Loren D. Estleman - Read Online Free Books Archive

The Confessions of Al Capone

Wed, 04 Dec 2013 14:34:27 +0200

Multiple award-winner Loren D. Estleman has produced a major biographical novel on the infamous Mobster known as Scarface, rigorously researched and deftly nuanced to offer an intimate portrait of the gangster whose terrible crimes and larger-than-life persona have both fascinated and appalled the world for nearly a century; whose legacy is still widely debated; and whose brutally ambitious career in the Mafia continues to inspire filmmakers and writers to plumb its excesses and its contradictions.

In 1944, after Al Capone has been released from prison, J. Edgar Hoover assigns an FBI junior agent to insinuate himself into Capone's life and gain his trust so that Hoover can nail as many of Capone's Mob confederates as possible. Capone, suffering from the neurological effects of syphilis, is alternately lucid, full of the passion and energy that fueled his rise to the pinnacle of American crime…and rambling or ranting, the broken shell of a man released from prison so he could die at home with his family.

With the superb narrative gifts honed in dozens of novels, Estleman has captured the essence of this American icon as never before. With subtly nuanced portrayals of those in Capone’s circle—his underrated wife Mae Capone, members of the Chicago Outfit including the deadly Frank Nitti—as well as his nemesis, J. Edgar Hoover, Hoover’s secretary Helen Gandy and others, The Confessions of Al Capone is a major literary achievement.

Sherlock Holmes vs. Dracula

Tue, 16 Feb 1993 20:05:31 +0200

The year is 1890. A ship is discovered adrift off the English coast, its crew missing, its murdered captain lashed to the wheel, and its only passenger is a sinister black dog. This impenetrable mystery is clearly a case for the inimitable Sherlock Holmes, but for the first time in his illustrious career the great detective is baffled. Clearly the crew have been murdered and dumped overboard, but what can account for the captain's expression of imponderable terror and his acute loss of blood, or the ship's strange cargo—fifty boxes of earth?

The game is afoot, and Sherlock Holmes, aided as ever by the faithful Dr. Watson, finds himself on the trail of no mortal enemy, but the arch-vampire himself—Count Dracula...

The Stranglers

Sat, 04 Dec 1999 14:34:27 +0200

Montana Territory has become a killing ground for a vengeful posse who live by their own cold-blooded rules. Their victims: any man with a badge.

Indigo

Mon, 03 Feb 2020 10:55:21 +0200

Indigo continues Loren D. Estleman's hard-boiled Valentino Mysteries.

Film detective Valentino is summoned to the estate of Ignacio Bozel to collect a prized donation to the university's movie library: Bleak Street, a film from the classic noir period, thought lost for more than sixty years.

Bleak Street was never released. Its star, Van Oliver, a gifted and charismatic actor with alleged ties to the mob, disappeared while the project was in post-production, presumably murdered by gangland rivals: another one of Hollywood's unsolved mysteries. Studio bosses elected to shelve the film rather than risk box-office failure. UCLA's PR Department is excited about the acquisition, but only if Valentino can find a way to sell it in the mainstream media by way of a sensational discovery to coincide with its release: "We want to know what happened to Oliver."

A simple quest for a few hundred yards of celluloid opens a portal into a...

When Old Midnight Comes Along

Mon, 16 Dec 2019 20:18:17 +0200

A new Amos Walker mystery from award-winning author Loren D. Estleman!

Amos Walker is hired by one Francis X. Lawes, a private-sector mover and shaker in Detroit politics, to prove that his wife, Paula, who disappeared under sinister circumstances shortly more than six years ago, is dead, so he can remarry without having to wait for the seven-year-declaration-of-death rule to kick in.

Walker's investigation is complicated by two facts: the police still consider Lawes the prime suspect, and the first-responding officer in that old case was killed in the line of duty shortly afterwards and his notebook has never been found. The question for Walker is, if Lawes is guilty, why would he put himself in jeopardy of arrest and prosecution by giving the forensics team a body to work on?

At the Publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.

City Walls

Mon, 16 May 2016 18:00:47 +0300

City Walls, the next Amos Walker novel from a Grand Master. "Loren D. Estleman is my hero."—Harlan Coben
The search for a fugitive embezzler leads Amos Walker to Cleveland, where he is hired by Emmett Yale, a leading figure in the electric car industry, to investigate the murder of his stepson. Yale believes that his stepson's hitman is connected to Clare Strickling, a former employee, and his attempts to silence whispers that he has bought illegal insider-trading information.
Walker shadows Strickling to a private airfield as he attempts to flee the country—only to then witness his murder. The twisted web of lies and deceit surrounding both deaths forces Walker to question the motivations of everyone he encounters, from Major Jack Flagg, an elderly barnstormer, Palm Volker, the attractive aviatrix who runs the airfield, Candido, a surly maintenance worker employed by Palm, and Gabe Parrish, a retired boxer. Naturally, everyone has secrets to...

Monkey in the Middle--An Amos Walker Mystery

Mon, 19 Sep 2022 10:01:45 +0300

From the master of the hard-boiled detective novel and recipient of the Private Eye Writers of America Lifetime Achievement Award comes Loren D. Estleman's next enthralling Amos Walker mystery, Monkey in the Middle
"Loren D. Estleman is my hero." —Harlan Coben
The monkey in the middle is the one who "hears no evil."
Private eye Amos Walker doesn't have that luxury. Hearing the truth, on the other hand, is a lot less common, even from people who need his help.
It's summer in Detroit and Walker's just received word that his ex-wife has passed away. He can use a distraction, which arrives in the form of a young, would-be investigative journalist who has gotten in way over his head. He needs Walker's protection, but is suspiciously vague about why and from whom. And he's not the only one playing their cards way too close to their chest, including:
- A bestselling author who claims to be retired, but who knows a good story when he hears one.
- A...

Paperback Jack

Tue, 13 Dec 2022 12:51:03 +0200

Paperback Jack is a brand new historical thriller from Grand Master Loren D. Estleman: lurid paperback covers promised sex and danger, but what went on behind the scenes was nearly as spicy as the adventures between the covers.
1946. Fresh from the War in Europe, hack writer Jacob Heppleman discovers a changed world back home. The pulp magazines he used to write for are dying, replaced by a revolutionary new publishing racket: paperback novels, offering cheap excitement for the common man and woman. Although scorned by the critics, the tawdry drugstore novels sell like hotcakes – or so Jacob is assured by the enterprising head of Blue Devil Books, a pioneer in paperback publishing, known for its two-fisted heroes and underclad cover girls.
As "Jack Holly," Jacob finds success as the author of scandalously bestselling crime novels. He prides himself on the authenticity of his work, however, which means picking the brains of some less than reputable...

Little Black Dress (Peter Macklin Novels)

Thu, 01 Nov 2007 18:52:25 +0200

Stamping Ground

Sat, 22 Nov 1980 23:21:52 +0300

In Loren D. Estleman's Stamping Ground, Deputy U.S. Marshall Page Murdock isn't happy when Judge Blackthorne decides to send him on an assignment to North Dakota. He passed through the territory once before and is not eager to return to a land of sudden blizzards and spring floods. And to make matters worse he has been handed the nearly impossible job of apprehending the renegade Cheyenne leader Ghost Shirt, who is responsible for several massacres in the area.

White Desert

Fri, 23 Nov 2012 06:54:51 +0200

This is the latest installment in a well-established Western cop series. The cop is Page Murdoch, U.S. marshal, cynic, tough-ass, and the last man you'd want on your tail. In this book Murdoch, Montana-based, pursues a vicious gang into the far north of Canada in winter—the infinity of snow he encoutners gives the title White Desert. To get his men he must outwit or outmaneuver some aggressive, unpredictable Metis; goes into a colony of American blacks escaped from slavery and still touchy; and a band of Sioux, followers of Crazy Horse fled to Grandmother's Land for safety.

At the publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management software (DRM) applied.

Motown

Fri, 22 Nov 1991 21:32:44 +0200

Working undercover in order to stop a consumer advocacy agency from putting Detroit auto companies out of business, ex-cop and car lover Rick Amery becomes involved in the conflagration of a black gang war. Reprint.

From Publishers Weekly

The second installment of Estleman's Detroit trilogy ( Whiskey River ) is terrific: fast, intricate and often funny. Choreographing the movements leading to the August 1966 Detroit riots, Estleman focuses on three main characters: Rick Amery, an ex-cop hired to spy on a Ralph Nader-like consumer advocate; inspector Lew Canada, trying to prevent a war between the Mafia and black gangs, and a likely race riot; and Quincy Springfield, numbers racketeer and "blind pig" (after-hours club) operator. But the author does not stint on minor characters, and they, too, leap off the page. A crippled mob boss resolves to oust "the coloreds" from the rackets while his exiled father schemes to reclaim the family business; there's also a retired newsman right off The Front Page , plus a Jimmy Hoffa-type labor leader. Set pieces are no less than stunning, notably a publicity stunt to embarrass GM chairman James Roche, and a big black funeral. Period details work wonderfully as well: the clothes, cars, songs, political references, even the price of lamb chops at the A & P are right on the money.
Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal

Motown is Motor City, the Detroit of Ford, General Motors, and Chrysler, the Detroit of street hogs, blind pigs, union bosses, and tough cops. It's a rough town, rife with dirt, crime, and corruption, its steamy streets redolent of whiskey, blood, and sweat. This is the second volume of a trilogy ( Whiskey River , Bantam, 1990, was the first) tracing the history of the city from the bottom up. It's the summer of 1966. A Nader-like consumer advocate is just starting to take on the automobile industry. The ghetto is near to boiling. The mayor has the presidential itch, and a local mobster is making a bid to take over the black numbers racket. The story follows the actions of a former police lieutenant as he becomes a consumer advocate, and a black entrepreneur as he becomes the pillar of Detroit's black resistance. Is it good? Listen, Estleman knows crime fiction in ways that Bo can only dream about.
- David B. Mattern, Univ. of Virginia, Charlottesville
Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc.

The Wolfer

Sat, 23 Nov 2013 06:54:51 +0200

Feared throughout the West, wolfer Asa North is as ferocious and ruthless as the wolves he hunts. But he may have finally met his match in Black Jack, the cunning, blood-thirsty beast whose pack has ravaged innumerable herds of sheep and cattle.

Thunder City

Tue, 23 Nov 1999 03:26:48 +0200

Thunder City presents Detroit in the process of becoming the Motor City. Harlan Crownover, scion of a great family of carriage makers, battles with his father to invest in a company run by Henry Ford, who has failed twice before in the automobile business. Desperate for funds, Harlan turns to Big .
Jim Dolan, the Midwest's most powerful political boss, and Sal Borneo, a visionary mafioso struggling to bring the commerce of vice into the new century. Allies at first, they soon will be mortal enemies. At the crisis, only Edith Hampton Crownover, Harlan's troubled, aristocratic mother, will be in a position to shift the balance of power.

From Publishers Weekly

Detroit is most of the setting for Estleman's crime dramas (he is also an acclaimed author of westerns), but the author sees seven of his novels in particular as forming a "Detroit Series," charting the city's history and telling in microcosm the history of the U.S. in the 20th century. This seventh and final installment, a colorful and suspenseful peek into mobster dens and automobile factories and boardrooms, rounds out the writer's chronicle of the Motor City. It is the first decade of the 20th century and Detroit is the bustling center of automobile development and manufacture. Harlan Crownover, son of a wealthy carriage-making tycoon, is swept up in the romance and novelty of the horseless carriage, much to his father's disgust and rage. Harlan, however, is a visionary and, seeing a future for the automobile, joins with Henry Ford to start the Ford Motor Company. Seeking investment money, Harlan first approaches Big Jim Dolan, a slick and powerful Irish politician with competing business interests, who sends Harlan packing. Harlan next strikes a deal with Sal Borneo, a shrewd and murderous Mafia boss who has no interest in automobiles, but who has something else in mind as the payoff for his investment. Invoking political expediency and threatening blackmail, Harlan's father induces Dolan and Borneo to join him in an unlikely conspiracy to ruin Ford and crush Harlan, but they underestimate their unconventional opponents in the legal, media and banking battles that result. Ford and Harlan's triumph over the cabal is exceedingly clever and satisfying, but it is Borneo's sharp forward-thinking vision that is most chilling. Profiting from Estleman's usual careful plotting, accurate backgrounds and crisp narrative, this is a gritty novel of high ideals and low morals, of men trying desperately to outwit one another whatever the cost in the heady days of invention and industry in Detroit. (Nov.)
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Kirkus Reviews

Fifth in the highly lauded series of Detroit novels that began with 1990's Whiskey River, a marvel of Prohibition-era description, and continued variously with Motown, King of the Corner, and, most recently, Edsel (1995). The story this time goes back to turn-of-the-century Detroit and Henry Fords third attempt to make his automobile factory solvent. Almost no one thinks that Fords horseless carriage will ever take off and pay for itselfno one but Harlan Crownover, widely seen as the slow-brained member of a family renowned for its business sense. Harlans father, Abner Crownover II, had risen from grease boy in his own fathers firm to youthful genius who turned the firm into one that built short-haul freight vehicles and passenger coaches. These were capped by the elegant Crownover opera coach, which rode on a superb suspension system invented by Abner II, subsequently patented, leased to all other coach makers, and insuring Abner II of millions of dollars for the rest of his life. Or as long as coaches are madeand now young Harlan is backing Henry Ford. Harlan goes to Big Jim Dolan, the citys street railway commissioner, for a $5,000 loan he plans to sink into Fords ingenious new assembly-line factory. When Dolan turns him down, Harlan hits up the Sicilian Prince, rising protection-racket boss Sal Borneo. Aside from being a health faddist, Borneo, tied to Dolan, has his hand in the city governmentand into Ford by way of Harlan? Will Ford solve his rear-axle problem by stealing Abner II's spring suspension system? Will Harlan eventually take over the factory and become the new Coach Prince? Will bloody Sal turn on Harlan? A tour de force of descriptive energy, researched to hairs-breadth accuracy of detail, and packed with characters vivid enough to make Frank Norris dance a jig with Theodore Dreiser. Estlemans final cut on this epic series should be a single chronological, chrome-plated volume of mirror-clear prose. -- Copyright ©1999, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.