I picked up a Ralph Dennis PBO in a bookstore and finished
reading MURDER'S NOT AN ODD JOB (1974), Number Six in the
Hardman
(w/sidekick Hump Evans) series. The paperback cost 95 cents
and has a cigarette (for Kent Menthol, a man's brand?)
advertisement card inserted in the pages. The backcover blurb
reads, "HARDMAN is a great new private eye for the shockproof
'70s."
Also of interest, the front page contains this
statement:
"All POPULAR LIBRARY books are carefully selected by the
POPULAR LIBRARY Editorial Board and represent titles by the
world's greatest authors." The members of the board aren't
given.
I see from the RARE BIRDS archives we discussed Mr. Dennis in
January 2003. I haven't read any other HARDMAN titles, but
this one feels like Mr. Dennis had hit his stride in the
series. Hardman and Hump are hired to protect a rich man's
son from a hitman. The twists are great. The action scenes
are first rate. The dialogue snaps. Dennis is adept at pacing
in a hardboiled PI book. Somehow I can picture Charles
Bronson playing PI Hardman. If I run across other Hardman
titles, I'll give them a ride around the block.
Ed Lynskey
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