Anatomy of a Killer / A Shroud for Jesso [Paperback]

Peter Rabe (Author), George Tuttle (Introduction), Donald E. Westlake (Introduction)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 1, 2008

Two noirs from the classic age of paperback publishing by the master of the hardboiled novel.

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

Stark House’s fifth reprint of a midcentury paperback master pairs two gripping thrillers from opposite ends of Rabe’s brief career. AShroud for Jesso is a swift action story in which brazen gangster and Jackie Jesso gets set up by his oily syndicate boss, only to find himself shipped overseas and into a taut espionage tale as he tangles with an unsavory German and gets a new lease on the life force in the passionate embraces of his enemy’s sister. In contrast to the Ambleresque pull of this earlier title, the later, more personal Anatomy of a Killer echoes with the detached detail and bleak anomie of noir. Things start to unravel when alienated hit man Jordan must touch one of his corpses, thence contracting a bad case of the shakes. Sent out again too quickly on a jinxed job in a small town, Jordan is forced into unsought proximity with his target and is enveloped in an existential crisis more reminiscent of Camus (or Jean Patrick Manchette) than Chandler. In Jordan’s case, no amount of pulchritude can pull him out of his violent tailspin. From breathless suspense to suffocating dread, Rabe shows his range in this fine addition to a catalogue stuffed with unburied treasures. --David Wright

Review

"Anatomy of a Killer is as cold and clean as a knife...a terrific book." -- Donald E. Westlake

"...a dry, wry approach to the novel of violence." -- Anthony Boucher, New York Times

"Hard, fast and memorable." --James Sandoe, New York Herald-Tribune

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Product Details

• Paperback: 290 pages
• Publisher: Stark House Press; Reprint edition (June 1, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1933586222
• ISBN-13: 978-1933586229
• Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 5.5 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,939,123 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An ideal pick for those looking for a solidly written and thoroughly entertaining read., September 5, 2008

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Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Anatomy of a Killer / A Shroud for Jesso (Paperback)

Peter Rabe brings readers a treat with two mystery novels with noir inspirations combined under one cover. "Anatomy of a Killer" follows hitman Sam Jordan. Good at his job, he slips up and makes the gravest error one can make in line of work - becoming attached to another human being. "A Shroud for Jesso"is the story of Jack Jesso dealing with a boss who wants him dead and a business deal which is far from on the level. Both of these original stories by Peter Rabe are engaging from beginning to end, making "Anatomy of a Killer & A Shroud for Jesso" an ideal pick for those looking for a solidly written and thoroughly entertaining read.