Roy Huggins (1914–2002)

Roy Huggins was one of the legendary figures of Hollywood, particularly the television industry. Originally a writer. Once his first novel -this one -was purchased by Columbia Pictures, he left novels behind, wrote movie scripts, and produced tv shows such as Maverick, 77 Sunset Strip, the Fugitive, and the Rockford Files. He also known for naming names before HUAC.

As great a television mind as he was, we novel readers lost a great voice when he gave up novels for the golden lights. The Double Take is everything you could want from a hardboiled era detective novel. It is filled with sexy ladies, fancy mansions, ex-strippers, hoods, roulette wheels, and all kinds of checkered pasts. It gives us the Los Angeles of the 1940's with its wide boulevards and secret lives. Huggins here doesn't go overboard with the pulpy lines, but he throws in just enough to give this one flavor.

Yes, the plotting does get complex and there are quite a few characters involved, but it's a great story nonetheless and very typical of the pulp work of the 40's. Finishing this, I am left wanting more Stuart Bailey detective fiction.… (more)