Shadow Boxer: A Billy Nichols Novel [Hardcover]

Eddie Muller (Author)

Book Description

Series: Billy Nichols Crime Novels | Publication Date: January 7, 2003

In his celebrated debut novel, "The Distance," author Eddie Muller created a world of "gritty authenticity" "(Booklist)," plunging readers into the atmospheric and electrifying boxing culture of the 1940s, as seen through the eyes of morally complex and charismatic boxing columnist Billy Nichols.

Now, in "Shadow Boxer," Billy is back on the beat for the "San Francisco Inquirer." But his problems are hardly behind him. A man's in jail, accused of murder. But did he do it? By aiding a beguiling woman, Billy stumbles on evidence that could exonerate the defendant, who only months before was one of the town's top fight promoters. One big problem -- the victim was Billy's secret lover, and he has no desire to help set her killer free.

But once his reporter's instincts kick in, Billy can't let go of a twisting trail of suspense that stretches from Tenderloin fight clubs to Marina district mansions, from mountain retreats to the Hall of Justice. He squares off with an intriguing cast of characters: a bombastic novelties promoter, a former colleague turned muckraking lawyer, a society doyenne on the skids, a crooked booze distributor, a shifty deputy DA, an opera-crooning pugilist, a homespun abortionist, a crafty and celebrated defense attorney, a murderous stalker -- and the unfathomable Virginia Wagner, a leggy legal secretary with many more secrets than just the gun in her handbag.

Clues are unveiled, allegiances formed, friendships betrayed. Billy wonders if he's nothing more than a shadow boxer futilely sparring with phantoms. And if he discovers the truth about the murder and the shocking facts behind it, will his conscience force him to come forward -- or to bury theevidence?

In "Shadow Boxer," Eddie Muller takes risks unusual in crime fiction, making clear that when it comes to pitch-perfect noir inflection and top-shelf suspense, nobody does it better.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

San Francisco boxing columnist Billy Nichols figured he'd covered all the angles and pinned the blame where it belonged for the pair of killings that lay at the racing heart of Eddie Muller's first noirish crime novel, The Distance. But he didn't know the half of it. Now, in Shadow Boxer, the loose ends that Nichols left hanging entangle him in a conspiracy involving coerced testimony, a multi-million-dollar bunco racket, and stolen evidence that the reporter fears could liberate the man accused of murdering his lover, Claire Escalante.

It's late 1948, only months after Claire's death, and Nichols (aka "Mr. Boxing") would rather see her killer "rot in a prison cell, for life," than help him prove that he's being sacrificed to cover up a more extensive criminal operation. Yet when the defendant's former secretary--hiding out to protect her life--shares with Nichols a file of dubious trust documents linking her ex-boss to a prominent but freshly deceased lawyer, the newspaperman smells a story--a stink, really--that carries all the way up from San Francisco's ringside seats, through a backroom abortion clinic, and into the city's top law-enforcement offices. Nichols, shaped by both the newsroom and the sometimes larcenous sport he loves, is an appropriately flawed protagonist, engagingly employed by Muller, a film-noir authority (The Art of Noir) and the son of a renowned Bay Area boxing writer. Shadow Boxer spends regrettably less time in seedy arenas and sweaty locker rooms than its predecessor, and its convoluted plot may knock some readers for a loop. However, Muller's hard-muscled prose and fast-count pacing still make his second novel a main attraction. --J. Kingston Pierce

From Publishers Weekly

It's 1948 in San Francisco, and Billy Nichols, boxing columnist for the Inquirer, is once again in trouble up to his eyeglasses in this fast-paced, funny crime novel. Introduced in The Distance (2002), Billy is a compelling personality, a mild little guy whose livelihood brings him into everyday contact with the toughest of the tough in the world of pugilism, itself a magnet for desperate characters. Henpecked at home by his loving wife, Ida, he's a king to prizefighters, who hope for good mentions in his reports (though many have to settle for being the loser; e.g., the champ "boxed circles around his befuddled opponent, who didn't know whether to fish or wind a wristwatch"). Muller models his hero on his own father, who covered the fight scene for the Examiner for half a century. The action picks up immediately after the first book, where Billy managed to avoid a jam (advice to boxing writers: don't get involved in burying corpses in Golden Gate Park) and to ease Burney Sanders behind bars. But now Sanders is about to reveal there was more behind the murders than has come to light, and Billy may be implicated again. Virginia Wagner, briefly seen in the opening novel, returns driving a very fast car and packing a rod in her purse. Muller nails down every corner in this exciting romp, with some scenes that will appeal to hard-boiled fans and others for those who take delight in dizzy doings.
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 272 pages
• Publisher: Scribner (January 7, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0743214447
• ISBN-13: 978-0743214445
• Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 6.8 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,806,515 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Mr. Boxing has the knockout punch, December 16, 2003

By 

Kathy Kohl (Belleville, IL) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Shadow Boxer: A Billy Nichols Novel (Hardcover)

If you want the old golden era of Hollywood in a book then look no further. Shadow Boxer is a wonderfully plotted, atmospheric book of the forties. The mood and style is captured vividly in the lead protaganist, Billy Nichols. Billy is the boxing columnist for the San Francisco Inquirer and he gets deeply embedded in mayhem, murder and femme fatales.

In his Through the Ropes Column Billy writes:

Life is fixed. That's why I offer simple advice to any amateur turning pro; Kid don't leave it up to the judges. Get yourself a knockout punch.

Shadow Boxer has a punch that takes your breath away. This is one entertaining read. Don't miss out.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars A strong sense of place, March 1, 2004

By 

Larry Gandle (Tampa, Florida) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Shadow Boxer: A Billy Nichols Novel (Hardcover)

San Francisco Inquirer boxing journalist Billy Nichols is back. This book picks up exactly where THE DISTANCE leaves off. Burney Sanders, the man accused of killing Billy's mistress and wife of boxer Hack Escalante is in jail requesting Billy's presence. He claims he was framed by some of the city's top officials. He convinces Billy to help him or else he will let all know of Billy's infidelity. As Billy searches for the truth, the reader is treated to a panoramic view of San Francisco of the 1940s.
SHADOW BOXER by following so carefully on the events of THE DISTANCE actually requires the reader to read both books in order. What is most notable about this particular work is the extremely strong sense of place-- San Francisco of 1948. Events are even created to highlight certain areas of the city such as a scene at an amusement park no longer in existence. There is a dark edged noir atmosphere throughout the book. Characters are gritty and violence quite common. However, the plot is extremely difficult to navigate. Nonetheless, characters and setting easily make up for the convoluted story line. I'm not sure I will come back for more but certainly didn't regret what time I spent with Billy Nichols.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Solid follow on to the terrific The Distance, June 9, 2009

By 

Jeff (Northern California) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Shadow Boxer: A Billy Nichols Novel (Hardcover)

Eddie Muller's second Billy Nichols novel has a tough task in front of it. Not only does it have to stand side by side with one of the best debut novels in noir, but it also has to unravel the neat plot resolutions of The Distance and follow them to substantially different conclusions (and guilty parties.)

As a standalone novel, this would be a very good work. It's not as strong as The Distance. The plot definitely bogs down in places. However, Muller does a very good job of taking a totally neat resolution in the first novel, and tearing it apart only to find the real truth behind the crimes of the first novel (and some committed in this book.

It's an audacious goal. Muller could have played it safe, but took the risk. I liked what he did with the plot continuation from The Distance, but the plotting is sometimes erratic, and the lack of a strong love interest for the protagonist detracts from the book.

That said, I recommend highly these two books.