David Geherin’s The American Private Eye: The Image in Fiction (Unger, 1985) delivers a quick and breezy history of Private Eye fiction in America. He takes a few unexpected turns that I appreciated. For example, I can’t remember many histories of Private Eye fiction that included Jo Gar, a hard-boiled detective whose cases in the Philippine Islands crackle with violence. Jo Gar, of Filipino-Spanish descent, stars in 24 stories that Raoul Whitfield wrote for the pulps. Whitfield, best known for his mysteries Green Ice and Death in a Bowl , produces his best work in his Jo Gar stories.
I also found Geherin’s analysis of Bill Pronzini perceptive. Like some of the other writers Geherin includes in this book like Frederick Nebel and Norbert Davis, Pronzini deserves more attention and readers.
Once again, Geherin neglects to include any female private eyes. But, for the range of this book, there’s plenty of information and analysis worth reading. If you’re a fan of Private Eye fiction, The American Private Eye is worth a look. Do you have a favorite Private Eye? GRADE: A-
TABLE OF CONTENTS:
Foreword: Galahad for hire — ix
1. Birth of a hero — 1
Race Williams (Carroll John Daly) — 8
The Continental Op (Dashiell Hammett) — 16
2. The pulpsters — 26
Jo Gar (Raoul Whitfield) — 30
Tough Dick Donohue (Frederick Nebel) — 36
Jack “Flashgun” Casey (George Harmon Coxe) — 42
Steve Midnight (John K. Butler) — 46
Max Latin (Norbert Davis) — 50
Dan Turner (Robert Leslie Bellem) — 56
3. Life beyond the pulps — 63
William Crane (Jonathan Latimer) — 64
Philip Marlowe (Raymond Chandler)
Rex McBride (Cleve F. Adams) — 78
Mike Shayne (Brett Halliday) — 84
4. Postwar P.I.s — 93
Paul Pine (Howard Browne) — 95
Max Thursday (Wade Miller) — 103
Carney Wilde (Bart Spicer) — 110
Shell Scott (Richard S. Prather) — 115
Mike Hammer (Mickey Spillane) — 120
5 . The compassionate eye — 132
Lew Archer (Ross Macdonald) — 133
Mac (Thomas B. Dewey) — 140
Brock Callahan (William Campbell Gault) — 147
Dan Fortune (Michael Collins) — 155
6. After Archer — 163
Spenser (Robert B. Parker) — 164
Nameless (Bill Pronzini) — 166
Albert Samson (Michael Z. Lewin) — 172
Dave Brandstetter (Joseph Hansen) — 176
Jacob Asch (Arthur Lyons) — 183
Matt Scudder (Lawrence Block) — 190
7. An enduring hero — 197
Notes — 203
Bibliography — 211
Index — 223
I first read about Jo Gar in William F. Nolan’s historical accounts and fiction anthology THE BLACK MASK BOYS, so there are others…and Jo Gar is a pretty irresistible name, after all. But A for inclusion!
Todd, A for inclusion, indeed! Geherin does a nice job covering the era in question.
Favorite? Can’t choose between the old guard–Spade, the Op, Marlowe, Archer. Call it a tie. In the early ’70s, I had to scrounge in used bookstores and junk shops for the vintage paperbacks of Paul Cain and Fred Nebel; now, the stories are readily available as e-books and POD! Amazing. Throw in Ernest Tidyman’s Shaft from the ’70s, Ben Schulz’s Leo Haggarty from the ’90s, Max Allan Collins’ Nate Heller, and the newer guys who bridged the turn of the millenium–Burke’s Dave Robichaux, Crais’ Elvis Cole and Joe Pike, Lehane’s Kenzie and Gennaro, Pelicanos’ Nick Stefanos and Derek Strange.
Fred, you are an extremely well-read guy! I’ve read many of the authors you mention, but not all of them. And, you’re right about the accessibility of the pulp writers now. Steeger Books is running a Black Friday sale so of course I’ll stock up on some of the wonderful pulp reprints!
Albeit most of Fred’s citations are Very post-pulps…
Never mind…too quick a misreading with distraction!
George, I agree with you about Jo Gar. I read a few here and there, then the Crippen & Landru collection, then a complete (? – I think) collection that I bought for the Kindle. Great stuff, very atmospheric.
Jeff, I’m preparing a post on Jo Gar. Like you I’m impressed by the atmosphere of those stories! Unique!