readers all over the world at a dizzying pace, and it's a terrific ride.

HIGH TABLE, LOWER ORDERS!

HIGH TABLE, LOWER ORDERS!

High Table, Lower Orders is a BBC Radio 4 comedy-drama murder mystery written by the late Mark Tavener and set in a fictional Cambridge college in crisis.

The title refers to the custom of High Table and the murder and skullduggery that occurs in the series.

Peter Devanti, a notorious TV populariser of history, dies after being the college's guest at High Table. The apparent cause is eating nuts despite a known allergy. However the college's Master suspects foul play. He invites Simon Harrison, a formerly brilliant student who is condemned to work in the Health and Safety Executive, to investigate the death. The plot thickens as the Master himself dies, and the various fellows, including the Machiavellian Gilbert, compete to be his replacement.

Meanwhile the list of people who might have wanted Peter Devanti dead keeps growing. Billed as a comedy drama, this six part radio play is an outstanding example of the form.

Gilbert, Fellow in History and later Master - Geoffrey Palmer
Dean - Michael Maloney
Simon Harrison - Samuel West
Zoe Templeton, journalist - Sharon Small
Bernard, the College Bursar - Jonathan Coy
Patricia, Fellow in Philosophy - Rebecca Front
Written by Mark Tavener
Producer Dawn Ellis

TO GET THE BBC PROGRAM DOWNLOADER CLICK HERE

MAKE AN AUDIO BOOK, GET AN AUDIO BOOK CHALLENGE!

MAKE AN AUDIO BOOK, GET AN AUDIO BOOK CHALLENGE!

HERE SOMETHING REALLY EXCITING AN UNUSUAL FROM MY FAVORITE AUDIO DRAMA BLOG, SFF AUDIO . . .

For the past few years, on November 11th, we’ve offered the following challenge to SFFaudio readers:

“We’ll give you an audiobook if you make one for everyone else.”
Sweet deal huh?

And, we’re offering the same deal this year. We’ll give you a BRAND NEW audiobook if you make make an audiobook out of one of the eTexts we provide you links to. All you’ll need to do is claim a title (by email), record the audiobook using your own voice, and follow the rules (see the first comment of this post for the rules).

Still feeling a little unclear on how it all works? Then have a look at our past SFFaudio CHALLENGES:

OUR FIRST CHALLENGE
OUR SECOND CHALLENGE
OUR THIRD CHALLENGE

This year we’ve got 20 ebooks that need turning into audiobooks and we’ve got 20 BRAND NEW audiobooks to give away as prizes! No matter where you are on the planet Earth, if you finish and release your claimed audiobook, we will ship you your prize!

IF YOU’RE INTERESTED CLICK HERE FOR MUCH MORE

SHOOT THE PRESIDENT, ARE YOU MAD?

SHOOT THE PRESIDENT, ARE YOU MAD?

HERE’S GOOD NEWS FROM PETER ROZOVSKY’S DETECTIVES WITHOUT BORDERS BLOG, ABOUT A CHARACTER I'D FORGOTTEN ABOUT, BUT REALLY ENJOYED. . .

Back between 1965 and 1971, Frank McAuliffe brought out three collections of linked stories about an amazing international hit man and master of disguise named Augustus Mandrell. Another Mandrell book lay unpublished for more than forty years, scuttled, it is said, by the unfortunate coincidence of its title with the assassination of John F. Kennedy.

Shoot the President, Are You Mad? will finally see the light of day in the first quarter of 2010, thanks to THE OUTFIT, a new crime-fiction publisher headed by JT Lindroos and Sean Wallace. The book will take its place beside the first three Augustus Mandrell books: Of All the Bloody Cheek, Rather a Vicious Gentleman and For Murder I Charge More.

FOR THE FULL POST CLICK HERE

AGATHA CHRISTIE LOST STORY!

AGATHA CHRISTIE LOST STORY!

PER REUTERS . . .

NEW YORK - After more than 30-years, murder mystery writer Agatha Christie's fictional Belgian detective Hercule Poirot will return to the United States next week.
The Strand Magazine said it will publish the 5,000-word story called the Incident of the Dog's Ball, which was found in the attic of the author's daughter in 2004.

The story was published in the Britain in September.

"It's a typical Agatha Christie whodunnit," Andrew Gulli, the editor of the Strand, said in a telephone interview, adding that it contains lots of surprises.

Gulli said the story would be the first new appearance since 1975 by Hercule Poirot in fiction in the United States.

The Strand Magazine considers itself to be the reincarnation of the journal that started in the late 19th century in England and published the first Sherlock Holmes short stories.

The magazine folded in 1950 but it was revived in the United States a decade ago as a quarterly publication. The Poirot story will be in the 10th anniversary edition.

FOR MORE CLICK HERE

CRIME STORY!

CRIME STORY!

RAP SHEET BLOGGER J. KINGSTON PIERCE HAS A LENGTHY POST TODAY ON ONE OF MY FAVORITE TELEVISION SERIES, MICHAEL MANN’S CRIME STORY. I FAVOR SEASON TWO (THE MAIN TITLE THEME TO WHICH IS POSTED BELOW) SET IN LAS VEGAS OVER SEASON ONE SET IN CHICAGO, BUT BOTH ARE EXCELLENT!

In the mid-1980s, with two successful years behind him as the executive producer of ratings winner Miami Vice, screenwriter and director Michael Mann decided that his next TV series would take him from the pastel hues, string bikinis, and glass cliffs of Florida’s largest city back to the place of his birth: Chicago, Illinois. On September 18, 1986, NBC debuted Crime Story, his underworld saga that substituted a grim, malevolent verisimilitude for Vice’s stylishness and more distant violence, and wound up being touted by Time magazine as one of the decade’s best small-screen treats.



TO READ THE FULL POST AT THE RAP SHEET CLICK HERE

MYSTERY REVIEW ~ THE BLIGHT WAY!

MYSTERY REVIEW ~ THE BLIGHT WAY!

I’ve read the great majority of the collections of Patrick McManus’ humorous columns from the pages of Outdoor Magazine, Field and Stream, and Cannon & Big Knife Hunter Magazine. At times, they’ve made me laugh until my sides ache. So, when McManus took a left turn into the mystery field, I was expecting more of the same hilarious nonsense laid over a weak and worn mystery plot used only as an excuse for McManus to riff on outdoor lore.

Reading The Blight Way, featuring Blight County, Idaho, Sheriff Bo Tulley, I was surprised on two levels. First, while there is a certain level of good-ol’-boy humor (certainly, Pap, Tulley’s irascible father could give Rancid Crabtree a run for his money), the laughs are more gentle than side-splitting. Secondly, McManus follows this restrained path of humor because he is more interested in featuring a finely wrought mystery.

I was prompted to begin reading this series with the recent publication of the third Bo Tulley book, The Double-Jack Murders. Of course, being the anal retentive chap I am, I had to start with book one, The Blight Way, and follow it immediately with book two, Avalanche.

As with the best of a series like McManus’, the mysteries are part and parcel of the setting and characters. The mysteries wouldn’t work set elsewhere, like New York or Los Angeles. They are indigenous to Blight County and to the investigative skills of Sheriff Bo Tulley and his crew.

And I really like Tulley. He is surrounded by characters, his one man CSI team (Lurch), his Indian-or-maybe-not tracker (Dave), the criminal Scraggs family, and the feisty Pap, but Tulley is not a character himself. He is a thinking, competent, fully realized detective. He knows his own strengths and weaknesses and recognizes the same in others – and it is this knowledge of people that helps Tulley solve the murders and friendly killings that Blight County hosts.

Underrated is the term I’d use to describe the Blight County series. Even if you don’t subscribe to Cannon & Big Knife Hunter Magazine, give McManus’ series a try. I think you’ll be quietly amused and thoroughly entertained.

Y/A REVIEW ~ THE BATTLE FOR SCANDIA!

Y/A REVIEW ~ THE BATTLE FOR SCANDIA!

There is a reason Y/A author John Flanagan’s Ranger’s Apprentice series is always high up the bestseller list. Not only is the writing clear, crisp, and accessible, but the sheer power of storytelling shines through on every page.

The Battle For Scandia is the fourth title of the six books currently available from Flanagan’s American Publisher. In Flanagan’s native Australia, the series is already up to eight books. My 27 year old son enjoys the series so much, I had to call in favors from a friend Down Under to send him books seven and eight rather than wait for the American publication. I’m sure I’ve set precedent now and will have o do the same when book nine debuts shortly.

The books certainly don’t need to be read in order, but there is a definite progression to the series, which is enhanced by taking on the series from book one. In doing so, it gives a bigger picture of each adventure as it is revealed in context. Flanagan’s grasp of his altered history – part myth, part reality, part unique imagination – makes the series and characters resonate with the adventurer in all of us.

This is definitely a series to by enjoyed by boys of all ages (including adult boys). There are no rainbow, fairies, sexy vampires, unicorns, or pretty princesses. However, the series can also be enjoyed by adventure loving girls – the female characters, especially the one princess who does grace the pages, are strong, self-reliant individuals who rescue more often than they are rescued.

Book four, The Battle For Scandia, involves berserker Vikings versus Mongol hordes in an icy wasteland. Throw in Araluen (English) archers, knights, mythical woodsmen, and some of the best battle scenes this side of Bernard Cornwell, and you are all set for the adventure of a lifetime. What more could you ask.

Read it now!

Y/A REVIEW ~ THE COMEBACK SEASON!

Y/A REVIEW ~ THE COMEBACK SEASON!

Jennifer E. Smiths’ The Comeback Season is a lyrically beautiful, achingly tragic coming-of-age novel. It is a quiet story, as shyly winning as its main characters. It is a novel with both baseball and young love at its heart without being focused on either.

Instead, the narrative thrust here is oblique – where a team, in this case the Chicago Cubs, is more important than the game of baseball itself, where losing may be preferable to winning, and where tragedy is unique in its power to strip emotion bare and fire a strike at the heart of truth.

The last place Ryan Walsh should be this afternoon is on a train heading to Wrigley Field. She should be in class, enduring yet another miserable day of her first year of high school. But for once, Ryan isn't thinking about what she should be doing. She's not worried about her lack of friends, or her suffering math grade, or how it's been five whole years since the last time she was really and truly happy. Because she's finally returning to the place that her father loved, where the two of them spent so many afternoons cheering on their team. And on this -- the fifth anniversary of his death -- it feels like there's nowhere else in the world she should be.

Ryan is once again filled with hope as she makes her way to the game. Good luck is often hard to come by at a place like Wrigley Field, but it's on this day that she meets Nick, the new kid from her school, who seems to love the Cubs nearly as much as she does. But Nick carries with him a secret that makes Ryan wonder if anyone can ever really escape their past, or believe in the promise of those reassuring words: "Wait till next year." Is it too much for Ryan to hope that this year, this season, might be her comeback season?

This was a somewhat unusual read for me, but The Comeback Season ranks as one of the top novels I’ve read this year. Like the best books of this kind, it made me think about myself and come away knowing more than when I started turning the pages.

VETERAN'S DAY!

VETERAN'S DAY!

REMEMBER & BE GRATEFUL!

SKULL & BONES!

SKULL & BONES!

MORE FROM MOONSTONE:

Skull & Bones is an impressively researched political-espionage thriller chronicling the fictional exploits of Adrian Linov, an ex-Soviet special forces operative who grew disillusioned with the State while fighting the war in Afghanistan.

When Skull & Bones opens, we see the rather fragile remnants of the Soviet Union just months after the attempted coup to oust Yeltsin from power. Intrigue and plots fill the air, the people are restless, and it’s clear the status quo can’t abide for much longer.

A KGB political leader (and Russian Mafia head) named Kozakhov has decided that the time has come to seize power—and to do this, he plans to acquire a specially-engineered virus that will kill anyone not previously inoculated.

FOR MORE INFO CLICK HERE

CAPTAIN MIDNIGHT CHRONICLES!

CAPTAIN MIDNIGHT CHRONICLES!

Here's the cover for the upcoming Captain Midnight Chronicles from MOONSTONE BOOKS. According to WIN SCOTT ECKERT (whose story Captain Midnight at Ultima Thule appears in the collection) the book is slated for publication in late spring (May/June) 2010.

Captain Midnight is "Red" Albright, head of the Secret Squadron, and takes on covert/black ops missions for the United States government. He is an exceptionally skilled pilot and world-renowned inventor/aviation engineer.

The Secret Squadron is an independent organization, with a huge, private air force and a network of undercover agents all over the world. He risks everything. He takes every chance. Saboteurs beware, for when the clock strikes 12, it tolls for thee!

So, remember for those of you at home reading his harrowing adventures,he is Captain Midnight...you are not!

Moonstone has put out some great short story collections of new pulp adventures, and I’m looking forward to this one inparticular. Anthology authors to include: John J. Nance, Win Scott Eckert, Bob Greenberger, Howard Hopkins, Robert Jeschonek, Mark Justice, Tim Lasiuta, Stephen Mertz, Christopher Mills, Chuck Dixon, & Trina Robbins. (THANX TO CHRIS MILLS FOR THE LINE-UP UPDATE)