Illustrator (1921 - 2005) "The Damned Lovely," she of the smoking gun and overturned chair, pretty much sums up ROBERT A. MAGUIRE's ouevre. It's the original ilustration for a 1955 paperback of the same name by Jack Webb (the mystery writer, not the Dragnet guy). Stripped of text and layout, it's about as pure Maguire … Continue reading They Also Served: Robert A. Maguire
Tag: Hard Case Crime
Eddie Miles
Created by Jack Clark Oh, what a difference a blurb makes... Originally, author Jack Clark, already a Shamus finalist for his first novel, was flogging his self-published novel Nobody's Angel for five bucks apiece to passengers in his Chicago cab. Hard Case Crime took note, and published the book for real in 2010, with … Continue reading Eddie Miles
Twenty-Twenty
Twenty Private Eye Novels from Hard Case Crime's First Twenty Years In 2024, feisty little Hard Case Crime , founded by Charles Ardai and Max Phillips back in 2004, celebrated its twentieth anniversary, but its mission statement remains the same, to bring you "the best in hard-boiled crime fiction, ranging from lost noir masterpieces … Continue reading Twenty-Twenty
Payton Sherwood
Created by Russell Atwood New York City is private eye PAYTON SHERWOOD's turf, and if the streets occasionally seem a bit more hinky than mean, well, so be it. That's because author Russell Atwood has delivered an eye that acknowledges the traditions of the P.I. genre, while still having a bit of fun with it, … Continue reading Payton Sherwood
John Blake
Created by Richard Aleas Pseudonym of Charles Ardai Hard Case Crime founding editor and author Charles Ardai ought to be slapped around at least a little bit for using Richard Aleas as a pen name (even if it is a cockeyed anagram of his own name). But we'll cut him some slack since he's offered … Continue reading John Blake
Ray Corson
Created by Max Phillips "Well, maybe she wasn't all that blonde, but it'd be a crime to call hair like that light brown. It was more sort of lion-colored." One of the first books released under the Hard Case Crime imprint, co-founder Max Phillips' Fade to Blonde immediately set the standard for the feisty paperback … Continue reading Ray Corson
Charlie “The Hook” Swift
Created by Victor Gischler CHARLIE "THE HOOK" SWIFT was one of the hard-boiled kinda guys in a promising new series of stories back when this site started. Written by one of fellow upstarts in those heady times, Victor Gischler's first story featuring Charlie, "Hitting Rufus," was selected by Otto Penzler for his Best American Mystery … Continue reading Charlie “The Hook” Swift
Matt Cordell/Curt Cannon
Created by Evan Hunter/Ed McBain/Curt Cannon Né Salvatore Lombino Pseudonyms include Ed McBain, Evan Hunter, Hunt Collins, Richard Marsten, Ezra Hannon,John Abbott (1926 -2005) It's not the 87th Precinct but former private eye turned alcoholic skid-row bum CURT CANNON is a P.I. well worth the visit. Even in the Bowery, people have problems, and Cannon … Continue reading Matt Cordell/Curt Cannon
The Twenty-Year Death Trilogy
Created by Ariel S. Winter "I had on my good suit, a navy blue so deep it looked black, with a pressed white shirt, a red-and-blue-striped tie, a red handkerchief, and freshly polished loafers. I'd had a shower and a shave." -- Dennis Foster calls on his client, in The Falling Star "Yeah, I'd always … Continue reading The Twenty-Year Death Trilogy
Minky Woodcock
Created by Cynthia von Buhler Hard Case Crime/Titan Comics stepped briefly out of its hard-boiled shell for the 1920s period piece fantasy-tinged limited series. The Girl Who Handcuffed Houdini, set in the surprisingly sexy world of 1920s magic. Plucky, kinky, rabbit-loving MINKY WOODCOCK (she's a penpal of Agatha Christie!) is tired of being dismissed by … Continue reading Minky Woodcock