Bye Bye Baby by Max Allan Collins

Bye Bye Baby is another great novel in the Nathan Heller series by Max Allan Collins. When we first met Nathan Heller in True Detective it was the early 1930s. Through the years he has worked a lot of famous cases. Now he is on the scene with the lovely, vivacious Marilyn Monroe. Marilyn is an old friend and calls Nathan to help her with a little job. She wants her phone bugged. She is having a lot of trouble with her studio, Fox, and she wants to protect herself. Heller’s favor for a friend turns into much more. This book reads like a Who’s Who from the period. Heller deals with Joe DiMaggio, Frank Sinatra, Hugh Hefner, John and Robert Kennedy, and many others.

One of Collins’ strengths is his ability to throw lots of celebrities into a book without stretching too much credulity. Of course Heller has to bed Marilyn and at least two other women. This should surprise no one who has read the Heller novels. Heller falls into the category of men who have slept with both Jayne Mansfield and Marilyn Monroe. If the book is to be believed then he shares that honor with the Kennedy boys.

Bye Bye Baby is a sympathetic look at Monroe. She is truly a tragic figure and her treatment at the hands of the movie studios and the Kennedy brothers was shameful. Collins tries, and succeeds, to navigate his way in this book between the pro and anti Kennedy camps. Perhaps the most interesting thing of all is the real humanity of the characters. That is one of the trademarks of the Heller novels. The celebrities are not just here to catch our interest, they have a realness about them. So who killed Marilyn Monroe? Was it suicide, an accidental overdose, the Kennedys, or someone else. You will just have to get the book and find out.

The Man With The Golden Gun by Ian Fleming (A James Bond Novel)

At the end of You Only Live Twice James Bond had killed his nemesis Blofeld. In the process he also received a head injury that left him with amnesia. He stayed for some time with the young diver who saved him. On the last page of the book he is headed to Russia because he believes that there is something there that will remind him of who he is. The Man With The Golden Gun picks up a few months later. It seems that Bond made his way to the Soviet Union and was captured, interrogated, brain washed, and sent back to kill M.

M doesn’t trust the situation and is able to thwart the attack. Bond is fixed up and now M has to decide what to do with him. He decides to send him after a hired killer known as Saramanga. This assassin has come across M’s desk It is believed that it will be nearly impossible to succeed with this task. In his rather callous manner M decides that Bond will either succeed and redeem himself, or die in the attempt and redeem himself. Bond is anxious to strike back at the machine that turned him against M. He tracks his prey to Jamaica and sets about his task.

This is the last of the James Bond novels. It was still in manuscript form when Ian Fleming died. It is not the best of the Bond books. Scaramanga is not the twisted fiend or evil genius that we usually see Bond going after. He is simply a thug who is good with a gun. While the villain may be a bit flat at times there are some interesting scenes with Bond as he tries to get over what happened to him. While the James Bond novels might not be high literature they are great spy stories from the Cold War and they can still entertain 50 years after their initial publication.

Chicago Confidential by Max Allan Collins (Nathan Heller)

Nathan Heller is out in Hollywood putting in some time at the LA office. He is also spending some with his son. Recently divorced from his cheating wife he is also trying to avoid talking to a new crime commission that is looking for information on organized crime. Over the years Heller has had more dealings with the mob than he would like. Now people want to know what he knows. While in LA he takes on a client. A young college student claims that an old boyfriend won’t leave her alone. Heller helps her out. The young college student turns out to be none other than the the young busty (and with Heller lusty) Jayne Mansfield. Problems arise in the business and he returns to Chicago.

It seems that an old police colleague that he hired is using Heller’s equipment to spy on some of the big names in organized crime for the commission. Heller has to deal with this problem. He also has to deal with some of the mobsters to make sure that they know that he is not going to talk about anything that he knows. As if that wasn’t enough his old buddy Frank Sinatra asks him to call another old acquaintance, Senator Joe McCarthy, and tell the Senator that Sinatra is not a Communist. With all of this it is not going to be easy for Heller to get out of all of this in one piece.

More classic hard boiled noir from the wonderful Max Allan Collins. After a couple of week novels the series has really bounced back. Lots of mystery, smart aleck remarks, danger, gangsters, and gorgeous women who can’t wait to have sex with the main character. Great fun.

You Only Live Twice by Ian Fleming (A James Bond Novel)

In his last adventure James Bond met with the greatest tragedy of his life. He was able to destroy the base of his enemy Blofeld, but his foe escaped. Then within only a few hours of getting married, Blofeld struck back and Bond’s new bride was killed. Back in London Bond has let himself go. He is drinking too much and his mind is not on the game. He was nearly killed when he botched a mission. M believes that he may have to let James go. He is advised to give Bond a task that is impossible, but not dangerous. M decides to promote Bond to the diplomatic mission and send his to Japan. His job is to meet with M’s counterpart in Tokyo and try to get access to the Russian signals that the Japanese are decoding. The Japanese have a special relationship with the Americans and they are reluctant to share with others. Bond now has to learn the ins and outs of the Japanese culture in order to win over this reluctant ally. That turns out to be the least of his problems. The Japanese have their own trouble in the form of a foreigner who has created a bizarre landscape full of creatures and plants that kill. The suicide culture of Japan has embraced this new place and it is causing embarrassment to the government. There is nothing legal that can be done, but someone with Bond’s particular skills may be able to deal with this in his own way. Bond accepts the trade and is soon involved with an enemy that he knows all too well. He has to pull himself together if he is to survive this mission. The ending is quite a surprise. More great Cold War spy pulp from the great Ian Fleming.

Angel In Black by Max Allan Collins (A Nathan Heller Novel)

All Nathan Heller wants to do is get some publicity for the new Los Angeles branch of his A-1 Detective Agency and then get on with his honeymoon. Instead the reporter he is with stumbles over a body. This is not any murder case. The woman's body has been cut in half and carefully arranged. Thus begins the most disturbing Nathan Heller novel to date. The body that they have discovered is none other than the Black Dahlia. This is one of the most sensational murders in the history of Los Angeles. Before it is all over they will encounter the heavily corrupted police force, mobsters, thieves, and the most sadistic killer that Heller has ever had to face. All the while he is helping to solve the case he keeps one important piece of information to himself: he knew the victim. Along the way Heller rubs shoulders with old friends and makes some new enemies.

After the last two rather disappointing novels it feels like the old Heller is back. The story doesn't feel stretched and belabored like the previous two. The hardest part of this book is the discussion of the actual slaying. The Black Dahlia case was a horrendous murder. Hearing details about the sadistic killing is can be just a little unsettling. It's a great book and an excellent chapter in the Nathan Heller saga.


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Majic Man by Max Allan Collins (A Nathan Heller Novel)

Having been involved with so many of the great crimes and cover ups of the 20th Century it should be no big surprise that Heller is sent to Roswell to discover the truth about the two year old rumors that a flying saucer crashed there. What he finds in this investigation is exactly what you would expect: murder, lies, and lusty women.

The Heller novels have been entertaining. Flying Blind (the Amelia Earhart case) was the weakest so far. Majic Man is a much better story. It isn't altogether very interesting. It is entertaining though. I certainly enjoy Heller's "discovery" of the truth. It lines up with what I've always believed about the flying saucer craze myself. While the topic never has interested me I do remember the stories that my grandfather, an Air Force officer, told. While it is not the best Heller novel it is entertaining

The Spy Who Loved Me by Ian Fleming (A James Bond Novel)

This interesting book in the James Bond series is narrated in the first person by a young woman from Canada. The first third of the book is simply her telling about her life, loves, and woes. The next part sets up the story as she is accosted by two gangsters. Who should come on the scene by accident? Why none other than British Secret Agent James Bond. Of course Bond saves the day and beds the girl. What else could he do?

This is not the best of the Bond novels. Bond only makes an appearance in the last part of the book. Most of it was a bit tedious. The misfortunate loves of a spoiled girl from Quebec isn't really what I was looking for when picking up a spy novel. It is a short book, well under 200 pages, so it was a quick read.

Flying Blind by Max Allan Collins (A Nathan Heller Novel)

Once again Nathan Heller is on the case. This time his job is to protect Amelia Earhart from anonymous threats that she has received. Of course that is just the tip of the iceberg. Naturally Heller becomes romantically entangled with the famous aviatrix. Later Heller becomes involved with an attempt to uncover the sinister government plot behind Earhart's mission. Finally he goes undercover in Saipan to try and verify rumours that two American pilots are being held as prisoner by the Japanese.

I have enjoyed reading throught the Heller books. This one feels like it is the mot strained of all the books. There seems to be a lot of unecessary filler. Long, uninteresting conversations about the nature of the plane, the route taken by Earhart, and other scenes drag on for page after page without adding anything to the actual story. As always with a Nathan Heller book there is plenty of intrigue, sex, and smart-mouthed comments from the main character.

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Thunderball by Ian Fleming (A James Bond Novel)

James Bond has been abusing his body for a long time. The doctor is worried about him. Bond doesn’t care about all of these concerns. That is until M, who is on a health kick, decides to send him off to a health resort to get himself back in shape. While there Bond’s curious nature gets him in trouble with another patient. When the patient fails in an attempt to kill Bond, Bond feels bound to extract some revenge and the man ends up in the hospital. Bond is unaware of it, but he just changed the timetable in a series of events. A new organization called SPECTRE has stolen two nuclear bombs. The US and Britain have to pay up, or the bombs will be detonated. Bond finds himself in the Caribbean once again and teamed up with his old buddy Felix Leiter. Can they stop the mysterious Blofeld before he detonates a bomb? The fate of the free world depends on Bond. At least he is in better shape for this misson.

The Bond novels are great classic spy novels from the 50's and 60's. Unlike the films Bond is not constantly using gadgets. Instead he uses his skills and intuition. In this novel  As always Bond stories are a lot of fun. The good guys win and the bad guys get their due.

Damned in Paradise by Max Allan Collins (A Nathan Heller Novel)

What can I say? Murder, rape, sex, and famous people. This is a classic scenario for a Nathan Heller story. A naval officer’s wife accuses four Hawaiian natives of raping her. When it looks like the men will not be charged the woman’s mother, husband, and a few of his men kidnap one of the accused rapists to try and get a confession. In their interrogation the man is killed. For the defense the family is able to get the famous lawyer Clarence Darrow to come out of retirement. For an investigator Darrow arranges the Chicago detective Nathan Heller to take a leave of absence and join him in Hawaii. Heller encounters a beautiful woman, dangerous crooks, and a legendary Hawaiian detective.

I am not familiar with the Massie case that is the basis for this book so I can't say much about the historical nature of the book. As a story it is great. When I was a kid my grandfather showed me several Charlie Chan movies that he had seen as a kid. I did not know that Chan was based on a real character who appears in this novel.

For Your Eyes Only by Ian Fleming (James Bond Short Story Collection)

This book contains five James Bond short stories. All of them are quite good. Fleming had a real knack with short stories. 

In “A View To A Kill” Bond tracks down the killers of a classified document courier. He comes up against a brutal and clever set of foes. In “For Your Eyes Only” he is on the trail of a brutal Cuban general who is not above using violence to achieve his end. Unfortunately for this general and his friends, Bond’s 00 means that he is licensed to kill. After the general kills an Englishman who is a friend of M’s Bond intends to do just that. That is if he can deal with the young woman who seems to be getting in his way.

“Quantum of Solace” is a strange Bond tale. No real spy stuff here. He listens as the Governor of Jamaica tells a story about an old friend. At the end of the story Bond realizes that sometimes the people with the most interesting stories are right in front of him and that he needs to not write certain people of as uninteresting so quickly. The plot of “Risico” will be familiar to those who remember the film version of “For Your Eyes Only.” It is the story of a smuggler who is dangerous and needs to be eliminated. The only problem is that Bond has to figure out which of the smugglers he is dealing with is the man behind the drug trade. Finally “The Hildebrand Rarity” is a sea adventure complete with the rich, sadistic American millionaire, his beautiful wife, the search for a rare fish, and murder.

All of the stories are well written and quite entertaining.

Blood and Thunder by Max Allan Collins (A Nathan Heller Novel)

Nathan Heller takes on another bodyguard job. This time he works for Huey P. Long. Heller is not the best guard out there. In seven novels he loses three clients to an assassin. He is good at locating the hidden truth though. This novel about the death of Louisiana's most colorful politician is a lot of fun. Collins captures the feel of the period like few writers. I lived in Baton Rouge as a kid and I've taken many trips to see the holes in the marble walls where Long's bodyguards killed Weiss. Many older people I've known in this state believe in Weiss' innocence. Growing up I've heard many conspiracies. Most have to do with Roosevelt. All the players are here: Seymour Weiss, the thug bodyguards, Earl Long makes a cameo, even Carlos Marcellos shows up as a young and upcoming gangster. I assume that we will see Mr. Marcellos again in the book on the assassination of JFK.

Goldfinger by Ian Fleming (A James Bond Novel)

James Bond is on his way back from an assignment. A simple layover at the Miami Airport starts a strange series of events. He runs into a man who recognizes him from the Casino Royale. The man, a wealthy hotel owner, believes that he is being cheated at cards and asks Bond to help him uncover how it is being done. Bond helps the man and runs crosswise to the strange Goldfinger. Bond fixes the situation and goes back to London. There Goldfinger runs across his desk again. This time Bond is sent out to discover what Goldfinger is up to and stop him. Bond will encounter beautiful women, gangsters, and be forced to work with Goldfinger while all the time trying to stop him. Classic Bond action and adventure.

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Carnal Hours by Max Allan Collins

Once again Nathan Heller is on the case. This time Heller takes a seemingly easy case. He is hired to find evidence that a rich man's son-in-law is cheating. Instead his famous client is murdered and the son-in-law is arrested. Then the man's daughter hires Heller to prove her husband's innocence. Heller is up to his eyeballs in intrigue. Of course the job is made easier by the sexy women that he encounters. On the other hand he has to deal with the Duke of Windsor who seems to be setting up a frame for the son-in-law by using two mob connected policemen from Miami. Then there is Meyer Lansky. Does he have a stake in this? With a real life, star-studded cast that includes Erle Stanely Gardner and a certain famous British Naval Intelligence officer who will one day be a famous author. This is Nathan Heller at his best.

Dr. No by Ian Fleming (A James Bond Novel)

 James Bond has recovered from the near fatal wound that he received in his last adventure against SMERSH. M has decided to give him a soft job to get him back in the swing of things. The head of the Jamaica station and his secretary have been murdered, although no one knows it. They have simply disappeared. M wants to know what has happened so he sends James. When Bond arrives he is met with a strange mystery. It seems that all of the trouble is coming from a place called Crab Island which is owned by the reclusive Dr. No. Now Bond has to get himself back in shape to hunt down the truth behind this elusive and potentially deadly new foe.

There is everything we expect from a Bond novel, a beautiful, sexy woman, an evil villain, dangerous traps, and determined heroics from 007. As always the Bond books are a lot of fun.

Stolen Away by Max Allan Collins (A Nathan Heller Novel)

Stolen Away is the fifth novel in the Nathan Heller series. In the opening pages of the story Detective Heller of the Chicago Police foils a kidnapping. Everyone is on the lookout for the Lindbergh baby who has recently been taken. Heller thinks that he sees the baby and moves in. It turns out that he has cracked the wrong kidnapping case, but he is still celebrated as a hero. He is then recommended by Elliot Ness to go to New Jersey and help on the Lindbergh Kidnapping case. There is the belief that there may be a connection to the Chicago mob and Al Capone. Heller leaves for New Jersey and is pulled into the drama surrounding the most infamous kidnapping case of all time.

Collins is a great storyteller and he skillfully weaves his fictional character into the historical events. Before it is over Heller has dealt with psychics, including Edgar Cayce, mobsters, wealthy women, the New Jersey state police, IRS agents, and many others. This is a great addition to the Heller memoirs and takes place in the period before the first novel True Detective.

Neon Mirage by Max Allan Collins (A Nathan Heller Novel)

Nathan Heller is hired to guard racketeer James Ragen. Ragen has been threatened by mobsters who want to take over his gambling wires. Something goes wrong and Ragen is shot in an ambush. Complicating the matters is Ragen's niece Peggy Hogan. Peggy and Nate have a past that is unknown to her family. Peggy wants Nate to find her uncle's attackers. Heller investigates trying to locate who hired the killers. The investigation eventually leads him out west where he meets up with Virginia Hill and finally with Benjamin Siegel. Siegel has gone west with the vision of turning the sleepy town of Las Vegas into a gambling paradise. Before he knows it Heller is involved with Siegal and helping him to train his security staff to spot pickpockets and to find out why so much material is disappearing from the casino sight. Of course all of this is complicated by the lovely Peggy who Nate is completely in love with. The only trouble, she has the hots for Siegal.

The story takes place in Chicago and Las Vegas in 1946. This is great modern noir at its best. Nathan Heller does not disappoint. Pick up this volume and enjoy the gangsters, cops, private eyes, and lovely ladies from the end of the gangster era.

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Diamonds Are Forever by Ian Fleming (A James Bond Novel)

Every year millions of pounds worth of diamonds are being smuggled out of the African diamond mines. M has decided that James Bond must stop this leak. To that end James goes undercover as a diamond smuggler to America. This adventure will lead Bond across the United States, back to England, and finally to Africa. Along the way he will team up again with his old friend Felix Leiter. Together they will track the criminals to a racing track in New England, across the US to Las Vegas and into the desert. Bond will have to escape from several deadly traps in order to survive this mission. When it is all over he will have a new respect for the Mafia. It is a fun spy caper full of gangsters, smuggles, and an alluring woman. What more could you ask for in a James Bond novel?


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The Million Dollar Wound by Max Allan Collins (A Nathan Heller Novel)

Another great Nate Heller mystery. After Pearl Harbor Nate Heller and his buddy Barney Ross get drunk, lie about their ages and join the Marines. They end up on Guadalcanal. Suffering from malaria Heller is pinned down while on patrol. Ross is wounded as are several others. Heller suffers battle fatigue and is honorably discharged after he recovers. After he is discharged he has to reacquaint himself with a case that he had worked on years before.

This one is a little more raw than the prior two. The novel has a lot of threads, Heller fighting on Guadalcanal. Heller investigating mob connections to unions in the late 30s. Heller dealing with both of those issues as he recovers from malaria he contracted on Guadalcanal. The threads interweave themselves throughout the book. Like all of the books it is well written, lots of fun, plenty of historical figures, and at least two conspiracy theories.


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True Crime by Max Allan Collins (A Nathan Heller Novel)

Nathan Heller is back. This time a routine case following a wife who may be unfaithful leads him into the Dillinger shooting. All the players from the period are here: Purvis, Dillinger, Nitti, as well as Pretty Boy Floyd, Baby Face Nelson, Alan Karpis, and the Barker gang. Lots of fun and some beautiful molls along the way.

It's often hard to give reviews dealing with crime and mystery stories without giving too much away. Let's just say that there are a lot of surprises along the way for Mr. Heller. Of course he also gets to bed some beautiful gals along the way, so it's not all bad.

The book is very enjoyable. Collins really knows how to get the feel of the Chicago of the 1930s

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