After a long and varied career as an actor, Marty started out as a writer in the 1970s with a series of Mickey Spillane-style novels about a detective named Patrick Hardy--the author was the first to admit, years later, that the books were bluntly pre-feminist and un-PC--but under the influence of [his wife] Annette he began writing a series of historical novels about the earlier days of the city he adored (and knew more about than almost anyone I know).Those books, of course, grew into the well-regarded “Dutchman” series, which the couple published under the pseudonym “Maan Meyers,” and which was set in 17th-, 18th-, and 19th-century New York. The first installment was 1992’s The Dutchman, while the last was 2008’s The Organ Grinder. As Joe Meyers writes, “The ‘Dutchman’ books span centuries but always have a present-tense excitement that make them read like contemporary stories. They also eschew cheap sentiment--Marty and Annette make sure that we realize that ‘the good old days’ were not so great.”
The biographical section of Martin and Annette Meyers’ Web site adds a few notes to our understanding of Martin’s career:
Marty's short story, “The Girl, the Body, and the Kitchen Sink,” signaling the return of Patrick Hardy, was published in the Signet anthology, The Private Eyes (1998). His erotic noir short story, “Pickup,” appears in the 2002 anthology, Flesh & Blood, Dark Desires, Mysterious Press/Warner. … “Mr. Quincy’s Different Drummer” was published in Argosy Magazine’s May/June 2004 issue, and “Snake Rag” was published in the anthology Murder ... And All That Jazz, in 2004, by Signet.We send our condolences to Mr. Meyers’ family at this difficult time.
Marty was one of the great characters on the New York City mystery scene. Marty and his lovely wife Annette did many signings at the Black Orchid for us but also came out and supported other local writers at our shop.
ReplyDeleteAs Joe Meyers pointed out Marty was an actor for many years. Two films in which Marty appeared fit in a broadly defined crime category. The Incident is the film debut of Tony Musante and Martin Sheen as two punks terrorizing a subway car filled with renowned character actors. In the prologue Sheen and Musante muscle the manager of a pool hall. Marty was the manager. It is such a good scene that I vividly remembered the movie 15 years later when Marty & I discussed the movie.
The other is Mel Brooks' The Producers (think about it -- Max and Leo are pulling a classic long con that goes wrong. If it weren't for the laughs, it could be noir) Marty is part of the first night audience for Springtime for Hitler. He sits in the same row as author Franz Liebkin. Marty has a big laugh and mustache in the scene.
I will miss him