Re: RARA-AVIS: Cleve Adams in New Mexico

From: E.Borgers ( wbac12034@tiscali.be)
Date: 02 Apr 2004


I do not know about THE PRIVATE EYE, but in defence of Clifton Adams one must not forget that some of his novels are rather good but they are in the western genre. On the other hand, a lot of westerns by Adams are HB/noir in disguise, typical "cross over" novels. I think that his prolific production, and the sometime restricted point of views developed by his characters, worked against him. This Oklahoma born writer did not produce many real noir/HB (4 or 5 ??), and they are not his tops.

Amongst his best novels (found in its westerns, but they are HB/noir by essence), I recommend: THE DESPERADO (1959), then with the same character: A NOOSE FOR THE DESPERADO (1961); there's also the very good THE MOST DANGEROUS PROFESSION
(1967).

Adams used also two pseudos: Jonathan Gant and Clay Randall.

E.Borgers Hard-Boiled Mysteries http://www.geocities.com/Athens/6384

A 23:46 1/04/2004 -0500, vous avez 飲it :
>For the American southwest theme, I'm going to read THE PRIVATE EYE by
>Cleve F. Adams, which is set in New Mexico. I was looking forward to it
>until I checked the archives and saw what was said about him in May 2000.
>Mr. Glenewinkel said he "never came further than about 30 or 50 pages
>[into an Adams book] because I was so utterly bored." Mr. Taboada said
>Adams was bigoted and jingoistic. Mr. Engwall said NO WINGS ON A COP was
>"utterly forgettable."
>
>Bill
>--
>William Denton : Toronto, Canada : http://www.miskatonic.org/ : Caveat lector.
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