Wednesday 20 August 2014

2 BY CHARLES WILLEFORD

One of my favourite authors and I have had these on the shelves for about 15 years and still haven't read them. Crazy? Maybe, but I'm still saving them until the mood takes me, because once they are read a part of them disappears. I enjoy the anticipation of cracking open a favourite author's books, not as much as reading it, obviously, but enough to prolong the moment for a year or two longer.

Willeford achieved some commercial success quite late in his writing career with his Hoke Moseley books, at least one of which was a film with one of the Baldwin boys (never seen it).
1. Miami Blues (1984)
2. New Hope for the Dead (1985)
3. Sideswipe (1987)
4. The Way We Die Now (1988)





There was an unpublished Moseley, Grimhaven  - parts of which formed one of the later series books. Grimhaven will in all probability never be published, but there are bootleg copies circulating. I think I have read most of his work and have the majority of it saved for re-reading. Just waiting on someone to give me a big lottery cheque so I can retire and read, or conversely awaiting the invention of the 48 hour day, 10 day week of which 3 are mandatory reading days!

Charles Willeford 1919-1988











The Shark-Infested Custard

They are just four regular guys by the pool: ex-cop Larry 'Fuzz' Dolman, airline pilot Eddie Miller, salesman Don Luchessi and drug company rep Hank Norton. They live in a 'singles only' Miami apartment block. They like regular-guy things: booze, broads, cars, and a good card game.

The Shark-infested Custard is a startlingly amoral update of Dumas' The Three Musketeers set in 1970s Miami. As our four male swingers commit increasingly barbarous crimes it becomes clear that their only guiding principle is not to get caught - by adhering to the 'all for one, one for all' maxim.


Willeford joyfully applies the scalpel to the vacuous heart of male America, where being one of the guys is always going to be more important than mere life and death.



The Second Half of the Double Feature

In this new collection of short stories, vignettes and autobiographical sketches-many previously unpublished-Charles Willeford, author of Miami Blues and The Burnt Orange Heresy creates a mosaic of the absurdities of life in the 20th century. From a malicious grandmother to prophetic depictions of the power of reality television, with his wry humor and sudden shifts to violence, Willeford seduces, amuses and repeatedly surprises you. This expanded hardcover edition adds Willeford's complete published poetry, as well as nearly 50 previously unpublished poems. "No one writes a better crime novel than Charles Willeford" -Elmore Leonard

10 comments:

  1. I've read something by him along the way, and liked it even if not enough to pursue his books. I am intrigued by the insight into your reading habits - the fact that you delay reading a favoured author so as to prolong the moment is not something I share, although many of your other reading vice/virtues we do have in common! Good luck with the lottery cheque scheme...

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    1. Moira, I never claimed to be "normal!" Its hard to explain, but occasionally picking the book up and handling it and reading the dust jacket and book cover before putting it back on the shelves, does offer me a (sad?) sense of enjoyment, that once the book has been read disappears. Anticipation!

      Just off to check last night's ticket!

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  2. Totally unrelated to these books, but on the subject of delaying an enjoyable read (though in this case the first in a series), I think it was here I first read about Charlie Muffin, and I *finally* read one last week, and, wow, excellent recommendation! Just the right amount of everything: spies, amorality, travel, alcohol, humour... Now let's see how long it takes me to read another one!

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    1. Vicki, brilliant - so glad you enjoyed it. I have been carrying the 1st Charlie around in my laptop bag ever since I posted (can't remember when that was, but a good couple of months ago). I read maybe 25-30 pages in and stopped for some bizarre reason....time to get back to it. A bit of everything sounds good - and not too long - another bonus!

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  3. Col - Oh, just the titles of these have gotten my attention. And The Shark Infested Custard sounds like a great read; I like the premise. I hope you'll enjoy them, and I know just what you mean about wanting to hold off reading so it won't end, if I can put it that way. I look forward to your reviews.

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    1. I think it's one of the greatest titles of all time for a crime fiction book. I would never have been able to pass by THE SHARK-INFESTED CUSTARD even if it hadn't been by Willeford. Cheers - and happy blog birthday again!

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  4. Here's another writer who is popping up on a lot of book blogs and I have been on the lookout for his novels ever since.

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    1. Prashant, I hope something of his turns up soon for you.

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  5. I have some of Willeford's books but not sure I will enjoy them, which is probably why I keep putting them off. Glen has a similar habit of delaying a read he is looking forward to. If he really likes an author (Pronzini) he won't read the last one until another is published and he has purchased it.

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    1. Tracy, good to know I'm not totally isolated on this one, though with hindsight maybe 15 years is a wee bit too long. I hope you enjoy him when you do give it a go.

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