Created by Manuel Ramos Speaking of books set in Denver, don't miss Manuel Ramos' excellent books about LUIS MONTEZ, a well-meaning but burned out Chicano lawyer fighting a losing battle against middle age and crime and his ideals. He studied law during the Chicano Movement, and admires political activism, but is conscious of its excesses. … Continue reading Luis Montez
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Shankarlal
Created by TamilvananPseudonym of Lakshmanan Ramanathan Chettiar The U.S. was certainly not the only country to periodically go gaga over pulp fiction. In the forties, the libraries of the Indian province of Tamil were crammed with "thuppariyum kathaigal" (detective stories) and a steady flood of crime and detective flicks swamped local cinemas in the 1960s … Continue reading Shankarlal
Byomkesh Bakshi
Created by Saradindu Bandopaddhyay Pseudonyms include as Mouri Nodir Teere (1899-1970) Don't call BYOMKESH BAKSHI a"private eye." Don't even call him a "detective," or an "investigator." He doesn't like any of those words. He prefers Satyanweshi, which is inscribed on a brass plaque in front of his Kolkata (Calcutta) home. It's the Bengali word for "The … Continue reading Byomkesh Bakshi
Parker Pyne
Created by Agatha Christie (1890-1976) “Are you happy? If not, consult Parker Pyne.” Not so much a detective as a problem solver for hire, Agatha Christie's PARKER PYNE is a retired civil servant (he compiled statistics), living a quiet life in London with what turns out to be a profitable side gig. He calls himself … Continue reading Parker Pyne
Out of the Past and Against All Odds
Two versions of one story... with a 32 minute difference By Sam Wiebe The following is from Sam Wiebe's always interesting newsletter (available in free and paid versions, wherein he expounds on writing, crime fiction, film and whatever else catches his attention. Sam, of course, is the award-winning Canadian crime writer and the creator of … Continue reading Out of the Past and Against All Odds
Vandy Myrick
Created by Delia Pitts Black Jersey girl VANDY MYRICK is the "toughest bitch" in Queenstown, New Jersey. Just ask her. Okay, it's a barely a dot on the map, with a population of only about nine thousand or so, an exurb crammed into twelve square miles, surrounded by farmer fields, warehouses, Big Pharma labs, and … Continue reading Vandy Myrick
Nameless (Io so che tu sai che io so)
Created by Alberto Sordi, Augusto Caminito, and Rodolfo Sonego Okay, this one's a real stretch... Less a private eye film than a film that uses the private eye as a catalyst, offering a cock-eyed look at the aftermath of a private eye's investigation., the 1982 Italian comedy Io so che tu sai che io so … Continue reading Nameless (Io so che tu sai che io so)
Lily Crow
Created by by Liliana Hart. LILY CROW is the heroine in a one-off from author Liliana Hart; a spin-off novella from Hart's best-selling Laurel Valley romance-tinged series of thrillers, which follows the lives (and loves) of the O'Hara clan of the sleepy, idyllic, post card-perfect town of Laurel Valley, Idaho. But Return to Laurel Valley … Continue reading Lily Crow
Daniel Boone
(1734–1820) "What a Boone. What a wonder. What a dream-comer-truer, was he..." --lyrics from the TV theme song by Vera Matson and Lionel Newman "When the legend becomes fact, print the legend...” from The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance Ah, the interconnectedness of all things... One of my very first childhood heroes (after Roy Rogers, … Continue reading Daniel Boone
John Ryan
Created by Roger Torrey Pseudonyms include Sam Drake, Samuel Drake, John Ryan, R.D. Torrey (1901-46) Yet another of pulpster Torey's seemingly endless supply of hard-boiled private eyes, JOHN RYAN--occasionally accompanied by his bull terrier companion/bodyguard Toby--appeared in at least six stories in 1943-44. And possibly more. With authors as prolific (and hungry) as as some … Continue reading John Ryan