REVISITED QUICK SHOTS: Cut by Jerry Bronson

 

Cut by Jerry Bronson is something of a legend book in certain trash circles. It took me a couple of years to track mine down. That's a lot of saved searches on eBay, Wishlist clicking and searching of any place that sold used books online. Eventually I got it from an online compadre (thanks, Stan!) and read it right up. I chronicled that in depth here and the other day I started writing what will (probably) my second novel, an extra violent/comic private eye tale and decided to re-read some stuff that I'm using for inspiration. So, be on the lookout for "Revisited Quick Shots," if that's your bag.

This is a Laurence James/John Harvey joint. Legend has it they took turns writing it and since they are British writers sent it off to British publishers who promptly thought it was "too violent" to publish. I don't know if that's the case or if it's just a better story. Especially since Piccadilly Westerns exist. But either way it ended up stateside as a one-off by Pinnacle. It must not have set the world on fire. I imagine the lackluster photo cover might have had something to do with it. Copies are scarce, so it must have had a low print-run or got remanded or maybe someone went around and bought them all up. Who knows?

But it's certainly ripe for sleaziods to love in 2026. A nasty little slice of private eye fiction set in California with the hunt for a rich lady's missing sister leading to cults and *dun-dun* snuff films. The P.I. is Reagan, a hard drinkin' ex-cop whose lady died from a drug overdose so he's gruff about it, but it doesn't stop him from sexing the ladies. He's in the classic mold, broke, tough who packs a .44 Magnum (when it's not a .45 automatic, the writer's must not have talked much) and asthmatic. Well, maybe not the asthmatic part. There's sex, a Boris Karloff/Vincent Price-type horror star, rich ladies, overweight hookers, sleaze and SLEAZE, action, crazed cult members and leaders and some truly graphic gore. 

So, it's a good time. It's certainly not a carefully crafted mystery. It's a seat-of-the-pantser and a one-upper. The writers certainly appeared to have fun churning it out. All of that appeals to me. Sometimes I want some good writing (I'm reading Butcher's Moon by Richard (Donald Westlake) Stark now and WOW is it getting good) but other times I want a drunk guy on a barstool next to me to tell me a wild-ass tale that he probably shouldn't. That's what Cut is. I like Reagan enough, but the real star is the sleaze with an extra side of sleaze. 

There's been some rumblings about people trying to get it republished, but nothing solid. I'd imagine it'd happen eventually; everything comes back around. I hope so anyway, I'm just not giving up my copy of it!