Glasby is not well known as a crime fiction author. He is better known for his westerns and science fiction novels. Nevertheless, Glasby's Johnny Merak novels are about as good as it gets when it comes to hardboiled crime fiction. There are at least three novels in this series available in Ebola format -- Rackets Inc, Savage City, and A Time For Murder. There also appear to be several additional novels in the series not yet available as ebooks.

The premise in the Johnny Merak novels is that Merak is a tough as anything hoodlum framed for a crime who turns on his old cronies after doing three years at San Quentin. Merak still has a hood's mentality and he is tough, ruthless, and unrelenting. The stories, like Spillane's Hammer stories, are filled with sudden explosions of violence. And if you enjoy fifties-style car chases, fistfights, and gun battles, this is it.

This is the first novel in the series and it introduces Merak, dark haired Dawn Grahame (his gal Friday), and federal agent Grenville. The story is a battle of good versus evil and there's no gray area as to is on which side. The pace is furious and unrelenting. There are no slow parts to a Johnny Merak novel. ( )