"Guilt-Edged Blonde"--I read all the Lew Archer novels and
stories so long
ago that rereading them now is like reading new stories. I
had no memory
of this one at all, other than the title. I enjoyed it quite
a bit, and
the detachedness of Archer doesn't bother me because
Macdonald is so good
with all the other characters.
"Mama's Boy"--I'd never read any of Alexander's work before.
This is a
very compelling story, and while this may be a little
off-the-wall, the
main character reminded me of what I've read about Andrew
Cunanan.
Alexander's descriptions of New York are very good.
"The Screen Test of Mike Hammer"--This is more of a curiosity
than a story,
and while nobody admires Spillane more than I do, I didn't
care for this.
Mike didn't really sound like himself most of the time and
what little plot
there was seemed forced. However, how much can any writer do
in such a
short space?
"Home"--I've read several of Gil Brewer's novels and liked
them all. This
is a pretty good story, though the abrupt ending was
certainly bleak.
Brewer seems to know what he's talking about.
Best wishes,
James Reasoner
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