Friday's Forgotten Books: The Man Who Went Up In Smoke by Maj Sjöwall and Per Wahlöö

The worst of it was that, deep down within himself, he knew that he had not been guided by any kind of impulse at all. It was just his policeman’s soul—or whatever it might be called—that had started to function. It was the same instinct that made Kollberg sacrifice his time off—a kind of occupational disease that forced him to take on all assignments and do his best to solve them.

The Man Who Went Up In Smoke begins with Inspector Martin Beck taking a well-deserved vacation with his family. Of course, the reader knows ahead of Beck that with twenty-nine chapters to go, he can kiss his vacation goodbye. Beck’s superiors call him back to the office and then send him to Hungary to search for a missing journalist named Alf Matsson. After initally being followed and verbally roughed up by the local police, he gains their respect as he searches the criminal underbelly of their country. Eventually his search makes him wonder if Matsson ever entered Hungary.

The Martin Beck stories, written with authentic detail, are known for changing the rules of police procedurals. Maybe that's true, but, for me, the joy of reading this novel was the way in which the lead character is drawn. Like Marlowe or Archer, Beck is a complex character that I enjoyed spending time with and find myself wanting to learn more.

There are only ten books which means I will probably take my time reading them over the next several years. For most of you, this series is probably far from forgotten and now I can say the same.

After I finished reading this over the holidays, I noticed Sarah Weinman at Confessions of an Idiosyncratic Mind was reading this book also. For her take on it, check out her post.

Plus: http://www.kirjasto.sci.fi/sjowall.htm

Click here for more Friday's Forgotten Books on Patti Abbott's site.

Two Sentence Tuesday

I recently read William P. McGivern's Odds Against Tomorrow. Two lines (ok, three) from this great pulp:

"You afraid of getting a ticket?" Earl's foot came down hard on Ingram's, pushing the accelerator flat against the floor boards. The car leaped ahead like an angry animal into the walls of rainwater, the motor snarling under the full load of power.

Has anyone seen the film based on this book? The stellar cast includes Harry Belafonte, Robert Ryan, and Ed Begley. The Wikipedia write-up claims it is the first noir of the classic period with an African-American protagonist.

My two lines come from a story with the original title of "The Education of a Pulp Writer" coming up in the April Issue of Cindy Rosmus's Yellow Mama.

“I’m not some sicko. I’m a pulp writer who has to think, occasionally, like a sicko to grab the attention of readers who enjoy perusing pages dedicated to the warped souls who walk amongst us.”

For more Two Sentence thrills, check out the Women of Mystery blog.

The Minstrel of Metairie

I was at an antique store in Louisiana when my eye was drawn to this portrait of a minstrel selling for $75. I talked the price down to $50, but I wasn't sure I wanted to pay that much for a pencil sketch. I try to think it over carefully before buying a piece of art, fearing that my impulsive purchase will drain the bank account by hundreds of dollars while the 'Picasso' I couldn't live without ends up in the garage next to the Laserdisc player. So, I didn't get it.

A couple of months passed and I couldn't shake the feeling I still wanted it. Since it was the first piece of art that jumped out at me in awhile, I went back to the store and, lo and behold, it was still there. I got the price down another $10 and it was all mine!

It is an untitled piece by Evan(?) Soule... I've decided to call it "The Minstrel of Metairie."

I would just love it if someone wrote to say this artist's work is on display at the Met.

Travis

Very sad news from Travis Erwin today... his house burnt to the ground this morning. Travis is the creator and host of the My Town Mondays that many of us participate in each week. I can't imagine starting the new year under such terrible circumstances. My thoughts and prayers go out to him and his family.

BTAP #4: A Man Called Masters by Jack Martin

If I was the jealous type, I would be envious of Gary Dobbs/Jack Martin. First, he’s an actor who has appeared in a favorite sci-fi show of mine, Doctor Who, and can currently be seen in the BBC hit, Larkrise to Candleford. Second, his novel, Tarnished Star from Robert Hale LTD/Black Horse Westerns, hits the stores on June 30, 2009. And as if that's not enough to keep Gary busy, he updates his entertaining blog, The Tainted Archive, on a daily basis.

We are very pleased to feature the Jack Martin western, "A Man Called Masters," on BEAT to a PULP.

Next week: "Backing the Stakes" by Kieran Shea

Friday's Forgotten Books: Jonny Quest's Adventure with the Secret Tunnel

Ok, I’m making another offbeat choice for this week’s FFB, and before I get into the book, here I go again, digressing... !

I’m always searching into what originally sparked my interest in reading and writing crime/detective stories. I’ve mentioned before that when I was young, reading the Hardy Boys led into Robert B. Parker novels, which, in turn, led me to the stories of Raymond Chandler. Prior to the Hardy Boys, I remember watching a Dirk Benedict police show called Chopper One, but, as far as reading is concerned, I always thought it was the boys from Bayport who started the ball rolling -— though I may have uncovered an even earlier influence.

Over the Christmas holiday, I was digging through more of my boxes stored at Mom’s house and came across something I had completely forgotten about: Jonny Quest’s Adventure with the Secret Tunnel from 1972 (when I was just knee-high to a grasshopper). This Hanna-Barbera storybook is only twelve pages long, and as a youngster, I read it over and over, never tiring of it. In the story, Professor Boris Krantz plans to raid Dr. Benton Quest’s island, Palm Key, and kidnap Benton in order to learn the secret of his anti-laser device. Of course, Jonny and special agent/bodyguard, Race Bannon, are on top of the situation and, in the end, foil the Professor’s diabolical plan. The tunnel in the title doesn’t really figure into the plot all that much but many kindergarten aged kids would never notice -– whereas this thirty-eight year old did. The story was written by Horace J. Elias, who had a very successful career writing children’s books.

The little book contained a special dedication from my parents, written by Dad. The extra “h” at the end of “with” is from my unskilled hand in an attempt to learn how to write by mimicking his letter.

Next week, I’ll choose a more appropriate FFB, but, for me, Adventure with the Secret Tunnel was a very personal rediscovery that I wanted to share.

Head over to Patti Abbott's site for more Friday's Forgotten Books.

Donald E. Westlake

I dropped by Bill Crider's site and was floored by the news of Donald Westlake's passing. Of all his work, the Richard Stark novels are among my favorites and I'd be hard pressed to pick just one at the top of the list as I've never read a bad book from Westlake. He has left behind an incredible legacy and it goes without saying, he will be missed.