Welcome to a hard-boiled and not without noir blog with news and reviews, occasional outbursts of maniacal Autograph Hound activity, plus archival records from the forty-five year run of The Dashiell Hammett Tour. 
The Dashiell Hammett Tour
1977-2022
Arkham House Ephemera
The Classic Years 1937–1973
Death Lit
Essays and Reviews Selected from Fifty Years of Writing 1974–2024
Willeford
The Book
Monthly Archives: November 2022
Posse McMillan: More on Nisbet
Noted book and pulp collector Kevin Cook sent in a few thoughts on the recent death of Jim Nisbet: I was saddened to hear of the death of Jim Nisbet at age 75. Nisbet was a tremendously uneven author. I … Continue reading
Rediscovered: The Latest “Doc Savage”
Brian Leno said he was going to read the new James Patterson “Doc Savage” novel — and he dood it: A few days ago my mail carrier dropped off The Perfect Assassin, the new novel by the writing team of … Continue reading
Posted in Lit, News
Tagged Brian Leno, Brian Sitts, Doc Savage, James Patterson, Lester Dent, The Shadow
Rediscovered: Derleth’s Last Book — Well, In His Lifetime
John D. Haefele — author of Lovecraft: The Great Tales, A Look Behind the Derleth Mythos, etc. — just popped up an article further investigating how many — or how few — copies may exist of the last of many, … Continue reading
Tour: Just Over Twenty Years Ago. . .
Our pal Mike Humbert sent a couple of images winging around the net, with the info line: “Two pics from me taking the Dashiell Hammett tour for the first time, October 27, 2002.” Twenty years ago and change. Image at … Continue reading
Rediscovered: Mansfield
And Brian Leno wraps up today’s gallery of Ripperish autos, but you know, I bet he has lots more against the next time he notices an anniversary coming up: Richard Mansfield was a well respected actor during the time of … Continue reading
Rediscovered: Warren
Brian Leno offers another auto in the rogue’s gallery of Jack the Ripper: Charles Warren is not really a serious suspect for The Ripper, but in Stephen Knight’s very interesting Jack the Ripper: The Final Solution is presented as being … Continue reading
Rediscovered: Miles
And more “suspects,” courtesy the curiosity cabinets of Brian Leno: Frank Miles was an artist and shared a house with Oscar Wilde — at least they shared accommodations until they possibly got into a lover’s spat and Miles kicked Oscar … Continue reading
Rediscovered: Treves
Another Ripper suspect pool, per Brian Leno: Dr. Frederick Treves has only been lightly considered as a potential Ripper suspect, and even one of his patients has come under investigation. Joseph Merrick, the Elephant Man. Now, only a bonehead would … Continue reading
Rediscovered: Stephen
Brian Leno brings out some of the myriad suspects in the Ripper annals: The book that really got my interest going with The Ripper was Michael Harrison’s Clarence, which stated James Kenneth Stephen and the Duke of Clarence were lovers. … Continue reading
Posted in Lit, News
Tagged Autographs, Brian Leno, Jack the Ripper, James Kenneth Stephen, Virginia Wolfe
Rediscovered: Ripper
On These Mean Streets I’d think Brian Leno is best known in his role as a maniacal Autograph Hound, but his first appearance as a Guest Blogger back in 2011 featured a side hobby, dabbling in Ripperology. Of course he … Continue reading
