What I’m currently reading:
I always know I’ll be buying at least one book every month – the latest release from Hard Case Crime.
Hard Case splits their time between re-issuing classic pulp novels and putting out new pulp novels. They’ve released books from big names like Lawrence Block, Donald Westlake and Michael Crichton, as well as people that should be bigger names like David Goodis and Peter Rabe.
The other night I picked up DEADLY BELOVED by Max Allan Collins, The Hard Case release from December 2007. They’ve put out a Max Allan Collins book every year since their inception in 2004 and I’ve enjoyed them all. This one I’ve been reluctant to read for one reason and one reason only:
The main character’s name is Ms. Tree.
Ms. Tree – Mystery… Get it?!
When I’ve seen the lameness of this cutesy-pie gimmick come up on various boards and discussion groups, the same defensive response is always posted:
“Ms. Tree used to be a comic book character.”
That doesn’t make it any less lame.
So far the book isn’t too bad, not the best HCC book, not the worst. Not the best Max Allan Collins book, not the worst. I’ll finish it and probably be glad I did.
And this one silly character name shouldn’t reflect on the rest of the HCC line.
I’ll certainly keep buying Hard Case Crime books as soon as they come out.
Unless they come out with an adaptation of A CHRISTMAS CAROL where the main character is named… Carol.
Get it?!