Buy miami blues by charles willeford online at alibris. Too much grit, a police procedural sort of, the viewpoint altered between hoke mosely, the pathetic policeman, and the psychopath. Collecting charles willeford up and down these mean streets. Charles willeford, author of miami blues, on librarything. Hes middleaged, divorced, povertystricken because of the divorce and living in a crappy hotel room. May 01, 2020 charles willeford on miamis blues may 1, 2020 andrea gibbons leave a comment i think few people understand the psychosis of developers and suburbs like charles willeford 19191988. Born in little rock arkansas in 1919 and orphaned at the tender age of 8, he spent his teenage years tramping through america during the great depression, riding the rails and pitching camp with his fellow hobos. The philadelphia inquirer nobody writes like charles willeford. Miami blues by charles willeford 1985, paperback for. Willeford, who the atlantic called the unlikely father of miami crime fiction, explored the dark side of florida, with his novels jumping from an artheistgonewrong in the everglades in the burnt orange heresy to the life of an excon in miami blues. He was also a professional horse trainer, boxer, radio announcer, and painter. Miami blues penguin modern classics willeford charles.
Film adaptations have been made of four of willeford s novels. Despite the fact that seventeen books had seen publication since his first title in 1948, no one seemed to have heard of him. The first hoke mosley mystery, basis for the superb 1990 film starring fred ward, alec baldwin and jennifer jason leigh, and arguably the best of the authors many fine novels. This does have some brilliant passages that resonate eerily with the 2008 crisis. A brutal, thrilling ride, miami blues is a classic of florida crime fiction, revealing the sordid side of the sunshine state no one writes a better crime novel than charles willeford elmore leonard. It stars alec baldwin, fred ward, and jennifer jason leigh, and was directed by george armitage. Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders. Hes not particularly attractive and has little luck with women. Seine stadt sieht aber sehr anders aus als bei miami vice. The life and times of charles willefordmiamis weird, wonderful master of noir. Terse, scary, and evocative, miami blues is a thriller with cold blood. Homicide detective hoke moseley is soon chasing junior and his hooker girl. This was my first introduction to willeford and i was underwhelmed. Miami blues is a 1990 american black comedy crime film based on the novel of the same name by charles willeford.
Willeford 3d, a writer of crime novels featuring hoke moseley, a fictional miami homicide detective, died of a heart attack sunday at his home in south miami. Miami blues hoke moseley detective series book 1 kindle edition by willeford, charles. Besides being a writer, charles was also a professor, radio presenter, horse trainer, magazine editor, boxer, and the master sergeant of the u. Tourist season, was published two years after miami blues, told me that willeford was a wonderful. Aug 10, 2004 charles willeford s influential miami blues might just be a pulp thriller, but its a terrific pulp thriller thats a joy to read. The collectable charles willeford didnt exist before 1984, when his breakthrough novel miami blues kicked off the mad scramble for his backlist.
In the first pages of miami blues freddy, informed by the warden that he is an incorrigible career criminal who would do well to start a fresh rap sheet in another state, mugs three men in san francisco and takes their wallets. And, indeed, i see similarities between the two authorsthey are both masters of the literary crime novel. This is probably as close to the real now miami as any thriller is likely to come. Charles willeford books list of books by author charles. Cockfighter, miami blues, the woman chaser and the burnt orange heresy. I think few people understand the psychosis of developers and suburbs like charles willeford 19191988. Excon freddy junior frenger lands in miami with three stolen wallets and plans for a new life of crime, and leaves the airport with a snatched suitcase and a corpse behind him. The first hoke moseley book, miami blues 1984, is considered one of its eras most influential works of crime fiction. Author charles willeford is highly regarded for his miamibased hoke moseley noirish police procedural series. Miami blues was not a bad book, but it isnt for me.
This was on 27th march 1988 and was buried at the arlington cemetery. Miami blues 1st in hoke moseley series, 1984 by charles willeford. Download for offline reading, highlight, bookmark or take notes while you read miami blues. Charles willeford 19191988 was an american writer of fiction, poetry, autobiography, literary criticism, and 20 novels, best known for his hoke moseley series, including miami blues, as well as such classics as cockfighter and the woman chaser. Theres never been a more exciting time to be a charles willeford fanor, in the case of lucky neophytes, a more opportune chance to give yourself. The unlikely father of miami crime fiction the atlantic. Miami blues hoke moseley detective series book 1 kindle. Other novels high priest of california, 1953 pickup, 1955 wild wives, 1956 honey gal, aka the black mass of brother springer, 1958 lust is a woman, aka made in miami, 1958 the woman chaser, 1960. Leonard writes of the affinity between their respective works. The publisher, not too surprisingly, wanted willeford to write a sequel, and indeed to make hoke a series character. Willeford attended both palm beach junior college and the university of miami. The life and times of charles willefordmiamis weird.
Grimhaven is the manuscript for a unpublished book by hardboiled crime writer charles willeford. Charles willeford 19191988 was a highly decorated tank commander with the third army in world war ii. March 12, 1983 the halfaccidental war between a blithe psychopath and a decrepit miami copin a nasty crime. With miami blues, veteran crime fiction writer charles willeford introduces miami homicide detective hoke moseley who has to rank as one of the most unique and interesting fictional homicide cops ever to work a case. Miami blues by charles willeford overdrive rakuten.
First published as an unheralded paperback original, pickup is an authentic underground classic, an explosive bulletin from the urban underbelly of mid1950s america. You havent read fiction until youve read charles willeford. This year marks the 30th anniversary of the release of miami blues, the classic 1990 black comedy thriller starring alec baldwin, jennifer jason leigh and fred ward that is the bestknown of the previous film adaptations of miamis own noir novel writer, the late charles willeford. It was charles willefords second novel, after a rough and wandering earlier life that had taken him from depressionera hobo camps and soup kitchens to wartime battlefields. In his introduction to charles willefords novel miami blues, legendary crime fiction writer elmore leonard discussed his correspondence with willeford, who died in 1988. A true cult novelists cult novelist, charles willeford drew upon a lifetime of hardscrabble experience for inspiration. The release of the burnt orange heresy couldnt have come at a better time, coinciding with the 20th anniversary of the woman chaser and directly preceding the 30 th anniversary of miami blues. Willeford published steadily from the 1940s, but vaulted to wider attention with the first hoke moseley book, miami blues 1984, which is considered one of its eras most influential works of crime fiction. He taught a course in humanities at the university of miami and was an associate professor who taught classes in both philosophy and english at miami dade junior college. Buy the paperback book miami blues by charles willeford at indigo. In my opinion, too much time was spent with the psychopath and the policeman didnt have much about him which made me care. Aug 19, 2009 miami blues ebook written by charles willeford. Free shipping and pickup in store on eligible orders. Download it once and read it on your kindle device, pc, phones or tablets.
In this new collection of short stories, vignettes and autobiographical sketchesmany previously unpublishedcharles willeford, author of miami blues and the burnt orange heresy creates a mosaic of the absurdities of life in the 20th century. Yes he has a district style but its not much of a plot, its not really about the characters, so what is it about. He could have invented the big short, im sorry he didnt. Charles willeford, 69, author of crime novels the new york. Charles was married three times and was an associate editor for alfred hitchcock mystery magazine. Librarything is a cataloging and social networking site for booklovers.
Charles willeford, 69, author of crime novels the new. The popularity of the first three in the series enabled willefords. I was a fan of the george artimage film 1990 based on charles willefords hoke moseley novel miami blues 1984 before reading it. An author of fiction, poetry, autobiography, and literary criticism, willeford is best known for his series of novels featuring hardboiled detective hoke moseley. Miami blues by charles willeford 1995, paperback for sale. An excons first act of freedom is moving to miami where he restarts his old criminal ways with even more potency. Oct 18, 2019 carl hiaasen charles willeford craig pittman florida florida crime fiction florida man florida noir hoke moseley james crumley james lee burke miami miami blues the burnt orange heresy craig pittman he has won the waldo proffitt award for distinguished environmental journalism in florida four times, and twice won the top investigative reporting. Charles ray willeford iii january 2, 1919 march 27, 1988 was an american writer. Miami blues 1st in hoke moseley series, 1984 by the. Buy a cheap copy of miami blues book by charles willeford.
I was a fan of the george artimage film 1990 based on charles willeford s hoke moseley novel miami blues 1984 before reading it. Miami blues by charles willeford 1985, paperback for sale. With fred ward, alec baldwin, jennifer jason leigh, cecilia perezcervera. Mar 07, 2020 charles willeford wrote a lot of great books, including the burnt orange heresy, recently adapted for the screen.
Why you should be reading charles willeford insidehook. Miami blues by charles willeford 1995, paperback for. Charles willeford was a remarkably fine, talented and prolific writer who wrote everything from poetry to crime fiction to literary criticism throughout the course of his impressively long and diverse career. Willeford published steadily from the 1940s, but vaulted to wider attention with the first hoke moseley book, miami blues 1984, which is. This site uses cookies to deliver our services, improve performance, for analytics, and if not signed in for advertising. Donald justice terse, scary, and evocative, miami blues is a thriller with cold blood. Originally intended as willefords sequel to miami blues, the novel was deemed too dark for publication, and his agent refused to send it on to the publisher. This year marks the 30th anniversary of the release of miami blues, the classic 1990 black comedy thriller starring alec baldwin, jennifer jason leigh and fred ward that is the bestknown of the previous film adaptations of miamis own noir novel writer, the late charles willeford unpredictable, slightly psychotic frederick j. Miami blues, which introduced hoke moseley, got a very strong and favorable response from the critics, drew a lot of attention to its author, and sold well. Use features like bookmarks, note taking and highlighting while reading miami blues hoke moseley detective series book 1. The popularity of the first three in the series enabled willeford s. In the month leading up to opening night, mdcs tower theater miami will feature an. Charles willeford was born on 2nd january 1919 in little rock, arkansas.