Reviews

The Quantum Theory of Love and Madness by Jerry Levy

The Quantum Theory of Love and Madness by Jerry Levy

I was first introduced to the prose of Canadian writer Jerry Levy in 2012 when his story “Paris is a Woman,” about a bank clerk who trades his wife and job for an artist’s life in Paris, featured in issue #9 of Lowestoft Chronicle. As I recall, it was a rather captivating piece with a gently evolving story that might have gone in any number of directions but which concluded in an unanticipated, unresolved way. A tale with the emphasis on character over plot, but no less enjoyable because of it. The story was subsequently included in Levy’s first story collection, URBAN LEGEND, published by Thistledown Press in 2013.

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The Tease and Sin For Me by Gil Brewer

Litchfield Reviews The Tease and Sin For Me by Gil Brewer

Stark House is responsible for publishing many of Gil Brewer’s (1922-1983) works—and not merely reprints. Numerous previously unpublished novels and short stories have found their way into print, and I’m hoping more will emerge in the future. Their most recent two-in-one crime noir reprint is something of a collector’s volume. Flaunting a nice adaption by Jeff Vorzimmer of Roger Kastel’s original cover illustration for The Tease, it comprises two nicely paired tales published in 1967 by the short-lived Banner Books, a paperback imprint acquired by the Hearst Corporation that mainly focused on crime and mystery novels.

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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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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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