Tue 15 Dec 2015
Mystery Review: MICHAEL BRETT – Kill Him Quickly, It’s Raining.
Posted by Steve under Bibliographies, Lists & Checklists , Characters , Reviews[13] Comments
MICHAEL BRETT – Kill Him Quickly, It’s Raining. Pocket; paperback original; 1st printing, December 1966.
First of all, what a great title for a private eye novel. This is the first recorded case for Manhattan based PI Pete McGrath, and most of his book titles are as good as this one, if not better. I’ll add a list of all ten at the end of this review, as usual.
While Kill Him Quickly is the first of the McGrath books, Michael Brett was the author of two earlier books, both paperback originals from Ace, in which the leading character was someone called Sam Dakkers. The titles were The Guilty Bystander and Scream Street, both from 1959. If anyone recognizes either title and can tell me anything about Sam Dakkers, I’d be happy to know more about him.
When I picked this one up to be read at bedtime, I had no idea that it was McGrath’s debut to the world. It was easy to assume that he’d had other adventures, it was just that I hadn’t read them yet. As it turned out, it didn’t matter. McGrath tells his own story, and with such confidence that you assume he’s been around for a while, that he hadn’t just hatched out of nowhere, which in effect he had.
I didn’t get much of a picture of who he is, though, or even what he looks like. Just another tough PI with a bit of an attitude. Just how tough, that comes later, when he finds himself needing answers from someone, and he’s in a bit of a hurry as to how he gets it.
The case, as it so happens, is twofold. He’s hired first by a woman recently widowed whose home has been entered and probably robbed, and she can tell that someone is following her. It turns out that her now deceased husband had some friends with whom he was involved in an unsavory venture together, and one of the friends is decidedly unfriendly.
While still working on this case, McGrath is hired by a second client, a spy, he says, trying to come in from the cold, and he needs a bodyguard. It turns out that the spy is pretty good with a gun himself, and McGrath finds himself with a dead body on his hands and in a jam with the police
This one’s a good one, with only a couple of caveats. There are a few too many people involved; after a while it becomes difficult to keep them all straight, and not all of them manage to survive. I also thought the ending was wrapped up too quickly, as if the book was beginning to run out of pages. Otherwise this debut venture for Pete McGrath makes me want to read more. I think I have all of them listed below, and it’s time to dig them out and have at them.
The Pete McGrath series —
Kill Him Quickly, It’s Raining (1966)
An Ear For Murder (1967)
The Flight of the Stiff (1967)
Turn Blue, You Murderers (1967)
We, the Killers (1967)
Dead Upstairs in the Tub (1967)
Slit My Throat Gently (1968)
Lie a Little, Die a Little (1968)
Another Day, Another Stiff (1968)
Death of a Hippie (1968)
December 15th, 2015 at 10:38 pm
I read several of these good hamburger when you wanted hamburger. The ultimate generic eye.
December 15th, 2015 at 11:28 pm
This is the first of the McGrath novels I’ve read, but on the basis of this one, I can’t see any reason to disagree with you. But quite often a plain old generic PI novel is just what I’m looking for.
December 16th, 2015 at 1:14 am
I recall reading these when they were new and thinking they were okay but that’s the sum total of that recollection, although your post, Steve, reminds me that the titles and covers were always distinctive. But yeah, generic is the word but not in a good way. For me the prime generic private eye, in a good way, is Johnny Liddell.
December 16th, 2015 at 9:11 am
I’ve read so many Johnny Liddell books that not only is generic the perfect word, but so is blandness. I don’t mean that in a bad way, but it is so.
December 16th, 2015 at 4:23 pm
Stephen,
Like you I much preferred Liddell. Kane was a much better writer and Liddell at least had a face and personality. The McGrath books always seemed faceless. Both were hamburger, but McGrath was usually McDonalds while Liddell was sometimes Carl
Jr.s, at least BURGER KING.
As I recall this first entry was far and away the best of the series. They ones I read later had less going for them. Kane’s best was better than Brett’s best for my taste.
I will grant though that Brett had more of a pulp vibe where Liddell, like Carter Brown, had more of a television eye feel — which might explain what felt bland to Steve.
There is also a British Michael Brett who wrote two spy novels about Brit journalist Hugo Baron. The one I read, DIECAST, was good.
December 16th, 2015 at 5:27 pm
Not positive, but my records have Michael Brett is actually Miles Tripp, who wrote a bunch of mysteries under his own name.
Not sure where I got this info, or even if it is correct.
December 16th, 2015 at 9:19 pm
David P.
Right you are. From Al Hubin’s CRIME FICTION IV:
BRETT, JOHN MICHAEL; pseudonym of Miles Tripp, (1923-2000); other pseudonym Michael Brett
BRETT, LESLIE FREDERICK (1907-1974); see pseudonym Michael Brett
BRETT, MARTIN; pseudonym of Douglas Sanderson, (1920-2002); other pseudonym Malcolm Douglas
BRETT, MICHAEL; pseudonym of Leslie Frederick Brett, (1907-1974)
BRETT, MICHAEL; pseudonym of Miles Tripp, (1923-2000); other pseudonym John Michael Brett. [This is the one who wrote the two Hugo Baron books.]
BRETT, MICHAEL (1921-2000) [This is the one who wrote the McGrath books.]
At one time this was one really tangled mess to figure out.
December 18th, 2015 at 8:49 am
I used to see these books everywhere. I picked up a few but never read one (the story of my Life). Nice review!
December 18th, 2015 at 1:53 pm
Books of this era, late 1960s, have all but vanished from used bookstores. On the other hand, so have used bookstores.
But they don’t even show up online, either, if this one is an example. Abebooks has only three offered for sale, from $1.88 to $20, depending on condition.
Luckily I believe I have them all. I suspect David is right, that this may be the best of the series, but I plan to read the others, when I come across them. (They’re all boxed away at the moment, with boxes stacked shoulder high.)
December 19th, 2015 at 1:24 pm
Haven’t read any Brett, but that cover and the title are grabbers, for sure.
January 7th, 2016 at 1:17 pm
Being Michael Brett’s daughter I consider myself a bit of an authority on this writer. First of all, he is not Miles Barton Trip . He wrote 10 of the Pete McGrath mysteries under the name Michael Brett. He had previously written The Guilty Bystander and Scream Street as Mike Brett. He is the author of numerous short stories, most of them were published in Alfred Hitchcock magazines. He also wrote two hardcover books, Diamond Kill and Toma.
He passed away in 2000 at the age of 80.
If you have any further questions please feel free to contact me and I will be happy to clarify. Also, none of the pseudonyms listed are Michael Brett of the Pete McGrath mysteries.
January 7th, 2016 at 2:14 pm
Hi Wendy:
Thanks for stopping by and leaving the long comment you did about your dad. The confusion about all the names and which author wrote what was very confusing for a while. Here is your father’s current entry in CRIME FICTION IV, by Allen J. Hubin:
BRETT, MICHAEL (1921-2000); Ref: TC2, TM. (chron.) (assoc.)
[] *Another Day, Another Stiff (Pocket Books, 1968, pb) [Pete McGrath; New York City, NY; Kentucky]
[] _Cry Uncle! (Pocket Books, 1971, pb) See: Lie a Little, Die a Little (Pocket Books 1968).
[] *Dead, Upstairs in the Tub (Pocket Books, 1967, pb) [Pete McGrath; New York City, NY]
[] *Death of a Hippie (Pocket Books, 1968, pb) [Pete McGrath; New York City, NY]
[] *Diamond Kill (Putnam, 1977, hc) [New York City, NY]
[] *An Ear for Murder (Pocket Books, 1967, pb) [Pete McGrath; New York City, NY]
[] *The Flight of the Stiff (Pocket Books, 1967, pb) [Pete McGrath; New York City, NY]
[] *The Guilty Bystander (Ace, 1959, pb) [Sam Dakkers] Digit, 1960. (as by Mike Brett)
[] *Jungle (Dell, 1976, pb) [New York City, NY]
[] *Kill Him Quickly, It’s Raining (Pocket Books, 1966, pb) [Pete McGrath; New York City, NY]
[] *Lie a Little, Die a Little (Pocket Books, 1968, pb) [Pete McGrath; New York City, NY] Also published as: Cry Uncle! Pocket Books, 1971. Film: Cambist, 1971, as Cry Uncle (scw: David Odell; dir: John G. Avildsen).
[] *Scream Street (Ace, 1959, pb) [Sam Dakkers] Digit, 1960. (as by Mike Brett)
[] *Slit My Throat, Gently (Pocket Books, 1968, pb) [Pete McGrath; New York City, NY]
[] _Toma (with David Toma) See entry under David Toma.
[] *Turn Blue, You Murderers (Pocket Books, 1967, pb) [Pete McGrath; New York City, NY]
[] *We, the Killers (Pocket Books, 1967, pb) [Pete McGrath; New York City, NY]
I believe this agrees with everything you’ve stated about your father’s mystery fiction, at least in book form. All of the other Brett’s have their own entries. If you see anything above that’s in error, additions, deletions, corrections, please let me know, and I’ll pass it along to Al Hubin.
Thanks again!
Best regards,
Steve Lewis
March 23rd, 2024 at 11:29 am
Hi
I came across this thread while trying to compile a list of plays written by my uncle. He is the Leslie Brett (1907-1974) who wrote under the name of Michael Brett. I so far know titles of about 20 of his plays – although I believe he wrote more than that. They were popular on BBC radio and in theatres across the UK and a few made it to the London West End and one made a splash when it was specially performed for the Queen and her household. Some were murder / mysteries. Often comedic.
I have come across a listing showing a few magazine short stories written by a Michael Brett in 1930s – anyone know which Michael Brett they belong to?
1. The Grand Magazine [v71, #387, May 1937] (George Newnes, Limited, 7d, 96pp+, pulp)
p 273 · For One Night Only · Michael Brett
2. The Passing Show [Vol. 6, No. 290, October 9, 1937] (Odhams Press, 2d, 36pp, 10½″ x 14¼″, cover by Gilbert Wilkinson)
p 28 · The Impulse of Art · Michael Brett
3. The 20-Story Magazine [Vol. 35, No. 206, August 1939] (Odhams Press, Ltd., 1/-, 128pp, pulp, cover by Colin Orme)
p 62 · Mr. Needham Compromises · Michael Brett