Dangerous Aliance

United Nations’ sanctions are crippling North Korea. China has turned her back on her malevolent partner. The North Korean military machine is crumbling, unable to function. Oil reserves are minimal and the government seeks new alliances.

Cargo and tourist ships are disappearing along the Somali and Kenyan coastline at an alarming rate. Speeches abound, but inaction emboldens Al-Shabab to seek their next prize: Kenya. The terror organization controls land but requires weapons.

Bedlam Bravo team leader Colonel Trevor Franklin (Ret.) leads the small international team into East Africa. Tempers flare as the team is embroiled in a political quagmire. The axis must be stopped to avert an international crisis but at what cost?

Dangerous Alliance (International Thriller)

By Randall Krzek

Independent Publishing Platform

ISBN # 978-1730912412

409 Pages

Price $18.99 (Paperback)

Price $4.99 (Kindle)

Rating 4-Stars

While a North Korean politico is attempting to trade weapons for oil with Somalia pirates, England has put together the Bedlam Bravo team to ride ships hoping to stop pirates from capturing ships and holding them for ransom. But there is a lot more going on in this international intrigue than meets the eye.

The author’s writing style captures the reader from the first page to the final end when everything comes together nicely. My only complaint, and it’s a minor one, for its length the story was slow and easy to put down when I should have been reading. For over 400 pages you need a lot of action to keep the reader interested. The viewpoint switches too often, breaking up sequences that should have been followed through. There’s nothing wrong with switching viewpoints, though I wasn’t all that interested in the pirates’ viewpoint, and felt the over all story slowed when viewpoints jumped around. There’s not enough action early on. Oh, the Bedlam Team trains in maneuvers of taking hostages from terrorists on ships to help with their real job in the future with pirates, but the training seems too pat, and we know the real thing is never as easy as the training. Training is a necessity, but you must train for every scenario to be efficient in any given task, and people get killed when real bullets are flying. However, the intrigue cannot be overlooked, and I highly recommend this international thriller.

Tom Johnson

Author of ASSIGNMENT NINA FONTAYNE

The Spider Slaughter, Incorporated

Originally slated to appear in The Spider Magazine in the 1940s, "Slaughter, Incorporated" was ultimately shelved when that magazine was cancelled. Never before published directly from author Donald G. Cormack's original manuscript, this edition has been faithfully reconstructed as an exact copy of the never-published February 1944 issue of The Spider Magazine, complete with vintage interior illustrations. In addition, The Spider: Slaughter, Incorporated (Facsimile Edition) marks the first publication of the never-before-published lost Red Finger story, "Red Finger and the Murder Trio," penned by Arthur Leo Zagat. Also including a story by longtime Spider author, Norvell Page. Rounded out by an introduction by Spider scholar, Will Murray, The Spider: Slaughter, Incorporated (Facsimile Edition) is the most important pulp publication of the year.

The Spider Slaughter, Incorporated (Pulp Reprint)

By Grant Stockbridge (Donald G. Cormack)

Altus Press www.altuspress.com

ISBN #978-1618273178

Price $19.95 (Paperback)

96 Pages

Rating 5-Stars

This was the last Spider novel written in 1943 for Popular Publications, scheduled for publication February 1944. It was obvious that PP had decided to drop the series, as the main author, Norvell Page, was working for the government now. They had hired Donald G. Cormack to write the final entry, but the series ended before Slaughter, Incorporated was published. There wasn’t much of a plot; it was all about the ending. The Spider and Richard Wentworth in a fight to the death. It was a plot to kill The Spider once and for all, and as the story ends we see The Spider dead and Richard Wentworth standing victorious above him. Even Police Commissioner Kirkpatrick buys the finale. I had read this story years ago when Robert Weinberg published it in paperback under the title of Blue Steel.

It took many years, but Altus Press has finally published this important novel in the style of the old pulp magazines, including interior artwork, with short stories in the back pages. One of the short stories is an unpublished Red Finger story that was rejected during the pulp period, Red Finger And The Murder Trio, so readers are not getting just one unpublished story, but two in this lost volume featuring The Spider. There is also a Norvell Page and Wayne Rogers short story in the back. This book is a must for any pulp fan, and highly recommended.

Tom Johnson

Author of THE BLACK BAT COMPANION

Complete Adventures of The Domino Lady

“Compliments of the Domino Lady!” In order to avenge the murder of her father, socialite Ellen Patrick donned a domino mask, an evening dress and packed a .45. Running for six rare stories in mid-1930s pulp magazines, these stories remain elusive. Now, these are collected in an affordable edition, complemented by an all-new Afterword by pulp historian Tom Johnson.

Complete Adventures of The Domino Lady (Pulp Reprint)

By Lars Anderson

Altus Press www.altuspress.com

ISBN #978-1618273581

Price $19.95

176 Pages

Rating 5-Stars

This beautiful volume produced by ALTUS PRESS reprints the complete run of six issues of this popular pulp heroine; only the second masked heroine to fight crime on her own merits. Yes, there were several women detectives in the pulps, as well as the women who fought beside their men, like The Spider’s Nita Van Sloan, or The Shadow’s Mira Reldon, etc. In this volume are: The Domino Lady Collects; The Domino Lady Doubles Back; The Domino Lady’s Handicap; Emeralds Aboard; Black Legend; and The Domino Lady’s Double. The exciting cover is from the November 1936 issue of Mystery Adventure Magazine, which contained The Domino Lady’s Double.

The Domino Lady is in reality, a young socialite named Ellen Patrick. When her father, District Attorney Owen Patrick is murdered, Ellen dons a black domino mask and goes after the criminals of the city. She’s smart, sexy, and carries a .45 automatic, and a syringe containing a knockout serum.

The six novelettes have interesting plots, and Ellen Patrick follows in the footsteps of Johnston McCulley’s The Masked Lady from 1921, the first woman to wear a mask and evening dress to go after criminals more than a decade before The Domino Lady. Personally, I don’t know why The Domino Lady wasn’t given her own magazine, and a longer run? The stories were a lot of fun. New pulp authors have certainly carried her over in modern day pulpy action, though they have her jumping in bed with any and everyone. They really need to read the original stories to get a real feel for the character. With this collection it is possible to finally read the series in one setting, and I highly recommend this book to pulp fans, and future Domino Lady scribes. Now you can read the real Domino Lady.

Tom Johnson

Author of The Man In The Black Fedora

The Adventure of the Dux Bellorum

Intelligence agent Lucy Harker receives the most dangerous job in the world — keeping Winston Churchill safe in the Great War. Despite her unique abilities as Dracula's daughter, she loses Churchill to Kaiser Wilhelm's inhuman allies. If she's to recover Britain's greatest leader, Agent Harker must gain the aid of her Austrian lover, Countess Karnstein — better known as Carmilla. But the notorious vampire is keeping secrets that might doom the British Empire.

The Adventure of The Dux Bellorum (Feminism SF)

By Cynthia Ward

Aqueduct Press

ISBN #978-1619751537

Price $12.00 (Paperback)

Price $5.95 (Kindle)

156 Pages

Rating 5-Stars

In this alternate history of WWI, Lucy Harker is ordered by M of the British Secret Service to guard Lt/Col Winston Churchill while he resides with his men on the front lines. Dr. Kruger, the German scientist who fights against the allies, has created a pack of wolfmen, and they attack Lucy, leaving her dead, and carrying off Churchill. When her lover arrives and brings Lucy back to life, they set off searching for Dr. Kruger’s new lab in the mountains. Here a fierce battle ensues, and single-handed, Lucy fights and kills the Mahars of Pellucidar and pterodactyls before reaching Churchill, and we see Lucy in magnificent form. You see, Lucy is a dhampir – a vampire killer.

This well written short novel is a sequel to The Adventures of the Incognita Countess. Lucy’s father was actually Dracula, but she is also related to Sherlock Homes and has his investigative ability, plus we see men and women, British and German, react to the British spy. The fight in the mountains with Mahars and pterodactyls shows her true strength and ability against great odds. I can highly recommend this book for its great characterization and action in an alternate universe.

Tom Johnson

Author of The Masked Avenger

Sanderson of Metro

Two masters of the superhero pulp fiction world, Frank Dirscherl and Bobby Nash, have come together to tell this tale, the NEVER before told origin of the first Wraith/Paul Sanderson, as only they could. Witness to the original Sanderson's early childhood, the emptiness in his soul, his yearning for meaning in his life, his finding it in the wilds of Africa and coming face-to-face with the man who would one day become his greatest nemesis. And finally, how he was endowed with the awesome powers of the Eyes of Judgment, becoming the very first Wraith Dread Avenger of the Underworld. This action packed, atmospheric thrill ride could only be told now and could only be told by master storytellers like Dirscherl and Nash. An epic, never to be repeated and not to be missed.

Sanderson of Metro (Superhero Pulp Fiction)

By Frank Dirscherl & Bobby Nash

Trinity Comics

ISBN #978-0646979236

Trinity Comics

Price $13.58 (Paperback)

232 Pages

Rating 4-Stars

From the comic book series the authors bring the origin of The Wraith to prose fiction.  Paul Sanderson, of Metro, is a spoiled rich kid reaching for attention from his mother and father and can’t find it. As an adult he sets out to travel the world looking for his place in it. Almost dying in the African desert, he is saved by a native who tells him there is an ancient prophesy about a white man coming who will save the world, and Paul is the fulfillment of that prophesy. He is taken to a mountaintop where an old man trains him for his coming place in history as the Dread Avenger of the Underworld. But it goes deeper than this. If Paul dies, he is to pass on the power to someone else.

In fact, it is the second man telling the story, as Paul has already died and been replaced by Michael Reeve, a Metro policeman. The story is well written, and the Paul Sanderson’s character flushed out fairly well, but for an origin story we don’t get a whole lot of action. There’s just enough to move the story along. And by the time he starts to fight crime in Metro City, it’s time for him to die and be replaced by the super hero who will carry the legend on after Paul’s death. This is Book #1 in the prose series, and I suspect there is more action in future stories, or at least I would hope so. For those following the Wraith’s stories in comic books, this prose entry will clear up a lot of mystery behind the character, and is a must read for that reason alone. I highly recommend this well written entry for all comic book fans.

Tom Johnson

Author of THE MAN IN THE BLACK FEDORA