Black Mask Stories. Vol. 5

Volumes 5 and 6 in this ongoing collection (see LJ 3/1/12, p. 56) offer a hit/miss mix. The Ring starts strong with Carroll John Daly's "Knights of the Open Palm," which dates to 1923 and is considered the original hard-boiled detective story. Gruff PI Race Williams's signature lines like, "When I'm gunning, I'm a bad man," are delivered in a slow, syrupy, matter-of-fact tone by narrator Eric Bergmann. This set is dominated by Rainbow Diamonds, a series of six stories by Ramon Decolta featuring Filipino detective Jo Gar, which, alas, are the least satisfying of the lot. The program ends strong with the title tale, whose teen protagonist is captured in a perfect gee-whiz tone by reader Dan Bittner. Containing only four stories, The Bloody Bokhara collection makes up for quantity with quality. The title story along with Theodore A. Tinsley's "Body Snatcher," Dwight V. Babcock's "Murder on the Gayway," and Cleve F. Adams's "The Key" are all top-shelf thrillers. Oddly, only "The Key" features a true detective, as Tinsley and Babcock offer reporters doing the crime-solving, and "Bokhara" stars a carpet salesman sleuth.