Category Archives: Lit

Rediscovered: W. R. Burnett on Defund the Police

Posted on May 22, 2022 by Don

A few weeks ago I finally got around to reading the heist-gone-wrong classic The Asphalt Jungle from 1949 by W. R. Burnett. With his first novel in 1929, Little Caesar, Burnett made his name. A cornerstone of crime fiction, the … Continue reading →

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Rediscovered: Val Lewton

Posted on May 21, 2022 by Don

Autograph Hound Saturday once more, and Brian Leno is back to give us a glance at one of his most recent acquisitions in the Department of Serious John Hancocks. Take it, Brian: I haven’t seen too many Val Lewton signatures … Continue reading →

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Rediscovered: Another “Lost” Arkham

Posted on May 10, 2022 by Don

As usual, I was sitting around minding my own business, collecting Arkham House ephemera, when I realized I might have spotted another “lost” Arkham House book. For decades fans have been noting books that once may have made it into … Continue reading →

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Hammett: Jonathan Latimer Cracks Wise

Posted on May 3, 2022 by Don

Got some notes in from Terry Zobeck, who is deep into the forgotten mags of the early 1920s on a Hammett hunt. Big game bibliography at its finest. But he’s not always prowling the primeval pagination, like a regular guy … Continue reading →

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Rediscovered: Poe’s Mustache

Posted on April 30, 2022 by Don

Autograph Hound Saturday, with Brian Leno back on the stick to show off another offtrail corner of his John Hancock hobby. While I’m sure Brian would have nothing against getting some major signature if he had the opportunity, a Bill … Continue reading →

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Frisco Beat: Worley Recalled

Posted on April 25, 2022 by Don

Yet another mini-memoir of crime writer William Worley has wandered into the traffic on These Mean Streets, this one from Linda Shaw — a student from one of his classes in Lowell High: I had not thought about Mr. William … Continue reading →

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Frisco Beat: Back to Chinatown

Posted on April 19, 2022 by Don

For those of you in the game of collecting San Francisco Mysteries, Connie di Marco is one of the current writers jumping into the fray — on April 26 her new one Serpent’s Doom, fourth entry in her series of the … Continue reading →

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Rediscovered: At the Earth’s Core

Posted on April 9, 2022 by Don

News that a deluxe signed artist’s edition of At the Earth’s Core is coming up spurred Brian Leno to dig out some apt John Hancockery from his bulging files for Autograph Hound Saturday. Here’s Brian from the signature vaults: I … Continue reading →

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Rediscovered: Wetjen Returns

Posted on April 6, 2022 by Don

I’d almost suspect that Brian Leno has gone all lazy on me, since he hasn’t popped in a new post in over a month — my god, does he expect me to handle all the Mean Streets action by myself? … Continue reading →

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Rediscovered: The Bantam Docs

Posted on February 26, 2022 by Don

Earlier today Brian Leno was claiming that he’s “no expert on Doc Savage.” Yeah, sure, he’s not Will Murray, but he has contributed to Big Book of Bronze. And at the end of last year he was very happy when … Continue reading →

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