Jacob Heppleman has just arrived home after serving in Europe during WWII. Before enlisting, he made a decent living as a writer for pulp magazines. But the publishing landscape has changed. Readers no longer want the short stories that he was pumping out; they now prefer trashy paperback novels.

"Loren D. Estleman’s distinctive writing style includes generally short sentences, paragraphs and chapters, which keeps the narrative flowing. He also sprinkles in plenty of humor, including one-liners, puns and even a bit of what could be considered slapstick."

Not willing to compromise his values, Jacob gets a job writing ordinary articles for a local newspaper. It’s boring work, but at least it pays the bills. Unable to control his creative side, he spends his free time writing a novel and some short stories, though none sell. Just when he’s about to give up, he lands a contract to write racy crime novels for Blue Devil Books under the pen name “Jack Holly.” He needs the money but doesn’t want his real name on the covers of such books.

This gig brings Jacob to the darker, seamier side of life as he endeavors to keep his work authentic, which requires him to mix and mingle with loan sharks, pawn shop owners and other unsavory characters. It's a huge risk but one that he’s willing to take.

As Jacob’s career progresses and he begins to make a name for himself, McCarthyism starts taking hold in Congress. He and other writers, editors and illustrators are called in to testify as to the effect of these tawdry novels on children. This puts his career, not to mention his future, in jeopardy; if the committee deems him culpable, he could land in jail.

PAPERBACK JACK covers a multitude of topics --- veterans returning from wars, freedom of speech, the evolution of the publishing industry and moral values, among others. The book spans several decades, making it a partial primer on the history of the times. As such, readers are provided with a glimpse into how a writer like Jacob might have navigated such a wide range of changes in his world.

Loren D. Estleman’s distinctive writing style includes generally short sentences, paragraphs and chapters, which keeps the narrative flowing. He also sprinkles in plenty of humor, including one-liners, puns and even a bit of what could be considered slapstick. This all makes for an enjoyable read, and the opportunity to delve into his next thriller cannot come soon enough.