When you come upon a writer who's been active for 32 years
and is very successful, you wonder why you've never heard of him. I guess the
answer is easy; I was a college professor. Many of my friends were college
professors. No wonder when many people hear the word professor they picture a
spaced out guy with elbow patches on his tweed jacket who is utterly cut off
from the mainstream. But hallelujah I've seen the real world (at least a close
approximation) and I'm ready to read some more novels. Max Allan Collins wrote
his first Chicago novel about Nate Heller in 1983. It took place when
prohibition was in force and Al Capone ran the city. In the novels that follow
Nate develops a relationship with Frank Nitti, Capone's successor; earns a
Silver Star on Guadalcanal and returns to the Windy City after a section 8
retires him from the Marine Corps.
The research that goes in to the Nate Heller novels is
prodigious. In the 16th or 17th, I can't remember which one, Heller is involved
with a CIA plot that somehow leads to the death of JFK in Dallas. Every step of
the way, as he does in all his novels, he makes sure that almost all historical
facts are correct. The man is a genius and apparently indefatigable.
He wrote the graphic novel, "Road to Perdition"
that became a great movie with Tom Hanks. He has written screenplays, comic
books and historical fiction. He collaborated with Mickey Spillane, and after
Spillane's death, completed novels Spillane had begun.
So this is a salute to a great writer whom you'd better
start reading before Nate Heller comes across your sorry ass and takes you to Chicago,
where you end up sleeping with the fishes.
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