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.