Helpful Score: 1
Vintage crime drama ala Hard Case Crime.
A good, quick read.
A good, quick read.
Helpful Score: 1
After years at sea, Swede Nelson just wanted to find a nice girl and settle down. What he found was Corliss Mason -- sensual, irresistible and deadly. Soon Swede is helping Corliss cover up a killing, but how long can they get away with murder? And why, even when he's in her arms, can't he shake the feeling that he's being set up?
A very good Hard Case Crime book from the early 1950s, with all the attitude and language from that era.
A very good Hard Case Crime book from the early 1950s, with all the attitude and language from that era.
From Amazon.com
Poor Swen "Swede" Nelson. A career sailor, all he wanted was to do was hang up his bell-bottoms and buy a farm in Hibbing, Minnesota. Find a wife, have a bunch of kids, and live happily ever after. Until, that is, he met Corliss Mason. A not-so-grieving widow and owner of a southern California seaside motor court, the sensual Corliss literally sweeps Swede off his feet, and all plans to return to the heartland are temporarily put on hold. Faster than you can say "big con", Swede and the witchy Corliss are married, and in the next heartbeat the hard-drinking, hard-punching sailor is a murderer.
This is classic pulp fiction - the kind of writing that invented "hardboiled" as a descriptor. Written in the early 50's, some of the sociology seems quaint and a bit dated in today's whacky politically correct culture, but that just adds to the fun. And while the careful reader will see the pieces falling into place a bit too early, neither will that detract from the well-paced, high-grit tale of blind love and deceit. But author Day Keene keeps a couple of neat tricks up his sleeve to make for an interesting climax. Kudos to Hard Case Crime for bringing these vintage masterpieces of crime fiction back to life.
Poor Swen "Swede" Nelson. A career sailor, all he wanted was to do was hang up his bell-bottoms and buy a farm in Hibbing, Minnesota. Find a wife, have a bunch of kids, and live happily ever after. Until, that is, he met Corliss Mason. A not-so-grieving widow and owner of a southern California seaside motor court, the sensual Corliss literally sweeps Swede off his feet, and all plans to return to the heartland are temporarily put on hold. Faster than you can say "big con", Swede and the witchy Corliss are married, and in the next heartbeat the hard-drinking, hard-punching sailor is a murderer.
This is classic pulp fiction - the kind of writing that invented "hardboiled" as a descriptor. Written in the early 50's, some of the sociology seems quaint and a bit dated in today's whacky politically correct culture, but that just adds to the fun. And while the careful reader will see the pieces falling into place a bit too early, neither will that detract from the well-paced, high-grit tale of blind love and deceit. But author Day Keene keeps a couple of neat tricks up his sleeve to make for an interesting climax. Kudos to Hard Case Crime for bringing these vintage masterpieces of crime fiction back to life.
She took a man and made him a murderer...
After years at sea, Swede Nelson just wanted to find a nice girl and settle down. What he found was Corliss Mason: sensual, irresistibleand deadly. Soon Swedes helping Corliss cover up a killing, but how long can they get away with murder? And why cant he shake the terrible suspicion that hes being set up?
After years at sea, Swede Nelson just wanted to find a nice girl and settle down. What he found was Corliss Mason: sensual, irresistibleand deadly. Soon Swedes helping Corliss cover up a killing, but how long can they get away with murder? And why cant he shake the terrible suspicion that hes being set up?
No man could resist her. But could any many ever have her? After years at sea, Swede Nelson just wanted to find a nice girl and settle down. What he found was Corliss Mason: sensual, irresistable - and deadly. Soon Swede's helping Corliss cover up a killing, but how long can they get away with murder? And why - even when he's in her arms - can't he shake the feeling that he's being set up?
