Need a good hard-boiled book to warm my cockles during the coming cold months

[Dr. Drib]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

OK, who's idea was it to try to take this thread back on topic?

[Pulpmeister]

Octavus Roy Cohen (1891-1959)is a sadly forgotten hard-boiled writer. I've only read "Love has no Alibi" (1945) and "The Corpse that Walked." (1950). He put out a fun-titled short story collection "Scrambled Yeggs" in 1934.

[Dr. Drib]

Originally Posted by Pulpmeister

Octavus Roy Cohen (1891-1959)is a sadly forgotten hard-boiled writer. I've only read "Love has no Alibi" (1945) and "The Corpse that Walked." (1950). He put out a fun-titled short story collection "Scrambled Yeggs" in 1934.

I'm not familiar with that author. I'll check him out right now. ---- Thank you!

I AM familiar with a title called "The Scrambled Yeggs," by one of my favorite authors in the 'humorous'/hard-boiled school of detective fiction - Richard S. Prather.

WARNING!

The cover below may be offensive to anyone not familiar with 1950s/1960s pulp paperback covers. Please do not look if you are easily - or highly - offended.

[Cinisajoy]

Originally Posted by Dr. Drib

I'm not familiar with that author. I'll check him out right now. ---- Thank you!

I AM familiar with a title called "The Scrambled Yeggs," by one of my favorite authors in the 'humorous'/hard-boiled school of detective fiction - Richard S. Prather.

WARNING!

The cover below may be offensive to anyone not familiar with 1950s/1960s pulp paperback covers. Please do not look if you are easily - or highly - offended.

That is a very tame cover if you ask me. Typical 60's cover. It needs an elevator.
I am rather offended that you could even possibly think I would be offended by that cover.
Still love you.

[4691mls]

Hard-boiled/noir type mysteries aren't really my thing, but I have a foggy memory of reading a couple of books from Loren D. Estleman's Amos Walker series which might fit Dr. D's description. It's been a while since I read them so my memory could be faulty.

[Dr. Drib]

Originally Posted by 4691mls

Hard-boiled/noir type mysteries aren't really my thing, but I have a foggy memory of reading a couple of books from Loren D. Estleman's Amos Walker series which might fit Dr. D's description. It's been a while since I read them so my memory could be faulty.

I've read a few and I enjoyed Estelman's writing. -- Thank you!

While we're at it, I forgot how much I enjoy the Nameless Detective Series, by Bill Pronzini. Very enjoyable PI mysteries. If members enjoy some of the writings discussed in this thread, then they should give him a try.

Below is a list, in chronological order, of the series (courtesy of Wiki):

Nameless Detective novels

The Snatch, Random House, (1971)
The Vanished, Random House, (1973)
Undercurrent, Random House, (1973)
Blowback, Random House, (1977)
Twospot, (With Collin Wilcox), Putnam, (1978)
Labyrinth, St. Martin's, (1980)
Hoodwink, St. Martin's, (1981)
Scattershot, St. Martin's, (1982)
Dragonfire, St. Martin's, (1982)
Bindlestiff, St. Martin's, (1983)
Casefile (short stories), St. Martin's, (1983)
Quicksilver, St. Martin's, (1984)
Nightshades, St. Martin's, (1984)
Double (With Marcia Muller), St. Martin's, (1984)
Bones, St. Martin's, (1985)
Deadfall, St. Martin's, (1986)
Shackles, St. Martin's, (1988)
Jackpot, Delacorte, (1990)
Breakdown, Delacorte, (1991)
Quarry, Delacorte, (1992)
Epitaphs, Delacorte, (1992)
Demons, Delacorte, (1993)
Hardcase, Delacorte, (1995)
Spadework (short stories), Crippen & Landru, (1996)
Sentinels, Carroll & Graf, (1996)
Illusions, Carroll & Graf, (1997)
Boobytrap, Carroll & Graf, (1998)
Crazybone, Carroll & Graf, (2000)
Bleeders, Carroll & Graf, (2002)
Spook, Carroll & Graf, (2003)
Scenarios (short stories), Forge Books, (2005)
Nightcrawlers, Forge Books, (2005)
Mourners, Forge Books, (2006)
Savages, Forge Books, (2007)
Fever, Forge Books, (2008)
Schemers, Forge Books, (2009)
Betrayers, Forge Books, (2010)
Camouflage, Forge Books, (2011)
Hellbox, Forge Books, (2012)
Kinsmen, (novella), Cemetery Dance Publications, (2012)
Femme, (novella), Cemetery Dance Publications, (2012)
Nemesis, Forge Books, 2013
Strangers, Forge Books, 2014
Vixen, Forge Books, 2015
ZigZag, (collection), Forge Books, 2016

[kacir]

Originally Posted by Dr. Drib

I appreciate your suggestions, but I'll pass on any fantasy.

Please reconsider. This is not fantasy.
It is placed in a similar word as some fantasy books, but it lacks other features from a typical fantasy book.

P.I. Garrett is a guy with "... worn gumshoes and a world-weary attitude, and a man who constantly needs a shave." plus he has a highly cynical attitude and lots of snarky observations about the human nature and the world in general.

When I read the books I imagined Garrett in an almost medieval setting. The book covers, however depict him in a trench-coat and a hat that wouldn't look out-of-place in a Phil Marlowe world. Fortunately, description of the world is ambiguous enough, so my (or yours) imagination can fill-in the details - as long as you do not pay attention to the cover graphics ;-)

[Dr. Drib]

Originally Posted by kacir

Please reconsider. This is not fantasy.
It is placed in a similar word as some fantasy books, but it lacks other features from a typical fantasy book.

P.I. Garrett is a guy with "... worn gumshoes and a world-weary attitude, and a man who constantly needs a shave." plus he has a highly cynical attitude and lots of snarky observations about the human nature and the world in general.

When I read the books I imagined Garrett in an almost medieval setting. The book covers, however depict him in a trench-coat and a hat that wouldn't look out-of-place in a Phil Marlowe world. Fortunately, description of the world is ambiguous enough, so my (or yours) imagination can fill-in the details - as long as you do not pay attention to the cover graphics ;-)

You're very persuasive! You convinced me.

First, however, I need to finish "Tokyo Doll," by John McPartland and another book (unrelated to this thread) by Robert Silverberg - "Starborne" - which reminds me of one of my favorite SF authors: Barry Malzberg.

So, which one should I look at?

[kacir]

Originally Posted by Dr. Drib

You're very persuasive! You convinced me.

So, which one should I look at?

Well, it *is* a series ...

I think that the Old Tin Sorrows would be a good place to start for you. The first book of the series has more fantasy stuff than other books. Still not a fantasy, but I do not want you to get a bad first impression. Old Tin Sorrows is a a traditional whodunit.

Dread Brass Shadows is more of a gangster-based hard-boiled stuff

Whispering Nickel Idols is reminiscent of Nero Wolfe novels. The Dead Man - Garretts partner (NOT! a zombie. He never leaves the house.) gets prominent role.

All of them are really good. Just do not start the series with the first three books so you are not scared away before you get to love them.

[Apache]

I also ask that you reconsider the series. It is excellent and, with a few changes, would have made excellent Phillip Marlowe or Nero Wolf books. Think Nero Wolf with Phillip Marlowe instead of Archie Goodwin.
Apache

[pwalker8]

Originally Posted by kacir

Well, it *is* a series ...

I think that the Old Tin Sorrows would be a good place to start for you. The first book of the series has more fantasy stuff than other books. Still not a fantasy, but I do not want you to get a bad first impression. Old Tin Sorrows is a a traditional whodunit.

Dread Brass Shadows is more of a gangster-based hard-boiled stuff

Whispering Nickel Idols is reminiscent of Nero Wolfe novels. The Dead Man - Garretts partner (NOT! a zombie. He never leaves the house.) gets prominent role.

All of them are really good. Just do not start the series with the first three books so you are not scared away before you get to love them.

The Dead Man is a bit like Mycroft Holmes.

I would definitely describe the series as a hard-boiled detective series with some fantasy trimmings. It has all the old cliches in it - corrupt cops, crime lords, lazy cynical private eyes. Old Tim Sorrows is a good starting point. It's a bit like saying that the Hound of the Baskervilles is a good starting point for Sherlock Holmes. In general, each book is stand alone from the stand point of plot. Sweet Silver Blues is the first book of the series.

[Dr. Drib]

Originally Posted by kacir

Well, it *is* a series ...

I think that the Old Tin Sorrows would be a good place to start for you. The first book of the series has more fantasy stuff than other books. Still not a fantasy, but I do not want you to get a bad first impression. Old Tin Sorrows is a a traditional whodunit.

Dread Brass Shadows is more of a gangster-based hard-boiled stuff

Whispering Nickel Idols is reminiscent of Nero Wolfe novels. The Dead Man - Garretts partner (NOT! a zombie. He never leaves the house.) gets prominent role.

All of them are really good. Just do not start the series with the first three books so you are not scared away before you get to love them.

Thank you.

I must emphasize that I do, indeed, love and read fantasy novels. Quite a lot of my early 'work' here was assembling classic fantasy novels for the Mobileread library, often before there were any other ebook editions available on the market.

[MickeyC]

Want to warm your cockles, give Bangkok Burn a read. A fast, very hard read. And it takes place in Thailand where it's easy to warm your cockles.

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by MickeyC

Want to warm your cockles,

Put the hard-boiled book up against your cockles before the book cools down too much.

[Angst]

Two more authors
James M. Cain - best known for The Postman Always Rings Twice
Mickey Spillane - Mike Hammer - best known for I, The Jury

You may be more familiar with the movies than the books.