Related Subjects: Author Index Reviews Page 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
Book reviews for "Collins,_Max_Allan,_Jr." sorted by average review score:
Blood and Thunder
Published in Hardcover by DIANE Publishing Co (1995)
Author: Max Allan Collins
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Wonderfully entertaining historical fiction
Most of the Nate Heller books are good. This one is very good. I enjoy the characters and the ties to history. Basically, a Forrest Gump/Spencer type of read.

Nate Heller tries to stop Huey Long from being killed.
It was an excellent book. A little bit too much language. It got crazy on pg. 140 (read that page). It had a whole bunch of explosive sex. And a whole lot of bloodshed.

Carnal Hours: A Nate Heller Novel
Published in Hardcover by E P Dutton (1994)
Author: Max Allan Collins
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Very good
An excellent historical mystery, with Collin's Nate Heller filling the role of an real-life private detective who investigated the murder of Sir Harry Oaks.

Look for the reference to Dick Tracy that Collins ames at the end: "It hurts."

Intense storyline
A fitional novel about an actual event that held my interest better than any other non-fiction books on the Death of Sir Harry Oakes

Great Writers & Kids Write Mystery Stories (Great Writers & Kids Anthologies)
Published in Paperback by Random House (Merchandising) (1997)
Authors: Martin H. Greenberg, Jill M. Morgan, Robert E. Weinberg, Scott Turow, Joan Lowery Nixon, Sharyn McCrumb, Wendy Hornsby, Stuart M. Kaminsky, Barbara D'Amato, and Max Allan Collins
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A BOOK TO BE TREASURED BY ADULTS AND CHILDREN.
This is a wonderful anthology. Top-notch mystery writers and their children (and, in some cases, grandchildren) collaborated on a variety of entertaining stories.

Pay particular attention to "Releve", the story contributed by Patricia Wallace and her daughter. This story introduces us to Sydney Bryant, the private eye that Pat Wallace has featured in a terrific series for adults. The titles in the series include "Deadly Devotion" and "Blood Lies".

Other outstanding stories include those by Wendy Hornsby, Scott Turow, Stuart Kaminsky, and Sharyn McCrumb (and their collaborators). This is a book that parents can read and enjoy with their children. It might inspire them to collaborate on some mystery stories of their own!

I look forward to reading the companion volume, "Great Writers and Kids Write Spooky Stories". I

mini-lesson on mystery writing

"When you think of a mystery, what comes to mind? A dark secret? An unsolved crime? A curious detective hunting for clues?"

The only mystery, the only secret, the only crime is how this anthology could be so easily overlooked. "Great Writers and Kids Write Mystery Stories" (1996) is a collection of stories written by some of today's greatest mystery authors in collaboration with their children and grandchildren. Jonathan Kellerman, Sharyn McCrumb, and Scott Turow are three of the thirteen award-winning writers that create wonderous whodunits with their offspring, ages 6 to adult.

While written at about the junior high/ middle school level, this complilation is enjoyable to all. The stories are five to several pages. Some are written with the child as the amateur detective, some are written as a type of psychological thriller.

The introduction serves as a "mini-lesson" on mystery writing. And, each story features a short personal introduction by the adult and child writing team on what it was like to collaborate on their included story. Other contributors include Barbara D'Amato, Ed Gorman, Stuart Kaminsky, Elizabeth Engstrom, and many others.

This book has the unique ability to be educational as well as entertaining. Those that enjoy this book may also enjoy the first volume as well: "Great Writers and Kids Write Spooky Stories" (1995).

True Detective
Published in Hardcover by St. Martin's Press (1986)
Author: Max Allan Collins
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A modern classic
Collin's novel is the ultimate re-examination of the 1930s private detective. It is full of drama, action, and deep historical context.

Should be required reading for the human race.

An excellent story sure to please mystery and history buffs
Rarely does one come across a book which so completely captures the essence of an era. Max Allan Collins has achieved this in spades. He is simply the master of the historical mystery novel. Nathan Heller is a well rounded character, and his interaction with some of the era's most notable figures is exceedingly well done. I can only the entire line of Nathan Heller novels get back into print. If you're a fan of Hammett, Chandler, etc, you're sure to love it.

Daylight: A Novel
Published in Audio Cassette by Brilliance Audio (1996)
Authors: Max Allan Collins, Cheryl Lamar, Steve Yankee, and Laural Merlington
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Unlike any novel I've read before!
If you've seen the movie, you'll be pleasantly surprised how this novel turns out!

The author takes the reader through the events that unfold, through the eyes of a reporter. All of the surviving victims are interviewed in the aftermath of the tunnel cave in.

I would highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys literary and cinematic disaster genres.

Dick Tracy's Fiendish Foes: A 60th Anniversary Celebration
Published in Hardcover by Prima Publishing (1993)
Authors: Max Allan Collins and Dick Locher
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An anniversary celebration worth catching up with!
Fiendish Foes is a great collection of stories that have run over 60 years of Dick Tracy. The book collects some good runs which are full of action and drama. Very fun to read, and enjoyable

Dying in the Post-War World: A Nathan Heller Casebook
Published in Hardcover by Foul Play Pr (1991)
Authors: Max Allan Collins and Edward Gorman
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One of the author's finest
One of the finest entries in Collins' nate Heller series. Publishes at what I consider the character's high water mark.

It is unfortunte that this book is out of print. Bring It Back!

Before the Dawn (Dark Angel, No. 1)
Published in Mass Market Paperback by Del Rey (01 October, 2002)
Author: Max Allan Collins
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A terrific read for Dark Angel fans
Beautifully written, 'Before The Dawn' would be required reading for die-hard Dark Angel fans even if the series were still running. Max Allan Collins has given us what we crave -- the Dark Angel "fix" fans have needed since we first heard the series was going to be cancelled early in 2002. This book isn't just terrific brain candy -- it takes a deeper look at some things we saw in the show (such as Max's thoughts as she escaped, and life with her first 'adopted' family), and it fills in a lot of gaps in Max's history as a Manticore escapee on the run in pre- and post-pulse America. I'll be watching eagerly for future DA works from Mr. Collins.

Excellent for all DA fans
DARK ANGEL: BEFORE THE DAWN is a fascinating prequel novel that is a treat for any DA fan to read. Max Collins has all the characters down pat, and the backgrounding he does for Max, Original Cindy, Logan, and the other regulars of the show is fascinating. After reading this book one can go back and view Season 1 and Season 2 of the series in a slightly different light, picking up clues that were not noticed before that lead back to Max's earlier life before she came to Seattle. Mr. Collins also does an excellent job of foreshadowing things-to-come in the DA universe, threads that will undoubtedly be continued in his DA sequel novel SKIN GAME which picks up the storyline after the last televised episode of the show. If you're a DARK ANGEL fan, please buy BEFORE THE DAWN! The read is well worth your time!

The series continues
When I first heard that they were taking the Dark Angel series off the air I was really mad. That series was perfect. Perfect actors, perfect future depiction, perfect characters, perfect plot. Perfect right? So why [did]Fox chose to take it off the air I fear I will never know. So needless to say when I heard that Max Allan Collins was writing a book to continue the series, I perked up considerably. I was really worried that this was going to be one of those books that didn't connect with the TV series, but Collins did an excellent job of portraying the characters just as they were on TV. My only complaint was that Collins put Max's leaving phrase was "Gotta blaze," when on the series it was "I gotta bounce." But that was pretty much my only complaint. Anyway, I'm getting off subject. Over all this book is a great uplifter for the rest of us X5's who are still seriously depressed that our brothers and sisters were taken off air. Anyway, this is a great book and definitely worth the money to buy it.(I've already read it and it's sequal about ten or more times apiece.) It may be off the air, but Dark Angel continues.

The History of Mystery (Art Fiction Series)
Published in Hardcover by Collectors Press (2001)
Author: Max Allan Collins
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The Big Everything
This book is part of the Collectors Press series that include "The Great American Paperback" and individual volumes on fantasy, horror and science fiction. Essentially, this is a collection of book covers, movie posters, and other visual representations of crime and mystery media from the 1800's to today. "The History of Mystery" is a visual treasure for anyone interested in the genre, and Max Allan Collins' text provides a nice overview of crime and mystery authors and publishing. The only drawback is the same as in all of the Collectors Press books in this series: in many cases the images slightly overlap, with one cutting off a portion of the other. It's not bad enough to ruin the pleasure of the book, but allowing each image to be seen without obstruction would have been a better choice. Highly recommended.

No Mystery About How Great This Book Is!
My wife was working as a buyer for a bookstore when she noticed this title in a catalog and knew it was something special I would instantly be drawn to. As a late Valentine, it was perfect, and I must say I am quite pleased with the almost museum-like quality and presentation of this book. From the first ever real American P.I. to modern films, quirky heroes, and comic books, Max Collins manages to cover every base of the detective mystery genre. The historical bits are not boring at all, but often amusing as is the fantastic selection of cover art from pulp magazines through trading cards and television promo art. A slightly tongue-in cheek tribute to a slightly tongue-in cheek style of writing by one of mystery's biggest fans and best contributers, well worth every penny!

A lavish display with its color reproductions of covers
Even more lavish is Max Allan Collins' History Of Mystery, which combines an appreciation for pulp detective fiction art covers to insights on the mystery writing genre's many visions; from its pulp fiction to comic books and fiction writings. Fans of either mystery writing or pulp fiction art will relish this lavish display with its color reproductions of covers.

Dark Angel: Skin Game
Published in Mass Market Paperback by Del Rey (04 February, 2003)
Author: Max Allan Collins
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Related Subjects: Author Index Reviews Page 1 2 3 4 5 6 7

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