The Last Action Heroes: The Triumphs, Flops, and Feuds of Hollywood’s Kings of Carnage by Nick de Semlyen

A loving look at the testosterone fueled action movies of the 1980s and 90s that goes behind the scenes with Schwarzenegger, Stallone, Willis, Van Damme and more.

Critical analysis is astute, if brief, along with a willingness to examine the dark side of hypermasculinity, but this is primarily an extended love letter. The book is a lot more fun to read than most of these movies were to watch, even if they did make fortunes for studios and their stars. Given how much I enjoyed reading this look at movies I mostly disliked or ignored, I can’t imagine how rewarding a read this might be for fans of the genre.

Adult Non-Fiction Hardcover pr6972070

 

Panther Gap by James A. McLaughlin

In this follow up to the Edgar Award winning Bearskin, two siblings on the precipice of inheriting a large bequest find themselves caught up with a drug cartel and shady business interests.

While the plot strains then shatters credulity, the writing is gorgeous and deft. If McLaughlin can just get his hands on a plausible story, he could go straight to the top of literary thriller writers: he’s one to watch. Meanwhile, Panther Gap has plenty to recommend itself to readers who want both plenty of action and nuanced literary style.

Adult Fiction Hardcover pr6775780