The Neon Jungle

No writer captured the urban blight that befell postwar America in all its grime and commotion as well as noir legend John D. MacDonald. The Neon Jungle depicts a world in which the bright lights belie the turbulent lives of a lost generation. Introduction by Dean Koontz The smell of warm gin hovers over a whole section of town. The threat of violence hangs in the air. And the neighborhood kids know all about drugs, knives, and back-alley beatings long before they’re pushed into high school by weary truant officers. This is simply reality for the family that runs Varaki Quality Market. Its patriarch, Gus Varaki, is doing all he can to keep his business afloat after his beloved middle child, Henry, is killed in action. But his oldest son is at a crossroads, his teenage daughter has been seduced by a rough crowd, and one of his employees is running a racket of his own. Only Henry’s despondent widow, Bonny, sees the awful truth—and the deadly plot hanging over all of their heads. Praise for John D. MacDonald “John D. MacDonald was the great entertainer of our age, and a mesmerizing storyteller.”—Stephen King “My favorite novelist of all time . . . No price could be placed on the enormous pleasure that his books have given me.”—Dean Koontz “John D. MacDonald is a shining example for all of us in the field. Talk about the best.”—Mary Higgins Clark

In the laidback Florida Keys, former spies Nick Seven and Felicia Hagens found a paradise far removed from the covert world of the CIA. Nick, content to run a bar on the Gulf and maintain a low profile, breaks his self-imposed exile when a friend asks for help in getting a local mob boss off his back. Popular singer Jimmie Rae wants to get free from the notorious Turk Morgan, a crooked music mogul who controls the Miami entertainment scene. Jimmie reveals that his girlfriend has gotten caught in Turk’s web, and he wants to get her out before it’s too late. As Nick and Felicia explore the neon jungle of South Beach, they encounter the dark underside of the music business. Drugs, prostitution, street thugs, and political payoffs are Turk’s stock in trade, and he isn’t one to relinquish control over his empire. Nick goes undercover as an international criminal to challenge him, but will he succeed in breaking Turk’s hold over Jimmie and his girl? Can Nick use the sting operation to solve a cold case murder he discovers by accident? What other secrets will he uncover?

I watched in a daze as blood poured from my head and face, making a rapidly growing puddle on the grimy floorboards in front of me. It was bright red. Brighter than you expect your blood to be. It was mixing with the sweat of my brow as it ran from the open wound on top of my head, and with snot and saliva as it cascaded from my nose and mouth. I didn't feel any pain, just dull thuds and the sudden jerk of my head being shifted with the impact of each kick and stomp.****I didn't even get a chance to finish the transmission. He took three paces forward and punted his beautiful girlfriend right in the face. She hadn't even looked up from her phone. The blow destroyed her pretty, unaware face, and sent her head rocketing backwards."ROAMING GUARD LOWER BAR NOW!" I screamed into my microphone.I was on him before her limp body had hit the floor. I grabbed the back of his collar and slammed him into the bar, then snaked my arms around his to create a figure-four or hammerlock position, his arm pinned behind his back and me steering him through the crowd.***I was working the front door at the bottom of a flight of stairs when I turn and see Steve standing on the landing, a patron positioned on his chest in a front-rack position. Before I could say whatthefuckareyoudoing, Steve military pressed the guy into the air and sent old mate sailing down the flight of stairs, about a twelve foot drop onto the bottom couple of steps.The guy landed in a crumpled heap, limbs twisted in places limbs shouldn't be found. One shoe missing, presumably lost by the airline during his flight. Time stood still as I processed witnessing my first murder. Then the bloody cabbage picked himself up, re-assembled his IKEA-limbs and walked away calm as you like. This specimen was so drunk he didn't realise he was dead. I looked up at Steve to find he'd already returned to his position. I don't think he'd even stuck around to see the landing.****Neon Jungle: A Bouncer's True Tales of Lessons, Laughs and Lacerations is an intimate, intense, humorous and painfully honest collection of short stories from the viewpoint of the author. Joe Saunders spent nearly a decade as a bouncer in some of the busiest and most violent nightclubs in Brisbane, Australia. In these memoirs, Joe provides a peak behind the rope, with the violence, the brutality, the debauchery and the raw human relationships on full display. Those who have worked in the world of the doorman will smile knowingly, those who haven't will spent equal time laughing as cringing. A compelling and entertaining read, essential for anyone who has ever wondered about the type of person who protects us while we party.Joe Saunders is internationally known as the host of the Managing Violence Podcast, the internet's leading podcast on the realities of violence confrontation. This is how it all began.

William S. Burroughs, Metaphysical Detective is a genre-defying exploration of the metaphysical, blending elements of detective mystery, science fiction, and surrealist fantasy. The narrative is a kaleidoscope of cosmic mysteries, where the line between reality and the fantastical blurs, and the protagonist's journey becomes a metaphorical dance in the cosmic symphony of existence. In the imaginary city of Interzone, where the neon-lit streets pulse with enigmatic energies, Detective William S. Burroughs embarks on a surreal mystery through multidimensional realities populated with literary outlaws and strange beings. The narrative weaves a tale of satirical metaphors in electric imagery and wordplay that bends the boundaries of language and reality. The story unfolds across 25 chapters, each with a unique blend of hard-boiled detective noir, surreal science fiction, and mind-bending plot twists. Burroughs, armed with a golden gun and guided by the Language of the Dead, navigates the mysterious alleys, celestial gardens, and esoteric cathedrals of Interzone. As the detective delves deeper, he faces a series of cosmic challenges, from an esoteric cathedral to an ethereal gateway and a cosmic apex. The narrative takes unexpected turns, weaving in the cosmic symphony; a tapestry of temporal flux, celestial symbols, and occult mysteries. Burroughs' journey culminates in his rebirth as a cosmic guardian, tasked with safeguarding Interzone's eternal secrets. The beatniks, Lexicographers, and Nova accompany him in the ongoing dance of revelations, and the novel concludes with a cosmic resonance that echoes through the neon jungle that is the Naked City of Interzone.

Biographical reference providing information on individuals active in the theatre, film, and television industries. Covers not only performers, directors, writers, and producers, but also behind-the-scenes specialists such as designers, managers, choreographers, technicians, composers, executives, dancers, and critics from the United States and Great Britain.