Created by James Hadley Chase Pseudonym of Rene Brabazon Raymond Other pseudonyms include Raymond Marshall, Ambrose Grant & James L. Dougherty (1906-1985) "Once, on a sultry June evening, Steve Harmas accidentally stops at the entrance to a luxurious Hollywood club, looking for an empty table, and just at that moment a tall man in a … Continue reading Steve Harmas
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The Hammer
Winners of The PWA Hammer Award The Hammer, first presented in 2007, goes to the character, not the author, for his/her contribution to, and longevity in the field. It's named after Mike Hammer, of course, who certainly made his mark, and so far, thanks to Max Allan Collins, has shown no sign of leaving... 2007 … Continue reading The Hammer
The Eye
Winners of The PWA Lifetime Achievement Award The Eye, the Private Eye Writers of America's Lifetime Achievement award, was first presented in 1982. It isn't given out every year, but then again, they don't just bestow it on anyone... 1982Ross Macdonald 1983Mickey Spillane 1984William Campbell Gault 1985Howard Browne 1986Richard S. Prather 1987Bill Pronzini 1988Dennis Lynds, … Continue reading The Eye
“The Gospel According to Gordon Black”
By Richard Helms Featuring Eamon Gold Fall 2007 Gordon Black was a short man with an intimidating stare. His hair and beard were completely white. He liked to accentuate his points by drawing circles in the air with his index fingers. “We are nothing but organic flotsam, bobbing in the infinite sea of life. Don't you … Continue reading “The Gospel According to Gordon Black”
Slim Callaghan
Created by Peter Cheyney (1896-1951) Hard-boiled (some would argue over-boiled), bull-in-a-china-shop SLIM CALLAGHAN, prone to lying to just about anyone about just about anything, is--after Lemmy Caution--the most famous of Cheyney's tough guys. Unlike Lemmy, readers are mercifully spared the ersatz Americanisms--Slim is an English tough guy, a private eye working in England. Anthony Boucher even … Continue reading Slim Callaghan
Twenty-One Private Eye Classics
From The Reader's Guide to the Private Eye Novel by Gary Warren Niebuhr Compiled by Gary Warren Niebuhr, one of the true experts in the genre and a guy at least as obsessed as I am about all things P.I., The Reader's Guide to the Private Eye Novel (1993), is a whopper of a book, and an … Continue reading Twenty-One Private Eye Classics
Mike Monster
Created by Dick Briefer (art) "I hate complicated cases. Dey gimme a migraine." We're way out of the woods with this one, folks. One-eyed, fedora-and-trenchcoat wearing MIKE MONSTER, billed as "the most monstrous shamus of all!" was concocted to satisfy the allegedly "red-blooded, ferocious" readers of ZANY (a would-be rival of MAD Magazine back in the … Continue reading Mike Monster
Eric Bolan (The Silent Whisper)
Created by Jonathan Betuel When the family of a San Francisco cop ERIC BOLAN (David Beecroft) discovered his wife and two young children had been targeted by the serial killer he had been investigating, he rushed to defend them--but arrived too late, and had his throat and his vocal chords slashed. Left unable to speak, … Continue reading Eric Bolan (The Silent Whisper)
Barney Calhoun
Created by Richard Deming Pseudonyms include Max Franklin, Emily Moor, Ellery Queen (1915-1983) "Don't fret about my ethics, Joe... show me an angle and I'll shoot it." BARNEY CALHOUN is six-foot-two and 210 pounds of ex-cop turned P.I. out of Buffalo, New York, who's tired of eating hamburger. When a wad of cash is waved … Continue reading Barney Calhoun
Frank Burly
Created by John Swartzwelder (1949--) "I'll explain the dog costume in a minute." -- Burly Go Home D'oh! Once upon a time, the roundest peg in a world of square holes, John Swartzwelder, was the go-to guy when it came to writing for The Simpsons, the animated pop culture juggernaut that's been rumbling through this promised … Continue reading Frank Burly