Nicholas Litchfield Reviews

The Money by David Shawn Klein

Debut Novel by David Shawn Klein

In 2012, David Shawn Klein wrote a memorable short story (“The Final Ascent of Hal Tripp”) about a playboy adventurer attempting to conquer Everest. It was a gripping drama, set against a stunning backdrop, published in issue #12 of Lowestoft Chronicle and anthologized in INTREPID TRAVELERS the following year. Immediately, I had high hopes for Klein (forgive the weak pun). Many years have come and gone, and during that time, Klein has had some quality stories published in venues like The Hudson Review. Finally, though, he has a novel due for publication. It’s titled THE MONEY, and it’s an action-packed literary thriller with strong doses of humor and very fine plotting.

I was fortunate to have read an advanced draft of the novel, and all I can say is that the writing exceeded my expectations. Klein’s deft mix of razor-sharp wit, astute observations, and fierce action turn this riveting tale of a knavish lawyer embarking on a perilous moral crusade into a sublime literary debut. THE MONEY will shock, surprise, seduce, and, ultimately, satisfy those who appreciate dry humor and gritty drama.

Late last month, Black Rose Writing finally published the novel.

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Hsi-wei Tales by Robert Wexelblatt

Litchfield reviews ‘Hsi-wei Tales’ for the Colorado Review

Published today in the Colorado Review is my review of Robert Wexelblatt’s wonderful story collection Hsi-wei Tales. Here is a snippet: “There is an admirable, lyrical splendor to Robert Wexelblatt’s heartwarming tales centered on the fictional Chen Hsi-wei, an itinerant Chinese shoemaker and celebrated peasant-poet of the Sui period.”

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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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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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Litchfield Reviews Tall, Dark and Dead by Kermit Jaediker, The Savage Chase by Frederick Lorenz, and Run the Wild River by D.L. Champion

Blackmail and murder, the abduction of a compulsive gambler, and a crook’s ambition to control the trafficking of ‘wetbacks’ across the U.S. border are among the trio of gritty tales first published in paperback by Lion Books in the 1950s and reprinted in this classic noir collection. Originally published in hardback by Mystery House in

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Madball by Fredric Brown

Litchfield Reviews Fredric Brown’s Madball for the Lancashire Post

Nicholas Litchfield in the Lancashire Post: Fredric Brown, who died in 1972 at age 65, was an accomplished American mystery and science fiction author of more than 30 books and 300 short stories and vignettes. His debut novel, The Fabulous Clipjoint, won the Edgar Award, and a number of his stories were adapted for the screen, including Martians, Go Home, Madman’s Holiday (filmed as Crack-Up), and The Screaming Mimi, which was the basis of a 1958 movie by Columbia Pictures and also an enormously successful Italian film titled The Bird With The Crystal Plumage.

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To The Bones by Valerie Nieman

Litchfield reviews ‘To the Bones’ for the Colorado Review

Published today in the Colorado Review is my review of Valerie Nieman’s novel To the Bones. Here is a snippet: “In this unusual tale of death and monsters and environmental devastation, horror, science fiction, romance, and satire bleed together to form a vibrant literary delight that is as powerful and imposing as the fearsome orange-hued river that runs through it.”

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Litchfield reviews ‘Smoke City’ for the Colorado Review

“Although somewhat uneven and, at times, repetitive, Smoke City is a distinctive, emotionally rewarding story that moves and entertains. Rosson, whose debut novel, The Mercy of the Tide, netted strong critical reviews, once again shows his talent for creating authentic, sorrowful characters and rich, beautifully wrought prose.” Weaving between hope and destruction, fear and sorrow,

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