Review: Kings of Midnight by Wallace Stroby

Benny Roth is a relic of a near-dead era when mobsters ruled New York with impunity. After a long stretch in the witness protection program, he now lives his golden years quietly and happily enough, working at a restaurant and living with his much-younger girlfriend Marta.

Danny Taliferro won’t let that era go, and […]

News for week ending 2012-05-26

Wallace Stroby gives VWOP a shout-out in his interview with Pulp Pusher. My review of his new one posted tomorrow: http://t.co/fsmYBGDa # Vintage45–A look at Donald Westlake's A Likely Story: http://t.co/lwYIZBgi #

A quick personal note

All:

Apologies for the light posting here lately. Nick has picked up some of my slack, thank goodness, but I try to do more and I haven’t.

I haven’t had a lot of time for reading and writing lately. Nothing bad’s going on. I’ve just been busy, although I should confess that some burnout […]

News for week ending 2012-05-19

Via Ed Gorman. I need this. http://t.co/2rduAR4G # David Buckley (http://t.co/P095fFM6) to score the Parker film: http://t.co/Gkp0dpJH #

Review: Trust Me on This by Donald E. Westlake

Over on Existential Ennui my series of posts on journalism and media-related books is continuing apace, but it’s now reached another Donald E. Westlake juncture, which in turn means it’s time for an Existential Ennui/Violent World of Parker cross-post . . .

Trust Me on This was first published by Mysterious Press […]

News for week ending 2012-05-12

John Cribbs at The Pink Smoke takes an in-depth look at Made in USA and The Jugger: http://t.co/6wCwEbVT # Jimmy Callaway at Criminal Complex–The Posthumous Donald Westlake: It’s All Bullshit http://t.co/rLpoJfUp # Statham on Parker: “Great script, great characters. And that’s the direction I really want to go in now. Thinking-man’s action, you know?” […]

News for week ending 2012-05-05

Pics from Parker set. Pretty sure the little girl is a set visitor so don't panic! Condo scene is straight from book: http://t.co/Ty352Kgv # Wallace Stroby lists his favorite heist novels, including two Parkers and a Westlake: http://t.co/Er7wdjif # Any other Austin folks out there? I hope to attend this discussion of The Outfit. […]

Westlake Score: I Gave At the Office (Hodder & Stoughton, 1972)

NB: A version of this post also appears on Existential Ennui.

I’m back. And let’s reopen my Violent World of Parker ledger with a Westlake Score—namely a 1972 Hodder & Stoughton British first edition hardback of Donald E. Westlake’s I Gave At the Office—with what looks like a creased photo of DEW […]