Pick Up A Pulp [82]: THE SINNERS by Carter Brown

"The naked body of a young attractive girl is found in the grounds of the sanitarium where she had been recently admitted, suffering from the paranoid delusion her mind and body were possessed by a witch. When her body was discovered, she wore a mask over her head in the shape of an evil-looking cat."

THE SINNERS brings satanic panic to the pulp police 'procedural' in dramatic and blood curdling fashion. Al Wheeler, the lone wolf unorthodox cop is called to a sanitarium to investigate the chilling murder of a former patient, found naked (bar a demonic mask) in the facility's outer grounds. With little by way of breadcrumbs to follow, Wheeler heads out to the deceased former residence, only to find an attractive brunette, alive and well who happens to have the same name as the murdered woman! 

In true Carter Brown fashion, the crazy gets kicked up a gear going from simple to convoluted in a handful of pages. Enter mobsters running a book out of a legitimate warehouse, a demonologist with a penchant for virginal sacrifices, a professional photographer with seedy ties to the deceased, and a cool 150k missing from some unsavory characters. It all leads in one direction; straight to the deceased cat mask wearing naked woman. 

I loved the opening sequence to this book (juvenile Wheeler/Polnik dialogue aside) and was engrossed in the cult-like narrative steadily being established in the first few chapters, only to be disappointed when things went wayward with the introduction of mobsters which added a layer of confusion and complexity to the otherwise simple and entertaining plot, before, getting back on track with the requisite orgy infused satanic components which really drove the story in the right direction.

THE SINNERS isn't groundbreaking Carter Brown but it is true to the formula I find so enjoyable; yet another morsel of pulpy goodness well worth chewing on if you get the chance. 

Pick Up A Pulp [83]: ZELDA by Carter Brown

   "My cup runneth over," she said blissfully.

I took a critical look: "Well, maybe you do have a problem with standard bra sizes - "

    "I'll ignore that," she said bravely. "Where are you proposing to proposition me to?"

    "We'll figure something out," I said. "Just be ready when I give the signal." 

When researching for this post I was surprised to see that ZELDA is the first pulp to feature the Hollywood fixer/private eye Rick Holman. Originally published in 1961, this has a simple premise akin to a locked room murder mystery, complete with a handy list of suspects at the ready. But why did I find it surprising that this was the first installment in the 35-strong book series?  

For starters, ZELDA has a lot of similarities with LONG TIME NO LEOLA (1967). Despite being published 6 years after ZELDA, LONG TIME NO LEOLA uses pretty much the same cast of characters, just with different names. Yet it's the events in that book which seem to be referenced heavily in ZELDA make me think LTNL was written first, or at least the outline. Secondly, this is the first Holman pulp I've read which feels like something part of a broader series continuity; there's continued reference to character's backstories and events predating Holman's latest hire as a quasi peacekeeper for Zelda and the character interactions themselves instill a sense of the familiar. 

Zelda is every man's desire, a famous starlet with the world at her feat. However, behind the gloss and glamour lies trouble - Zelda needs cash quick to finance her latest project and the only way she can get is to blackmail her three ex-husbands, former best friend, and some shady criminals. To keep her safe during the blackmail negotiation she hires Rick Holman to keep the peace - however, as per every one of these kinds of books, the peace isn't kept for long!

Whilst Zelda got all the headlines, it was her dutiful 'Girl Friday' Jan Kelly who steals the show with her comedic bit part and endearing qualities. Her interactions with Rick Holman are a highlight of the book. 

ZELDA is Rick Holman as I've never read him; portrayed as a ruthless and vengeful hard man, the distinctly noir flavour to his character in this outing is great which really sets this apart from other books in the series. 

Review: GALLANT by V. E. Schwab

Merilance; a place awash with gloom and grey, a home for a perpetual state of despair that desolates a child’s spark, turning it to ash; it’s a place where hope can be glimpsed in a dream, and even then, for only a fleeting moment.

The reality of life is all the more difficult a pill to swallow for Oliva Prior, one of the unfortunate residents of Merilance; a home school for the abandoned and forgotten.

Not to wallow in grief for the poor hand she’s dealt, Oliva is resilient, tough and is a pure joy to read. This isn’t a coming-of-age tale; Schwab writes Oliva battled hardened and determined from the outset.

From the haunted corridors and ghoul invested dorms of Merilance to the mysterious and equally haunted halls of Gallant, an isolated mansion with which hope springs true, Oliva traverses a delicate landscape filled with fantastical imagery and monsters of man and nightmare.

This is top shelf gothic horror with added layers of complexity by virtue of a deeply rooted family drama complimented by a protagonist who leaps off the page to capture the hearts and minds of readers.