Haffner Press Newsletter – February 22, 2018 – Paul Pine at the Bindery . . .

In This Issue:	February 22, 2018
Now at the bindery:
At 928 pages, the next release from the Secret Moon Base of Haffner Press is our longest title to date! We want to give all of you who preordered HALO FOR HIRE: THE COMPLETE PAUL PINE MYSTERIES (first announced in 2012) a big THANK YOU for hanging with us while this tome came together. For those keeping score, editorial work began on these tales as far back as 2004. Frank M. Robinson, author of THE POWER and THE GLASS INFERNO (and Howard Browne’s office-boy at the 1940s offices of Amazing Stories) was originally on board to write the introduction, and the magnificent artist Glen Orbik was engaged to provide the cover painting. Sadly, both men passed away before they could contribute; Frank in 2014 and Glen in 2015. But time and tide wait for no one and popular culture historian (and unabashed fan) Richard A. Lupoff stepped up to do the introduction (and it’s fantastic!) for HALO FOR HIRE. An accomplished illustrator herself (your Big Poobah first encountered her work in 1997 for DC Comics), Laurel Blechman agreed to handle the cover art. Laurel and Glen have been a couple for decades and you may view much of their work at their website. Howard Browne’s daughter, Melissa Flagstad, provides an afterword and contributed a heretofore unpublished poem by the author to close out the book. And to hep a few of you: that’s NOT Bruce Willis on the cover—Melissa’s husband, Trond Flagstad, lends his visage as the face of Paul Pine. Below is a link to preorder HALO FOR HIRE: THE COMPLETE PAUL PINE MYSTERIES at a pre-publication price of $50; the retail price upon publication will be $60, so don’t wait too long! It is hoped that we will have copies to show/sell at the Los Angeles Vintage Paperback Collectors’ Show in Glendale on Sunday, March 18th. We hope to see many of you there!
HALO FOR HIRE: THE COMPLETE PAUL PINE MYSTERIES Howard Browne Introduction by Richard A. Lupoff Afterword by Melissa Flagstad Cover by Laurel Blechman 928-page Smythe-sewn Hardcover PREORDER PRICE: $50Contents: Halo in Blood Halo for Satan Halo in Brass “So Dark for April” The Taste of Ashes “The Paper Gun”
Some related links you may enjoy: • ThrillingDetective.com on Paul Pine • *MysteryFile posts on Howard Browne • Ed Gorman’s many blog posts on Howard Browne • A TUMBLR page of art by LAUREL BLECHMAN • LAUREL BLECHMAN’s personal gallery page • Richard A. Lupoff’s Wikipedia page Here are some blurbs we harvested from the webs for the first three Paul Pine novels from their initial appearances in the late 1940s:** HALO IN BLOOD “A rough tale with a brilliant opening situation in which twelve persons participate in the burial of a nameless bum. This is as surprising and bizarre a gambit as I can remember.” —Vincent Starrett in Chicago Tribune “Paul Pine pulls no punches in solving this gory mass murder starring a dangerous female. It’s a supertoughie.” —Saturday Review of Literature “There is no gainsaying the swift pace, the excitement-packed pages and toughness of this thriller.” —New York Sun “Halo in Blood is never dull with its lightning action, plausible situations, believable characters, Paul Pine may well be added to the company of such private sleuths as Philip Marlowe and Same Spade. That’s high acclaim.” —Chicago Sun “A mystery of the first order that differs materially in the writing from the customary pattern. The writing is bright as a new dollar, and as up-to-the-minute as a stock ticker. From the moment Pine unexpectedly joins a funeral party for an unidentified murder victim to the climax, writer Evans [Howard Browne] has done a good job.” —Philadelphia Bulletin HALO FOR SATAN “Seldom does a mystery work up to such a thrilling solution. The account of how tough, witty Paul Pine seeks a manuscript valued at many millions provides one of the most imaginative mysteries in years. A flawless puzzler.” —Boston Post “Paul Pine, who can be called a believable Sam Spade, gets into a deal that shocks even his shockproof nature. He’s in a typical spot—squarely in the middle and fighting hard to keep himself and his client in the clear. Halo for Satan is terrific. Evans [Browne] is doing an impressive job.” —Philadelphia Bulletin “Wonderfully different. It’s as exciting as all-get-out and the ending will—honestly—knock you off your fee.” —Craig Rice in Los Angeles News “Murderous and startling . . . unusual premise for “tough guy” mystery this one has rough stuff galore, snapping Mid-West atmosphere and surprise finish. It’s lurid and lively.“ —Saturday Review of Literature HALO IN BRASS “Exceptionally tough—and exceptionally good—opus peopled mainly by unpleasant characters and ending in fashion that may surprise all but keen-eyed. —Saturday Review of Literature