Robert J. Randisi (1951–2024)

A light little romp set around the time when the original Ocean's Eleven was being filmed in Las Vegas. Casino pit boss Eddie Gianelli is asked by Frank Sinatra to help find out who is sending threatening letters to Dean Martin, and Vegas-style hijinks ensue. The real fun of this book is the celebrity cameos and the glitz and glamour of the time. The mystery itself ends up becoming somewhat inconsequential, as Eddie goes from confrontations with hit men to booze- and showgirl-filled parties show more and back again. All of this happens very quickly in short chapters that keep the pages turning. Overall an amusing trifle for fans of the Rat Pack in particular, or perhaps those who enjoy Ed Gorman's Sam McCain series. show less

3.5 stars

It is1888 in London, England. Three prostitutes have been murdered and they say it’s likely the same guy who has done it. Bram Stoker is running the Lyceum Theatre, and Henry Irving is playing the lead in Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. They are approached by the police to shut down the show, as it may be encouraging the killer. Bram gets interested in what’s going on and starts doing some research for a book he might like to write. He also becomes obsessed with the killer and may be show more getting a little too close…

I liked this. Far fetched, but I still found it entertaining. I thought it interesting the way the author weaved in the various author characters into the story (Arthur Conan Doyle and Oscar Wilde are friends of Stoker’s). To be honest, though, I’m not sure Jack the Ripper needs to be fictionalized; this is one true story that certainly holds its own as true crime. show less

Red Moran likes being a sheriff but he eventually he becomes bored and quits. However his method of quitting is to rob the local bank and then high tail it to Mexico to spend it. When the money runs out, he heads back across the border and becomes a sheriff in another town too desperate for someone to take the job to bother doing a reference check. Unfortunately for him and the bank manager in the last bank, he kills the manager and makes the reward for his capture large enough to attract show more the attention of Decker, a bounty hunter.

Shortly after taking up the chase into Mexico, Decker runs into the scouts of a gang of Mexican bandits led by a sick brother & sister team. He kills the scouts and this leads to his being followed by the entire gang of 30 bandits. This leads to an amazing shootout in the town controlled by the bandits and we are only half way through the novel.

Continuous action with some unusual characters keeps one turning the pages. The jacket blurb suggests Randisi is the replacement for Louis L'Amour. In terms of the action he is much like L'Amour but with an added liberal quantity of fairly explicit sex. Seems every character, male or female is looking for a roll in the hay. show less

The crime fiction/ mystery/ detective genre traditionally was a male pursuit among both writers and readers. Such may be hard to recall, given the large number of highly successful female writers in the field over the past few decades. The growing popularity of the genre, supported by legions of readers, led in the 1980s to an increase in writer’s organizations beyond the traditional MWA (Mystery Writers of America). Among them was the PWA (Private Eye Writers of America) and the Sisters show more in Crime (SinC). The latter organization, which was founded by Sara Paretsky, sought to gain more respect for women’s writing.

“Deadly Allies” brings together writers from the PWA and SinC in a collaborative volume of 20 short stories. The stories are presented in pairs – one from a PWA member and one from a SinC member – with each pair organized around a common theme. Each pair of stories is preceded by a brief introduction that explains the common thread that binds them. Likewise, each story is accompanied with an introduction that summarizes aspects of the writer’s life and career. In each pair of stories, reader’s are not told which author represents which organization, and gender turns out not to be a useful criterion (features that work against the collection’s stated rationale). Likewise, the prior publication history (if any) of the stories is not indicated (leaving one to wonder whether they were written specifically for this collection).

The result is an interesting juxtaposition of stories, that if anything, shows similarities rather than any differences that might be attributed to gender. The stories include contributions by major figures along with others known chiefly to those who follow the genre closely. Below is a list of the stories included, along with my personal ratings (on a scale of 1 to 5*). Stories that especially stood out, in my judgement, are Lia Matera’s “Easy Go,” Robert Randisi’s “Turnabout”, and Marilyn Wallace’s Reunion”.

Easy Go by Lia Matera – 4.5*
Summary Judgment by Jeremiah Healy –3*
A Little Missionary Work by Sue Grafton –2*
A Good Judge of Character by Susan Dunlap –2*
Sex and Violence by Nancy Pickard –2*
Mary, Mary, Shut the Door by Benjamin M. Schutz –3.5*
Role Model by Michael Collins –2*
Invitation by Sarah Andrews –1.5*
Nothing Ventured by Carolyn G. Hart –1*
Whatever Has to Be Done by Jan Grape –2.5*
Louise by Max Allan Collins – 3*
Strung Out by Sara Paretsky –2.5 *
Like Father, Like Daughter by Sandra Scoppettone – 3.5*
Turnabout by Robert J. Randisi – 4*
Before You Leap by John Lutz –2*
Hangnail by Margaret B. Maron –1*
Silk Strands by Julie Smith – 3*
Safe House by Loren D. Estleman – 3.5 *
Unfinished Business by Rob Kantner – 3*
Reunion by Marilyn Wallace – 4* show less