The Forty-Two by Ed Kurtz
Setting has always been an important element in crime fiction. Whether Hammett’s San Francisco, Chandler’s LA, Hillerman’s Four Corners, or Pelecanos’ DC, the protagonist has an intense relationship with their hometown. Ed Kurtz shows his understanding of this in his novel, The Forty-Two.
The title refers to New York’s Times Square of the early Eighties. Kurtz brings it to life in all of its sleazy glory with the hookers, junkies, peep shows, and questionable dining establishments. Most important to our hero, Charley McCormick, is The Forty-Two‘s
grindhouse theaters that crank out exploitation films from their projectors. The first chapter is a beautiful introdution to Charley and the Square on a Friday night as he looks for his film fix, the bloodier the better.
Charley gets more blood than he bargained for. A young woman sits next to him during a slasher double bill, even though the theater is half empty. When the first feature is over, Charley discovers she’s been murdered. He’s plunged into a nightmare involving mobsters, arson, an archaic form of porn, and the future of his beloved Forty-Two. Kurtz uses his tools as a horror writer, ratcheting the dread and tension like a dark craftsman and delivers the emotion and Charley’s observations with the skill of a veteran hard boiled poet.
It is in the depiction of Times Square where the book really shines. Kurtz transports you back to a time and place with details that pop, but never overwhelm. We get the sights, sounds, and (be forewarned) smells of the place which express Charley’s love for it.
The Forty-Two terrorizes, entertains, and transports us. Ed Kurtz hits all the genre tropes with a fresh, lurid spin. He gives us an involving read that serves as a look, both subtle and deep, at the places we attach ourselves to.
Ed Kurtz will read from & sign his new novel here at BookPeople on Friday, August 22nd at 7PM! You can pre-order signed copies of The Forty-Two now via bookpeople.com, or find a copy on our shelves in-store.
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