Halfway through the month, but better late than never. Sad thing is, I put this article together a month ago and was very proud of myself for getting ahead of the game, only to never post the damn thing until the 15th.
Anyway, here’s our list for the May reading list starting out strong with a bleak noir from the early 90s.
A Simple Plan — Scott Smith
John read this book, tore through it, and sent me a copy so I could read it and we could dissect its brilliance for our own writing. It’s a great neo-noir from the 1990s, taking place in Ohio. Where three guys (two of them brothers) find the wreckage of a plane—along with $4 million in cash and a dead pilot. The pilot isn’t the only dead guy in this story.
The Devils Hand — Jack Carr
The fourth book in the Terminal List series, Devil’s Hand is as intense as it is authentic. Carr, a former SEAL himself writes about spycraft like Clancy did in his novels. This international thriller has James Reece on a CIA mission related to the 9/11 attacks with a threat of a bioweapons attack thrown in for good measure.
Sidebar: If you’re into this series, Jack has a podcast you’d also enjoy.
MEN’S ADVENTURE QUARTERLY: Vol. 1 No. 2 — Robert Deis and Bill Cunningham
MAQ is Back! Our new favorite Quarterly magazine’s second issue is filled with stories written by pulp greats like Walter Kaylin, Don Honig, Robert F. Dorr. And great artwork from our favorite’s Mort Künstler, Vic Prezio, and Walter Popp. They did not disappoint with this one.
The next issue, coming out this summer, is Vigilante Justice and if you’ve been following us for a while, you know how much we love that genre of hardboiled pulp.
Basil’s War — Stephen Hunter
If you’re into James Bond, British Army Agent Basil St. Florian is your man. He can go drink for drink and dame for dame with Bond and his assignment in Basil’s War is as exciting as any Fleming novel. Basil is dropped into Nazi-occupied France in the Spring of 1943. From there he has to somehow get from the northern French coast, down to Paris undetected, and find a code that may or may not exist.
Stephen Hunter has written loads of great books, this one might be my favorite.
Design for Dying — Renee Patrick
Renee Patrick is the pseudonym for married authors Rosemarie and Vince Keenan.
Vince is also the editor and chief of Noir City Magazine, which we’re fans of over here at the pulps. Design for Dying is the first in a series of behind-the-scenes mysteries from Hollywood’s Golden Age. It takes place in 1937. Lillian Frost has given up her hopes and dreams of stardom but soon finds herself in the spotlight when she’s accused of murdering her old roommate Ruby.
She teams up with the very real (and academy award-winning) Edith Head to solve the mystery and clear each other’s names. Femme fatale and AP favorite, Barbara Stanwyk makes an appearance in this, as does Packy East (Bob Hope).
You can find all of these books in our online bookshop, where we have other collections like Hardboiled Crime novels we love.
