As the author of the introduction to Robert Martin’s new double-novel collection from Stark House Press, I’m pleased to help bring attention to a writer whose talents deserve a wider audience. Martin, best known for his Jim Bennett mysteries, carved out a distinctive space in midcentury crime fiction, blending relentless plotting with a uniquely humane touch. While the genre’s classics are often defined by their cynicism, Martin’s work stands out for the flawed but deeply sympathetic detective at their heart.
Just a Corpse at Twilight / Catch a Killer gathers two powerful entries from the Jim Bennett series, both written during the peak of Martin’s career. In my introduction, “The Enduring Humanity of Jim Bennett,” I examine how Martin’s everyman sleuth manages to remain relatable even as he’s drawn into the darkest corners of human behavior. Bennett’s decency, resilience, and occasional self-doubt make him more than just another hardboiled protagonist—they make him a figure readers return to again and again.
The first novel, Just a Corpse at Twilight, finds Bennett pulled into a case where the lines between victim and perpetrator blur. The investigation forces him to confront painful truths, not just about the crime but about his own past and limitations. Martin’s prose is sharp and his pacing taut, but it’s Bennett’s empathy and unwavering drive for justice that linger.
Catch a Killer, the second novel, throws Bennett into the orbit of a cold-blooded murderer whose motives prove as complex as the case itself. As the body count rises, Bennett’s persistence is tested, and the moral complications deepen. Through it all, Martin never loses sight of the human cost—on both sides of the law.
In my essay, I trace Martin’s evolution as a crime writer and consider what sets Jim Bennett apart. Where many detectives are hardened to the point of caricature, Bennett’s vulnerability is his strength. His struggles—with loneliness, regret, and the messy business of living—ground these novels and give them lasting resonance.
Critical appreciation for Martin’s work is growing, with contemporary reviewers praising his “unshowy craftsmanship” and the realism of his characters. Readers who appreciate classic noir with heart will find much to savor in these two novels.
Just a Corpse at Twilight / Catch a Killer is available now from Stark House Press and major online retailers. For fans of vintage crime fiction or newcomers to the genre, this new edition is a welcome rediscovery.
The book can be ordered from Amazon, Barnes and Noble, or directly from the publisher.