Market Call Facebook -- One Eyed Press

Shotgun Honey is relaunching this and they want novellas 8k to 30K. More info at  https://submissions.shotgunhoney.com/publication/one-eye-press/ 

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Dark City Underground: TALES OF THE MACABRE BY JIM KJLEGAARD & ROBERT BLOCH

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FFB Review: GHOST TOWN GOLD by William Colt MacDonald Reviewed by Barry Ergang

Today for FFB, I am running Barry’s 2013 review of Ghost Town Gold by William Colt MacDonald. Have a great weekend and read!

 

GHOST TOWN GOLD (1935) by William Colt MacDonald

Reviewed by Barry Ergang

 

After killing the town of Prospect's deputy sheriff and wounding banker Jim Thornton, Jake Lamotte and his gang think they've successfully gotten away with the fifty thousand dollars in gold coins they stole from the bank. When a posse is obviously gaining on them, Lamotte decides their best move is to head into the Pequino Mountains, where they might lose their pursuers. "If we can't," Lamotte tells the other five men, "we'll hold 'em off in the cave. We could stand off an army there, I reckon."

 

 

His prediction is wrong—fatally so. They fight it out with the posse for two days, managing to kill some of them, until their own guns are silenced. When members of the posse enter the cave, they find the outlaws' bodies. What they can't find is the stolen gold.

 

 

Twenty years later, three men ride into Prospect. "The three were Tucson Smith, Lullaby Joslin and Stony Brooke, owners of the 3-Bar-O Ranch, pardners (sic) in the breeding of cattle, tracking down of law-busters and in general all-around trouble-shooting...(M)en called them by various names...Probably the title which fitted them best and by which they were most widely known was that of The Three Mesquiteers."

 

 

Leaving their ranch in the capable hands of employees, the Mesquiteers have come to Prospect, according to Tucson, to look at and possibly purchase some bulls from cattleman Marty Barrett. On the trail Tucson briefly relates the story of the Lamotte gang and the missing gold, which he'd learned from Barrett the year before at a cattlemen's convention, and Lullaby immediately knows the business about the bulls is...well, bull. Tucson wants to search for the missing gold. Stony, who always craves "real excitement," is as eager to proceed as Lullaby is exasperated about a probable wild goose chase.   

 

 

Mostly an action-loaded western adventure but also partly a detective story—though not of the fair-play variety—Ghost Town Gold teams the Mesquiteers with pretty Sabina Thornton, daughter of the late banker; a feisty older woman named Stampmill Randle; Marty Barrett; and Border Ranger Jerry Woodruff, to try to solve multiple mysteries, one of which is a murder. Who has been sending Sabina notes directing her to the ghost town of Nemesis with the promise of recovering the missing gold? Who has taken a potshot at the Mesquiteers soon after their arrival in Nemesis? What about the so-called Dragon Man? Is he just an elderly eccentric or someone more sinister?  

 

Complicating matters is the presence in Nemesis of Dirk Barrington and his gang. Although they have another reason for being there, they want the gold for themselves and have no reluctance about killing to obtain it. Having been denied rooms at the Nemesis Hotel by the Mesquiteers, who with their friends are staying in the long-abandoned establishment, the Barrington gang has taken up temporary residence across the street in the Blue Bird Theatre. A showdown is inevitable.

 

 

Ghost Town Gold is pure entertainment of the pulpiest kind, and is recommended to readers who aren't concerned with psychological portraits, philosophical digressions, or poetic prose, and only want some rip-snortin' fun that includes pounding hooves and six-shooters spurting hot lead. If I have a nit to pick, it's the one concerning admonitions to writers about speech attributions that William Colt MacDonald consistently violates. Instead of letting said and ask stand alone, he almost invariably tacks on an adverb—e.g., "he said darkly." Or—more frequently—he shuns said in favor of other words: yelled, howled, bragged, denied, drawled, jerked out, sneered, to cite a handful. The story's mix of mystery, suspense, action and humor will most likely have readers galloping past them.    

 

 

 

Barry Ergang © 2013, 2020

 

Derringer Award-winner Barry Ergang’s written work has appeared in numerous publications, print and electronic. Some of it is available at Amazon and at Smashwords. His website is http://www.writetrack.yolasite.com/.

Crimespree Magazine Book Review: BOISE LONGPIG HUNTING CLUB

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Do Some Damage: Mission Impossible: Fallout - The Best Pulp Movie ...

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Unlawful Acts Review: Pulp Modern Vol. 2 No. 3 edited by Alec Cizak

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FFB Review: Joe Posner’s Pipe Dreams by Joe Posner

This week FFB is supposed to consist of reviews of books with difficult children or "children gone wrong." Well, nothing came to mind. At least, nothing came to mind that I thought really worked for the topic. My mental state is not very good these days so my lack of insight says loads about me and not the topic. So, I went in a different direction. Back in September of 2010 I first reviewed Joe Posner’s Pipe Dreams. For FFB this week hosted by Patti Abbott I blew the dust off the review below and have chosen to run it again. Hope your Friday is good one…

I never did watch much of classic TV shows like Night Gallery or The Twilight Zone. Part of that was because my folks had pretty strict rules about what we kids could watch. The other part was that I never was into the creepy stuff. That is pretty ironic as a lot of my fiction is either rejected or accepted by editors with the stated reason alluding to the TZ qualities of the story.

Though I never saw very much of The Twilight Zone, the classic lead-in is legendary and one I am familiar with. Unlike me, Joe Posner watched a lot of the show in the late 50’s and 60’s. Not only did he watch a lot of the show but his own father as he notes in the introduction to Joe Posner’s Pipe Dreams knew Rod Serling. Through his Dad, Joe got to know Rod Serling a little bit and he even gave him some writing advice which he credits to his own successful and prolific career. Unfortunately, Joe never tells readers what that advice was.

By the 70’s, Joe was at USC and watching Rod Serling’s Night Gallery in his dorm with his buddies. It isn’t surprising then that life at USC in the 70’s plays such a prominent role in a number of stories in this self published collection along with obvious influences from The Twilight Zone series.

“Concrete Love Song” opens the collection with Chad Hunter having a very bad day. A nightmare is followed not even getting to eat his normal breakfast as his wife has left him according to her note. She took the car which means Chad is late for work and that causes yet more problems. The fact that the small portable cement mixer outside the building is talking to him does not help matters.

Communication is also a major part of the next story titled “Ray of Hope” where the communication comes from beyond the grave. 

“Pipe Dream” provides part of the title for the collection as well as good tale where Stony Parker decides to smoke a small piece of meteor fragment just to see what happens. After all, if pot is good, just imagine what an outer space rock would be like. A man simply can’t waste his smoking talents or what falls from the sky above.

People often claim credit for things they never created once the famous creator is dead and can’t prove otherwise. Such is the idea of “Sparrow’s Revenge” which has a fitting twist that would make Rod Serling proud considering the number of folks who have claimed their own involvement in his projects over the years.

Guest author Miriam Trimpe comes next with “The Ultimate Field Trip.” UFO’s are making landings and sometimes they pick up passengers though getting folks back home could be a problem.

“Mother Knows Best” follows next where Debbie Carpenter, who works at the San Diego Zoo, is in for a bit of a shock. Suddenly, the animals can talk to her and they aren’t happy. 

While “Pipe Dream” has a definite ending, one knows there has to be more to the story. There is in “The Triangle of Time” that serves as a sequel of sorts featuring the continuing exploits of USC stoner, Stony Parker.

Make sure you have batteries, aluminum foil, and a roll of black electrical tape. After all, one never knows when a flying saucer will crash and the alien on board will need your help as the alien does in “Charlie’s Gift.”

The concluding story, “The Steve Machine” tells the tale of how far a famous actor and his doctor will go to keep the actor’s brain alive.

At 112 pages, this collection is a fast, enjoyable read that plays homage to Rod Serling and his work in a variety of ways. The read has a pulpy, campy feel to it indicative of simpler times and greater possibilities. A fun book, not to be taken seriously and an excellent way to spend a couple of hours in sheer escape where nothing is ordinary.

Joe Posner’s Pipe Dreams

Joe Posner

CreateSpace (Amazon)

https://www.createspace.com/

June 16, 2010

ISBN# 1-45361-821-X

Trade Paperback

112 Pages

$14.95

Material supplied by the author in exchange for my objective review.

Kevin R. Tipple © 2010, 2017

Bill Crider's Pop Culture Magazine: Glare of the Gorgon -- Will Murray

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Crosswise (Tommy Ruzzo) by S.W. Lauden (Review at Sons Of Spade Blog)

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Review: "The Girl with the Deep Blue Eyes" by Lawrence Block

Doak Miller has done a few things over the years. At one time he was a cop with the NYPD. Then, as is often the case, he left the force under some possibly questionable circumstances. Taking with him what he had earned and learned over the many years of service he moved elsewhere and started anew while missing a bit the old job. While he could get by on his NYPD pension there was no harm in obtaining a private investigator license. There was also no harm in making contacts with the local law enforcement.

That small effort led to a rare job by the way of Sheriff William Radburn of Gallatin County awhile back. It worked out well as he seemed to fit the role of an undercover hit man pretty well.  So, the good sheriff would like him to do it again. This time the target is one Lisa Yarrow Otterbein, wife of George

Otterbein. She has made it known in certain circles that she would like to be rid of her wealthy husband as soon as possible. In short, she wants to hire a hit man and the person she spoke to used the information to make a deal with the sheriff on another matter.

The plan concocted by the sheriff and Doak is for Doak to wear a wire and pose as a hitman from South Jersey in to take Lisa Yarrow up on her contract. At least that is the sheriff’s plan. Doak Miller has a far different idea based on a fantasy he has always had. If Lisa Yarrow looks anything close to the picture the good sheriff has showed him she fits the bill perfectly from a visual standpoint. The question is whether or not she can fit the bill in other ways.

And, of course, if he can get away with it.

This latest read from author Lawrence Block by the way of Hard Case Crime is a very good one. Filled with interesting characters, classic noir movie references, and an edge to it in the Florida heat, Doak Miller develops a plan and works it at a steady and ultimately nerve racking pace. Everything he does is done for a reason and that includes indulging other desires here and there along the way. Violence is a large desire in him and takes many different forms including sex.

Sex in various ways with various people either directly or by way of talking about it is a large part of The Girl with the Deep Blue Eyes. As such the book is a very adult novel and very explicit. It should be avoided if you are not looking for a hard edged noir that works on every level or you prefer your books to include recipes, crafts, or cats.

Simply put, The Girl with the Deep Blue Eyes is a classic noir story with all the trappings from start to surprising finish. One would not expect anything else from the author or the publisher. A mighty good read that does not disappoint and is highly recommended.

Don’t just take my word for it. Check out Bill Crider’s review and a short review from Gerald So.

The Girl with the Deep Blue Eyes

Lawrence Block

http://www.lawrenceblock.com

Hard Case Crime

http://www.HardCaseCrime.com

September 22, 2015

ISBN#978-1-78329-750-4

Hardback (also available in audio and e-book formats)

240 Pages

$22.99

I received an ARC by way of the author’s publicist in exchange for my objective review.

Kevin R. Tipple ©2015

Via Pulp Hack Confessions: The Attack of the Cyber-Pulp Magazines!

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 Good books so get yours.....

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FREE Book--- "Hell Up In Houston" by Garnett Elliott

Start your Saturday with Hell Up In Houston by Garnett Elliott. This is the second book of his The Drifter Detective series and a mighty good one. My review is here on a book well worth your time.


Amazon Synopsis:

"Houston has been called "a sprawling city of astronauts and cowboys, in the middle of a swamp." And now Jack Laramie, rural-wandering PI, is headed up that way after his faithless Desoto blows its radiator. Jack's got a bit of a past with the city, in the form of a Cajun PI named Lameaux--a guy who mixes his "investigations" with organized vice. So Jack decides to lay low, holing up in a swanky downtown hotel called the Fulton. It's a splurge after sleeping in an old horse trailer night after night, but Jack figures he deserves a break. Until the Fulton's grizzled house detective shows up with a proposition ...

Jack's way out of his league this time around, and when he discovers a blackmailing scheme involving a famous industrialist, he finds himself bumping gun-barrels with the Federal Government. Survival's going to require throwing the PI code out the window. And some quick thinking.

Join Cash Laramie's hardluck grandson in this second installment of The Drifter Detective series, "Hell Up in Houston." At around 15K words, it won't take too long--just remember to bring your Colt."