Footsteps in the Night and Beat Back the Tide by Dolores Hitchens (Introduction by Nicholas Litchfield)

Review of Footsteps in the Night and Beat Back the Tide in Bookgasm

Lately, I’ve been reading a lot of Dolores Hitchens novels — fortunately, there’s plenty to pick from and, thanks to Stark House Press, reprints of her books are hitting the shelves again. Very popular in her day (primarily, the 1950s and ’60s), she was one of those authors who had enormous critical and commercial appeal. At a time when male authors monopolized the mystery genre, Hitchens was ranked as one of the nation’s leading mystery writers. Prominent authors, journalists, and book reviewers, like Anthony Boucher, sang her praises for good reason. Her vividly drawn characters have depth and personality, and she has a masterful ability to shock and unnerve and escalate suspenseful situations.

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A Rage At Sea / A Party Every Night by Frederick Lorenz (Introduction by Nicholas Litchfield)

Reviews of A Rage At Sea and A Party Every Night in Paperback Warrior, Crime Time, and Bookgasm

Recently, the website Paperback Warrior, which posts vintage fiction reviews and features regarding the action-adventure, hardboiled crime, western, pulp, and espionage genres, included a review of the collection A Rage At Sea / A Party Every Night, which was published on May 25. Here’s a snippet of what they have to say of the author and these two long-forgotten crime stories: “Frederick Lorenz was the pseudonym used by Lorenz Heller (1911-????) for a handful of paperback crime novels released by Lion Books in the 1950s. The New Jersey native worked as a seaman on a freighter, so it’s only fitting that I’m introduced to his body of work through his shipwreck novel A Rage at Sea from June 1953. Best of all, the book has been reprinted by Stark House Crime Classics as a double along with Lorenz’s A Party Every Night and an informative introduction by Nicholas Litchfield. A Rage at Sea isn’t particularly action-packed, but the author’s excellent writing keep the pages flying by. Recommended.”

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The Tooth and the Nail / The Wife of the Red-Haired Man by Bill S. Ballinger (Introduction by Nicholas Litchfield)

Review of The Tooth and the Nail and The Wife of the Red-Haired Man in Bookgasm

I’ve been squirreling away antique paperback copies of Bill S. Ballinger’s work for a long time, having first gotten hold of his Barr Breed mysteries and then moved on to his Joaquin Hawks espionage series, before devouring his many suspense novels. It was mystifying why his work had drifted into obscurity. So, in 2018, it was rewarding to have a hand in bringing a couple of his novels (Portrait in Smoke and The Longest Second) back into print and contribute the introduction to the collection.

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The Tooth and The Nail and The Wife of the Red-Haired Man by Bill S. Ballinger

Two Superior Chill and Puzzle Thrillers From Bill S. Ballinger

A number of writers have been questioning me about my recent book introductions. They were under the impression I’m writing one a month. I can see why they would think that, looking at the listings on Amazon. As much as I’d love to be hammering out an intro every month, I’m not sure I’m entirely

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LowestoftChronicle_issue41

Issue 41 of Lowestoft Chronicle

Issue #41 of the literary magazine Lowestoft Chronicle features fiction by Robert Boucheron, James Gallant, Robert Mangeot, and Jennifer Swallow; poetry by Mickey J. Corrigan, Daniel Galef, Richard Luftig, Ron Singer, and Lee Clark Zumpe; and creative nonfiction by E.O. Connors, Summer Koester, and Warren Merkel. Plus, check out my exclusive interview with acclaimed historical fiction writer Sheldon Russell.

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A Forgotten Evil by Sheldon Russell

Litchfield reviews ‘A Forgotten Evil’ for the Colorado Review

Nicholas Litchfield reviews A Forgotten Evil by Sheldon Russell for the Colorado Review: “Rich in detail and exquisite prose, and with an unpredictable, weaving narrative, A Forgotten Evil is an ambitious, impressively told tale full of vivid landscapes and unique characters with an authentic voice and a distinctive presence.”

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The Vicarious Traveler: A Lowestoft Chronicle Anthology

The Vicarious Traveler: A Lowestoft Chronicle Anthology The Vicarious Traveler, the newest Lowestoft Chronicle Anthology, was published this week. It includes a foreword by Michael C. Keith, a professor emeritus at Boston College best known for his excellent memoir The Next Better Place. Author Keith Rosson, who penned the literary novels The Mercy of the

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Litchfield reviews ‘When I Can’t Sleep’ for the Colorado Review

On When I Can’t Sleep: “In this supremely entertaining collection of bite-size yarns that combine humor, pathos, and razor-sharp reverie, prize-winning micro fiction maestro Robert Garner McBrearty stirs and startles and makes the reader shake with laughter. When it comes to real short, real brutal, poignant and punchy works of comic cleverness, McBrearty is the

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