As the author of the introduction to this new double volume from Stark House Press, I am pleased to see William Ard’s legacy continue to thrive. Ard, a Brooklyn native, distinguished himself through a prolific output of character-driven mysteries and westerns, publishing more than three dozen books under various pseudonyms. Though his career was cut short, his ability to blend hard-edged suspense with emotional depth has ensured a dedicated following and critical praise over the decades.
With the arrival of Shakedown / The Blonde and Johnny Malloy, readers are treated to a pair of novels that showcase Ard’s versatility and skill. In Shakedown, Johnny Stevens , a hard-living, wisecracking detective with a gambler’s luck and a talent for running up tabs, is sent south to keep an eye on a blackmailing doctor. Ard knows his way around a punchy setup: Stevens is the kind of guy who can charm a blonde, crack a joke under fire, and still manage to roll hot dice at the craps table. The plot is pure pulp. Threats, frame-ups, and a murder rap with three hundred witnesses lined up against our hero. But what really sells it is the breakneck pacing and the sense that anything can happen, and probably will. Ard’s prose is crisp and unshowy, with just enough edge to keep the pages burning.
The second novel, The Blonde and Johnny Malloy, the last of the Ben Kerr novels, is even leaner and more powerful. It’s a Southern noir about a ruthless gambler, his complicated family, and a rigged heavyweight boxing match with a million-dollar payoff at stake. Ard packs more action, betrayal, and genuine heart into five days than most writers manage in a decade. The story draws inspiration from real-life crime and corruption, and the characters, particularly the quietly resilient Johnny Malloy, stick with you long after the final twist.
Both novels are standalones, but together they show why Anthony Boucher of the New York Times praised Ard’s “fast, economic narration” and his “pure individual magic in hard-boiled story-telling.” There’s a reason Ard’s work has endured: he never wastes a word, never lets the tension flag, and always delivers the goods. These are crime novels with real atmosphere, big personalities, and a sense of place that makes the Miami sun feel close enough to burn your fingers.
This is what bestselling author James Reasoner had to say of the volume: “The fine folks at Stark House Press are about to reprint SHAKEDOWN and another of Ard’s Ben Kerr novels, THE BLONDE AND JOHNNY MALLOY, in a double volume with an excellent introduction by Nicholas Litchfield. I’ll be getting to THE BLONDE AND JOHNNY MALLOY soon, but for now I can give this book a high recommendation based on SHAKEDOWN. It’s very fast-paced, written in a breezy, entertaining style, and Johnny Stevens is a likable protagonist, tough but not overly so, smart but not brilliant, quick with a quip and charming with the ladies.” You can read his full review on Rough Edges.
My essay, “Ben Kerr and The Two Johnnies,” serves as the introduction to this collection, offering a deeper look at Ard’s career, his influences, and the true stories that inspired these novels. If you want to see what hardboiled crime fiction looks like when it’s firing on all cylinders, don’t miss this double bill. Available now from Stark House Press or from online sellers such as Amazon and Barnes and Noble.