I picked up The Fighting Heart of Man, Vol. 1, published by Veritas Entertainment. This small volume, 4- by 7-inches, has 11 stories by Nathanael Hummel and L.S. Goozdich. These stories are very short, sometimes being vignettes. Some feature characters for whom the two authors have published other works: Noah Redford and Nate Colt. Noah was created by Goozdich, and Nate by Hummel. I have reviewed one Noah Redford book. I have not yet read any of the Nate Colt stories.
We get a variety of tales, including Westerns, nautical adventures, fight stories, and more. I was most interested in the Noah Redford and Nate Colt stories.
Noah Redford is a former World War I aviator, now a sort of troubleshooter or adventurer, often heading back to Montana, where he is from. One story, “The Body,” finds Noah at a river when he finds a body floating downstream and comes under fire from a sniper. Can he get out of the situation, and if he does, what is going on? This is probably part of a larger work.
“The Safe Deposit” finds Noah in 1938 New York, where he runs afoul of gangsters, after which he plans to head to Montana.
“The Cowboy and the Criminal” is noted as being a Noah Redford and Salvatore Coltellino adventure. We find Noah on a South Pacific island fighting in illegal boxing matches. Sal is a gangster trying to get Noah to throw a fight for one of the criminal gangs, which Noah refuses to do. This leads to the main action of the story. In the end, Noah, along with Sal and a local girl, heads to Montana. It seems like in every story I read with him, he is heading to Montana. Does he ever get there?
Nate Colt is a detective, though more an adventurer than a private investigator. It is not clear what time period he is set it. It seems modern times in general. There are two books out so far, which I have yet to read: Treasure is My Trade and Crime is My Caper.
In “You’re Welcome, Ralph,” when Nate’s friend Ralph is beaten and dies due to a protection racket, Nate shows the perpetrators the error of their ways — permanently. In “Nate Colt & the Jade Dagger,” we find Nate in China on the trail of a treasure called the Jade Dagger, which has led him to a temple deep in the interior. But he is being tracked by the forces of a Chinese warlord who wants the same thing. Will he get out alive, and with the dagger?
This is a nice collection of stories. I have no idea when Vol. 2 will appear. I am planning on getting the new Noah Redford book and the two Nate Colt books. If you are looking for straightforward pulp-style action-adventure stories, check out the works being put out by Veritas Entertainment.
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