Paperback Jack
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4.0 • 1 Rating
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- $13.99
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- $13.99
Publisher Description
Paperback Jack is a brand new historical thriller from Grand Master Loren D. Estleman: lurid paperback covers promised sex and danger, but what went on behind the scenes was nearly as spicy as the adventures between the covers.
1946. Fresh from the War in Europe, hack writer Jacob Heppleman discovers a changed world back home. The pulp magazines he used to write for are dying, replaced by a revolutionary new publishing racket: paperback novels, offering cheap excitement for the common man and woman. Although scorned by the critics, the tawdry drugstore novels sell like hotcakes – or so Jacob is assured by the enterprising head of Blue Devil Books, a pioneer in paperback publishing, known for its two-fisted heroes and underclad cover girls.
As “Jack Holly,” Jacob finds success as the author of scandalously bestselling crime novels. He prides himself on the authenticity of his work, however, which means picking the brains of some less than reputable characters, including an Irish gangster who wants a cut of the profits – or else. Meanwhile, as Hollywood comes calling, the entire industry also comes under fire from censorious politicians out to tame the paperback jungle in the name of public morality.
Targeted by both Congress and the Mob, Jay may end up the victim of his own success – unless he can write his way to a happier ending.
At the Publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Edgar finalist Estleman (the Amos Walker PI series) delivers a clever homage to the golden era of paperback originals. In 1946, novelist Jacob Heppleman returns to New York after serving in Europe during WWII, now aware that the fiction about war he wrote before he'd been in combat hadn't come close to approximating reality. Desperate to support himself via the written word, Heppleman joins Blue Devil Books, a pioneering publisher that hopes to become extremely profitable by putting out "new work in cheap editions." Blue Devil's owner, Robin Elk, hopes that talented storytellers like Heppleman will help make his product appealing. Eager to try to produce the gritty crime fiction Elk wants, Heppleman taps into his own experience as a thief to research the real life of a fence in Manhattan for his next book. In the process, he gets too close to real criminals, placing his life at risk. His livelihood is also threatened when Congress conducts hearings on Elk's publications, seeking to make political capital out of decrying their violent content. Estleman keeps the pages turning and makes Heppleman a fully realized creation. This evocative tale of a seminal era in American book publishing showcases the author's versatility.
