EditorThis month, Stark House Press brought back two of Jack Webb’s finest standalones. Webb, a Los Angeles native and sharp hand at crime fiction in the Fifties and early Sixties, is best known for his Shanley and Golden series, but these novels showcase the breadth of his talent.
One For My Dame (1952) follows war-haunted pet shop owner Rick Marlow Jackson as he’s drawn into a wild L.A. caper—Mafia, redheaded heiress, the works. The Deadly Combo (1958) is a jazz-soaked mystery starring battered cop Mac Stewart as he tracks a trumpet player’s murderer through smoky clubs.
The new edition includes the Lowestoft Chronicle editor’s introduction, “The Redhead in Danger and the Dead Jazzman’s Golden Trumpet.” Both books have been unavailable for decades, making their return a significant event for fans of the genre.
Adding to the excitement, New York Times bestselling author James Reasoner, best known for his acclaimed Westerns and as the voice behind the popular Rough Edges blog, recently reviewed this double volume. Reasoner, with his wide-ranging knowledge of pulp fiction, has highlighted everything from Westerns to noir on his site and regularly helps readers discover overlooked classics.
In his latest review of the Stark House edition, which features an introduction by the editor of Lowestoft Chronicle, Reasoner writes: “Stark House recently reprinted two of Webb’s stand-alone novels in a handsome double volume, THE DEADLY COMBO and ONE FOR MY DAME. THE DEADLY COMBO is both a fast-paced, violent, hardboiled mystery and a love letter to jazz music, all at the same time. I stayed up later than I normally do to finish it, and that takes a pretty compelling book at my age. The Stark House double volume, complete with a top-notch introduction by Nicholas Litchfield, is available in e-book and paperback editions on Amazon.”
Reasoner’s thoughtful perspective underscores what makes this collection stand out, emphasizing Webb’s unique voice and the enduring appeal of mid-century Los Angeles noir. His full review can be found on Rough Edges at this web link.
The collection is available from Amazon, Barnes and Noble, or directly from the publisher.
