The Deal Killer

Jack Bludis is a prolific writer, having over thirty novels, hundreds of short stories, and several novellas under his belt. His background includes acting; teaching; bartending; and various other jobs. He also has worked in public relations. THE DEAL KILLER is his second Brian Kane mystery.Brian Kane is on retainer for a two-bit studio exec. When he visits a movie set, he is a witness to the murder of one of the stars. Kane is the on-again; off-again investigator, and everyone he talks to in Hollywood has something to hide...usually of a sexual nature. When Hanna Mills is kidnaped and released, Kane knows he is probably dealing with the Hollywood mob. He enlists the help of his girlfriend, and they charge to the rescue of Hanna's daughter, who is also absconded with at a later point in the story. But not before two people are murdered and Brian suffers several beatings. An old pornographic film is the culprit, and blackmail is the modis operandi:"She shook her head. 'No honest studio would do it da way Odgie wants to do it, but he has a hammer over our heads. If we refuse, he will make copies of THE BEAST OF BELGIUM and he will release it to da dirty film dealers all over da country. All of our old names are there, just like they were when we lived in Paris, but people will recognize us, and we will be finished in da movie business.'"Back in his old haunt in Hollywood, Brian Kane gives the reader a running commentary on the dirty business that we all hear about but probably don't understand. THE DEAL KILLER is the stuff that old Hollywood in the 1950's was about, where starlets were developed on the directors' couches. It is a place of corruption and greed, and Jack Bludis does a beautiful job of bringing all of the sordid details into focus for the reader. After reading THE DEAL KILLER, the death of Marilyn Monroe is easier to understand. Bludis captures the time and setting in a detailed and intricate plot sure to have the reader glued to the story. He continues to entertain and carve his own niche in the genre. An exciting and well balanced pulp detective read for a rainy day.(...)

If you enjoyed James Ellroy's "L.A. Confidential" or Stuart M. Kaminsky's Toby Peters' Mysteries, you're going to love Jack Bludis' work. The Deal Breaker brings back Jack's hard-boiled P.I., Brian Kane for a second round with the stars, the starlets, producers, and movie moguls of the Hollywood of the late 40s and early 50s. Kane holds no punches nor does he take no for an answer when it comes to solving the case ... no matter who's saying no, even his client. Jack takes a genre that's prone to cliché and manages to keep true to the soul of hard-boiled fiction with a fresh and original story. Not an easy feet when the story is set within a period and place that has been well-covered by both the masters of hard-boiled fiction and the hacks, but Jack pulls it off without exception. The Design Image Group, Inc., has done a big service to the hard-boiled/noir cannon as well as the fans of the genre by publishing Jack's work. Don't forget to check out "The Big Switch" also by Jack Bludis in which Brian Kane and his compatriots are introduced and look for an original short story and interview with Jack Bludis in issue 2 of The3rdegree.com coming in April 2003.

Grab a hat and get ready for a wild ride with Jack Bludis' tough, yet caring detective. You'll burn the midnight oil to finish this caper : )

In 1951 Hollywood, Regal Pictures mogul Robert regal Clarke asks Brian Kane one more time to explain what he does for the studio. Brian tells her he is a private detective on retainer by Regal. He gets a hundred a month for doing nothing and fifty a day if he is doing something. Robert orders Brian to handle the blackmailing of his girlfriend actress Hanna Mills, but neither of them will provide him any information beyond a vague threat that the culprit will go to columnist Andrea Anderson with some damaging information.Brian waits for a final scene of western to be shot so he can question Hanna who stars in the film. However, during the climatic shoot-out someone assassinates legendary actor Niles Walker. As the police investigate the murder, Brian knows that a link between the homicide and the blackmail case exists, but Robert still remains obstinate about what he knows and orders Brian to forget about the murder and concentrate on what he is being paid to do: protect him and Hanna.THE DEAL KILLER, the second Kane 1950s Hollywood private investigative tale (see THE BIG SWITCH, obtainable from Design Image), is an exciting hard-boiled detective story with an undercoating of humor that somewhat softens yet hones the plot's edge. Sub-genre fans will relish the story line that moves briskly forward mostly through the actions and interactions with and to Brian who struggles with uncooperative clients. Jack Bludis furbishes a delightful tale for those readers who enjoy a tough but caring sleuth doing the job his way.Harriet Klausner