Marty Burns

Created by J.S. Russell

Former television child star MARTY BURNS (you remember that classic oldie hit sitcom Salt and Pepper, right?) is now just another LA private dickcracking wise and trying to walk in Marlowe’s shoes, who gets sucked into the usual mess of pimps, disemboweled hookers, snuff films, samurais from Hell, and nefarious supernatural plots to summon real demons into the present-day Los Angeles.

Huh?

But after the notoriety he received from his first recorded case, Celestial Dogs (1997), Marty’s back in the high life again, with a brand new private eye series, Burning Bright. In England to promote it in the cleverly titled Burning Bright (1997), however, he soon runs afoul of assorted Nazis, skinheads and an evil, otherworldly conspiracy that could trigger the Apocalypse.

As one does…

Marty returned in Greed & Stuf (2001), with Burning Bright’s rating drooping and anxieties over the show’s fate coming to a boil, when he agrees to look  in the studio archives for a complete print of the 1950 film noir, The Devil on Sunday, which is rumoured to be due for a remake. The woo-woo stuff is turned down a few notches here, but Russell crams in enough Tinseltown skullduggery (up to, and including murder) to keep most mystery fans satisfied.

The publishers have labelled these books “supernatural-horror-comedy-mysteries,” but you can just file ‘em under Gonzo, and don’t look back….

UNDER OATH

• “Enough reincarnations, swordfights, disembowelings, and ritual murders for a whole series that’ll never turn up on Nickelodeon.”
  — Kirkus Associates on Celestial Dogs
• “Russell’s ability to blend supernatural horror with, in some ways, even more horrific reality is unique. Couple this with incisive, and witty dialogue, truly convincing characterisation, and heart-stopping shocks, you couldn’t wish for more. The plot is fast-paced and well developed, with a number of sharp shocks along the way. All very impressive. This is a book to savour.”
  — Tangled Web On-line Crime & Mystery Journal on Burning Bright
• “Jay Russell is a brave man. He spares no one, or rather, he spears everyone, from Calista Flockhart to Chris Carter, from Joel Schumacher to Joel Silver. Greed & Stuff is sharp, comic, and out there–a book for mystery readers not satisfied with tamer stuff.”
  –Otto Penzler

NOVELS

• Celestial Dogs (1997) |  Buy this book
• Burning Bright (1997) | Buy this book
• Greed & Stuff (2001). Buy This Book

Report respectfully submitted by Kevin Burton Smith.