SONGS of INNOCENCE
by RICHARD ALEAS
Three years ago, detective John Blake solved a mystery that changed his life forever—and left a woman he loved dead. Now Blake is back, to investigate the apparent suicide of Dorothy Louise Burke, a beautiful college student with a double life. The secrets Blake uncovers could blow the lid off New York City’s sex trade...if they don’t kill him first.
Richard Aleas’ first novel, LITTLE GIRL LOST, was among the most celebrated crime novels of the year, nominated for both the Edgar and Shamus Awards. But nothing in John Blake’s first case could prepare you for the shocking conclusion of his second...
RAVES FOR SONGS OF INNOCENCE:
“An instant classic.”
— The Washington Post
“The best thing Hard Case is publishing right now.”
— The San Francisco Chronicle
“His powerful conclusion will drop jaws.”
— Publishers Weekly
“So sharp [it’ll] slice your finger as you flip the pages.”
— Playboy
Available now at your favorite bookstore. For more information, visit
www.HardCaseCrime.com
The Final Crime Novel From THE KING OF PULP FICTION!
DEAD STREET
by MICKEY SPILLANE
PREPARED FOR PUBLICATION BY MAX ALLAN COLLINS
For 20 years, former NYPD cop Jack Stang has lived with the memory of his girlfriend’s death in an attempted abduction. But what if she didn’t actually die? What if she somehow secretly survived, but lost her sight, her memory, and everything else she had...except her enemies?
Now Jack has a second chance to save the only woman he ever loved—or to lose her for good.
ACCLAIM FOR MICKEY SPILLANE:
“One of the world’s most popular mystery writers.”
— The Washington Post
“Spillane is a master in compelling you to always turn the next page.”
— The New York Times
“A rough-hewn charm that’s as refreshing as it is rare.”
— Entertainment Weekly
“One of the all-time greats.”
— Denver Rocky Mountain News
Available now at your favorite bookstore. For more information, visit
www.HardCaseCrime.com
More Great Books From
HARD CASE CRIME!
The Peddler
by RICHARD S. PRATHER
OVER 40,000,000 BOOKS SOLD
In the cutthroat world of organized crime, Tony Romero was headed straight for the top. But his path was littered with bodies and broken dreams—some of them his.
Say It With Bullets
by RICHARD POWELL
AUTHOR OF ‘A SHOT IN THE DARK’
Bill Wayne’s bus tour through the West becomes more than he bargained for when bodies start turning up at every stop!
The Last Match
by DAVID DODGE
AUTHOR OF ‘TO CATCH A THIEF’
From the casinos of Monaco to the jungles of Brazil, from Tangier to Marrakech to Peru, the chase is on when a handsome swindler tries to escape the beautiful heiress out to reform him.
Available now at your favorite bookstore. For more information, visit
www.HardCaseCrime.com
More Great Books From
HARD CASE CRIME!
Grifter’s Game
by LAWRENCE BLOCK
MWA GRANDMASTER
Con man Joe Marlin accidentally steals a suitcase full of heroin, then plots to kill the man he stole it from—with help from the man’s wife!
Top of the Heap
by ERLE STANLEY GARDNER
CREATOR OF PERRY MASON
The client had a perfect alibi for the night Maureen Auburn disappeared—but nothing made P.I. Donald Lam suspicious like a perfect alibi.
Two for the Money
by MAX ALLAN COLLINS
AUTHOR OF ‘ROAD TO PERDITION’
After 16 years on the run, will Nolan bury the hatchet with the Mob—or will they bury him first?
Available now at your favorite bookstore. For more information, visit
www.HardCaseCrime.com
What Sordid Secrets Would He Find In the Depths of His Crystal Ball?
Eddie Haines came to Hollywood to work in television, not to become a phony self-help guru, collecting secrets from his wealthy clients in order to blackmail them.
But that’s what Eddie became, under the tutelage of Professor Otto Hermann, Ph.D., a vicious little man with dollar signs where his soul should have been.
It was a lucrative set-up—until the day the professor pushed Eddie too far...
“Perhaps the finest psychological horror writer.”
—Stephen King
Robert Bloch was the legendary author of PSYCHO and a true Hollywood insider, writing scripts for numerous movies and TV shows including ALFRED HITCHCOCK PRESENTS, Boris Karloff’s THRILLER, and the original STAR TREK. You haven’t see Hollywood’s dark side till you’ve seen it through Bloch’s eyes...
SOME OTHER HARD CASE CRIME BOOKS YOU WILL ENJOY:
GRAVE DESCEND by John Lange
THE PEDDLER by Richard S. Prather
LUCKY AT CARDS by Lawrence Block
ROBBIE’S WIFE by Russell Hill
THE VENGEFUL VIRGIN by Gil Brewer
THE WOUNDED AND THE SLAIN by David Goodis
BLACKMAILER by George Axelrod
SONGS OF INNOCENCE by Richard Aleas
FRIGHT by Cornell Woolrich
KILL NOW, PAY LATER by Robert Terrall
SLIDE by Ken Bruen and Jason Starr
DEAD STREET by Mickey Spillane
DEADLY BELOVED by Max Allan Collins
A DIET OF TREACLE by Lawrence Block
MONEY SHOT by Christa Faust
ZERO COOL by John Lange
SPIDERWEB
by Robert Bloch
A HARD CASE CRIME BOOK
(HCC-042)
First Hard Case Crime edition: April 2008
For
GUSTAV MARX
who gave so much of his time to this book
One
The door was of blonde wood, highly waxed. Across its surface, in angular script, was lettered:
LARRY RICKERT