Lionel White wrote over a dozen caper novels. STARK HOUSE collected two of Lionel White’s tales–one a bank heist and the other a “girl on the run” adventure–in a wonderful package from 2015. The House Next Door (1956) was first published in Cosmopolitan as “The Picture Window Murder.” A crooked ex-cop plans a perfect bank heist. Everything seems perfect, except for a couple random elements that cause the entire scheme to unravel.
In Marilyn K (1960) a beautiful young girl stands on the side of the road with a suitcase with $350,000 in it. Narrator Sam Russell falls for Marilyn Kelley (no relation!) hard and ends up in deep trouble as the gangsters who own the money send a team of thugs to find it. The story reads like a Travis McGee novel. Brian Greene’s “Lionel White and the Movies” puts this underrated writer into context. If you’re a fan of caper novels, you’ll enjoy this excellent STARK HOUSE volume.
I remember seeing Lionel White books, and probably had a few, but don’t remember reading any. Caper novels are fun.
Maggie, Lionel White specialized in caper novels. I’ve enjoyed all of Lionel White’s thrillers.
Good choice. Definitely not the usual caper novel you’d expect to see here. Lionel White definitely deserves more respect. I’m glad Stark House did these. I wish White’s books were more easily available.
Jeff, STARK HOUSE does a great job publishing books from the Fifties and Sixties.
I don’t remember the author, sorry.
There where so many of these – could we also call them “pulp”?
I lost count many years ago – as a student I got hundreds of these (in German of course) from a relative who used to read one “novel” every evening before going to sleep …
And I also could use the library of another relative – but he had mainly british authors like Edgar Wallace and Agatha Christie which generall were more popular or rather more respected in Germany than the US pulps.
Wolf, Donald Westlake became the King of Caper Novels, but he was influenced by Lionel White’s work.
I have to get on these more sooner than later, George.
Jerry, I buy just about everything STARK HOUSE publishes!
I like Lionel White’s writing, crisp and cutting to the chase. This title has been on my wish-list for a while.
Prashant, you’ll enjoy this STARK HOUSE edition of Lionel White’s work. Hopefully, STARK HOUSE will reprint more of Lionel White’s caper novels soon!
This is a great re-print by Stark House – along with THE KILLING (aka CLEAN BREAK) I remain really impressed by White so far.