Friday, January 11, 2019

The Distance by Eddie Muller


(hb; 2002: first book in the Billy Nichols series)

From the inside flap

“It’s 1948, an era when newspapermen were stars─and San Francisco sportswriter Billy Nichols is no exception. Known as Mr. Boxing throughout the city, he is the West coast’s answer to Damon Runyon─an insider’s insider who plucks and polishes his pearlike stories from the nonstop hustle of the city’s nightclubs, gambling dens, and ringside seats.

“Billy Nichols is right where he wants to be, until he stumbles onto a shocking crime scene. Heavyweight boxer Hack Escalante has killed his manager, and for reasons Billy doesn’t fully understand, he makes a spur-of-the-moment decision to protect the prizefighter. Soon Billy’s in too deep, caught in a conspiracy of desire, deceit, and betrayal, and he sets off a chain of events whose consequences may cost him his beloved career─and his life. . .”


Review

Distance is a vivid, reader-immersive and distinctly-San Francisco novel that brings together the best pulp elements, character archetypes with its fast-paced, quick-twist plot and action. It is a perfect, reader-immersive read, one of my all-time-favorite, set-in-1940s pulp tales. Followed by Shadow Boxer.

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