Customer Reviews

Hardman #2: The Charleston Knife's Back in Town

5 star:		(0)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I'd never heard of Ralph Dennis until I read a review of his work in Bill Pronzini and Marcia Muller's book 1001 Midnights. Dennis was a talented, Atlanta-based writer who lived a short, hard-luck life and never received his proper due. From 1974-1977, Dennis penned twelve novels about an unlicensed Atlanta private-eye named Hardman.

I tracked down an old copy of the second Hardman novel, The Charleston Knife's Back in Town. The plot of the book is simple - a group of gamblers are robbed of their cash. The gamblers then hire The Charleston Knife - a sadistic killer - to get revenge against the robbers. Hardman - and his trusty partner, Hump Evans - end up in the middle of the case.

Dennis' plotting is decent, but it's not the reason to read the Hardman books. The books excel at bringing the seedy side of 1970s Atlanta to life. Dennis knows the city well. Also, the Hardman books really are hard-boiled - there isn't a lot of preaching or moralizing. Instead, Dennis keeps the books moving with action and interesting plot twists. Finally, Hardman is a likable, well-drawn character. The relationship between the white, ex-cop Hardman and the black, ex-football player Hump adds a layer of interest to the novels.

At first glance, the Hardman novels don't look like much. They are numbered and the packaging is "lame." The look reminds the reader of the awful, "series" men's adventure novels. However, these books are much better than that. Fans of hard-boiled fiction will want to track down The Charleston Knife's Back in Town and the other Hardman novels.