http://www.themachinethatgoesping.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/51wNFQufJoL._SS500_.jpgIf you're a fan of old time radio, film noir, or pulp detective novels, and you don't already know about Decoder Ring Theatre and the Black Jack Justice podcast, well shame on you. Gregg Taylor's audio drama about the adventures of Jack Justice and Trixie Dixon, Girl Detective, is as entertaining as they come, full of smart, funny dialog and all the usual murder, intrigue, and action you'd expect from a hard-boiled detective series.

Taylor's new paperback, Black Jack Justice, is the story of how Jack and Trixie first met, and the book won't disappoint either fans of the podcast or the uninitiated reader looking for some good old-fashioned escapist entertainment. Justice is a cracking read; the characters are well-defined, the banter is witty, and the tension ebbs and flows at a pace that keeps the reader engaged throughout. Taylor's writing isn't just an homage to pulp fiction, it shows him as a true peer of the masters of the genre.

(This post originally appeared on The Machine That Goes Ping.)