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
Category Archives: News
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
Posse McMillan: Kent Harrington and the Third Degree
Our buddy Kent Harrington from the old Posse McMillan days — and up to today — fields some snoopy queries in his latest interview over on the Noir Con site. He mentions Dennis McMillan and the days of yesteryear, plus … Continue reading
Posse McMillan: Jim Nisbet, Mort
Just got a message from Kent Harrington at 6p.m., who says: “Jim Nisbet passed today. Dennis just texted me.” Another writer from Posse McMillan down.
Two-Gun Bob: A Pure Text Conundrum
Or would it be Conandrum? In his constant prowling around eBay from his lair in Bismarck, North Dakota, Brian Leno noticed something neither he nor I could recall hearing of before — a chunk out of a Robert E. Howard … Continue reading
Posted in News, REH
Tagged "Vultures of Wahpeton", Brian Leno, Joe Marek, Smashing Novels, Smashing Western
Noir: More Murderous Monday
On Saturday July 23 I pulled on the worn gumshoes and led a group by appointment up and down the mean streets, and a fun parade it turned out to be. A guy named Alec Binnie arranged the deal. He … Continue reading
Rediscovered: The Return of a Doc
A year ago Brian Leno was appalled when bestseller James Patterson tried to write a novel featuring The Shadow. Now he’s got word that Patterson is moving in on Doc Savage — and we know how much Brian likes Doc: … Continue reading
