October News and a Book Review

Happy October!

Things are going to slow down a little here at Clockwork Capers HQ both to give me a little time to work on reviews and because I’m taking part in my now annual 31 Days-31 Films Horror Film Challenge.  I’ll definitely still be posting a new film review soon and I even have some seasonally spooky reviews in the works.

In the meantime, I just wrapped up a novel that may be of interest to heist fans so I thought I’d do a little book review as a bonus. Charlesgate Confidential by first-time novelist Scott Von Doviak is part of the Hard Case Crime series of hardboiled crime fiction. Hard Case specializes in both reprints of pulp novels—from authors like Westlake, Spillaine, Ellison, and others—as well as new novels written for the collection. Charlesgate is the story of an art heist very loosely based on an actual robbery in Boston. The story weaves together three timelines—one from the 40s, one from the 80s, and one from roughly present day—to slowly assemble the mystery of who robbed the museum and what happened to the stolen art.

Taking on even two timelines can be challenging, but I found that juggling the three helped propel me through the story. The 80s timeline detailing the lives of some college students living in the titular building during its tenure as a dormitory seemed the most clearly realized but the whole novel is packed with Boston authenticity (you could pair it with The Brink’s Job). Part of that authenticity includes a lot of details about baseball and the ’86 World Series in particular. However—even as someone who isn’t interested in baseball—it did not prevent me from enjoying learning more about the mystery at the novel’s core.

As an aside—I’m digging these Hard Case Crime books. I’m halfway through one of their Donald E. Westlake books now and really enjoying it. Hard Case appears to have a great stable and some cool stuff on the way (a Brian De Palma novel!). Besides the authors, it was the pulp fiction/movie poster style illustrations on the covers that initially drew me to the series—they don’t always have much to do with the actual narratives and I realize they’re not for everyone but I’m a sucker for the style. If you’re a crime fiction fan or looking to add some heists to your reading life, I’d recommend the Hard Case books and Charlesgate Confidential is a fine place to start.