SECRETS of the STEVE MERTZ LIBRARY (Part 4)

Here we are at the fourth and final row this photo gives us access to. Sad, ain't it? We'll all be up nights wondering what Steve has stashed on Row Five, with authors S thru Z.

In the shadows under Steve's wrist sit two of the Carroll & Graf Spider doubles published in the '90s. Can't see which they are (there were at least eight of them), but in between is a Spider book we can identify.

And this is it. I always planned to get a copy of my own, but never got around to it. Guess it's about time. After a few blurry titles, we roll into the Don Pendleton department . . .

The books Steve is either hiding or calling attention to with his hand are most likely the four sleazy adventures of Stewart Mann, detective, penned by Pendleton in his pre-Executioner days. Steve spilled the beans on these recently on Ben Boulden's blog, and you can read the story HERE. 

Next up are a bunch of Executioners. This one is unmistakable, but the others are too tough for me. I yapped about this book recently HERE.

Pendleton's post-Exectioner days are represented by these two hardcovers, and that's likely a Copp paperback sandwiched between them. 

And bringing the Pendleton section to a close is one of the many books by Don's wife Linda. 

This next section starts with several Shell Scott adventures.

I can see these. Can you see more?

Then it's Pronzini time. I have these two on my shelves, too.

That red/orange hardback between Labyrinth and Bindlestiff looks mighty familiar. I might even have a copy, but it has me baffled. 

There are way too many books here I can't make out. Guess I'll have to make the pilgrimage to Tuscon.

 I didn't know what a Nick Carter book was doing this late in the alphabet until I figured out it was written by Bob Randisi. 

Which explains why, after a couple more titles I can't read, we come to these two. The books that follow are mostly a mystery, though I do see a couple of Harold Robbins, one of which is The Carpetbaggers. 

The last two I can be sure of are these, by a guy I'm not familiar with. But if Steve likes him he must be good. 

Down near the end of the line is a single Stony Man (Executioner spin-off) book. Who done it?

That's it. That's all I got. But let this be a lesson to you. If you go posting photos of your bookshelves you risk some nosy bozo like me poking around in them!