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Bishop, you're right to a certain extent, that noir stories often follow certain conventions. However, there is still enough variety within the stories that, even after you've read a lot of them, they can still surprise you. For exaple, in many stories, as you say, the protagonist fails in his heist scheme (or whatever it is) and doesn't walk away with the money. But then you'll read other stories where the bad guys DO get away with it. So you really can't tell what's going to happen, even though you might have your suspicions. I think that as you read more of this type of books, you'll start to see more variety in terms of the plots, endings, etc. (Although I think you're right that the "unhappy ending" is used too often. I'd like to see 'em get away with it more often!)
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First 2008 title is now up at the site:
http://www.hardcasecrime.com/books/bk39/cover_big.jpg SEX, DRUGS, AND MURDER IN THE LAND OF THE LOTUS EATERS Anita Carbone was a good girl—and it bored her. That’s why she took the long subway ride down to Greenwich Village, home of the Beats and the stoners, home to every kind of misfit and dropout and free spirit you could imagine. It was where she met Joe Milani, the troubled young war veteran with the gentle touch. But it was also where she met his drug-dealing roommate—a man whose unnatural appetites led to murder... * First publication in almost 50 years! * First publication ever under Block’s real name * New York Times bestselling author * Mystery Writers of America Grandmaster |
Yes! Not only another Block book, which I'm excited about, but that's another beautiful cover.
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Got a kick out of The Vengeful Virgin. Nice departure from the usual noir ending, Mr. Bishop.
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Oh, well great, ruin it for me.
:D |
Email update from Charles Ardai:
Friends, Although it doesn't directly involve Hard Case Crime, I have some exciting news to share: this past Thursday, I was privileged to receive the mystery field's most prestigious award -- the Edgar Allan Poe Award from the Mystery Writers of America -- for a novelette I wrote called "The Home Front." It's the story of a former private eye during World War II, and on the possibility that Hard Case Crime readers might enjoy it, I've put a copy up on our Web site. You can find it at http://www.hardcasecrime.com/misc/homefront.shtml. And one last piece of news: We just reached an agreement with the brilliant Donald E. Westlake to bring back into print an outstanding book of his that hasn't been available in more than 35 years. It's the story of a New York City cab driver who has a hell of a time collecting on a winning horse race bet, and it's called SOMEBODY OWES ME MONEY. You'll be able to get a copy of SOMEBODY OWES ME MONEY in 2008. In the meantime, please do grab a copy of the Goodis -- he was a ferociously gifted writer and the book will break your heart if you let it. Best, Charles http://ec1.images-amazon.com/images/...ML._SS500_.jpg |
Hitting the streets now, folks, the David Goodis novel The Wounded and the Slain. Get it while it's hot!
http://www.hardcasecrime.com/books/bk31/cover_big.jpg |
I just discovered this series. I've already read 361 and McBain's The Gutter and the Grave (which I both enjoyed) and I have The Guns of Heaven in the To Read Pile.
Good to see that there's a thread devoted to this series. I'll def be picking my next purchases based on the opinions here... |
Words escape me, so let's just show the cover:
http://hardcasecrime.com/books/bk40/cover_big.jpg THEY THOUGHT SHE’D BE EASY. THEY THOUGHT WRONG. It all began with the phone call asking former porn star Angel Dare to do one more movie. Before she knew it, she’d been shot and left for dead in the trunk of a car. But Angel is a survivor. And that means she’ll get to the bottom of what’s been done to her even if she has to leave a trail of bodies along the way... First publication anywhere! First female author in the history of Hard Case Crime Author of Triads, Hoodtown and the award-nominated novelization of Snakes On a Plane Edgar Award nominee Megan Abbott: "Money Shot is a stunner, careening along with a wild, propulsive energy and a deliciously incendiary spirit. Laced with bravado and loaded up with knockabout charm, Christa Faust’s Hard Case debut is the literary equivalent of a gasoline cocktail." |
Originally Posted by bishop2knight
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Originally Posted by ytrez
I'm gonna get some looks from the old ladies on the train when I'm reading this one.
Anyway, beautiful cover. :up: |
Haven't seen this posted yet, for all you HCC addicts like me.
The cover for the can't-get-here-soon-enough July 2008 release. . . http://www.hardcasecrime.com/books/bk41/cover_big.jpg |
God I love these covers.
God I love these books. |
Nice to see another John Lange book. Grave Descend was darn good.
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I remember several years ago when I was having to hunt the Lange books down in used bookstores. HCC makes it so much easier.
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Available at your local bookstore RIGHT NOW! What the hell are you waiting for?
http://www.hardcasecrime.com/books/bk32/cover_big.jpg |
Originally Posted by FunkDaddy J
Available at your local bookstore RIGHT NOW! What the hell are you waiting for?
http://www.hardcasecrime.com/books/bk32/cover_big.jpg |
Mine just happens to appear in the previous two posts. :)
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Hard Case Live
From the Hard Case Crime website (http://www.hardcasecrime.com/events.shtml):
http://www.hardcasecrime.com/images/BEA-06-a.jpg This is from a publishing industry tradeshow to which Hard Case brought models dressed as pulp dames and P.I.s. |
Ah, dames. Gotta love 'em.
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Thank you to this thread for getting me into this series.
I've only read Grifter's Game so far but it was awesome. Picked up 361 and Bust today. From the covers I've seen so far, The Vengeful Virgin is probably my favorite. |
Originally Posted by Boondock Saint
From the covers I've seen so far, The Vengeful Virgin is probably my favorite.
Zero Cool and Money Shot are also at the top. |
I think I may be the only one...but the truth is, I couldn't care less about the covers.
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Zero Kill & Money Shot look like great covers.
I'm loving this series and will have a complete set by the end of the month. Also, reading Lawrence Block's books in this series inspired me to pick up the entire Matt Scudder series and I'm loving that even more! Now if only someone would reprint the old Donald Lam series (from Top of the Heap)! |
Originally Posted by djmont
I think I may be the only one...but the truth is, I couldn't care less about the covers.
http://www.hardcasecrime.com/books/bk2/cover_small.jpghttp://www.hardcasecrime.com/books/bk8/cover_small.jpghttp://www.hardcasecrime.com/books/bk14/cover_small.jpghttp://www.hardcasecrime.com/books/bk26/cover_small.jpg http://www.hardcasecrime.com/books/bk28/cover_small.jpghttp://www.hardcasecrime.com/books/bk30/cover_small.jpghttp://www.hardcasecrime.com/books/bk32/cover_small.jpghttp://www.hardcasecrime.com/books/bk40/cover_small.jpg |
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