Nicholas Litchfield is the author of the suspense novels When The Actor Inspired Chaos and Bloodshed and Swampjack Virus and has contributed introductions to numerous books, including twenty-two Stark House Press reprints of long-forgotten noir and mystery novels of the 1950s and ’60s.
Contributor (Fiction)
Portrait in Smoke / The Longest Second by Bill S. Ballinger
(Introduction by Nicholas Litchfield)
ISBN-13: 9781944520489
Trade Paperback | Stark House Press | 06/29/2018
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PORTRAIT IN SMOKE
Danny April is obsessed. He buys out a little collection agency in Chicago, and that’s how he first meets Krassy. He’d never seen anyone so beautiful. She was Krassy Almauniski then, when he first runs across her picture in his files. She’s gone through several identities since then. As Danny tries to track her down, each new name presents him with a portrait of a woman on the move. Krassy is climbing up the social ladder, one sucker at a time. There’s the photographer who signs off on a charge account for her, later arrested for larceny. And the ad executive… he gets off lightly. He gets to walk away with his pride. Not all the men who Krassy meet are so lucky. But Danny knows he’ll be different. So he keeps looking… until at last he finds her.
THE LONGEST SECOND
When I awakened, I stared straight above me at the ceiling … I attempted to turn my head. It was then I realized that my throat had been cut. The pain ran down both sides of my neck … I gasped, choking for air. The next day I regained consciousness again … Suddenly it struck me that I didn’t know my own name!… They check his fingerprints and find out that his name is Victor Pacific. He has no memories of who he is, what he is, or why someone tried to kill him. He remembers the name Horstman. But he has no idea of how to find him. All he can do is to begin a search for the clues to his former life. Then he meets Bianca—but will she be able to help him before they strike again?
REVIEWS
“A nearly forgotten master of the mystery novel, Bill Ballinger may once again astound readers with this new edition from Stark House Press, containing two of his exemplary works. Ballinger’s skill as a writer and his unique style are on full display. These classics are a must for anyone with an interest in noir storytelling.”
— James R. Benn, author of the Billy Boyle Word War II Mystery Series
“Ballinger’s writing is smooth and polished, and his control over the complex plot really had me turning the pages. This one hits the mark all the way around for me with the writing, the pace, the plot, and the compelling characters. Highly recommended.”
— James Reasoner, Rough Edges
“Two simply riveting reads under one cover, “Portrait in Smoke/The Longest Second is a very highly recommended addition to the personal reading lists of all dedicated mystery buffs and suspense fans and will prove to be an immediate and enduringly popular addition to community library Mystery/Suspense collections.”
— Reviewer’s Bookwatch
“In his introduction to this new volume, Nicholas Litchfield, editor of the Lowestoft Chronicle, a quarterly online literary magazine, revels in the republication of these two noir masterpieces, writing: ‘These two powerful, provocative tales from the Fifties are as fresh and impressive today as when they first startled and enthralled the world and earned their place as mystery classics.’ The Longest Second, says Litchfield, is ‘neither gimmicky nor contrived’ but ‘a cunningly deceptive work that is full of twists and shocks, and has a storyline intended to continually keep you guessing about the past and the present.’ Perfectly paired with Portrait in Smoke, these two exceptional novels are as fascinating and entertaining today as they were 60 years ago.”
— Pam Norfolk, Lancashire Post
The Baby Doll Murders / Killer Take All! / Frenzy by James O. Causey
(Introduction by Nicholas Litchfield)
ISBN-13: 978-1944520519
Trade Paperback | Stark House Press | 08/30/2018
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THE BABY DOLL MURDERS
Cliff Tierney was trained by Markham to be the best, a carny’s carny. Then Holly entered his life and messed things up—and Markham had Tierney stomped. But that was months ago. Now Tierney is back, and Markham wants him to handle a blackmailer for him. Ann should be easy. She’s in love with Cliff. But then Markham brings Holly back into the picture, and the set-up becomes complicated. Because Holly’s father is the eminent Dr. Thad Ross, who not only controls the town but is involved in Ann’s blackmail scheme. And Holly, well she’s just as dangerous as her father, and more than a match for Tierney’s carny skills.
KILLER TAKE ALL!
Tony Pearson knows he is no match for Steve Locke, Fern’s new husband. Locke has the charm, the drive and the physical prowess he doesn’t. He also has Fern. But as a failed golf pro, Tony doesn’t have that many options either, and takes Locke up on his offer to work for Tony’s boss, Max Baird. Max is a reformed gangster trying to fit in. He even bought a Rembrandt to show off his class. But now he needs the bucks more than the art, and Locke calls in an expert to appraise the painting. That’s when they discover that the painting Max owns is a forgery. And who gets framed as the fall guy? Why, Tony, of course.
FRENZY
After the plan to snatch the boss’s girl and some of his casino profits backfires, Norman Sands rails it back to his hometown to lick his wounds. His brother Matt lives there, and Laurie, who used to be his girl, now engaged to Matt. But with Matt and Laurie’s help, Norm knows there is a killing to be made here, if he can just figure the angle. When he meets up with the town’s movers, he realizes that Murdoch is the real power here. And when he meets Shannon, he knows he has found the perfect match—she’s as greedy as he is. But Shannon is Murdoch’s girl, and Murdoch isn’t giving up anything without a fight.
REVIEWS
“Stark House has compiled three of Causey’s classics into one volume for 21st Century audiences. The new trade paperback includes ‘The Baby Doll Murders,’ ‘Killer Take All,’ and ‘Frenzy’ as well as an introduction by Nicholas Litchfield. Despite problems of plot and pacing, Causey’s hardboiled, first-person prose is among the best. For example, his descriptions of acts of violence are vivid while also being matter-of-fact. Taking a professional beating in the groin, ribs, and kidneys is just an occupational hazard in this world, and those scenes were vivid as hell.”
— Paperback Warrior
“Stark House’s omnibus volume of The Baby Doll Murders/Killer Take All!/Frenzy hits the trifecta for noir action. James O. Causey amps up the suspense in each of these paperback novels from the Fifties. Nicholas Litchfield’s “Causey’s Fast, Frenzied Trio of Killer Novels” outlines James O. Causey’s writing career and provides details about this underrated writer.”
— GeorgeKelley.org
Borrow the Night / The Fifth Caller by Helen Nielsen
(Introduction by Nicholas Litchfield)
ISBN-13: 978-1944520724
Trade Paperback | Stark House Press | 05/27/2019
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BORROW THE NIGHT
Judge Ralph Addison has been receiving threatening letters for the past six days, but he hasn’t taken them seriously. Until now. The seventh letter is followed up by a phone call. He is being watched. Perhaps this isn’t just a prank. The letter states that you will die when Messick dies, and is signed Mr. Justice. The judge had sentenced young Walter Messick to death for the murder of Faye Harper. But when he goes to the D.A. with his fears, he finds that Patrolman Matt Coleman, also involved in the case, has received the same threatening letters. And now that Messick’s execution is upon them, together they only have one day to find out the truth…or die at the hands of Mr. Justice.
THE FIFTH CALLER
Dr. Lillian Whitehall has been brutally murdered. D.A. Inspector Doug Marchall knows that the crime occurred at 5:20pm because she was bludgeoned to death with a clock. Everyone assumes that the murderer is her Hungarian nurse, Anna Bardossy, who is lying in a hospital bed, the victim of a suicide attempt and now suffering amnesia. But there were other callers that day: her high-strung patient, her exacting lawyer, her unemployed brother. They all paint a picture of poor put-upon Dr. Whitehall, badgered by her unfaithful nurse. But could there have been another caller, someone who knew what had happened to Anna and what had caused the doctor’s all-too-timely end?
REVIEWS
“These well-plotted, compelling mysteries are a bit wordier than is typical in contemporary crime fiction but remain of interest to mystery fans, especially those interested in the genre’s history.”
— Booklist
“In his introduction to the double-novel collection, writer Nicholas Litchfield, who is editor of the popular literary magazine Lowestoft Chronicle, describes Nielsen’s pair of unconventional whodunnits as ‘two exemplary mystery novels that are sure to leave you on edge and breathless and in search of more of her thrilling, intricate, and astutely written tales.’ Litchfield, a keen supporter of Borrow the Night, believes the strength of the novel lies in ‘the exceptionally well-sketched principal characters and the skilful way Nielsen drops hints and revelations and introduces unexpected plot twists to cast doubt on just about everybody.’ The Fifth Caller is an original mystery for the period because of its toughness, pace and invention, and for the measured way Nielsen presents realistic, complex characters in a fast-paced drama. A superior pair of unique tales which richly deserve a revival…”
— Pam Norfolk, Lancashire Post
Stairway to an Empty Room / Terror Lurks in Darkness by Dolores Hitchens (Introduction by Nicholas Litchfield)
ISBN-13: 978-1944520793
Trade Paperback | Stark House Press | 10/28/2019
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STAIRWAY TO AN EMPTY ROOM
Monica Marshall s sister Biddy has been murdered by her husband. Biddy has a daughter, Winifred, and with the husband on death row, Monica agrees to take charge of her. Winifred is anxious to leave the house where she has been living with Biddy. The house and the woman who runs it seem so unpleasant to Monica. But nothing prepares her for Stevens. He is managing a mountain retreat where Monica takes her new charge for a getaway–she hates him immediately. Strangely enough, Winifred recognizes the couple in another cabin. Soon Monica realizes that there is something very strange going on here. Her brakes fail … later she almost drowns in the lake. And Stevens is becoming very protective of young Winifred. What do all these people have to do with Biddy s death, and what is really going on here?…
TERROR LURKS IN DARKNESS
Kitty has the fright of her life one night when she takes what she is told is a short cut and ends up on a dead end street in the rain. And to make matters worse, there is a savage dog outside her car, causing her to wreck the front end trying to avoid it. Fortunately, the owner of the dog appears and calms the dog, then drives her home. But imagine Kitty s shock when she finds out that Sunny, the woman who told her about the short cut, is found dead later that night on the same road, her throat savaged. Of course, everyone hated Sunny, but that doesn’t explain her strange death. And now Kitty s roommate, Ardis, has gone missing … and two of her friends are asking her to lie about what she knows. No wonder inspector Doyle doesn’t believe her story she has no idea what to believe herself!
REVIEWS
“The latest hardboiled double header from Stark House features two gripping tales from Dolores Hitchens, with an introduction by Nicholas Litchfield. Hitchens’ work is incredibly varied but consistent when it comes to depth of character and plotting. These distinct standalone tales of jeopardy display very different characteristics but they are both well told and there are enough twists to keep the keenest pulp fan guessing.”
— Paul Burke, NB
The Tooth and the Nail / The Wife of the Red-Haired Man by Bill S. Ballinger (Introduction by Nicholas Litchfield)
ISBN-13: 978-1951473020
Trade Paperback | Stark House Press | 04/27/2020
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THE TOOTH AND THE NAIL
As the trial begins, a man stands accused of murder. There is no body, but all the signs of a body’s disposal are in evidence. When the police search the accused man’s house, they find traces of blood in the bathroom, and a hastily-cleaned up furnace room, where it appears a body had recently been burned—there is burnt part of a leg bone, a false tooth, and off in a corner, the end of a finger. And the man’s chauffeur, who appears to have been blackmailing him, is clearly missing, now presumed dead. The prosecutor is presenting a very good case. Every indication points to murder. The defense lawyer is doing what he can, but his client’s cause appears to be hopeless. Only one man knows what really happened, and he’s the victim.
THE WIFE OF THE RED-HAIRED MAN
When Hugh Ronan escapes prison and returns to his first love, Mercedes, he finds her married to another man. Turner has no intention of giving up his wife and brandishes a gun to make his point. But it’s Turner who is killed, and now Ronan and Mercedes are on the run. Mercedes could have stayed and escaped the murder charge, but she makes her choice to help her red-haired love escape. Cashing out her bank account and taking her jewels with her, the two of them leave New York. But Turner had his fingers in a lot of political pies, and important people want this killing solved. Everyone figures that it must have been Mercedes who shot her husband. Only one city detective figures that there is someone else involved. Now the hunt is on.
REVIEWS
“Novelist and editor Nicholas Litchfield provides an introduction that traces Ballinger’s career and the development of his dual-plot technique. Litchfield notes that both of these novels, originally published in the mid-1950s, were well praised by critics and reviewers. Contemporary readers will equally applaud these works and find them well worth their time. Ballinger is without question an author worthy of rediscovery. With luck these two novels will be the first in a series of representations of Ballinger’s mystery novels.”
— Alan Cranis, Bookgasm
“I’ve now read Bill S. Ballinger’s The Tooth and the Nail, which appears, along with The Wife of the Red-Haired Man, in a new volume with an interesting introduction by Nicholas Litchfield. I’ve not read Ballinger previously, and I hadn’t realised how good he is. On the evidence of this book, he was a gifted crime writer, who had something in common with Fredric Brown. Like Brown, he was interested in narrative technique, and the cunning with which he tells this particular tale is impressive.”
— Martin Edwards, Edgar Award-winning author of The Golden Age of Murder
A Rage at Sea / A Party Every Night by Lorenz Heller
(Introduction by Nicholas Litchfield)
ISBN-13: 978-1944520991
Trade Paperback | Stark House Press | 05/04/2020
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A RAGE AT SEA
Frank Dixon has just lost his ship in a crap game, and is about to lose his woman as well, when Addams offers him a job captaining the Almacor. All he has to do is take the owner and his drunken guests around the Caribbean. Trouble is, Dixon hates Addams—doesn’t trust him, knows that Addams will sabotage him if he can. But Dixon only has this one chance to climb out of the bottle, one shot at redemption, and agrees to helm the yacht. Thank goodness he has young Wirt aboard. There’s one seaman he can trust. It’s not long before the drinking starts, the owner takes a swing at Wirt, and all hell breaks loose. Dixon knows that Addams is only waiting for his opportunity to stab him in the back, and this could be it.
PARTY EVERY NIGHT
Vance is the perfect bartender—tall, good-looking, funny, he charms them all. Particularly the waitress, Cora. But Vance only has eyes for Maddie. Unfortunately, Maddie is married to the town lush, Wes Elwood. Almost every night, you will find Maddie and Wes at Vance’s bar, belting down the Scotches and hating one another with a white heat. Tonight is different. Tonight Wes disappears in his car, and no one can find him. After closing, Vance takes Maddie out to all the after-hours bars looking for him, but all they get is one run-around after another, and no Wes. Then Wes is found drowned. And that’s when Durkin steps in, a cop who collects facts like some people collect stamps. Durkin has his own idea of what happened to Wes, and as far as he’s concerned, all those facts lead him back to Vance.
REVIEWS
“I can’t recall a lean crime paperback from the 1950s with character development handled more adeptly than A Rage at Sea. 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. Recommended.”
—Paperback Warrior
“This new Stark House Press edition presents two novels originally published in the early and mid-1950s, and showcases Lorenz’s skill at characterization. Editor and author Nicholas Litchfield provides a detailed introduction, tracing Lorenz’s writing career and the development of his character-driven technique. Crime fiction fans, even those who favor complex plots over characters, will find much to enjoy in these two novels. And Frederick Lorenz is an author they are likely to recommend to friends who usually avoid genre fiction.”
— Alan Cranis, Bookgasm
“Stark House Press is the premier publisher of ‘time lost’ mysteries by some of the best novelists to every publish in the Mystery/Suspense genre. Enhanced for contemporary readers with an informative introduction by Nicholas Litchfield, “A Rage at Sea / A Party Every Night” showcases for a new generation of mystery lovers the storytelling talents of Lorenz Heller writing under the pseudonym of Frederick Lorenz and originally published in 1953 and 1956 respectively. Especially recommended for community library Mystery/Suspense collections.”
— Wisconsin Bookwatch
“As Nicholas Litchfield’s introduction points out; it’s character which drives plot in Lorenz’s fiction. In both novels the dialogue is crisp, the story edgy and populated by eccentric, volatile characters who just can’t get a grip on life.”
— Paul Burke, Crime Time
Footsteps in the Night / Beat Back the Tide by Dolores Hitchens
(Introduction by Nicholas Litchfield)
ISBN-13: 978-1944520939
Trade Paperback | Stark House Press | 07/06/2020
Amazon | Barnes and Noble
FOOTSTEPS IN THE NIGHT
The Southern California land had been in Dronk’s family for years, but he sold most of it to developers, and that’s how Dellwood came to be. Once a few new houses went up, they flocked to buy… Miss Silverter, the repressed spinster with a hidden passion. The brash, young Arthur family, including their stubborn old grandfather. The Holdens, a curious couple who feed off each other’s weaknesses. And the tightly-wound Bartletts, with their beautiful young daughter, who immediately befriends Dronk’s crippled teenage son. When she disappears one evening, the Bartletts naturally assume that the son is involved. But Dellwood is so full of secrets that the son is only one of Sheriff Ferguson’s suspects. They’re all guilty of something…
BEAT BACK THE TIDE
Glazer hires Francesca Warne as governess to his young son without realizing that she has a history with his cliff house. Her husband Adam had been shot to death on the beach below, back before Glazer bought it. Now she is asking Glazer to help her find out what really happened two years ago. So Glazer begins questioning the people involved: lovely, sensuous Mary Shelton, who married one of the men who used to own his house; the sadistic cop, Byronson, who still thinks Francesca was involved; pugnacious Conway, the other former owner, who knows more than he is telling; and Tremaine, Adam’s only friend. Glazer quickly learns that Adam Warne was a self-hating drunk who had been despised by most of the town—but who hated him enough to have killed him?
REVIEWS
“The two stand-alone novels gathered here by Stark House Press, FOOTSTEPS IN THE NIGHT and BEAT BACK THE TIDE, demonstrate Hitchens’s skill at presenting multiple characters within a single framework. Nicholas Litchfield, a noted editor, reviewer and author, provides an introduction where he notes how Hitchens made her mark in the mostly male-dominated publishing world of her time, and how she incorporates her fondness for closely held secrets and skeletons in the closet into her novels. As these two republished novels aptly demonstrate, Hitchens can easily be enjoyed by a new generation of mystery fiction fans, and is well worth a rediscovery.”
— Alan Cranis, Bookgasm
“In this perfect pairing of perplexing puzzlers from Stark House Press published in July, murder rattles skeletons in a number of closets, unlocking and shaking loose secrets both present and past. Do not miss author and editor Nicholas Litchfield’s most enlightening introduction, where he concludes that these ‘skeletons in the closet’ mysteries showcase the author at her very finest.'”
— Crimesegments.com
“Another couple of ‘time lost’ suspense gems by an author who was a master of the genre, “Footsteps In The Night / Beat Back The Tide” is especially and unreservedly recommended reading for all dedicated mystery buffs.”
— Wisconsin Bookwatch
Devil May Care / Sinner Take All by Wade Miller
(Introduction by Nicholas Litchfield)
ISBN-13: 978-1951473068
Trade Paperback | Stark House Press | 09/25/2020
Amazon | Barnes and Noble
DEVIL MAY CARE
Biggo Venn doesn’t want to admit it but he’s getting too old for the mercenary soldier routine. Still, when an old friend comes to him with a small job down in Mexico that’s got an easy $20,000 payoff, he agrees to make the contact. Seems simple enough. But the small town of Ensenada is a lot more treacherous than he bargains for. First, there s Jinny, the deceitful blonde with an itch for his traveling cash; Len Hardesty, a long-time rival and soldier for hire who just happens to appear whenever he s least wanted; and Pabla, the sweetest vision he can imagine, and possibly the most dangerous. When the bodies start piling up, Biggo knows he’s in for the fight of his life.
SINNER TAKE ALL
They want him dead. General Gayoso knows that the only way to assassinate Bruno Lazar is to get the reclusive rebel out in the open. So he has Lazar’s best friend poisoned, and hires Jack Cox, a down-at-heel American sharpshooter, to plan Lazar’s murder at the funeral they know he will attend. The plan is brilliant in its simplicity. But it doesn’t take into account the mixed emotions of Lazar’s protégé, Dorlisa Von Ritter, who precedes him to Tijuana to make sure the way is safe. Nor does it take into account Cox’s fatal sense of conscience. Gayoso is not a man to be thwarted, but even he cannot know what will happen when the assassin and the protégé fall in love.
REVIEWS
“Editor and author Nicholas Litchfield provides an introduction that traces Wade Miller’s career and shows how the characters and themes of these two novels contribute to the pair’s long backlist of novels and short stories. It is easy to see why Miller was among the most popular authors during the heyday of Gold Medal paperback originals. And thanks to this third series of reprints, both new and long-time crime fiction fans can experience (or re-experience) the continuing appeal of this collaborative team.”
— Alan Cranis, Bookgasm
“This Stark House omnibus presents two suspenseful noir novels from the golden days of Gold Medal paperbacks. If you’re looking for suspense, excitement, and action Devil May Care/Sinner Takes All will take you on a thrill ride.”
— Georgekelley.org
“This Stark House omnibus presents two suspenseful noir novels from the golden days of Gold Medal paperbacks. If you’re looking for suspense, excitement, and action Devil May Care/Sinner Takes All will take you on a thrill ride.”
— Georgekelley.org
Woman of Cairo / Dear, Deadly Beloved by John Flagg
(Introduction by Nicholas Litchfield)
ISBN-13: 978-1951473174
Trade Paperback | Stark House Press | 12/18/2020
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WOMAN OF CAIRO
Hart Muldoon had been a noble O.S.S. boy in the fight against the Nazis, but now he is at loose ends. Ready to leave Europe and head back home, he is coerced into one more job working with a dubious agent named Jeremiah Grant. A British bomber has disappeared near Cairo, and Grant seems to know something about it. And with Egypt ready to explode under the rule of King Farouk, Muldoon s British contact doesn’t have time to operate under normal channels. A quick and dirty espionage mission is called for. Muldoon needs to get close to Gina Ferelli, the beautiful wife of Hans von Bruckner, and penetrate the mysterious cult known as the Sons of Mecca. But first he must deal with Siegfried McCarthy, Grant s ice queen contact, and Marianne Courbert, a French singer on a mission of her own. It may be a dirty mission, but it has its benefits.
DEAR, DEADLY BELOVED
At the tail end of a long binge, Hart Muldoon finds himself on the beautiful vacation isle of Venzola in a hotel room with a murdered man. Knowing he s been set up, he only has a limited time to investigate. Suspects abound. There s the French woman in Room 26, Yvonne she knew the murdered man. And the Bennol women Mamma, Gigi and Elsa. Gigi is married to the victim, and Elsa was seen arguing with him earlier that day. There s Elsa s husband, Pepe Planquet, the great director, and his latest ingénue, the torrid Loretta Kelly. Plus the mysterious Count Cassi; the corrupt cop, Ferechini; the idealistic industrialist, Phillip Adams; and the fabulously rich Babs Wentworth. They all have something to hide, including a knife in the back of a dead man. But can Muldoon find the killer before he becomes the next victim?
REVIEWS
“According to Nicholas Litchfield’s insightful Introduction, John Flagg’s The Persian Cat (1950) was the first book Gold Medal published. He went on to publish three Hart Muldoon spy novels, all with Gold Medal. If you’re looking for fast-paced espionage novels with beautiful women, deadly killers, and treachery on every page, Woman of Cairo/Dear, Deadly Beloved will tangle you up in their sinister plots.”
— GeorgeKelley.org
“An introduction by editor and author Nicholas Litchfield traces Flagg’s career, the development of the Muldoon character, and how Flagg’s various occupations provided material for his novels and short stories. Both novels are noticeably more hardboiled than other spy novels of the era, but remain as alluring and entertaining as they were when first published. With luck, we might see more of both John Flagg and Hart Muldoon in the coming months.”
— Alan Cranis, Bookgasm
“[Woman of Cairo] is an entertaining adventure story. There are little hints of Ambler, but mostly this is surface entertainment with some sharp dialogue, a decent read. Dear, Deadly Beloved constantly surprises and heads off on unexpected paths, in addition to an intriguing adventure the character backgrounds are fascinating. As the action takes place over the course of a night, in which no one gets any sleep, the pace is breathless. With an introduction by Nicholas Litchfield.” — Crime Time
The Lover / The Mistress / The Passionate by Carter Brown
(Introduction by Nicholas Litchfield)
ISBN-13: 978-1951473266
Trade Paperback | Stark House Press | 03/04/2021
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Al Wheeler was Carter Brown’s most popular mystery series. These three novels from the late 1950s have been reprinted from the U.S. Signet Books editions. Phenomenally popular when they were first published, the Carter Brown mysteries offered pure, unpretentious pulp escapism during the Cold War years. This marks their first return to the U.S. market in over 40 years. New introduction by Nicholas Litchfield.
REVIEWS
“This fifth collection of republished mysteries, featuring Pine City Police Lt. Al Wheeler, further demonstrates Carter Brown’s skills at combining unusual plots with sarcastic humor, and features all the elements that made Brown such a popular paperback original author. The introduction to this new edition, by editor and author Nicholas Litchfield, traces Brown’s remarkably prolific output and speculates if the popularity of the Al Wheeler series was due to the original cover illustrations by Robert McGinnis. But Litchfield accurately observes, ‘The focus is not on bullets and bloodshed and grisly violence but Wheeler’s wisecracks, comebacks, and witty banter.'”
— Alan Cranis, Bookgasm
Steal Big / The Big Caper by Lionel White
(Introduction by Nicholas Litchfield)
ISBN-13: 978-1951473310
Trade Paperback | Stark House Press | 05/24/2021
Amazon | Barnes and Noble
STEAL BIG
When Donovan is released from prison, he has a plan, and he brings his cellmate Barker and a few old acquaintances in with him. Now he’s got all five of them ready to pull off the bank job that will have him set for life. There’s Jo-Jo, ex-boxer, punch-drunk, ready to do anything he asks. And Barker, of course, an ex-con with nothing less to lose. Then there’s Mamma, the ruthless lady who owns the hideout, and her son Clarence, a bank teller with a fascination for crime. And Carol; young, blonde Carol. Carol’s dad is in prison for life, unless she can get the money to free him. For one reason or other, they all need this heist. And Donovan needs them all to pull it off. It seemed so simple when Donovan put the plan together―if only it had stayed that way.
THE BIG CAPER
Flood has got it all figured. The Florida bank in Indio Beach is ripe for the picking. All he needs is a crew. First he sends Frank and Kay down to pose as a couple and set up residence. Then he sends Kosta, his arsonist, to join them; followed by an old-timer to blow the safe, a couple of strong arm killers, and two guys to cut the power. He’s got the perfect team because none of them are part of the syndicate―they’ve got no ties to screw up his plans. But Flood doesn’t figure on Kosta getting drunk and setting a fire ahead of schedule just for the fun of it. He doesn’t figure on one of his killers bringing along a woman. And he sure doesn’t figure on Frank and Kay falling in love, and wanting to get out of the caper.
New introduction by Nicholas Litchfield, afterword by Cullen Gallagher.
REVIEWS
“In his introduction, editor and author Nicholas Litchfield traces White’s career and influence on both his peers and later writers, while contrasting White’s serious fictional tone with his personal sense of humor and sarcasm. This is the fifth pairing of republished White novels from Stark House Crime Classics. From this, as well as the critical attention that bookends the two novels, it is clear that the publisher feels Lionel White deserves the attention lavished on many of his contemporaries. And these two novels are a fine place for newcomers to begin their discovery of Lionel White and see why he is considered the master of the big caper.”
— Alan Cranis, Bookgasm
“Lionel White, who wrote some of the best and authentic caper novels of the 1950s and 1960s, is well represented in this new STARK HOUSE volume. Nicholas Litchfield’s informative “The Learned, Bookless Master of the Big Caper” provides more information about Lionel White’s writing career than previous STARK HOUSE volumes. Don’t miss this latest terrific Lionel White Stark House collection!”
— GeorgeKelley.org
The Sailcloth Shroud / All the Way by Charles Williams
(Introduction by Nicholas Litchfield)
ISBN-13: 978-1951473358
Trade Paperback | Stark House Press | 08/23/2021
Amazon | Barnes and Noble
THE SAILCLOTH SHROUD
Stuart Rogers leaves Panama with two shipmates. One of them, Baxter, dies of a heart attack midway back to the States and is buried at sea. Once they dock, the other man, Keefer, is fished out of the bay three days later after having been pistol-whipped to death. He had been seen flashing a lot of money around the night before. But as far as Rogers knew, Keefer was broke. Now the cops want to know where the money came from. They don’t believe that Baxter really died at sea. Neither do the goons who pick up Rogers one night to beat the truth out of him. But if Baxter wasn’t who he seemed to be, one thing Rogers knows for sure is that he’s definitely dead―but who the hell was he?
ALL THE WAY
Marian Forsyth made Harris Chapman the prosperous man he is today. As his private secretary, she advised him on his acquisitions and turned him into a very wealthy man. She assumed she would become his second wife. But Harris made a foolish mistake: he fell in love with a younger, prettier woman. And now Harris must pay. And to that end, Marian creates a brilliant and detailed plan to steal $175,000 from him. All she needs is someone who sounds enough like Harris that he can become Harris long enough to pull it off. That’s where Jerry Forbes comes in―footloose, morally flexible, and completely obsessed with Marian. It’s the perfect match…. for the perfect crime.
REVIEWS
“Of all the crime-fiction writers who came of age in the 1950s, churning out paperback originals for Gold Medal Books, Williams (1909–75) was one of the very best. Many of his 22 novels have been reprinted over the years…and with each new reissue, Williams’ devotees find themselves hoping that this will be the one to ignite a genuine revival. That ship may have sailed, but that doesn’t lessen the reading pleasure on offer in these two examples of fine craftsmanship. Both are jewels in their own way, but The Sailcloth Shroud (1959) shines a bit brighter. The shipboard scenes are crisply written and exciting, and the wrong-man scenario from which Rogers attempts to extricate himself is convincingly orchestrated. All the Way (1958), the second novel in this fine twofer, is equally well constructed.”
— Bill Ott, Booklist
“In his introduction, editor/author Nicholas Litchfield notes that these two novels, like most of Williams’s work, was well received and favorably reviewed when first published. But due to limited print runs, they seem disappeared into obscurity. While several of his works were adapted into movies, Williams remains, as Litchfield notes, one of the best-kept secrets in noir crime fiction.
All the more reason why all crime fiction fans should take note of these two reprints.”
— Alan Cranis, Bookgasm
Grey Face / The Green Eyes of Bast by Sax Rohmer
(Introduction by Nicholas Litchfield)
ISBN-13: 978-1951473624
Trade Paperback | Stark House Press | 12/20/2021
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GREY FACE
Douglas Carey awakens from a dream of a dead grey face with piercing eyes only to discover that he has lost a fair amount of the evening. It’s not long before he discovers that he has lost more than time, because the Foreign Office reports he has been working are missing as well. Could his loss of time be associated with the small figurine given to him by the mysteriously alluring Madame Sabinov? Has Carey been hypnotized in some way? With the help of Sir Provost and his friend Muir Torrington, Carey begins an investigation that leads them to the enigmatic M. de Trepniak. What is the power of the strange blue globe he keeps in a secret room? And what is the meaning of the grey face?
THE GREEN EYES OF BAST
When lawyer Jack Addison is called upon to view the seemingly empty garage of the Red House, little could he know that the crate he viewed inside held the dead body of Sir Marcus. But later that evening, when the crate accidentally breaks open, the body is discovered―and on the crate is a painting of a green cat. Stranger still, Addison’s beloved Isobel is implicated in Sir Marcus’s death. Who is trying to cast blame on Isobel, and what is the meaning of the green figurine of a cat woman that is found at the scene of the crime? And more chillingly, what is the meaning of the two great eyes that Addison sees staring up at him from the garden… two glittering cat’s eyes!
The Big Grab / The Savage Breast by John Trinian
(Introduction by Nicholas Litchfield)
ISBN-13: 978-1951473983
Trade Paperback | Stark House Press | 08/22/2022
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THE BIG GRAB
Karl Heisler used to be a successful thief. But at 54, having spent fourteen years in prison, he’s getting old. His wife just wants him to play it safe. But he’s still got one more job in him. Which is where Frank Toschi, his former cellmate, comes in. Frank is a hard young man with a fair amount of brains and good old-fashioned guts. And he trusts Karl more than his own father. All they’ve got to do is break into the cash room at the Skyline House, a big gambling place, and they’ll both be set for life. The Skyline House is owned by the mob, and what’re they going to do about it? Cry to the cops? Karl has the perfect plan―his last big job. He may be getting old, but he will make this one a work of art.
THE SAVAGE BREAST
D.B. Sadder is rich young girl who lives with the husband her father provided her in an apartment in San Francisco. D.B. is profoundly unhappy. Her husband Gordon only disgusts her. Her father simply frightens her. Then she meets composer Harry Dazier and his two brothers at a party, and everything changes. The connection she feels with Harry is immediate. Sure, Harry drinks too much, but then so does D.B. So do they all. All except Harry’s older step-brother Sandro, who doesn’t like women, and particularly the women who try to get close to his brothers. But is he any crazier than Gordon, who has his own revenge planned for being kicked out of D.B.’s life?
REVIEWS
“First, the heist story, The Big Grab…This is a proper page-turner, and the robbery itself is tense, suspenseful, and gripping; genuinely nervy. The second story by Trinian in this double-header volume…[is] well-plotted, and the observations on character are spot-on, which does make it an interesting read. There’s also an essay by Nicholas Litchfield in this edition which is really well worth a read because it tells you a little bit about John Trinian, whose real name was Zekial Marco, and he had quite a life.”
— Paul Burke (Host), Crime Time FM podcast
Cry Scandal / Root of His Evil by William Ard
(Introduction by Nicholas Litchfield)
ISBN-13: 979-8886010022
Trade Paperback | Stark House Press | 12/16/2022
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CRY SCANDAL
It all begins when Timothy Dane’s former partner goes missing. He and Barney Glines had been private investigators but had parted company over Gline’s shady tactics. However, Gline’s secretary is worried, so Dane starts to dig. The more Dane uncovers, the dirtier Glines begins to look. He’s been working with a sleazy magazine called Info that specializes in celebrity gossip, taking their dirty secrets and dealing a little blackmail on the side. Soon Dane is working for a group of theater producers who want Info shut down for good. Then it becomes personal when Dane falls for a Broadway starlet who is next in line for the Info treatment. It all leads back to Barney Glines―who is nowhere to be found.
THE ROOT OF HIS EVIL
Johnny Cashman is trying to put together the deal of a lifetime by investing in a Latin American general who is willing to trade arms for his country’s gambling concessions in a takeover bid. But to make this happen, Cashman needs cash. So he starts to pull in some gambling debts, including the $200,000 that singer Buddy Lewis owes him. Buddy can only scrape together $100,000 but it’s enough to send Timothy Dane down to Florida to trade the cash for Buddy’s markers. Trouble is, the current Latin American regime doesn’t want a takeover, and are prepared to do whatever is necessary to stop Dane. And if that weren’t distraction enough, there’s Lissa, Cashman’s girl―one hell of a distraction.
24 Hours to Kill / Blue Mascara Tears by James McKimmey
(Introduction by Nicholas Litchfield)
ISBN-13: 979-8886010367
Trade Paperback | Stark House Press | 08/18/2023
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24 HOURS TO KILL
They were bringing in Jack Kelty. Though young, he had killed two men during a botched robbery. Thanks to reporter Martin Hillary, he is now something of a hero. Hillary is pursuing the caravan, followed by Kelty’s young gang. But as the police caravan drives Kelty to justice, a savage storm floods the area, stranding them all in the small town of Blue Valley. Most of the men of Blue Valley are fighting the flood elsewhere. Only a handful are left in town to deal with Kelty’s arrival. There’s Steve Michaels, engaged to Mayor Ben Blake’s daughter Sue; and Ben himself, who quickly appoints Steve sheriff as the flood cuts the town off from the rest of the country―and Ben’s younger daughter Gretchen, who is very curious about this renegade in their midst….very curious indeed.
BLUE MASCARA TEARS
Jack Cummings is a San Francisco cop, an honest cop. Which is why he resents the way Knocko Cutter gets away with murder. Oh sure, nothing can be proved. But Cummings knows who killed the prostitute a few weeks ago, just like he knows who’s behind the killing of a small-time gambler in a downtown hotel. But Knocko has got the fix on his side. Cummings can’t even trust his own partner. He doesn’t even know if he should trust his captain. But one thing’s for certain―he knows what he has to do. Cummings is an angry cop, a desperate cop, and he is going to get Knocko no matter what it takes.
REVIEWS
“BLUE MASCARA TEARS is an excellent novel with a complicated protagonist. It stays tough and fast all the way through. I give it a high recommendation, especially since you can get it in that double volume with an equally compelling yarn, 24 HOURS TO KILL.”
— James Reasoner, Rough Edges
The Accused / The Snatch by Harold R. Daniels
(Introduction by Nicholas Litchfield)
ISBN-13: 979-8886010480
Trade Paperback | Stark House Press | 10/12/2023
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THE ACCUSED
Alvin Morlock isn’t looking for a wife, but after a wild weekend away from his duties teaching English to a bunch of unresponsive college students, meeting Louise is a nice surprise. She seems so demure, quiet and sensitive. But after their hasty marriage, Morlock finds out that Louise is anything but demure. It starts with her not paying the household bills, several hundred dollars’ worth. Then she starts staying out, coming back drunk and argumentative―or not coming back at all. All Morlock wants is a bit of peace and quiet. All he wants is to be left to his memories of better days… Now he finds himself on trial for murder, with every witness testifying against him.
THE SNATCH
There are three of them now, but the plan started with two―Howard Mollison and Lou Morgan. Mollison is a used car salesman who got in too deep with a financial scam, and now has to come up with several thousand dollars in a hurry. Morgan tried to keep up his social position and borrowed more than he could afford, and is just as desperate to get his hands on some quick cash. So the two of them decide to kidnap the money-lender Anacosta’s young grandson. Mollison doesn’t trust Morgan to do the job right, so he brings in simple-minded Patsy to guard the kid at the old textile mill. He knows he can get Patsy to do what’s necessary when the job is done. But he was right not to trust Morgan. Because Morgan begins to develop a conscience. Keeping the boy alive is more challenging than the snatch itself because Morgan has to outwit his own partner to do so.
Nobody Lives Forever / Tomorrow’s Another Day by W. R. Burnett
(Introduction by Nicholas Litchfield)
ISBN-13: 979-8886010770
Trade Paperback | Stark House Press | 03/08/2024
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NOBODY LIVES FOREVER
Doc Ganson’s career has bottomed out, but he has a plan for the perfect con―a rich widow, ripe for the plucking. All he has to do is convince the big guy, Jim Farrar, to take her on. But Farrar is growing tired of the grifter’s life. And he certainly doesn’t want to have anything to do with a lowlife like Doc. He misses his life back in Florida, and crazy redhead Tony. But his lawyer, Johnny Doyle, talks him into it. Then Farrar meets the mark, Mrs. Halversen, and old habits take over. He charms her in spite of himself. Meanwhile, Doc is growing impatient. He doesn’t trust Farrar. And when Doc doesn’t trust someone, there’s hell to pay.
TOMORROW’S ANOTHER DAY
Everyone admires Lonnie and his carefree attitude. He seems to be born lucky, particularly at cards. He even wins Ballard’s restaurant in a card game. Which is where he meets Mary. She’s with the Greek, the only one of the gamblers who doesn’t admire Lonnie. In fact, the Greek resents him. And when Lonnie snatches Mary away from him―and marries her, no less!―his resentment turns to plans of revenge. Lonnie used to be quite a risk-taker, but under Mary’s influence, he puts all that behind him. Until the perfect scheme arrives. How could he know that behind this gamble is the Greek’s vindictive retribution?her not paying the household bills, several hundred dollars’ worth. Then she starts staying out, coming back drunk and argumentative―or not coming back at all. All Morlock wants is a bit of peace and quiet. All he wants is to be left to his memories of better days… Now he finds himself on trial for murder, with every witness testifying against him.
REVIEWS
“Fans of hardboiled detective stories and old-time gangster movies should love this reissue of two novellas by the writer-screenwriter-producer who arguably started the whole noir genre with Little Caesar, which appeared as a novel in 1929 and as a hit movie in 1931. Critic Nicholas Litchfield’s introduction, “The Gangster Novel Writer Who Was Shot with Luck,” provides an engaging look at Burnett and his work.” (Starred review.)
— Connie Fletcher, Booklist
Murder in Monaco / Death’s Lovely Mask by John Flagg
(Introduction by Nicholas Litchfield)
ISBN-13: 979-8886010848
Trade Paperback | Stark House Press | 04/30/2024
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MURDER IN MONACO
“It began as one of those casual dates…I’d met her the night before in Monte Carlo.” So begins agent Hart Muldoon’s latest mystery. Nancy Trippe works for National Alert, a tell-all magazine, and offers him four thousand dollars for a job finding some stolen letters that “might involve murder.” When Muldoon visits the publisher’s mistress, Amy Grant, he finds that murder is indeed involved—Charles Pless has just been poisoned. Someone substituted cyanide for his adrenalin heart pill. Now it’s up to Muldoon to track down the letters while trying to discover who killed the promiscuous publisher. Was it Alva Creighton, author of the compromising letters? Harold Jones, her body-building boyfriend, trying to protect her? Ballentine Black, the blackmailing ex-agent? Or Trippe herself, working her way up the ladder of success?
DEATH’S LOVELY MASK
Hart Muldoon is in Venice on a case for the U.S. government, only this time he is asked to betray a lover: “It was getting to be deep down in somebody else’s dream now…Too many villains and too few cops. A Prince in love, an Arab drowned in the Grand Canal, a whore spouting romantic nonsense beneath pornographic pictures in a beach cabana, hatchet men in unlikely guise moving toward a Masked Ball and a payoff, a jerk husband trying to hire me to track myself down to his wife’s bed, a salty old New England character whose motives were apparently far from what I had first suspected, and above all a girl named Linda whose cool and level gaze had sent me skittering toward the cliffs of guilt. Linda whom I saw as damned and yet who had crawled under my skin as no other woman had been able to do…”
The Man With My Face / The Grinning Gismo by Samuel W. Taylor
(Introduction by Nicholas Litchfield)
ISBN-13: 979-8886010862
Trade Paperback | Stark House Press | 07/05/2024
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THE MAN WITH MY FACE
What do you do when you come home to your wife, pork chops in hand, ready for dinner, only to find another man in your home who looks exactly like you? Who, in fact, claims to be you? Not only that, but your wife and two best friends agree with him. Even your dog doesn’t recognize you. And when you call in a cop, you can’t find one bit of identification to back up your claim. If you’re Chick Graham, you get the hell out of there and try to figure out what’s going on. But whoever this guy is who has taken your place, he’s done an excellent job. And not only that, he’s robbed a million dollars in bonds, and gotten away with it. And now everyone thinks that you are him!
THE GRINNING GISMO
The letter from Jim asks Hank to come out west to San Francisco and “get close to Clara” but not to let Clara knew who he is. Which is weird enough since Jim is supposed to be dead. But Hank knows the letter had come from Jim because he recognizes the distinctive E’s of his old Corona. Then he receives a phone call from a Mr. Smith warning him to stay home or he’ll be murdered. Hank decides he has to go. It is soon obvious that he is being followed by a strange couple. Once in San Francisco, he finds Clara, who works for a dentist—she recognizes him immediately. And now he is plagued by blinding headaches, for which the dentist recommends immediate surgery. Something about this whole situation is terribly wrong. If Jim is really still alive…. where the hell is he? And why does he seem to want Hank dead?
Fools Walk In / So Wicked My Love by Bruno Fischer
(Introduction by Nicholas Litchfield)
ISBN-13: 979-8886011241
Trade Paperback | Stark House Press | 01/06/2025
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FOOLS WALK IN: What do you do when you’re an English professor living with his needy sister and you pick up a young lady on the run who wants your company? You’ve played it safe all your life. You’ve let your sister call the shots, even when that means she chases other women away. Then one rainy night you stop for gas and spot a woman with a suitcase hiding in the buses. As you start to get in your car, she asks for a ride. You drop her off but next day, she’s at your front door. Your first inclination is to ask her to leave. But temptation beckons… how it beckons… and now you’re living in a secluded cabin with a gang of thieves—and they think you’re one of them!
SO WICKED MY LOVE: Ray Whitehead has just been dumped by his fiancé Florence. He’s still carrying the diamond engagement ring when he runs into hometown girl, pretty little redheaded Cherry Drew. Feeling sorry for himself, he gives it to her, happy to be rid of the thing. How could he know that he had just opened a door to a world of gangsters, robbery and death? Because Cherry is on the run from some very tough customers she has double-crossed, and white knight Ray is suddenly just the man she’s looking for. No matter that Florence soon changes her mind. Cherry has the ring, and before she’s through, she’s determined to have Ray all to herself—if he lives that long!