World Famous Comics: Black Hats: A Novel of Suspense
Black Hats: A Novel of Suspense
By: Patrick Culhane Publisher: Harper Average Rating: Binding: Mass Market Paperback Label: Harper Number of Items: 1 Number of Pages: 288 Publication Date: May 01, 2008 Release Date: April 29, 2008
The world has changed around Wyatt Earp since his glory days as a lawman in the wide-open towns of the Western frontier. Now in his golden years, he's a private detective in Los Angeles—and the mistress of his late partner Doc Holliday wants him to help turn Doc's errant son away from the shady path he's chosen to walk in New York City. And there's another good reason for Earp to mount an iron horse headed for the wild, wild East: a reunion with his old friend Bat Masterson, who's traded in his shooting iron for a sportswriter's pen.
But a new breed of big city badmen roars in the '20s—organized cold-killers toting machine guns in lieu of six-shooters. And in the midst of the Jazz Age glitter, two aging, legendary enforcers could be headed for their final showdown with a brutal, hot-headed young gangster . . . named Al Capone.
Earp, Masterson, Capone, Holliday, Runyon--What A Mix (Tom also) OK. What if Wyatt Earp spent his golden years working as a private detective in LA (he did) and what if "Big Nosed Kate Elder" widow of his best friend, the doomed Doc Holliday, visited him to reveal that she had had a son (Johnny) fathered by Doc while he was dying in Glenwood Springs? What if Kate asks Wyatt to travel to New York to help Doc's son out of a passel of trouble generated by the mob and a young henchman named Alphonse Capone? Such is the premise of this excellent historical thriller by Patrick Culhane (aka Max Allan Collins) which opens strongly and roars off on a rollicking wild ride only seemingly to run out of steam in the last few pages.
Johnny Holliday owns a speakeasy in New York but more importantly he owns over a 6 year supply of top label booze won in a poker game just as Prohibition was overtaking New York. The Mafia wants to muscle in on Johnny's success and, not coincidentally, gain control of his treasure trove of sought after hooch. Al Capone, an up and comer in the mob, becomes the point man for gaining control of Holliday's supply.
Wyatt ventures east where he enlists his old friend and ally, Bat Masterson, now a sports reporter for the "Morning Telegraph" in his efforts to fulfill his charge from Kate to straighten Johnny out and bring him home. However, Wyatt soon discovers that he respects young Holliday's independence and he discovers a financial gold mine operating a card game out of Johnny's speakeasy.
The rest of the novel is a fun, although oddly paced, romp pitting the modern thugs of NY with their machine guns against the old world peacemakers with their old style .45's. The correlations between the Clanton Gang and the NY mob are not to be overlooked....good vs. evil works in any era. Culhane populates his book with many real life characters (Tom Mix, Bill Hart, Damon Runyon), all accurately portrayed, even if a little literary license must be granted for generational "what ifs". This is a highly recommended quick fun read for anyone who might ever be intrigued by what if Wyatt Earp ever met up with Al Capone.
Old time west goes east and meets Al Capone! I am sure many of us have read or heard about famous characters from the "old west" era. Wyatt Earp, "Doc" Holliday, Bat Masterson, Kate Elder, and Al Capone! Yes, Al Capone. I had never associated a connection between those famous western legends and a gangster such as Al Capone! Black Hats is a terrifically well researched book that weaves a lot of fact with some fiction to create a great read, and will tell of that connection between the prohibition times, old west characters, and Al Capone.
Wyatt Earp was no longer a legitimate lawman in his aging years but he had a badge that his buddies at the LAPD had given him for when he assisted them on a few cases. Wyatt felt this gave him all the authority he needed to go east when Doc Holliday's common law widow asked him to find her son, Johnny Holliday, in the New York City area. Wyatt's wife, Sadie, was not very happy that he was traveling by himself to do a favor for Doc's wife Kate Elder, especially since Kate and Wyatt once had a fling or two. Kate was worried that Johnny was getting in over his head in New York and that the gangsters would give him many problems and Wyatt was the best person to check on him. So Wyatt started on his long train trip east seeing many things he never knew existed other than reading about them.
Since prohibition had started, "speakeasies" had started all over the nation but were exceptionally frequent in big eastern cities such as New York. Speakeasies stayed in business by payoffs to those that threatened them and were run as a private club with admittance only to those known by the doormen of these prohibition era drinking places. Some, like Johnny's place, were high class but a few were very low on the totem pole.
Yes indeed, Johnny did own a good speakeasy that served as a place where men could drink alcohol, beer, meet their lady friends and join them in their areas of prostitution, and gamble in some of the clubs. Johnny's place did not have card gambling but eventually it came to fruition when Wyatt and Bat talked Johnny into it. The girls and women roamed freely as they danced, put on shows, and stopped and talked to the men. A few of the girls were well liked and loved by Johnny and some of his workers.
In a card game some time ago, Johnny had won a five to six years supply of whiskey and a few months supply of beer, all of which he had hidden so no one could steal it. When Capone and his buddies decided they wanted that supply, things came to a deadly and brutal type of war. Wyatt and Bat stuck around Johnny almost all the time with their big guns at their side ready and able to assist if trouble broke out. It seems that Capone was not the boss in New York but had to report to Frankie Yale. Capone just pulled the strings for Yale. And Yale wanted that supply of whiskey and beer and would do anything to get it.
The story goes back in time occasionally giving history of Wyatt, Bat, Doc, and all their friends with whom they had fought many battles and generally won. I found these tidbits very interesting. They did not interrupt the flow of the book but rather added to the color. Black Hats is thoroughly enjoyable having its killing, sex, fighting, gun battles, and tells much about what went on in the days of prohibition. The author has written a gem and unless you don't like suspense and tales of the "old west" you will love reading this book.
Great Read Have read all of Patrick Culhane's "Road to" Series. I found them highly entertaining and good reads. Black Hats is no different. He weaves the historical with fiction for a rich tapestry of a story. Don't look for a deep meaning but sit in a comfortable chair with your favorite drink and enjoy.
Started out great, then................... I thought that the premise of the story was rather imaginative. I'm a big fan of historical fiction especially when the author weaves historical figures into the story alongside fictional characters. The plot moved along very quickly and the development of the characters was good as well. As I was making my way through the book I kept asking myself how the author would end the story I knew (as do many of us) that Capone eventually leaves NY to settle in Chicago but how would the author accomplish this within the context of his story? I thought the ending was just a bit too far fetched. The author wrapped it up in a nice neat package. Who wants that? I guess the author was limited to what he could do to most of the main characters if he wanted to keep it in line with reality. Still it was a huge letdown.
Wyatt Earp In NYC? Get A Rope! One of the things I love about Max Allan Collins's period-piece mysteries and suspense novels is the authenticity. If you read something in a Collins book, outside of the fictional spin he adds to and puts on things, you can bet it really existed at that time. He also delves deeply into the backgrounds of his historical "characters" and provides a good biography of them.
When I read that BLACK HATS was going to offer a confrontation between an elderly Wyatt Earp and a young, wet-behind-the-ears Al Capone, I was excited. I conjured up images of alley showdowns with six-guns and Thompson submachine guns. We almost got that here. The action was a little more downplayed that I would have wanted, but I was working off my own expectations. Collins stayed within the truth of what really happened in those days in 1920, with a little bit of what COULD have happened thrown in.
Collins gave us a fictional son of Doc Holliday and painted the Prohibition backdrop both eloquently and faithfully. His other "characters" like Texas Guinan, Jack Dempsey, and Damon Runyon were great and added a lot of color to the story.
But it's Wyatt and Bat Masterson who really seize the spotlight. Their friendship comes across clearly and believably, and it was fun seeing them in action together.
The plot was especially well done too. John Holliday had won a warehouse full of liquor in a poker game at a time when the rest of the city (and the state) were dry and having to import their liquor from Canada. It was a treasure trove on par with one of the acheological finds that would have sent Indiana Jones scampering for his fedora.
I was a little disappointed with the ending because it wasn't as BIG as I'd imagined. But it had neat little twists that made everything come together well.
BLACK HATS is a fast, fun read with plenty of history, atmosphere, and trivia to keep armchair historians and thrill-seekers turning the pages.
Anything Goes Trivia
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Trevor
