As much as we all want several hours on end to read that massive epic novel, it’s not always realistic. Especially when the laundry needs folding and sometimes (only sometimes) you need to sleep. I’ve found it to be a great way to ignore the fact I’m doing chores or to relax when I just…
ACCENT: THE HUNTER and Other Stories by Dashiell Hammett
I am so pleased they have collected these stories. As a fan of The Thin Man I am always looking for good, noir-ish pulp to read. Sometimes Hammett’s work is dismissed as just that — pulp made for the masses. These stories prove it is more than that. Some are not only brilliant, but are years…
REVIEW: FOREVER RUMPOLE by John Mortimer
It’s going to be impossible to review this book without comparing it to the works of PG Wodehouse. The writings share a number of attributes — silly surnames, ridiculous situations, and even more unlikely solutions. Barrister Horace Rumpole tells stories from the first person, much like Bertie and Mr. Mulliner, but his are from the…
REVIEW: STORIES FOR THE NIGHTTIME AND SOME FOR THE DAY by Ben Loory
It’s a deceptive little book. Not too thick; it’s compact and fits easily into your bag. Just pull it out while you wait at the car wash or in the subway. Something to pass the time. But that’s what it wants you to think. Soon you will be swept away into dimensions where a…
Interview with Character: Author Ben Greenman
Greenman is making classic literature engaging. And his own engaging literature. Some may remember his project Hotel St. George Press, which invited his readers to interact with his main protagonist. The seventh and final story was left intentionally unfinished and readers were invited to send in postcards with the missing bits. Here are some of…