Wed 17 Aug 2016
Mystery Review: GARY MADDEROM – The Jewels That Got Away.
Posted by Steve under Reviews[10] Comments
GARY MADDEROM – The Jewels That Got Away. Curtis 07311, paperback original, 1973.
As a mystery or crime fiction writer, Gary Madderom has one other book listed in Al Hubin’s Crime Fiction IV, that one being The Four Chambered Villain, which was published in hardcover by Macmillan in 1971 before being reprinted in paperback, also by Curtis. According to an online obituary, he worked for a while for Warren Publishing, well known for putting out such magazines as Creepy, Eerie, Famous Monsters of Filmland, and Vampirella.
The book at hand, which as usual for Curtis, fell apart as I read it, is the story of a jewel heist which, as usual, the plan for which unravels (falls apart) almost as soon as it’s put into motion. Even a second attempt fails, and that one even more so than the first.
Coerced by financial circumstances (he has no money) and coaxed along by his cousin’s beautifully stacked secretary, would-be actor Rocco Agnello reluctantly lets Frank (reputedly connected with the Mafia) talk him into the plan. It is somewhat amazing that it takes 190 pages to tell the story, but to Madderom’s credit as a writer, it does so, and in a very self-assured fashion.
One might wish for more depth in the characters as well, but one can’t have everything. Call this one average, no more.
August 17th, 2016 at 6:17 pm
Curtis Books, which had a short run in putting out paperbacks in the 1970s, often had very striking covers, but within months the glue they used to hold the pages in was almost non-existent.
August 17th, 2016 at 7:53 pm
Very true, Steve. Back then, I bought several film-related books Leonard Maltin edited for Curtis, all bound with that crappy glue.
August 18th, 2016 at 1:55 pm
Curtis had a decent lineup of writers including Nigel Balchin who had never been published much in this country, but they did tend to fall apart quickly.
Is it just me or does the male model on the cover look like a degenerate Rowan Atkinson?
August 18th, 2016 at 6:45 pm
Now that you mention it, yes! I first noticed Curtis Books when a whole slew of Michael Avallone’s Ed Noon books showed up in the racks, all at the same time. Some I’d heard of, many I hadn’t. Most (if not all>) of the latter had been published earlier in England, but never before here.
August 19th, 2016 at 6:05 am
The only way I could manage to read their (Curtis) books was to very carefully open them just enough to see the page, but not any wider.
August 19th, 2016 at 7:49 am
Curtis Books were poorly manufactured so not many survive to this day. And, at least around here, Curtis Books had distribution problems so I never saw many of their offerings. The ones I bought I found on the road when I was traveling as a consultant.
August 19th, 2016 at 2:56 pm
I checked the shelves and I do have a few Curtis books – the first Quarry book by Max Allan Collins, a couple of new copies (unread) of Ed Noon books that Mike Avallone gave me (and inscribed) in 1977, several Simenons – including THE SHORT CASES OF INSPECTOR MAIGRET.
August 19th, 2016 at 3:40 pm
Curtis published some quality material, no doubt about it — along with so-so stuff, of course, such as this one by Madderom.
August 19th, 2016 at 11:16 pm
The more I look at the cover, the more striking and appropriate I find it. Someone with some intelligence created it, whoever it was.
August 20th, 2016 at 8:02 pm
The covers on the Curtis books I’ve seen have all been striking. But the production of the paperbacks left a lot to be desired!