detective John Milano, who debuted in the relatively conventional Star Light,
Star Bright (1979), and reappeared in the black-humored masterpiece of
political incorrectness The Dark Fantastic (1983).
Ellin’s other novels were The Eighth Circle (1958), The Winter After This
Summer (1960), The Panama Portrait (1962), The Valentine Estate (1968),
The Bind (a.k.a. The Man from Nowhere, 1970), Mirror, Mirror on the Wall
(1972), Stronghold (1975), The Luxembourg Run (1977), and Very Old
Money (1985). He died in 1986.
Ellin’s readers never knew quite what to expect. First and third person were
used with equal facility, and experimental techniques entered the mix with
straightforward narratives. Only the quality was consistent. Nonetheless,
Ellin’s work has largely been allowed to go out of print since his death.
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