Ed Gorman (1941–2016)

This is an extremely powerful and moving collection of short stories by Ed Gorman. Almost every single story incredibly well written and developed. If you ever have any doubts about Gorman or his writing, then just read this collection and your doubts will be left behind. As Bentley Little points out in his introduction, there is no theme for the collection but is instead a recurring motif: "beautiful young women who offer redemption to lost souls; emotionally barren middle-aged men bereft show more of their families." And as you read the stories, you will find those ideas repeating often. Gorman does a great job in making you feel for each character and experience the same sorrow that they are. Whatever you do, do not miss this collection. And while I found it near impossible to just copy the table of contents for my favorite stories, I did narrow my choices to the following.

"Yesterday's Dreams" - A retired cop helps someone in the neighborhood

"Dark Muse" - A lounge singer comes in to some talent

"Junior" - A son and his mother live high on the hog due to his father

"To Fit The Crime" - Fate can not be avoided

"Survival" - A futuristic story about doing what's best for society versus being humane show less

Sam McCain is an attorney and a private investigator in Black River Falls, Iowa. It’s the late 1950s and he likes rock and roll, Pall Malls and his rag-top 1951 red Ford convertible. Sam works for Judge Esme Ann Whitney, so when she calls him early in the morning and tells him to go to her nephew’s mansion he goes right out there; Kenny Whitney seems near hysterical, the Judge tells Sam. When he arrives he finds Kenny’s wife, Susan, dead in a pool of blood and Kenny holed up in his show more bedroom with a gun. Before he can get the whole story, however, Kenny shoots himself, but Sam doesn’t believe he killed Susan.

This is a basic murder mystery with a sprinkling of cultural references from the late 1950s that had me taking an enjoyable trip down memory lane. The plot has several twists and complications that kept me guessing, and there is a bit of romantic tension to add interest. Sam McCain is a great character and I like his interactions with the various women in his life – his mother, his sister, the judge, and two old flames. I also liked the very bad relationship between McCain and Sheriff Sykes, and think this sets up a nice source of tension for future novels in the series. On the other hand, I thought it lacked a little in terms of atmosphere; it is set in February and snow or cold is mentioned a couple of times, but mostly just ignored. On the whole, it’s a short, fast, enjoyable read, and I’ll probably read more of Gorman in the future. show less

Sam McCain is a young lawyer in Black River Falls, Iowa in the late 1950s. Unfortunately, Black River Falls already has more than their fair share of lawyers so McCain is forced to do detective work for Judge Esme Anne Whitney who represents all the wealth, power, and eccentricities of Old Money. Sam has just arrived home after attending the final concert by Buddy Holly, when he is ordered by the judge to go to her son’s house. McCain hates the son who has always been a bully and a snob show more but what he discovers there makes him feel only sorrow for the man. Now, Sam finds himself embroiled in what looks like a murder/suicide. However, he has his doubts. Unfortunately, the sheriff disagrees and Sam is on his own to discover what really happened.

McCain is an extremely likable character. He is witty and smart but he is also empathetic and nonjudgmental. He recognizes his own flaws as well as those of others but, for the most part, accepts people for who they are while despising all the myriad large and small injustices that permeate the town and the decade. He likes rock’n’roll, hot rods, and has loved the wrong girl since the fourth grade. He also loves his parents and his little sister and will do anything to protect them. The judge is wonderfully eccentric and, although most of the rest of the characters lack much depth, they make for some very interesting reading.

Author Ed Gorman is easily the best living writer of noir today in the tradition of Dashiell Hammett. His style of writing is clean and sparse and his characters and his plots tend to lean toward the darker side of life. The book may be set in the 1950s but this is definitely no Norman Rockwell picture of small town Americana. Set against the backdrop of the plane crash that killed Buddy Holly, Richie Valens and the Big Bopper and which inspired the Don McLean song, The Day the Music Died, author Ed Gorman’s fifties display all the racism, inequality, and hatred of the decade. In this, the first of the McCain series, Gorman looks at racism, domestic violence, adultery, and the human cost of illegal abortions.

Due to the content of this book, it will clearly not appeal to everyone. As in most historical fiction, there are some minor inconsistencies in the history but not enough to effect my enjoyment of the tale. However, for fans of noir and who like their mysteries with a touch of social commentary and the cerebral, I can’t recommend it highly enough. show less

While this was a good novel, it didn't pack as much of a punch for me and it could have. Not because of the novel itself but because I read the short story "Out There In The Darkness" which was the basis for this book. The short story is roughly forty pages and covers the same plot and the same twist at the ending. The book is 393 pages with much more characterizations, more events and a more satisfying but not as spooky ending. Bill, Curtis, Neil and Aaron are four friends that get together show more once a week to play poker. Their game is interrupted by an attempted burglary which goes awry as the friends accidentally kill one of the burglars. Due to a vigilante streak where they were going to torture the burglar, they all decide to not call the cops. Unfortunately this gets used against them by the burglar's partner who is now out for revenge. Other than an occasional mumble on my part of "Just call the cops already.", I didn't have any problems with the book. I kind of wish that I hadn't read the short story so that I could enjoy the novel more, but then I would have wished the same about the novel so that I could have enjoyed the short story. Either way I would recommend reading the book. show less