BOOKS

• Nightmare Town
  by Dashiell Hammett
  Edited by Kirby McCauley, Martin H. Greenberg and Ed Gorman
  Alfred A.Knopf/$25.00
  It doesn't get any better than this. Twenty long-lost tales by the master, including seven Continental Op stories, three Sam Spade tales, a tantalising dry run for The Thin Man, and the missing like between the Op and Spade.
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• The Encyclopedia of Murder and Mystery.
  by Bruce F. Murphy
  Minotaur Books/$75.00
  This big chunk of book (656 pages) is an impressive new reference source for fans of mystery and crime fiction. There are entries on all facets of the crime and mystery genres, with some intriguing detours along the way. There are entries on and discussions of not only classic practitioners, but also newer talents such as Patricia Cornwell, James Ellroy, and Jonathan Valin and authors ordinarily considered outside the mystery genre. Murphy catalogues the mechanics of murder (poisons, terminology, weapons, etc.), subgenres, famous plot devices (like the locked room or the snowbound house), movie adaptations, and great series characters. Like the blurb says, "More than a reference book, The Encyclopedia of Murder and Mystery provides a colorful and comprehensive map of the mystery genre constructed under the gaze of Bruce F. Murphy's own critical eye, making it an indispensable and lively guide for every mystery lover." And the author promises that it's not just a valentine to cozy lovers, either."Although it's not restricted to hard-boiled fiction, it does include entries on the classic hard-boiled authors, books, and P.I.'s, as well as some of my personal favorites like Raoul Whitfield, Paul Cain, and books like They Don't Dance Much."
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• Raymond Chandler's Philip Marlowe: A Centennial Celebration
  by Byron Preiss, editor
  ibooks/$16.00
  A handsome new reprint of the by-now classic 1988 collection, authorized by the estate of the late Raymond Chandler, featuring original Philip Marlowe stories by some of the foremost private eye writers around, including Max Allan Collins, Robert Crais, Benjamin Schutz, Sara Paretsky, Jeremiah Healy, et al. This edition includes new contributions by Roger L. Simon and Robert B.Parker., and there's even some never-before available stuff posted on the publisher's site, just to give you a taste!
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• Detective Agency: Women Rewriting the Hard-Boiled Tradition
  by Priscilla L. Walton and Manina Jones
  University of California Press/$16.95
  Intriguing look at the post-Grafton/Paretsky female eye, from an unapologetically-feminist perspective, by two academics from Ontario, Canada.
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• The 2000 Deadly Directory
  by Kate Derie, editor
  Invaluable. Extensive listings of mystery bookstores, organizations, publications, events, archives, small presses, reviewers, entertainment, gifts, and online sites. Names, addresses, phone/fax, email, and websites. It bills itself as "Your complete guide to the international mystery, crime, and detective fiction community," and this ain't no foolin' around! Derie is also the creator of the fantastic ClueLass web site.
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COMIC BOOKS

• Scene of the Crime
  Written by Ed Brubaker
  Art by Michael Lark
  DC/Vertigo/$2.50 each
  You can probably find all four parts of this 1999 mini-series at any decent comic book store, and it's well worth the effort. The terse, "just the facts, ma'am" art is perfect for the tough, hardboiled tale about a youngish San Francisco private eye, trying to outlive his painful past with the help of his famous crime photographer uncle.
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• Detectives Inc: A Terror For Dying Dreams
  by Don McGregor and Gene Colan ..
  Image/$19.95
  Graphic novel reprint of the 1987 mini-series by Don McGregor, with truly evocative art by Gene Colan, featuring private eyes Ted Denning and Bob Ranier. A surprisingly-adult tale, with artwork so compelling and right it's hard to believe the words were written first.

RADIO/AUDIO DRAMA

• Brick Mallery, Private Investigator Triple Boxed Set
  1999
  Scenario Productions/$29.95
  A fun spoof of the hard-boiled private eye radio shows of the 40's & '50s. Warren Coughlin does a Mickey Spillane-style detective with his sardonic "tough guy" voice. The dialogue parodies the cliched, noir-style hardboiled slang, taking aim at cliche phrases and slick bad guys. Jusheck out the blurb:
  "Brick Mallery is a Private Investigator. Although he deals with your average crimes such as Blackmail, Kidnapping, and Stolen Goods, he specializes in the more bizarre EVILS that involve Clones, Aliens Mind Control, Identical Half-Twin Brother and Sisters, and of course. . . MURDER!" This three-tape set includes "The Case of the Denim Cut Shiny Stainless Steel Mirrored Suit," "The Case of the Bride of Mallery" and "The Case of Down Alive."
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• Old Time Radio Detectives and Crime Fighters
  Cassette Tapes ($29.98)
  Compact Discs ($34.98)
  A good overview of OTR detective shows, this collection of 12 remastered broadcasts from the 1940's and 50's includes "The Maltese Falcon," "Sherlock Holmes - The Adventure of the Tolling Bell," "Boston Blackie - Blackie & the Fur Trade," "Dragnet - The Big No-Tooth," "Ellery Queen - One Diamond" "Gangbusters - The Cincinnati Narcotics Ring," "The Green Hornet - The Corpse That Wasn't There," "The Adventures of Philip Marlowe - Red Wind," "Richard Diamond Private Detective - The Joyce Wallace Case," " The Saint - The Nancy Paycheck Case," " Tales of the Texas Rangers - Stickup," and "This Is Your F.B.I. - The Travelling Bride." Available from Amazon.com, Radio Spirits and various other independent and chain bookstores.
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• Old-Time Radio Club Membership
  Prices vary
  OTR clubs offer an inexpensive way to enjoy radio drama, comedy, other programs. Nearly all clubs have extensive collections of detective shows. You can listen tot the incredibly downbeat and hard-boiled "Pat Novak," the glib and flippant "Richard Diamond," the egotistical "Nero Wolfe,"or the "the insurance investigator with the action-packed expense account - Johnny Dollar." Most clubs have a newsletter. Basically you rent tapes for a 30 day period from the club's lending libraries; you pay return postage. Club libraries usually consist of open reel and cassette tapes, as well as archived copies of written material covering various aspects of old time radio. Tape catalogs are usually supplied as paper copies; usually as an increased price for first-year dues.
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  A good listing of clubs can be found at http://www.old-time.com/clubcat.html.
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• The Adventures of Harry Nile
  Sixty episodes of New-Time Radio detective series, "The Adventures of Harry Nile" are available in eight two-tape sets. Particularly good is Volume 7 which contains 4 double-length episodes. Cassettes and compact discs of many Harry Nile episodes are also available from Imagination Theater's syndicator, Transmedia.

VIDEOS

• Chinatown
  1974, Paramount Pictures
  Screenplay by Robert Towne
  Directed by Roman Polanski
  Starring Jack Nicholson, Faye Dunaway
  $29.95
  This 25th anniversary special edition DVD release of arguably the best private eye movie ever made gets remastered, wide-screened and treated with the respect it deserves. If you don't already own this, it's about time you did. And if you've never seen this noirish, Watergate-era take on the evil that men do in the name of love and water in 1937 Los Angeles, you're in for a treat.

ETC.

• Crime Fiction III: A Comprehensive Bibliography, 1749-1995
  by Allen J. Hubin
  CD-ROM/$49.95
  At last! The third edition of this indispensable bibliography, listing almost every English-language mystery ever written, is finally available on CD-ROM. Now it's affordable and even portable. Once upon a time, you needed a forklift just to move this thing, and deep pockets to afford it at all. And now you'll no longer have to schelp all over town looking for a library with a copy. Perfect for anyone with more than a passing interest in crime fiction. There are links by author, book, story, pseudonym, by co-author, contents, chronology, and even by movies based on the author's books, and works about the author. The last print edition of Hubin was close to $200. Do the math.
  In fact, as of December 4, 1999, this site is being Hubin-ized. For your protection, of course.
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• The Hard Boiled Engagement Calendar 2000
  by Peggy Thompson and Saeko Usukawa, eds.
  Chronicle Books/$14.95
  Great photos and quotes from classic (and not-so-classic) hard-boiled and noir films illustrate this 122 page spiral-bound calendar.
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• The "Chicago" Fedora
  Most of the stuff on The Hatshelf Web Site is Western crap, but check out the "Chicago" model on the lower right-hand corner. (The color, of course, sucks, but it comes in all the normal colors too.) I think the name alone is fantastic, but if I were to go out and get a winter fedora (to complement the summer one, of course), this is the one I'd pick. For all the Bogart wannabes in your life.

And finally, the all-time great gift for any truly serious private eye fan...

• The Maltese Falcon
  $39.98
  Not the real one, but an incredible facsimile. Now you can have your own Black Bird. A foot high and five and a half pounds. And I'm sure, for a price, you can have it delivered, wrapped in San Francisco newspapers, by a dying sea captain. The stuff that dreams are made of....

OTHER SUGGESTIONS

• Gift Certificates
  Okay, it's not the most thoughtful gift, but at least you won't be buying someone a book they've already read. Most bookstores and online bookstores offer gift certificates, including several that offer rare and collectible books. Check out my list of Booksellers & Dealers.
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• Magazines
  What could be cooler than receiving a gift all year long? There are tons of great mystery magazines and newsletters, featuring a range of fiction and non-fiction, ranging from enthusiastically amateur to slickly professional, for all tastes and budgets. Here are some suggestions.
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• Mystery Parties/Events
  Give your loved one murder this Christmas. What could be more fun? If you have a family or business function, consider throwing a mystery-theme party. Do it yourself, or check out these companies who will do it for you, whether you plan to entertain a few friends, or the entire office.

SUGGESTED SOURCES

The above are just a few suggestions. Try these Suggested Sources for gifts ranging from t-shirts, lawn ornaments, handcuffs, tapes of old radio shows, books, mugs, puzzles, and more, ranging from tacky to tasteful, from marvelous to morbid.

Thanks to Stewart Wright for the radio suggestions on this page, and Victoria Shea-Esposito for the fedora heads-up.