Tough Tender Paperback – March 15, 2022

This was shipped fast and arrived in brand new condition. I would buy more from this vendor.

Originally written in the 60’s/70’s, the Nolan series is being reissued by HardCaseCrime, with (in each case) two books being combined and retitled. This installment was actually reissued in the early 90’s by Carroll & Graf, HARD CASH and SCRATCH FEVER being entitled TOUGH TENDER. The story is a femme fatale tale. It begins with Nolan’s being asked to re-rob a bank so that the loot can be used (in part) to cover a crooked bank executive’s embezzling activities. That executive has a mistress named Julie, a hard case who operates her own beauty salon and longs for bigger things. Believed to be dead at the end of HARD CASH, the Julester returns in SCRATCH FEVER to bedevil Nolan and his young sidekick Jon. The setting is MAC’s Midwest, on the Iowa/Illinois border.I preferred the first story to the second but the second is strong enough to be a solid entry in the Nolan series. The bonus in the second story is that Jon plays a larger role and we see him playing keyboards in a rock band (not just as an aspiring comic artist). We also see him rocking with a lesbian assassin, ‘converting’ her and reducing the chances that she will kill him.Bottom line: a nice addition to the series (with an appearance by MAC’s favorite murderous hillbillies, the Comforts). In the world of pulp entertainment MAC delivers top value for dollar.Next up in 2023, MAD MONEY. It’s at the top of my wishlist.

“Tough Tender” collects the 5th and 6th novels in Max Allan Collins’ Nolan series, originally written in the mid 1970's - 80's but with a complicated publishing history. Nolan, former member of the Chicago branch of “The Family” and an accomplished master of the heist, is trying to retire. But as another iconic character once said, “Just when I thought I was out, they pulled me back in.” But this time, it’s not The Family that’s pulling Nolan back in again; it’s a former mark.The first book in this double edition, “Hard Cash” acts as a sequel to the very first book in the series, “Bait Money” in which Nolan works with a group of young would-be thieves to knock over the First National Bank of Port City, Iowa. Now, the very same bank president, prodded by the lovely Julie, hires Nolan to rob it again. Nolan is assisted by his young protégé, Jon and together they must navigate the pitfalls of the operation. Nolan and Jon are plunged into one unexpected twist after another, but a heist is a heist and they never let go of their goal of securing the prize.The second novel in this double collection, “Scratch Fever” is a direct sequel to “Hard Cash”. It takes place roughly one year later and opens with Jon now the lead in a local club-scene rock & roll band. In the audience, he spies somebody he thought dead, a character from the previous book and somebody who is destined to cause havoc and mayhem in his life. The stakes are high and Jon is soon fighting for his life. Other dangerous characters from previous books show up – hitmen out for revenge. This time it’s Nolan to the rescue in a nail-biting cat & mouse yarn that really keeps the pages turning.Nolan is a great character and as MAC writes in the introduction, these stories provide “low-life villains who retain a recognizable humanity.” Hard Cash is meant to combine “the caper novel with the James M. Cain sex melodrama”. Nolan is a tough guy, supremely competent, and willing to take whatever steps are necessary. But throughout, he does, indeed, have that inner core of honor that keeps him sympathetic to the reader. Jon, is also a wonderful sidekick character who tends to take on prominent roles in their various schemes all while dreaming of one day being a successful writer and artist in the world of comics. Gotta love it.All the Nolan novels can technically be read as stand-alones, but I would recommend they be read in order of publication due to some recurring characters and situations, as evidenced by the two novels presented here. Thankfully, Hard Case Crime has committed to producing all the Nolan books in new, beautifully rendered double editions. Can’t wait for the final pairing still to come.

Tough Tender reprints the next two books in the Nolan saga, “Hard Cash” and “Scratch Fever.” Poor Nolan has reached the milestone age (at least in his mind) of fifty years and wants nothing more than to be able to retire quietly on his ill-gotten gains. Unfortunately he just can’t seem to hold on to those gains. Something or someone from his past seems to continually show up to spoil his plans.In “Hard Cash” the president of the bank Nolan and his partner Jon robbed a couple of years earlier appears with the intent to blackmail him into robbing the same bank again, but this time for the benefit of the banker and his girlfriend. At the same time Nolan is planning the robbery, another enemy from his past who he assumed was dead shows up looking for revenge. The ways by which all of these characters end up at the same place at the same time to resolve their various issues makes for an exciting and expected Max Allan Collins ending.In “Scratch Fever” Nolan and Jon come up against one of the most evil and ruthless characters from their past who is determined to see them destroyed at all costs. Nolan and Jon’s main objective in this story is not to pull off another heist but to merely stay alive.These two novels are excellent additions to the Nolan series and should not be missed. The descriptions of the 1970s mid-west locations that provide the setting for these novels are also very enjoyable to someone who grew up in the mid-west part of the country during that time.

Just like the "Two for the Money" and Double Down, Tough Tender gives us two more Nolan novels that are worth reading!Hard Cash, the first novel, has Nolan and Jon unwillingly robbing a bank that he has robbed once before. This time he has help from an unlikely source. The novel is filled with action and keeps you turning the pages.The second novel, Scratch Fever, picks up a year or so after the events of Hard Cash. Jon is now in a rock n' roll band, a chance encounter with someone from his past has him in a bit of a tough spot. Nolan arrives to help rescue his friend, and things really start picking up!After reading Two For the Money and Double Down, I couldn't wait to get my hands on Tough Tender. Both novels are full of the action you would expect. The book is well written and will keep you on the edge of your seat. I anxiously await the publication of "Mad Money" (hopefully within the next year!) to complete the Nolan series.

Great