Len Levinson

This book was originally published in 1976 by Fawcett Gold Medal under the pen name Leonard Jordan. Levinson wrote a total of 86 novels under 22 pen names. As a bonus, Levinson includes an
autobiographical tale about how he followed his dream and struggled
to make it as a writer and a short piece on meeting John Lennon. Both bonuses are worthwhile, bit I wouldn't buy the book just for that.

The book is called " Bar Studs" and it's a series of stories about six or seven New York City bartenders. One runs a bar that carries his name but is owned by his girlfriend who doesn't take too kindly to his bedding the waitress. Another runs a bar in the Bowery and barely tolerates the bums who are his customers, chasing some out with a crowbar. Another bartender goes home with a hot number that shows an interest in him and pawns her jewelry the next day. One bartender
works a gay bar and also dates his customers. Another works in a snazzy uptown joint and befriends his wealthy clients. Yet another can't seem to get a date and offers a customer down on her luck a spare bedroom, hoping he will get lucky. The book is not for children. It contains sex, drugs, booze, and
violence. It's the 70s and anything goes and there are one night stands, threesomes, cocaine use, and scenes reminiscent of Kit Tolliver's actions. Of course, when bartending doesn't work out, some of our guys turn to becoming drug dealers and mafia hitmen, but, again, it is the seventies.

On one level, it's an exploitation book with tawdry details, but on another level Levinson manages to create authentic portraits of these characters and their lives. You get a real feel for the era. It's not just schlock. And, it's fast reading.
… (meer)

This is a reissue of a 1981 novel by Len Levinson, who by his own admission wrote 86 books under 22 pen names. As detailed in his bonus material, none of his books were best sellers, but he followed his dream and wrote lots of books.
This is a police procedural. Cynthia Doyle was beaten and stabbed to death in an alley between 9th and 10th near 45th. She was blonde and she was dead. Eyewitnesses saw a man run away. Detective Danny Rackman investigates and, because Cynthia's place of employment had been massage parlor, that means checking out every single peep
show, pimp, junkie, and filthy bar in 1970s Times Square. Rackman has been through two marriages and two divorces and has a
teenage daughter from the first marriage he hardly sees. She lives in Forest Hills. The ex wife is still a nagging bitch.

This is a good old fashioned detective story and Levinson is a pretty good writer. Why he has been forgotten and virtually unread is unknown to me. This is a book that's hard to put down. Not much
effort is wasted on fancy descriptions. It's all meat here. He gives you the detective's perspective and the depraved killer's perspective. Good stuff. Nuff said.… (meer)