Saturday, July 14, 2012

Writers Writing: The Miles Jacoby Series by Robert J. Randisi

"If [it] moved any faster you'd have to nail it down
to read it." Elmore Leonard on Eye in the Ring
BEATEN TO A PULP
202 PAGES $12.95
ISBN: 978-1-935797-41-8
FULL CONTACT
204 PAGES $12.95
ISBN: 978-1-935797-43-3
EYE IN THE RING
186 PAGES $12.95
ISBN: 978-1-935797-40-1
A boxer hangs up his gloves to become
a private eye . . . and the real rough stuff begins.
SEPARATE CASES
180 PAGES $12.95
ISBN: 978-1-935797-45-6
STAND-UP
184 PAGES $12.95
ISBN: 978-1-935797-44-9
HARD LOOK
194 PAGES $12.95
ISBN: 978-1-935797-42-5
"Randisi's Jacoby is a chip off Lawrence Block." Boston Globe
"Each of Randisi's novels is better than its
entertaining predecessor." Booklist

Robert J: Randisi:

You might say Miles Jacoby was my first series P.I.. I did write a P.I. book before that, though. THE DISAPPEARANCE OF PENNY featured New York P.I. Henry Po, but fate stepped in and there was never another Po book (although there were a bunch of short stories).

I took the proposal for the first Jacoby book, EYE IN THE RING, with me when I met with my soon-to-be agent to discuss whether or not he wanted to represent me. He called me the day after out meeting and said “I would very much like to represent you.” Two weeks later he sold EYE IN THE RING to Avon as a paperback original. That was 1981, and the book was published in 1981, the first of 6 that would appear over the next decade or so and feature ex-boxer turned private eye, Mules Jacoby.

Not Perfect Crime Books has brought all the Jacoby books back as ebooks and as POD trade paperbacks with beautiful covers by artist Chris Mills. And I’ve been able to return book two, THE STEINWAY COLLECTION, to it’s original title, BEATEN TO A PULP (suggested by Bill Pronzini), which Avon did not like. I always felt the Steinway title made the book sound like it as about pianos, when it’s actually about a missing collection of pulp magazines.

I appreciate John Boland, the publisher at Perfect Crime Books, being willing to bring out the Jacoby titles again for a new audience to hopefully find. And I thank Chris Mills for the stunning covers. Jacoby is the P.I. I’ve written the most books about. Henry Po appeared in one book, Nick Delvecchio in three. I have a 7th Jacoby in mind, but it remains to be seen if I will ever have time to write that one. If I do, I’d be honored to have Perfect Crime bring it out. Take a look at their website (http://www.perfectcrimebooks.com/) they’re doing some great things with new books, as well a bringing back some classics.

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