Stakeout on Page Street: And Other Dka Files

Fans of Joe Gores' DKA Files novels will be thrilled with the discovery of this book containing the 12 DKA case files written for Ellery Queen's Mystery Magazine. They are a wonderful addition to the Daniel Kearny Associates series if you've read the novels or, if you haven't, are the perfect introduction to the detectives who make up the company.I think the real bonus to this book comes in two standout features. The first is the introduction by Joe Gores. In it he explains how the fiction Daniel Kearny Associates mirrors the real-life Dave Kikkert and Associates repo/P.I firm that Gores used to work for. He also reveals who his characters are modelled after including which character is based on him. The second feature is the preface to every story explaining how he came to write it, the events from which it was based and some interesting facts surrounding it. These prefaces certainly add another dimension to the stories.As for the stories, each of them is more or less an account of a file involving a repo, a skip trace or a delinquent debtor. They are all somewhat out of the norm which is what makes them interesting reading. Take for example having to repossess a fire engine or a hearse, cases that spice up the life of a repo man and make for some very entertaining moments.I've read all the DKA Files novels and this book of short stories was the perfect way to recap. There is the odd reference to events from the books thrown in which reminded me how much I enjoyed reading them. Crippen and Landru Publishers have done a superb job in putting the book together and have even included a checklist at the end of the book listing not only all of Gores' other books, but all of his short stories and when and where they appeared, his screenplays and television scripts too.

Joe Gores' DKA series, which details the operations and adventures a San Francisco repo firm, got its start in Ellery Queen's Mystery Magazine back in 1967. With six books in the series in print, this volume provides the admirable service of collecting the twelve DKA short stories into a single volume. Gore based the DKA characters and series on his personal experience and coworkers at a San Francisco repo firm, which lends the tales the zing of procedural authenticity and an atmosphere likely to appeal to Bay area readers. Each story is introduced by Gores, who explains its origin and fidelity to actual cases-as he grew more and more sure of his writing, Gores strayed more from the actual case facts, thus the stories grow progressively freer. In his introduction, Gores also discusses the problem of setting a long-running series in the present, but not having its main characters age at the same rate. Running almost exactly twelve pages each, the stories are perfect for those times when you only have ten or fifteen minutes to sit down. The thrill of these stories come from the tricks and craftiness employed by the repo men (and women), and their quarry. Since no one is interested in killing or getting killed over an unpaid for car, guns don't come into play very often, although fisticuffs do provide for some action. And of course sometimes an unpaid for car is simply part of a greater crime... Most of the stories are fairly straightforward and enjoyable detailings of interesting repo cases. A few, such as the Dashiell Hammet homage, "Beyond the Shadow" and the anti-developer "Do Not Go Gentle", with its Snidely Whiplash villain, do not work as well. My own favorite stories are the more whimsical ones, such as "The O'Bannon Blarney File" in which a hearse is repoed, or "Jump Her Lively, Boys!" in which a fire engine is repoed. The best of all however, is "The Maimed and The Halt", whose denouement is masterful, hilarious, and true.This is the perfect introduction to the DKA series, for those who haven't encountered it, and the perfect gift for those who have. Unfortunately, the stories aren't packaged very well, with a terrible cover and the worst typography I've come across in a long time, but at least one doesn't have to track down ancient copies of EQMM to find the stories any more!

I was introduced to Joe Gores and DKA in 1979 when the Mystery Book Club put "Gone, No Forwarding" on its selection list. I've been hooked ever since by his dead-on portrayal of life on the street for the repo-men and -women of DKA. His books even inspired me to enter the field, and twenty years later I still grab the newest book to learn the latest tricks of the trade.Stakeout on Page Street was a real treat for any fan of the series who didn't have access to the short stories from Ellery Queen's Mystery Magazine. Gores developed the "private eye procedural" and is still the most entertaining storyteller in the field because of the authenticity of his work. Watching the characters develop (without aging!) and reading the biographical introduction reminded me why I became an investigator and why I stay in the field. I still recommend the books to students and interns and cherish my own "private collection." Thank you, Joe, for sharing your stories and your world with us. I'm a happier person for experiencing your books.And if you haven't read 32 Cadillacs yet, you're missing the ride of your life, and the magnum opus of the series.