THE JUKEBOX KINGS: A Tough New Thriller by Doug Allyn

If you’re a reader of Ellery Queen and/or Alfred Hitchcock Mystery Magazine, you’re well acquainted with Mr. Doug Allyn. He’s had well over a hundred stories published in those two magazines over the past thirty years, along with at least seven novels and several collections of short stories.

This guy is one hell of a writer, and he proves it once again in The Jukebox Kings, a tale of crime, love, redemption and music on the meanest streets of Detroit.

The book starts with a punch—literally, in the middle of a prize fight—and takes us on a ten-year adrenaline rush through the dark underbelly of Motown. Our guide for the ride is Mick Shannon, fresh from Jackson Prison, and facing the hard truth that he’s just a shade too slow for the fight game. Against his will, he’s thrust into the jukebox racket, collecting from vicious bar owners and paying off to even more vicious mob bosses. It’s not the life he wants, but he wades into it, fists flying and pistol cocked, without complaint.

Things look mighty bleak for Mick until chance drops a run-down music studio into his lap, and a second career—running parallel with his life of crime—leads him in wholly unexpected directions. We’re on the inside as he learns the ropes of recording, the nightclub business and touring, in a world peopled by such icons as Jackie Wilson, John Lee Hooker, The Supremes, the Righteous Brothers and Aretha Franklin.

Most of the action takes place in the early sixties, and the author paints a vibrant picture of the times, from mohair suits and wingtips to pompadour hairdos. The dialogue—and the prose—is tough and tight. It starts on page 1, when Mick faces a fighter who “looked like he ate lions for lunch,” and never lets up.

The supporting cast includes Moishe Abrams, an old-time gangster as “square and gray as a cement block, and just as hard,” who cut his teeth working with the Purple Gang; Martika Daniels, a business-savvy soul singer who rocks Ben’s world both in and out of bed; and Albert Luca, a bat-shit crazy racketeer who’s “mean as a snake with a backache.”

The story charges forward to 1967, giving us a front-row seat to the five-day riot that was one of the bloodiest in U.S. history, prompting Gov. George Romney to send in the National Guard and LBJ to send the 82^nd and 101^st Airborne Divisions, and rolls on to 1973, when Mick’s old demons come roaring back to bite him.  

The Jukebox Kings is brand spanking new from Stark House Press, and raring to burst into your mailbox. You can get it direct from Stark House (HERE), or just about anywhere else that sells damn fine thrillers.

My brush with greatness: That's me with the author and his Edgar 

for Best Short Story. He even let me hold it for a minute.

The Edgar Awards, Part 3: Ellery Queen/Alfred Hitchcock Party

Thursday afternoon it rained. Geez, it was just like being back in Oregon, except the buildings were taller, and there were lots more of them.

After sheltering in a nearby Starbucks, Irene and I arrived a few minutes early at the Dell Magazines Party thrown by Janet Hutchings of EQMM and Linda Landrigan of AHMM.

Ron Goulart!

Next thing I knew we were talking to Ron Goulart, a man who changed my life (a familiar tale, because he did the same thing to Walker Martin, Will Murray and others, with the publication of The Hardboiled Dicks). In my case, he sent me on a seven-year quest to acquire everything I could related to the pulp writers featured in that book. Unable to help myself, I monopolized Mr. Goulart’s time for a good chunk of the party as we talked about pulps.

Dave Zeltserman

The shindig was partly in honor of EQMM Reader’s Choice winners Dave Zeltserman and Doug Allyn. I was mighty pleased to find Mr. Z and his wife Judy in attendance. As a BIG Nero Wolfe fan, I loved his winning Julius Katz and Archie story, and was at that moment halfway through one of his recent novels, The Caretaker of Lorne Field. Dave was a joy to talk to, and curious to know if I believed the Aukowies in the novel were real. Now that I’ve finished the book, I’m still not sure, but I sure as heck enjoyed it. Dave announced the imminent publication of a new direct-to-ebook novel, Julius Katz and Archie. I’m sold!

Eve and Doug Allyn *

Doug Allyn, a perennial Reader’s Choice favorite, this time took both second and third place in the voting, and was on hand to accept his awards. Doug’s charming wife Eve proceeded to introduce Irene and I to our host, Mr. Peter Kanter, president of Dell and Penny Press. Another very nice guy. In Mr. Kanter’s honor, I’m going to work a crossword puzzle magazine into my novel manuscript.

Another extremely nice person was Marcia Markland, Senior Editor at Thomas Dunne Books. She presented me with a business card with a wiener dog on it, which I took as a good sign. Irene and I have four of the little boogers, all rescues.

The well-dressed Stephen Ross *

Edgar nominee Stephen Ross was also in attendance, and we supported each others’ decision not to wear tuxedos to the banquet. Folly loves company, I guess.

Though there were many more people I would have liked to meet, we had to bug out early to catch the subway back uptown to get dressed for the banquet. I did manage to shake the hand of the great Otto Penzler, but later discovered I had failed to meet Emily Giglierano, the former Assistant Editor who played a large part in helping Mr. Skyler Hobbs sneak into EQMM. Sorry, Emily! If you’re ever in Portland, we’ll take you to dinner. Don’t forget to bring your umbrella.

* Official Edgars pics by Matt Peyton Photography

Tomorrow: The Banquet

The Edgar Awards, Part 1: Breakfast with the Stars

At left, Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine Editor Janet Hutchings.

At right, some dude I don't recognize wearing my name tag.

After arriving in the Big City on Tuesday evening, my wife Irene and I were up and at ‘em on Wednesday morning. First up, we took in the first panel at the Edgar Week Symposium. With Larry Light moderating, the panelists were Robert Goddard, Laura Lippman, David Morrell and S.J. Rozan.

One topic of discussion was what inspired these folks to become writers. For Morrell, it was the TV series Route 66. For Rozan, Howard Pyle’s stories of Robin Hood. Goddard cited the works of Wilkie Collins, and Lippman (no fan of Nancy Drew) recalled a fondness for Harriet the Spy. Yeah, they talked about other stuff too, and whole thing is now available in either mp3 or DVD format on the MWA website. My favorite bit was a story Robert Goddard told about a reader who insisted on believing one of his protagonists was real. It furthers his contention, Goddard said, that “fiction is a higher form of fact.”

Doug Allyn. And no, that's not an Edgar design on his vest.

That's the real thing!

At 10am, we had to bug out of the Symposium and head for the Tramway Diner for breakfast with several soon-to-be friends. The soiree was hosted by EQMM Editor Janet Hutchings and AHMM Editor Linda Landrigan, and the freeloaders, along with me and Irene, were Doug and Eve Allyn and Stephen Ross. Doug and Stephen were two of the five nominees for Best Short Story, Doug for “The Scent of Lilacs” in EQMM and Stephen for the AHMM story “Monsieur Alice is Absent.”

Much witty chitchat followed, most of it of a non-professional sort. I did learn, though, that both Janet and Linda personally lay eyes on every story submitted to their respective magazines - and that’s a lot of stories. I admire their dedication, and sympathize with their eyestrain.

Direct from New Zealand, it's . . . Stephen Ross.

Doug, who has now written 105 short stories and at least seven novels, unwitting revealed the answer to that age-old question, Where do you get your ideas? The answer is . . . he pulls them out of thin air. Even during breakfast, he couldn’t resist stopping to write them down. And Stephen, who had come all the way from New Zealand, spilled the beans that on the heels of his Edgar nomination an enterprising agent tracked him down and signed him up. I have no doubt editors will soon be fighting over his first novel.

In other news, Eve Allyn informed Irene she is now a Fish Wife. That's the price she pays for being (like Eve) hitched to a Robert L.Fish Award winner. 

After Janet and Linda left (no doubt to peruse more submissions), Doug graciously hung around to share some of his insight on the writing biz with Stephen and I. Thanks again, Doug! And thanks again to Linda and Janet for the hearty breakfast (I had my first ever pizza omelette).

Alfred Hitchcock Mystery Magazine Editor Linda Landrigan

with that same Evan Lewis impersonator.

When the party broke up, Irene and I returned for another session at the Symposium, an entertaining and advice-packed presentation by MWA President Lisa Scottoline called How to Write a Novel. Shucks, I thought I knew, but I learned stuff. Thanks, Lisa.

A note about the photos: I was too star struck to even think about taking pictures at breakfast, so these are mostly from the reception and banquet on the following evening. I say mostly, because one of the photos is a phony. I wanted to have my picture taken with both Janet and Linda after the banquet, but one of them had to hotfoot it out of the hotel to catch a train. So three of these photos are real, and one ain’t. Can you spot the fake?

Tomorrow: The Agents and Editors Party