Eddie Bunker passes on

On July 19, Eddie Bunker, the ex-con turned crime novelist, died from complications of a recent surgery at St. Joseph Medical Center in Burbank, CA. He was 71. Not surprisingly, news of his death has hit the crime fiction world quite badly.

Ken Bruen wrote in with his reminiscences:

He came to Galway in 2001 and was the real deal…the fedora, the trenchcoat and the gravelly voice, I had to send to London to get his unfiltered luckies.

At a signing I did with a well-known author, said famous person declared he would not be signing books and Eddie said, “Gimme the goddamn books, I’ll sign ‘em.”

I loved his cowboy boots and shortly after he left, a parcel came with….yup, cowboy boots. Class.

Even though I’ve stopped smoking, I’m going to get hold of a pack of luckies and light one up with the Zippo given me by another legend and watch Reservoir Dogs…mebbe knock back some sipping sour mash.

He told me, “Never let the mothers tell you how to write…you listening to me?”

I was, and I am.

Indeed, we all are.