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Dan Fortune #3
Night of the Toads
NUDE ACTRESS VANISHES
NEW YORK. Anne Terry, 22, actress and model, who made headlines when she appeared nude for a whole act in a banned production at the New Player’s Theater, was reported missing late last night.
The disappearance of the curvy actress was reported by her sister, Sarah Wiggen, of 29 West Seventy-sixth Street, who told police her “sexpot” sister vanished last Thursday from her West Tenth Street apartment.
The one time Dan Fortune met Anne Terry, she made a memorable impression on him. She was not only gorgeous, but she radiated a bold spirit, the kind that signaled bravery and honesty, and he admired that. Reading about her disappearance in the morning newspaper, he remembers with disgust how Ricardo Vega, the Broadway impresario, had verbally humiliated her when she tried to reignite their affair. Vega is “Rey” Vega to anyone who claims to know him well – El Rey, the King. He’s handsome, rich, and powerful, and he always gets his way.
Sitting there, holding the newspaper, Fortune feels a tide of hot jealousy sweep through him. Rey has set his sights on another beautiful actress – Martine Adair, the woman Fortune loves, and his lover. Until now, she’s resisted, and Fortune wants to protect her from the power plays that Rey is known for. Fortune has something going for him, too. He’s a private detective, seasoned, and angry. If Rey had something to do with Anne Terry’s disappearance, Fortune will find out, and he’ll use what he knows to stop the bastard from hurting Marty.
Unfaltering suspense and vivid characterizations make this tale of the 1970s theater world in New York riveting. Here is an understanding of human weaknesses, a feeling for life in a great city, and an illuminating examination of the values we all live by that give this novel its unusual power.
“Tough, believable.” – San Francisco Examiner
“Really moving ... emotional soundness without sentimentality.” – San Francisco Chronicle
“[Lynds] handles an excellent and complex plot with ease.” – The Washington Star
“In the American private-eye tradition of Chandler, Hammett, and Macdonald.” – The New York Times Book Review
NEW YORK. Anne Terry, 22, actress and model, who made headlines when she appeared nude for a whole act in a banned production at the New Player’s Theater, was reported missing late last night.
The disappearance of the curvy actress was reported by her sister, Sarah Wiggen, of 29 West Seventy-sixth Street, who told police her “sexpot” sister vanished last Thursday from her West Tenth Street apartment.
The one time Dan Fortune met Anne Terry, she made a memorable impression on him. She was not only gorgeous, but she radiated a bold spirit, the kind that signaled bravery and honesty, and he admired that. Reading about her disappearance in the morning newspaper, he remembers with disgust how Ricardo Vega, the Broadway impresario, had verbally humiliated her when she tried to reignite their affair. Vega is “Rey” Vega to anyone who claims to know him well – El Rey, the King. He’s handsome, rich, and powerful, and he always gets his way.
Sitting there, holding the newspaper, Fortune feels a tide of hot jealousy sweep through him. Rey has set his sights on another beautiful actress – Martine Adair, the woman Fortune loves, and his lover. Until now, she’s resisted, and Fortune wants to protect her from the power plays that Rey is known for. Fortune has something going for him, too. He’s a private detective, seasoned, and angry. If Rey had something to do with Anne Terry’s disappearance, Fortune will find out, and he’ll use what he knows to stop the bastard from hurting Marty.
Unfaltering suspense and vivid characterizations make this tale of the 1970s theater world in New York riveting. Here is an understanding of human weaknesses, a feeling for life in a great city, and an illuminating examination of the values we all live by that give this novel its unusual power.
“Tough, believable.” – San Francisco Examiner
“Really moving ... emotional soundness without sentimentality.” – San Francisco Chronicle
“[Lynds] handles an excellent and complex plot with ease.” – The Washington Star
“In the American private-eye tradition of Chandler, Hammett, and Macdonald.” – The New York Times Book Review
194 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 1971
23 people are currently reading
36 people want to read
About the author
Michael Collins
35 books6 followersMichael Collins was a Pseudonym of Dennis Lynds (1924–2005), a renowned author of mystery fiction. Raised in New York City, he earned a Bronze Star and a Purple Heart during World War II, before returning to New York to become a magazine editor. He published his first book, a war novel called Combat Soldier, in 1962, before moving to California to write for television.
Two years later Collins published the Edgar Award–winning Act of Fear (1967), which introduced his best-known character: the one-armed private detective Dan Fortune. The Fortune series would last for more than a dozen novels, spanning three decades, and is credited with marking a more politically aware era in private-eye fiction. Besides the Fortune novels, the incredibly prolific Collins wrote science fiction, literary fiction, and several other mystery series. He died in Santa Barbara in 2005.
Two years later Collins published the Edgar Award–winning Act of Fear (1967), which introduced his best-known character: the one-armed private detective Dan Fortune. The Fortune series would last for more than a dozen novels, spanning three decades, and is credited with marking a more politically aware era in private-eye fiction. Besides the Fortune novels, the incredibly prolific Collins wrote science fiction, literary fiction, and several other mystery series. He died in Santa Barbara in 2005.
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
June 17, 2020
Night of the Toads is the most disappointing of the three Dan Fortune adventures I have read so far. It begins well: Fortune vists Broadway star/producer “Rey” Vega to tell him to lay off the Harvey Weinstein act with his girlfriend Marty—an up-and-coming actress featured in Vega’s current production. The meeting does not go well, but while Fortune is there he meets Ann Terry, another actress who has her own problems with Vega. When Terry is later reported missing, Fortune decides to look into it, partly because he’s wants leverage to help Marty, but also because he admires the missing woman's spirit and determination and wants to know what happened to her. Soon—you guessed it—the investigation leads to a murder, and Fortune finds himself deep in the secrets of New York’s theatrical world.
Sounds good, doesn’t it? Somehow, though, the plot is slow to click, and by the time it becomes interesting it is still needlessly complicated, filled with slack scenes that go on too long. It is a short book even by detective novel standards, but it seems to take forever to resolve itself.
And yet … I still enjoyed most of it. Fortune himself—the one-armed petty criminal turned shamus—is a likable fellow, equally entertaining whether he is discussing people's motivations or describing the many neighborhoods of NYC. And there’s one great scene here—involving two little girls—that moved me to tears.
Bottom line: I didn’t love it, but it was good enough to send me on to novel #4.
October 29, 2019
Trying to pour through as much of the Dan Fortune series as I can before my Kindle Unlimited subscription finally expires (for real this time).
I really enjoy these books. I’m a Ross Macdonald devotee and “Michael Collins” (Dennis Lynds) is one of the closest writers I’ve read who’s capable of aping Macdonald’s style. He is empathetic yet engaging. He also uses just enough of New York City without getting lost in it.
This one is another good entry in the series, though the seams showed a little. Lynds apparently has some axes to grind and he does so through Dan Fortune, his protagonist. Fortune has it in for a slimy entertainment mogul and yeah, while the guys is slimy, the whole vengeance thing doesn’t really fit the vibe of the first two books.
Also, this one takes a very sensitive issue and handles it somewhat delicately…until the end. I won’t go into what that issue was. I’ll just say this: being a man, I was able to stomach it more than if I were a woman, perhaps. I’d love to talk about it in a subtle way but that would require spoilers and I’m strict with not spoiling anything on here.
Nevertheless, it’s another tight, engaging read that I enjoyed, even if the plot wasn’t my favorite. Lynds has great prose and I like viewing the world through the eyes of Dan Fortune (most of the time). I’m hoping to knock out at least one more before my subscription expires.
I really enjoy these books. I’m a Ross Macdonald devotee and “Michael Collins” (Dennis Lynds) is one of the closest writers I’ve read who’s capable of aping Macdonald’s style. He is empathetic yet engaging. He also uses just enough of New York City without getting lost in it.
This one is another good entry in the series, though the seams showed a little. Lynds apparently has some axes to grind and he does so through Dan Fortune, his protagonist. Fortune has it in for a slimy entertainment mogul and yeah, while the guys is slimy, the whole vengeance thing doesn’t really fit the vibe of the first two books.
Also, this one takes a very sensitive issue and handles it somewhat delicately…until the end. I won’t go into what that issue was. I’ll just say this: being a man, I was able to stomach it more than if I were a woman, perhaps. I’d love to talk about it in a subtle way but that would require spoilers and I’m strict with not spoiling anything on here.
Nevertheless, it’s another tight, engaging read that I enjoyed, even if the plot wasn’t my favorite. Lynds has great prose and I like viewing the world through the eyes of Dan Fortune (most of the time). I’m hoping to knock out at least one more before my subscription expires.
October 21, 2017
Night of the Toads. Dennis Lynds
The Communist witch hunt. The McCarthy era. A lot of actors or rather artists lost there livelihood. Some didn't. They told the jury, the executioners whatever they needed to hear. Toads. Surrounded by flies. Revenge, it can blind someone. Dictate there entire existence. This is a top notch thriller!! Extremely well written. Enjoyed tremendously!
The Communist witch hunt. The McCarthy era. A lot of actors or rather artists lost there livelihood. Some didn't. They told the jury, the executioners whatever they needed to hear. Toads. Surrounded by flies. Revenge, it can blind someone. Dictate there entire existence. This is a top notch thriller!! Extremely well written. Enjoyed tremendously!
January 23, 2018
Another great installment in the Dan Fortune series. Widely considered an important development in the detective novel, it is good to have these back in print.
October 16, 2018
Mediocre, implausible.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews