Hanover Browsing
I FEEL I MUST FINISH my survey of detective stories in this issue, which necessitates rather succinct comments on many writers. Pardon the omissions.
Let us look at the "tough" school started by Dashiell Hammett, who has had many imitators, some of them good, some of them bad.
Hammett exists in an omnibus published by Knopf containing The ThinMan, The Glass Key, The Maltese Falcon,The Dain Curse, and Red Harvest. There are others with murders by the score, as for instance $106,000 Blood Money. All excellent.
James M. Cain may be read: The Postman Always Rings Twice, Serenade, and the most recent Three of a Kind. I like Cain, and he will keep you up rather late.
Jonathan Latimer with his imperishable Bill Crane in The Dead Don't Care, TheLady in the Morgue, etc. Very good.
George Harmon Coxe, who can always be depended on, has written some swell books. Take your choice.
My current favorite is Raymond Chandler whose Philip Marlowe, of Los Angeles, is tops. His latest: The Lady in the Lake. Note also Farewell my Lovely, The BigSleep, The High Window, etc. I rate Chandler the best of the tough minded school writing now. His next book, which is to be a more serious novel, I await with interest.
Brett Halliday has taken Miami, a very tough city, for his locale. Any of his stories with Mike Shayne battling his way will keep you awake.
Cleve Adams with Sabotage, and others, keeps up with the best of them.
Eric Ambler has written three fine novels of espionage, and one at least has been filmed. Suspense is his forte. Excellent stuff.
Earle Stanley Gardner seldom fails to write an interesting story whether it be about the smart Perry Mason, or his almost as smart D.A. In spite of Gardner's output I find I like each one as it appears.
Lawrence G. Blochman, Thomas Polsky, with See You at the Morgue, and Curtainsfor the Copper, respectively, show real promise.
Mitchell Wilson with Footsteps BehindHer is in the running, as is William Irish, whose book The Lady in the Red Hat has recently been filmed.
I find Rex Stout's books in the upper brackets of distinction and I wished he would write more than he does.
I never could stand the late W. H. Wright's (S. S. Van Dine) Philo Vance, but they sold nearly 65,000 of each so they must have something.
Before turning to the women, who are rapidly monopolizing the field, I cannot fail to mention the king of them all: Edgar Wallace, a born thriller writer. (Take your pick!) Also Leslie Charteris with his incredible, but readable, comic strip "Saint," Lynn Brock's Colonel Gore (The Stoat), Anthony Gilbert, E. C. R. Lorac (Death atDyke's Corner is a fair example), Peter Cheyney, who is excellent, and Dana Chambers (The Blonde Died First). AND MANY OTHERS.
I can but list the women and those 1 list I recommend.
Do not overlook Craig Rice, whose publisher is Essandess, and whose best book, I think, may well be her most recent one, which has children in the driver's seat.
Tops is Dorothy Hughes whose omnibus Terror (three mysteries) is first class. Her last book The Delicate Ape is most disappointing, however, and I would skip it it I were you.
There is of course Agathie Christie whose Hercule Poirot is bearable. She knows the technique and this is very important. Her books are astonishingly good and may even be reread at intervals. I forget them very quickly and reread some by accident, and enjoy them.
Ngaio Marsh, from way down under, is also good. See her Overture to Death,Death at the Bar, Death in a White Tie, etc.
Dorothy Sayers is excellent. She writes extremely well and in her "Lord Peter" stories reaches a fairly high mark.
David Frome has done some fine London stories with her inoffensive Pinkerton, and her Inspector Bull. Any of her books may be taken up with confidence.
Helen Reill"y is painstaking and honest; very good. Same for Dorothy Cameron Disney though I prefer Helen Reilly.
Mignon Eberhart is way up in her field and Nurse Keate is admired by many.
I also like Bertha Cool and Donald Lam. Do you know them?
Ethel Lina White began well but has fizzled out recently.
You will find many excellent reprints m the 25-cent editions, and I have found many I missed at $2. After reading tie up a bundle and send to the Army, Navy, or Merchant Marine. Mysteries are in great demand among the armed forces.
