The Killer/Devil on Two Sticks

Stark House deserves immense credit for re-publishing crime fiction from the last century that had gone out of print. This book includes two short novels by Wade Miller. 'Wade Miller' is really two childhood chums who took up writing together and combined Bob Wade and Bill Miller to come up with a nom de plume. The first novel, The Killer, is the simpler of the two. A big game hunter from Africa is hired by a father to track down a man who killed his son in an armed robbery in their office. The protagonist has to deal with the killer's family and relatives, including the wife to whom he is immediately drawn. There are some fine descriptions of rural country life back in the day and they are very enjoyable. Eventually, the killer is tracked down, and things gets messy from there, but reach a satisfying conclusion. Devil on Two Sticks is more complex and follows a man who works for the Mob who is tracking down a mole from the state's attorney's office who has penetrated to the mob's inner sanctum. This novel is far more complex in both plot and characterization, and is the better of the two stories. Set in and around San Diego, Wade Miller's hometown, there is a great sense of place and time in the book. If you're a fan of noir or Wade Miller, this fine reprint is well worth diving into.