 |
Coming November, 2006 |
-3.jpg) |
|
|
Coming November, 2006 |
|
"Ken Kuhlken writes about characters most
authors wouldn't touch." Raymond Carver
"A major player in the hard-boiled suspense
field." Charles Elster, San Diego Union Tribune
the Tom Hickey books
from THEY DIED IN VAIN, a Drood
Review Book, 2002:
"While
the [noir] films were about visual style, certain expectations were developed
about how film noir characters would behave. These characters are
alienated from society, and compound their problem by making really bad
choices. Ken Kuhlken has closed the circle by writing a brilliant homage
to the original literary private eyes and to the characters of film noir.
"[THE LOUD ADIOS] is a complex novel where
every nuance has meaning and sometimes it is the blank spaces that tell the
story. . . . It was followed by THE VENUS DEAL, a prequel to this story, and THE
ANGEL GANG, the story of Wendy and Hickey's life together. The three
novels comprise a trilogy that stands as some of the finest historical writing
in the private eye field."
| THE LOUD ADIOS,
1943 Private Eye Writers America Best First P.I.
Novel "In THE LOUD ADIOS, Kuhlken proves he can write in the mystery genre as well as anyone today. The scenes are expertly structured and the prose is visual and tense. This is a writer fully in control of his craft." San Diego Union "The novel at times takes on an almost unbearable intensity, not in its mayhem but in its human beings and concerns." Chico News and Reviews
|
| THE VENUS DEAL,
1942 ". . . mysticism, a journal full of poetic folklore, and the noir-like dialog
push an especially complex plot from start to finish. Along with Gaylord Dold
and Max Allan Collins, Kuhlken joins the ranks of P.I. authors presenting their
character in a historical setting and pulling the deed off with skill and grace.
Highly recommended." Mystery Scene
"Awash in a sheen of slightly hallucinatory prose, THE VENUS DEAL never falters." San Francisco Chronicle |
| THE ANGEL
GANG, 1949 "Tom Hickey is one of detective
fiction's most original and intriguing creations."
San Francisco Chronicle
"A nicely orchestrated rescue set in simpler times, with sturdy prose, nonstop action, and steady suspense. Recommended." Library Journal |
|
The Hickey family story continues with THE DO-RE-MI, as Tom and Wendy's son Clifford makes enemies of sheriffs and outlaw bikers while attempting to rescue his adopted brother.
Read about the author, email
him,
meet him in person
or buy signed
first editions of
The Loud
Adios,
The Venus Deal or
The Angel Gang.
Click some links: authors, folk musicians, folk festivals.