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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
19 of 19 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
A book you'll literally flip for,
This review is from: Shooting Star/Spiderweb (Hard Case Crime) (Mass Market Paperback)
It has not been uncommon for writers to toil in the trenches of paperback originals, earning their keep by churning out potboilers quickly. It doesn't seem to happen as much nowadays, but back in the 1950s and 1960s, some big-name authors started out publishing this way: Lawrence Block, John MacDonald and Donald Westlake, for example. Then there was Robert Bloch, who would eventually be known primarily as the author of Psycho. A couple of earlier novels, Shooting Star and Spiderweb have been re-released by Hard Case Crime in a format from yesteryear: the flip book.
On one side is Spiderweb, the tale of Eddie Haines, an Iowa transplant to Hollywood, who has realized his dreams of being an announcer are not going to work out as he had planned. He is rescued from the brink suicide by the Professor, Otto Hermann. Hermann is a scheming con artist who has designs on Haines's soothing voice. Soon, Haines is transformed into sham psychologist Judson Roberts and counseling the rich and famous. As Roberts, he provides openings for Hermann, but Haines also has a conscience. Hermann, however, has got evidence that implicates Haines in a murder, making escape from a life of crime difficult for the fake shrink. On the other side is Shooting Star, narrated by one-eyed private eye Mark Clayburn who is hired by old acquaintance Harry Bannock. Bannock has bought the rights to the movies of the late Western star Dick Ryan, which could be worth a mint if Ryan's reputation is salvaged. This requires Clayburn solving Ryan's murder and clearing the star of links to marijuana use. Of course, there are those who don't want the murder solved, leaving a trail of new bodies and endangering Clayburn himself. (The use of marijuana in this book has a bit of a "Reefer Madness" paranoia to it, but that's par for the course in this era.) Neither novel is a classic (explaining why both have been out of print for a long time), but Bloch is a good writer. Obviously, these were churned out quickly for a fast paycheck, but Bloch has the skills to make even this pulpy fiction fun to read. Nowadays, when a short mystery is often 300 pages, these come off as almost novellas, totaling just 314 pages between them; so for the cost of a single (cheap) paperback you can get two short books for the price of one.
8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
The return of Ace Double Novels,
By
This review is from: Shooting Star/Spiderweb (Hard Case Crime) (Mass Market Paperback)
The editors at Hard Case Crime, Charles Ardai, has hit the jackpot. Years ago, Ace double novels were the ultimate collectible. Two great novels for the price of one, two great covers for the price of one, and today, if you can find the Lester Dent edition, you have a true treasure. Dorchester/Harc Dase Crime presents "Shooting Star" and "Spiderweb" by Robert Bloch. Both were originally published by Ace (coincidentally) in 1958 and 1954. These seldom seen books are amazing. Arthur Suydam illustrates the "Shooting Star" cover in his inimitable style. Bloch had a long career that included movies (Psycho), TV, and a respectable list of fiction. "Shooting Star" and "Spiderweb" are not his best work, but they are a good addition to the Hard Case line. Eddie Haine moves to Hollywood and is engaged by conman Professor Otto Hermann as Judson Roberts to use his soothing voice in therapy. Haines becomes a fakes psychologist and learns some secrets about his mentor that make him question his own life. "Shooting Star" is the story of Mark Clayburn and his hiring by Harry Bannock. Bannocks' fortune is tied up the film rights to Dick Ryan, a down and out western star. With the murder of Dick Ryan, Clayburn must clear up the allegations of drug use, and in the wake of the investigation. The weakest of the two books, the cover is pure cliche. A one eyed detective, an underwear clad vixen, and one novel to pass an enjoyable evening of reading while listening to old Richard Diamond radio drama. Look for these at www.hardcasecrime.com . More information on Bloch can be found at http://mgpfeff.home.sprynet.com/bloch.html Tim Lasiuta Waiting for the next double book edition.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Paperback Grindhouse,
By EddieLove "EddieLove" (NYC, USA) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Shooting Star/Spiderweb (Hard Case Crime) (Mass Market Paperback)
SPIDERWEB starts out like a Jim Thomsonesque tale of a desperate loser, than shifts to a more conventional blackmail phony psychic tale. Nightmare Alley this isn't, but it's fast fun.
SHOOTING STAR is a pretty standard P.I. book with our one-eye hero hunting a killer in the world of Tinseltown reefer heads with an improbably high body count. This one isn't as interesting as the earlier book, but a little wittier with sharper writing. A worthwhile twofer.
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