Nympho Lodge - Jack Lynn (Max van derVeer)

Tokey Wedge is one of the great character names in private eye fiction. The star of a number of novels by “Jack Lynn” (actually Max van derVeer) published by Novel Books in the late Fifties and early Sixties, Tokey is a mixture of Shell Scott and Mike Hammer (mostly Scott, but some undeniable Hammer influence in there, too). He’s plenty tough, despite being only 5’4” (or 5’6”, depending on the book) and is irresistible to the dames, of course, as quickly becomes obvious in his first recorded case, NYMPHO LODGE, published by Novel Books in 1959. He’s hired as a bodyguard by a beautiful blonde who’s mired in a messy divorce. Both she and her husband want to wind up with the fancy resort of the title. The blonde has received a vaguely threatening letter and believes that her husband may try to have her killed. She hires Tokey to come with her to the lodge and keep her safe.

As you’d expect, Tokey runs into a bunch of other beautiful women at the lodge, including the husband’s mistress, the girl who works at the check-in desk, the husband’s secretary who really runs things, and an older (but still beautiful) guest, all of whom seem eager to jump into bed with Tokey. Also on hand are a guy who’s suspected to being an arsonist-for-hire and a bartender who may or may not be trustworthy. It actually takes a while to get everything set up with the plot and characters, so it’s the halfway point of the book before the first murder takes place. But once the bodies start to fall, they’re dropping left and right, which brings in the local sheriff and his none-too-bright deputy. Between bedding the various female characters and trying to figure out who the killer is, Tokey really has his hands full.

Despite all the banter, wisecracks, and racy shenanigans, NYMPHO LODGE has a fairly complex plot and you can tell that van derVeer tried to play fair with the readers for the most part, providing a number of clues to what’s really going on. I’m not sure all the revelations at the end completely make sense, but close enough as far as I’m concerned. The real appeal of this novel lies in Tokey’s breezy narration, his cheerful eagerness to both make time with the ladies and uncover a killer, and the hedonistic atmosphere of the era. I had a fine time reading it.

A publisher called Grizzly Pulp is reprinting the Tokey Wedge series, beginning with this one. The new edition has a very good cover by Jim Silke. The second book in the series, MAD FOR KICKS, will be out soon, and you can order both of them here. If you’re a fan of humorous, sexy private eye novels from the Fifties and Sixties, I give Tokey Wedge a high recommendation. Pure fun, as far as I’m concerned.