Bop City Swing By M.E. Proctor and Russell Thayer

When a book starts off with a female assassin you know I am in. Little did I know when I started reading that there was more to Gunselle, aka Vivian Davis, thanks to Russell Thayer. Gunselle is the kind of character noir fiction was made for—ruthless, razor-sharp, and unapologetically in control. Set against smoky backdrops of post-war America, she’s a professional assassin who navigates a world where men call the shots—until she pulls the trigger. If you’re drawn to morally complex antiheroes, quick-paced grit, and vintage noir that crackles with tension, Gunselle is absolutely worth the ride.

So to make it even more interesting, Bop City Swing crosses into Tom Keegan’s world thanks to ME Proctor.  Tom Keegan, a relentless homicide detective, working in San Francisco’s shadowy streets with focus and chasing justice in a world where right and wrong often collide. Haunted by his past but driven by grit, he’s the quintessential noir detective—unyielding, sharp-minded, and ready to confront the city’s darkest secrets (political and otherwise) without hesitation.

This isn’t just a crime novel—it’s a jazz-soaked fever dream wrapped in grit and elegance. I could hear every clink of a glass in the club, feel the bassline of bebop humming in the background. The dialogue is whip-smart and era-authentic, filled with that 1950s rhythm and slang that makes this story pop off the page. The city itself becomes a character—smoky, dangerous, alive. I didn’t just read this book; I watched it play out in my head like a black-and-white film with flashes of Technicolor violence. Bop City Swing comes in at only 183 pages, and they are all totally worth it.  No filler - only a fast-paced story that you won’t want to put down. 


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