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Originally published in 1939, Red Threads is a solo adventure (the only one, as far as I know) for Inspector Cramer, a police detective who features more in a supporting role in Rex Stout's Nero Wolfe series. It's an unusual crime thriller that very much has a distinctive character and some originality - somewhat like Nero Wolfe's Montenegro-born outsider perspective on the country - in its exploration of various aspects of American history, character and society. The mystery Cramer investigates - like Wolfe not quite from the front seat - takes in American history, high society, business interests and indeed native American culture and customs, all held together with a red thread. First of all of course there is a murder. Val Carew, a wealthy socialite who made his money gambling and then took the same risks on the stock market, has been killed at the tomb of his late native American Indian wife. It's no ordinary tomb, but one specially constructed to bathe her preser...

A lot of people would be dismissive of pulp crime fiction, considering it sensationalised, but I'd contend that they are actually very important social documents of their time, breaking taboos about what was acceptable for publication in decent literature. As well as being very creative, adventurous and exciting story telling. I've seen that in previous Hard Case Crime books that republish classic noir from the past, from Max Allan Collins's Quarry whose lack of morals about killing come from his time spent in Vietnam to the counter culture of Lawrence Block's A Diet of Treacle . But not everyone needs to be an assassin for hire or a small time drug dealer turned to murder and Seed on the Wind has another unusual and daring angle that takes another look at changing attitudes in society. First published in 1930 before he became famous for his creation of Nero Wolfe, Rex Stout takes on an uncommon and very controversial subject in Seed on the Wind . A woman with a womb...