| | | | Meet Hasp Deadbolt, P.I.
BY SHELLY BRYANT I MARCH 22, 2009
David C. Kopaska-Merkel. Nursery Rhyme Noir. Sam's Dot Publishing, 2008. 134 pages.
ISBN: 978-09821068-3-9
David C. Kopaska-Merkel is one of the premier names within the niche field of speculative poetry, but his work is by no means limited to versification, nor to editing the fine magazine Dreams and Nightmares. Kopaska-Merkel writes his fair share of prose fiction too, and does a fine job of it.
Nursery Rhyme Noir is one of Kopaska-Merkel's most recent releases, and it is sure to keep you laughing. The gags come at you nonstop, with a huge cast of nursery rhyme characters putting in an appearance. It is like a good Jasper Fforde read, in that sense, but adds in the familiar feeling of the noir detective novel. Kopaska-Merkel handles the style well, and it makes for a nice, coherent piece of work.
Hasp Deadbolt, P.I., stars as the lead character of the short story collection. He's a lovable enough dick (but don't tell Alma I said that), bringing the reader back to the heyday of noir fiction. Deadbolt's manner of speech, his view of the world, and his interactions with the funny characters that people his world is dead-on for the detective novel and makes the work a very fun read.
The lame humor (and I mean that in the best sense) that rounds out the stories will have you laughing out loud. Whether it is the capitalism vs. socialism debate between Petunia the goose and Freddie the pig, or exchanges between Deadbolt and a strange cast of clients and criminals, there's always something to tickle the funny bone. Even in moments of distress, Deadbolt's deadpan humor always comes across, as when he finds himself at the wrong end of a gun, facing the Big Bad Wolf:
"He doesn't know anything," it burst out. "And even if he does, he's not talking. Lemme just plug him, and we'll get back to work." She nodded, and he raised the pistol, pointing it right at my face. "Say your prayers Deadbolt," he growled.
"I'm an agnostic," I mumbled, "I don't do prayers."
"That's interesting," said the wolf. "That you remain agnostic in the face of imminent death. I admire the strength of your lack of conviction."
"Thank you," I replied. "I've always tried to stick to my uncertainty."
The collection was published through Sam's Dot Publishing, one of the finest little independent presses around. Many of the pieces in Nursery Rhyme Noir appeared in earlier chapbooks published by Sam's Dot, and it is really nice to see them all collected here in one volume.
Kopaska-Merkel has put together a fun volume of short tales here, filled more with laughs than chills. It is a perfect handling of the material, well worth the modest cover price.
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