“Wade Miller” like “Ellery Queen” is a combination of two writers. Bob Wade and Bill Miller’s Badge of Evil (written under their “Whit Masterson” pseudonym) became the classic noir movie, Touch of Evil, directed by Orson Wells. Wade Miller is also known for the Max Thursday Private Eye novel series.
Stark House collects two standalone crime novels, Devil May Care (1950) and Sinner Take All (1960)–both books originally published in paperback by Gold Medal. Devil May Care features a soldier-of-fortune in decline. Biggo Venn arrives in Mexico looking to make a score that will set him up for the rest of his life. Instead, Biggo gets involved with a troubled bargirl, Jinny Wagner, and events get complicated fast.
Sinner Take All ups the stakes as ex-military figure James Cox, now working as a horse trainer, is recruited as an assassin. Mexican General Gayoso, wants former senator and now powerful newspaper-owner, Bruno Lazar, killed. James Cox agrees to eliminate Lazar at a friend’s funeral in Tijuana. As in most Wade Miller novels, the hero gets involved in a love triangle and is forced to make Life and Death decisions.
This Stark House omnibus presents two suspenseful noir novels from the golden days of Gold Medal paperbacks. If you’re looking for suspense, excitement, and action Devil May Care/Sinner Takes All will take you on a thrill ride. GRADE: B+
I read the Max Thursday novels back in the ’70s and liked them a lot at the time. Stark House does a good job bringing back worthwhile authors.
Jeff, the Gold Medal paperbacks are hard to come by today (I haven’t found one in years) and they’re costly online. STARK HOUSE provides wonderful books at a great price!
Love the cover. I have read very few of this sort of crime fiction. I have mostly enjoyed them on reading but I am rarely drawn to them. Especially since there are fewer and fewer book stores where they turn up. Also used book sales never seem to have them. Instead there are thousands of Dan Brown and James Pattersons.
Patti, you are so right! I went to a Library Sale a few weeks ago (it was outside) and it was mostly James Patterson, Norah Roberts, Dan Brown, and other best sellers. I love Sam Cherry’s cover artwork, too!
I have two earlier Stark House Miller twofers, but not this one, which must be fairly new. Watching election coverage has taken over my reading time.
Michael, I can highly recommend STARK HOUSE omnibuses. Excellent value for the money! And, it looks like Biden has the Election in the bag!
Since apparently the vote count will take weeks to finish, if ever, I guess trying a new author would be good. However I’m still overladen with books from my birthday haul plus all of the unread things here. So, at least for now, I’ll skip.
Rick, if Biden wins Pennsylvania, this Election is basically over.
Except for the recounts. And the “oh look what we found”s. And whatever else comes up. Of course that’s not counting all of Trump’s shenanigans, but we’ll be hearing about all that for years. Any hope I had that the bastard might just go away are, apparently, naive.
Rick, Trump is going to be a pain in the ass until January 2021. Then, he’ll be a pain in the ass until the 2024 Presidential Election where he’ll run again.
I have a lot of Wade Miller pbs, Gold Medals and Signets, these two titles included. A dozen or so are signed or inscribed by Bob Wade, who was a guest at the LA Paperback Show many moons ago.
Art, I figured you had a number of Wade Miller paperbacks, especially the Gold Medals. But, for many readers, this new STARK HOUSE omnibus will be a revelation!
I have several Wade Millers lurking somewhere on Mount TBR. Time to get to them!
Jerry, I too have some unread Wade Miller/Whit Masterson paperbacks around here somewhere. Time to find them and read them!
And don’t forget Dale Wilmer and Will Daemer.
Art, good point!