John Skelton (5)

Also published as Hearse Class Male. Frank Kane's Johnny Liddell series has always been a solid hardboiled read, not mindblowing pulpy good, but a solid read. This novel is no exception. Although not exceptional, it is pulpy in parts and will hold your interest. This novel is also published under the name Hearse Class Male. Here, Kane seems to mix a late sixties science fiction plot about a wonder drug and a secret conspiracy to steal the formula with an old style private eye tale. The parts show more about the wonder drug and the conspiracy didn't work too well as a plot device, but the parts featuring Liddell and his tough-nosed spirit and his rendevouses with sultry female agents make the book worth reading. The novel is at its best in the bare-knuckle fight scenes, the execution-style murder, and the repartee between Liddell and the dark haired girl in the baby doll nightgown. show less

Deadly Ransom (also published as Dead Rite) takes Johnny and his gal pal newsreporter/ writer Muggsy to Hollywood where Liddell becomes entangled with a corrupt singer owned by the mob, a money laundering scheme, and more than a couple of corpses. In this novel, Kane switches the narration back and forth between points of view involving Liddell and a bunch of hoods. The parts featuring Liddell are terrific and include action and slinky women. The parts featuring the hoods aren't necessarily show more as successful. For this reason and because the plot is a bit convoluted, although it is a decent read, it simply isn't the best of the Liddells. show less