I just finished an ARC for an upcoming Hardcase Case
original, Robbie's Wife by Russell Hill and this is really
quite a remarkable achievement. It's a bit like Body Heat
except set in the English countryside with a slower, more
languid tone, plus with the husband and protagonist flipped
around (husband is young, attractive, virile while the guy
who gets seduced is well past middle-aged). The first 150
pages the pacing is on the slow side and it's mostly the
exceptional quality of the writing that keeps the reader
going, but then the book picks up speed and the protagonist
ends up sinking to levels of noir hell that few have ever
reached. This one is well worth reading, and with the
recently released The Peddler by Richard Prather, Hardcase
has given us two very distinct and rewarding visions of noir.
Well done, Charles-- and please pass onto Russell what a
remarkable book this is!
--Dave Z.
This archive was generated by hypermail 2b29 : 27 Jan 2007 EST