Patrick X. Kelly is the epitome of the tough guy private detective. As a youth, he lost his left arm in an accident, thus earning the nickname Slot-Machine, a nicer-sounding moniker than one-armed bandit.
Crippen & Landru, the Norfolk, Va., publishing house with a keen eye for classic murder mysteries and detective stories, has compiled a collection of Lynds' short stories and novellas featuring the one-armed detective. Later, Lynds, writing under his own name, polished his detective a bit and renamed him Dan Fortune.
Written during the 1960s, the stories evolve from a crude almost simplistic style into more thoughtful and more carefully plotted tales.
What makes this collection especially interesting is the addition of the author's preface for each of the 13 stories. Not only does Lynds (Collins) explain the changes in his writing technique, but he also adds tidbits about his personal life. He tells of marriage and the arrival of their first child, then a second child, and of his need to earn more money for a growing family.
The first several stories are narrated by Slot-Machine's bartender friend, Joe Harris, who casts a realistic look at the detective's lifestyle, especially his drinking habits and his penchant for accepting dangerous and low-paying cases.
For a few stories the narration shifts to the third person, removing that burden from the good-natured Joe. And finally, the writer switches back to first person, but the narrator is Slot-Machine himself, although Joe remains a main character in each plot.
The stories themselves grow more complex, the outcomes more interesting, the characters more revealing and understandable. The plots are often less than intriguing, involving missing individuals, jewelry robberies, and the mob. But from time to time, the plot takes on an individualistic twist, such as the mysterious one-dollar bill that is surprisingly important to a number of odd characters, or the missing young man whose parents appear disinterested in securing his return.
In one case Slot-Machine is paid a handsome sum to deliver a package of papers to the Albanian mob, only to learn later the odd maneuvering of a man out for revenge of the most rare sort. One story tackles the traditional locked door mystery.
Despite his tough guy persona, Slot-Machine develops moments of introspection, along with a compassionate eye for even the lowest creatures. He calls his financial condition so impecunious that even the mice don't stay in the apartment — nothing to eat. Later, in a more prosperous atmosphere, Slot shares part of his hamburger with the resident mouse.
Then there is Slot's wry sense of humor. Old Hogan, the bar owner, sits "alone at a rear table smoking a cigar and watching the cockroaches to make sure they didn't steal his whisky." He admits that his bank account is about equal to a hash house waitress's tips.
Lynds died in 2005, ending a writing career that spanned 40 years. In addition to the Slot-Machine Kelly stories, he wrote a number of full-length novels. His Dan Fortune novel, "Act of Fear," won the Edgar Award in 1967.
"Slot-Machine Kelly" is the 18th in the Crippen & Landru Lost Classics series.
Florence Gilkeson may be reached at florence@thepilot.com.
