Tough Guys and Dangerous Dames

Man, it seems like I've reviewed a ton of these. Tough Guys and Dangerous Dames is a big, wide-ranging collection featuring most of the pulp detective giants (Daly, Whitfield, Nebel, Chandler, Erle Stanley Gardner, Norbert Davis) with the exception of Hammett. Very much a hit-and-miss affair, but a few gems make it worth seeking out: "Sail" by Lester Dent, a rip-roaring masterpiece of violent action and one of only two stories featuring Dent's Miami private eye Oscar Sail; Davis's "Murder in the Red," another Bail-Bond Dodd adventure and an excellent showcase for the author's speedy, humorous style; and "Two Biers for Buster" by William Campbell Gault, a nice bare-bones detective story which would serve as a good intro to the genre for show more newcomers who want to understand its philosophical outlook and get a feel for its overall construction. Quite a few selections from the shudder pulps, too; these crime/horror hybrids are not among my personal favorites, but there was a significant market for them in the 1930s and '40s, so they belong in the book. show less

Many strong showings- some weak ones. Best for getting an idea of which writers to follow through on.