Will Murray, pulp historian and latter-day Kenneth Robeson, just sent me a link to “a biographical page about a writer who committed suicide a few months after his last book received a scathing review by Dashiell Hammett.”
The bio on the author J. Aubrey Tyson is from January 2019, only seven years ago — we report new news, old news. Hammett news.
Turns out the info comes from a blog — Lesser Known Writers — by our pal Doug Anderson. Covering the waterfront where Neglected Writers roam. I think Doug is right up there with the late Richard Dalby for this sort of thing.
The review by Hammett hit print June 23 1930 and the body was found October 16 — a little over three months later.
Will says, “Probably a coincidence….”
Yeah, probably. I’m sure the guy had other troubles to worry about — but man, that is one killer review.
