Blonde Verdict by Carter Brown

Police Lieutenant Al Wheeler is back in Blonde Verdict. Al is drinking at this bar when a guy comes in and drops dead at his feet.  It turns out the dead guy is a lawyer. The dead lawyer has set up a meeting with Wheeler and keels over. It turns out the lawyer is killed by curare. Al gets to meet a redhead secretary, a blonde widow, and a silver blonde. Al's trouble is that he is an unorthodox cop and this is an unorthodox case. This title was revised and printed in the US as The Brazen in 1960. Blonde Verdict is the 13th entry in the Numbered Series and published in 1956 by Horwitz Publications.

Horwitz Edition 1956

Signet August 1960                                     Signet 1971 reprint

Seven Against Greece by Nicholas Browne

Seven Against Greece is about Nick Carter on a blood-soaked mission against one of the worlds most vicious terrorist gang. The world teetered on the edge of destruction because of seven people against Greece. The greedy Greek millionaire Papadoru, his fortune was based on betraying his country to the highest bidder. The evil Chinese agent, General Lin Te-peng, who ran Europe's master spy school. The revolutionary madman, Gorgas, he lived only fir the pain he could inflict on helpless women. The beautiful Princess Electra, she as a a man eating tigress who them the gang to their terrifying goals. There was also an English soldier of fortune, a huge Greek thug, and the man they call "The Black Monk." The goal was world domination, they were driven by lust for power and to overthrow governments in the Balkans. There were attempts to stop them. The bullet riddled body of an AXE agent was the end of one try. Now there was a more lethal agent, Nick Carter, but he was unprepared for the death trap set by the perfumed beautiful woman.

US Printing History

Written by Nicholas Browne (3/4)

1st Award (A247X) September 1967

2nd Award (A633X) February 1970

3rd Award (AN1096) September 1972

4th Award (AN1096) November 1973

5th Award (AQ1393) December 1974

Notes: The first three Award printings each feature the same book cover design. The later two printings have the same book design. This title has a complete history as others are lacking.

UK Printing History

1st Tandem Printing (T141) 1967

Tandem Reprint (426 12634 3) 1973

Note: The first Tandem printing has the same book cover as the1st Award edition.

Tandem Reprint 1973

Who Is Carter Brown

Carter Brown is the pseudonym of Alan Geoffrey Yates. He was a British-Australian author of crime fiction. Yates was born in London in 1923 and served with the British Royal Navy from 1942 until 1946. Yates married an Australian by the name of Denise MacKeller and immigrated to Australia from the UK in 1948. Mr Yates was working as an Editorial Officer for QANTAS when Horwitz Publications contracted him to write two monthly detective novels in return for a weekly advance of £30 (no royalties) in 1951. He was to produce two novelettes and one full-length Carter Brown a month.  In 1953 he started writing full time. Yates started writing westerns before he set his sights on mysteries. His books were set in the United States but were more popular in Europe. His books sold upwards of 70,000,000 copies throughout his career. He wrote under his own name, Tod Conway, Dennis Sinclair, and Paul Valdez. Alan Yates died on May 5, 1985.

Delilah Was Deadly by Carter Brown

Delilah Was Deadly is an Al Wheeler mystery and the 22nd entry into Numbered Series. This title was published in 1956 by Horwitz Publications. Police Lieutenant Al Wheeler is assigned to a case involving a murder of a guy strangled by a nylon girdle in a safe. Maybe the murdered wanted him there for safekeeping? Commissioner Lavers needs an unorthodox cop to solve this loony case. The idea was to assign the case to Wheeler to solve it, but three murders later Al would like to call the cops but he would look silly doing that. The only thing that made sense were the dames all over the place, at Al's place, at their place. But who wants to talk to a beautiful blonde, brunette, or redhead.

The Chinese Paymaster by Nicholas Browne

The Chinese Paymaster was written by Nicholas Browne. This title was Browne's second Killmaster novel. He will write a total of four before disappearing to points unknown. Award Books was publishing two titles concurrently. The Chinese Paymaster was published with The Devil's Cockpit. This story is about a Communist double agent that has set The United States up for takeover. Three separate incidents in three different countries.  The first incident occurs in a small Chinese village where an old scientist is executed. The next day the CIA learn they have lost one of its most valuable agents. The second incident occurs in the Laotian jungle where an American officer and his guerrilla band are bombed by Chinese planes. An important American operation is sabotaged. The last incident occurs in an posh NYC bar. Thailand's UN delegate is assassinated. Somebody sprays cyanide into the diplomats face hours before he was to vote against China. All three incidents were linked to a Red Chinese paymaster. Person, male or female, was unknown. The method of operation was within the US intelligence network. It was determined the paymaster was on a tans-Atlantic jet on the first lap of a charter flight around the world. It was Nick's mission to find the paymaster among the planes passengers. But somebody has betrayed Nick and the Chinese move in for the kill long before he has boarded the plane.

1st Award Printing                                  1st Tandem Printing

Award and Tandem covers were the same as well as the 2nd Award printing (see above). 

The third and fourth Award printings will see a new covers (see below).

3rd Award Printing                         4th Award Printing

The Tandem covers will see new covers (see below). The left scan is the 1972 reprint and December 1972  edition. The right scan is from an undisclosed edition published sometime between December 1972 and 1978.

1972 Editions                                         Unknown Edition

Below is the 1978 Edition published by Universal Books

1978 Universal Edition

Printing History

1st Award (A 239X) 1967

1st Tandem ( T 139) 1967

2nd Award (A 627X) 1970

2nd Tandem (4260 6496 8) 1972

3rd Tandem (4260 12001 9) Dec 1972

3rd Award (A 940S) 1972

4th Award (AQ 1592) 1976

4th Tandem (426 17427 5) Unknown

5th Tandem (426 17427 5) 1978

Notes
In the UK, Howard and Wyndam Company published Tandem, Universal, and Star book editions.

Booty For A Babe: Another Al Wheeler Mystery

Al Wheeler appears again in Booty For A Babe. This title was published in 1956 by Horwitz and is the 31st entry in the Numbered Series. This story is a screwball case as quoted by Commissioner Lavers. Lavers is LT Wheeler's immediate superior. Take a bunch of science fiction fans, a lecturer, a tungsten dart in the heart of the lecturer, and the dames. Even the redhead dame, with no experience with boy and girl stuff,  so Al brings her back to his apartment and he introduces her to his Hi-Fi setup.  And then there is the blonde, her boyfriend bores her so she prefers to drink with Al. And how about the other blonde who can throw a switch as fast as Al can duck. Here she is, there she isn't, that away kind of girl. People keep dying in this case and Commissioner Lavers wants the case solved fast. Or Wheeler will be in a blue uniform very soon.

The Devil's Cockpit by Manning Lee Stokes

Mona McCall: A beautiful ex-Hollywood star and sex darling of the Western World was lending her fame and figure to a Red Chinese pornographic propaganda mill and was lashing America's reputation to a burning stake.

Micheal Blackstone: American director and communist. He willingly betrayed his homeland and spilled coils of vileness from his films.

Pamela Martin: English, has the makings for a very deadly spy except that she has been picked for pornographic stardom or else.

Somewhere in the dark streets of Budapest, a pornographic mill was churning out films that proclaimed the hideous decadence of American Imperialism.  This assignment takes Nick Carter on a steamy tour of Eastern Europe in search of Blackstone and Mona McCall. Ms Martin is his would be assistant, a half hustler, half spy.

First and Second Printing

Printing History

1st Award Printing (A238X) 1967

1st Tandem Printing 1967

2nd Award (A238X) 1968

3rd Award Printing (?) 1970?

Tandem Reprint (4260 6488 7) 1972

Ace/Charter Reprint (441 14298-2) August 1979

Tandem Reprint

 

Ace/Charter Edition 1979

Hi-Fi Fadeout by Carter Brown

Hi-Fi Fadeout was published in 1958 and features character Mike Beck. Mike is a DJ fora top rated radio show called The Midnight Rocket to Fame. A fellow DJ is in competition with him. Her show happens to follow his and his boss wanted Mike to make friends with her. He leaves her dead in his car and is the prime suspect in her murder.Everyone is against Mike, even the redhead who persuaded him to play her record with a gun. Then there are the thugs and three pretty young ladies  on him all the time. So Lt. Voss offers protection in the shape of brunette Officer Regan. Hi-Fi Fadeout is number 70 in the Numbered Series published by Horwitz Publications.

The Eve Of His Dying by Carter Brown

Our main character is on the run is given the opportunity to hide in a quiet health camp. This health camp is run by a guy name Adam and his girlfriend, Eve. Did I mention the camp was a nudist camp? Everything is going to plan until a corpse turns up and then another. Then there is a person shooting at our hero. He would have left if he had a better chance of living on the other side. Our hero is none other than Terry Tomlin and he is the vital witness in a murder case and is a well known radio personality. The Eve Of His Dying was published by Horwitz Publications in 1956. This title was 32nd entry in the Numbered Series.

Double Identity by Manning Lee Stokes

Double Identity was published at the same time as Mission To Venice. The CIA message put AXE in an uproar. Their top agent in Tibet was killed and his dying words identified his assassin: "Nick Carter". The briefing was short and to the point. A fake Killmaster in the Far East meant something was brewing. The lure of a trap made this mission the up most importance and needed to be settled fast. Within hours, Nick was in Tibet to pick up the trail of his double. In India the trail led through the streets with those who seek the reward for Nick's arrest.  The next stop was in the Pakistani border where he found the fuse that could set off a holocaust that would destroy all the nations in the Far East.

Printing History

1st Award (A229X) 1967

1st Tandem (T 243) 1968

2nd Award (A923S) 1972

Tandem Reprint (4260 7042 9) 1973 Printed in France

Charter Special Bonus Edition (W/ Strike Of The Hawk) January 1980

Award Edition                                          Tandem Edition

Award 2nd Printing

  

Tandem Reprint

Charter Bonus Edition

Mission To Venice by Manning Lee Stokes

The US has lost an H-bomb over the Adriatic. This bomb was a lure for a game of global blackmail with the lives of thousands as well as the United States prestige. Everything is riding on Nick's mission to Venice, he has no help but a notorious courtesan. Vanni Manfrinto, the head of Yugoslavian Intelligence, is a hunted man. But a lady of beauty and morals of Princess de Verizone could be allowed satisfy the insatiable lust of Vanni. There was more to lust for Manfrinto, as Nick would discover in one encounter to another. Nothing in Nick's training could he be prepared for the brutal carnage he was forced to inflict in order to prevent the bomb from falling into the wrong hands. Mission To Venice is the 21st Killmaster novel and is Stokes' seventh Nick Carter adventure.

2nd Award Printing                                          Tandem Printing

 Printing History

1st Award (A228X) 1967

2nd Award (A632X) 1970

1st Tandem (4260 2671 3) 1970

Last Note For A Lovely by Carter Brown

She was a thrush with a throaty voice. Carl Vesper, jazz critic of the magazine Offbeat, stumbles across her body and later she makes an appearance on stage. So who is more surprised, her murdered or Carl?  Then Carl gets news from the Police that Toots Yabach was killed in a car accident. Carl had his hands full with a corpse that was killed twice. Last Note For A Lovely was published in 1957 by Horwitz Publications.

Model Of No Virtue by Carter Brown

Another Carter Brown novel. Model of No Virtue in the 27th entry in the Numbered Series published by Horwitz Publications in 1956. This title was originally titled as the novelette Rope For A Redhead from 1953. Cloe was very rich and had the body worthy of a bodyguard. Somebody was threatening her with bodily harm and all the clues point to her crazy sister Lucilla. The main character, Tony Barr, has Lucilla as the bad lady until she is murdered. Texas is the place for the circus, Cleo's Circus. A circus of murder labeled by Cynthia Wardrope. Finding the villain was a task onto itself, with names like Dale Cannon, Lee Brogan, Esther Coates. Which one had it out for Cleo?

The Lady Has No Convictions by Carter Brown

Whitney Kent is the main character in this Carter Brown novel. His father owns Kent Aircraft. They manufacture a jet for the airforce called the F-92X. There is a slight problem with the aircraft, it goes up just fine but comes down even faster. Whitney was set to find out what is wrong with the F-92X. Seems he crashed the prototype while not sober, and was blamed for it.  So there are three choices: sabotage, bugs, or Whitney is a jinx. The Lady Has No Convictions was published in 1956 by Horwitz Publications and was Number 20 in the Numbered Series.

The Golden Serpent by Manning Lee Stokes

A master plot to flood the U.S.economy with millions of counterfeit money.  The Golden Serpent was published concurrently with The Weapon Of Night in 1967 and was written by Manning Lee Stokes. Take a Mexican political party that demands the territorial return of Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, and California. Add a Chinese paper factory exporting a fine engraver's five dollar portrait of Abe Lincoln. Stir with a countess who's made a fortune in cosmetics and is running a strange little kingdom deep in the Mexican jungle.  Mix in the CIA and AXE, prickling each other's sensitivities while the nation and the highest men in government are stumped to stop the ruin of the American economy. Suddenly the meeting between the CIA and Mr Hawk, the ingredients are mixed together into a little pill handed to Nick Carter. The instructions were very clear, straighten things out or swallow the deadly pill.

1967 printing                                         1968 printing

11 million mark                                        12 million mark

1974 reprint                                               Charter reprint

Printing History

1st Award Printing (A 216F ) 1967

2nd Award Printing (A 386X) 1968

3rd Award Printing (A 642X) 1970

4th Award Printing (A 929S) 1972

5th Award Printing (AN 1102) 1972?

6th Award Printing (AN 1102) 19??

Mayflower Printing (2987-8) 1967

Mayflower Reprint (583 11411 3 2) 1969

Mayflower Reprint (583 11411 3 2) 1970

Mayflower Reprint (583 11411 3 3) 1974

Ace Charter Reprint (441 29736-6) August 1979

Notes: As one can see Award done a terrible job on this title. They used the same book cover on the 4th through the 6th printings. I do have scans of the Mayflower printings, but they are way too racy and show too much of the female anatomy.  The Ace Charter edition features the George Gross art work. Gross painted the majority of the Nick Carter titles published from 1978 until the end of the series in 1990.

The Weapon Of Night by Valerie Moolman

The last Nick Carter adventure written by Valerie Moolman was titled The Weapon of Night. Weapon of Night brings three foreign agents to America to help Night Carter battle a diabolical plot by Nick's arch enemy Mr Judas. The blackout of November 1965 set the stage, an eight state power outage. that led  The United States  to become the easiest target to render it totally helpless. Now was the time to revisit the rolling blackouts, the strange lights in the sky, and the dreaded stinging smog. Hakim Sadek, the Egyptian criminologist from Safari For Spies. Valentina Sichikova, Russian agent, from The 13th Spy. And Julie Baron, OCI agent, from Run Spy Run and  Fraulein Spy. These three agents help Nick as he goes to take down Judas and his band of "night crawlers"

Scanned Covers

First Printing                                                Second Printing

Third Printing                                               1974 Printing

Mayflower Reprint                                     Charter Reprint

Printing History

1st Award (A 215F ) 1967

2nd Award (A 385X) 1968

3rd Award (A 641X) 1970

4th Award (AN 1094) 1972

5th Award (AN 1094) 1974

Mayflower (583 11327 3 2) 1968

Mayflower Reprint (583 11327 3 2) 1970

Mayflower Reprint (583 11327 3 2) 1974

Ace Charter Reprint (441 87635-8) August 1979

Kiss Me Deadly by Carter Brown

Kiss Me Deadly was published in 1955 by Horwitz Publications. The main character is Richard Van Briden III and he is a multi-millionaire. He is all set to marry a rich lady when he meets this other dame at the airport. They take off to a nice quiet weekend and then Richard discovers he is dead. A business deal is on the line and if Van Birden is not present then the deal falls through. He must prove that he is still alive but Richard does not look like himself anymore. Richard Van Briden sets out to clear his name and his fortune.

The Mind Poisoners by Lionel White and Valerie Moolman

Nick Carter faces a vicious international plot to hook American college students on a violence drug and then use them to destroy the country. Nick assumes the identity of a college professor to find out why the student peace movement suddenly ignited into mass rioting. It went beyond radicalism, a ruthless plot of an organization of mind poisoners that did not care of those ruined lives, all they cared was the downfall and utter destruction on the United States. Lionel White started this title and then strayed too far from the series pattern, so Valerie Moolman stepped in and finished the novel.

A few covers

Printing History
1st Award (A198F) 1966
2nd Award (A314X) January 1968
1st Tandem (T189) January 1968
3rd Award (A636X) 1970. Error on fly sleeve not a second printing and not the correct title.

Notes: These are all the covers I have for this title. I know there are more out there especially the 1972 edition as Tandem reprinted almost all Killmasters in that year.

Operation Starvation by Nicholas Browne

Merchant seaman Nicholas Browne wrote Operation Starvation in 1966. Johnny Wu was hunger for power. He was the head of Operation Starvation. Doctor Wu's experiment in organisms that could cause the starvation of the entire world. Wu's discovery on an experimental rice farm deep in Red China's Takla Makan Desert, was a wonder spore, that could enslave mankind. Nick's job was to see that the Chinese would not get their hands on the weapon.

Early Award and Tandem Cover

Printing History
1st Award (A197) 1966
2nd Award (A313X) January 1968
1st Tandem (T 188)January 1968
2nd Tandem (4260 6453 4) 1972
Tandem Reprint (4260 6453 4) August 1972

Notes: The 1st Tandem printing states a second printing on the inside. Award and Tandem used the same book printing as they began their partnership at approximately that time. 2nd Tandem printing does not even mention the 1968 printing. There is a 1970 Award reprint out there as they miss used the book number (A 636X) which was used with the next book in the series, The Mind Poisoners. The fly sleeve uses the title Operation Starvation while the outside book cover uses The Mind Poisoners.

Later Tandem Cover

No Harp For My Angel: An Al Wheeler Mystery

Al Wheeler is on vacation in Miami. He meets a gal by the name of Julie, who just happens to have a boyfriend who is a racketeer.  So Al is the bait for the local police to get the big fish. So Al has to balance the blonde companion and the brunette one and the racketeer. If he can only get rid of the racketeer, just maybe he could enjoy his vacation. No Harp For My Angel was the 25th entry in the Carter Brown Numbered Series published by Horwitz Publications in 1956.

Cover photography by David Franklin

Danger Key by Lew Louderback

Danger Key was published at the same time with Hanoi in 1966. Arch enemy Mr Judas returns to settle an old score with Nick. CLAW is back once again and backs Judas again. CIA Ralph Benson was killed and the connection is a beautiful women in a white convertible. Nick Carter is to take the dead CIA agents place to find out how the Communist Chinese are smuggling agents in Florida under the cover of Cuban refugees.

Printing History
1st Award (A 183F) 1966
2nd Award (A 383X ) 1968
3rd Award (A 491X) 1969
4th Award (A 491X) 1970
5th Award (AN 1177) 1973
1st Tandem 1968
Reprint Tandem (4260 7034 8) 1973



Julie Baron make an appearance in this title.

I will not post the Tandem scan as it is a little to racey.

 2nd Printing                                     3rd Printing/4th printing

5th Printing?

Hanoi

Hanoi was written by Valerie Moolman and was the fifteenth novel in the Nick Carter Killmaster Series. Publication date was in 1966. The fly sleeve does not give any formation as to the month of publication. Awards Books did away with the month, only to give the information later in the series with a reprint. The story goes that a green beret special forces unit is in Vietnam, the ops leader finds a top secret base near Hanoi which is guarded by Chinese soldiers and staffed by top-level German scientists. The site turns out to be very big missile launching site, this was job for Nick Carter.

Printing History
1st Award 1966 (A 182F)
2nd Award January 1968 (A 312X)
1st Tandem 1966?
2nd Tandem January 1968 (T 187)
3rd Award 1969 (A 312X)
4th Award 1970 (A 312X) Error on fly-sleeve, incorrect printing


Might be some other printing, which I do not have.



I will only post one scan. The reason is there is no other cover available. All covers are the same whether it be from Award or Tandem.

Bella Donna Was Poison

Inspector Rock Stone is the hero of a weekly TV Show. His sponsors guarantee to put the cuffs on the murderer in last thirty seconds. Somebody makes an unsponsored murder in the local display window that is promoting the TV Show. The real police officer does not like the show and its up to Rock Stone to find the real murderer. One of the prime suspects is his producer, Arline, and a guy named Messenger John. This title is the 39th entry in the Numbered Series and was published in 1957 by Horwitz Publications.

Recent purchase

Last week I spotted a 3rd printing of The China Doll on ebay. Received it today. Nice clean copy from July 1966.

Shroud For My Sugar: Carter Brown #7

Shroud For My Sugar is the seventh novel in the Carter Brown numbered series. This title was published in 1955. The main character is Mike Powers and he is a private eye. He meets a lady in by the name of Flame Tilson in a bar and walks into a murder case, the name was Siggy Houston.

Nick Carter #14 Dragon Flame

The situation was grave. The Chinese had the border sealed up so tight that a fly could not slip through. On the Hong Kong side the vicious group, Tiger Tong, waited and ready to kill anyone who attempted the Generals rescue. The General was badly wounded and was holed up in a temple not a mile from a thousand Chinese troops. Only a fool would try to cross the border and rescue the General. But the fool was none other than Nick Carter of AXE.

1st Award Printing                                       2nd Printing

3rd Printing                                        Tandem Printing

Printing History

Written by Lew Louderback

First Award Printing (A173F) May 1966

Second Award Printing (A311X) January 1968

Third Award Printing (A311X)1969

First Tandem Printing 1968

Tandem Reprint (4260 7026 7) 1973

Notes: A fourth Award Printing is out there and I do not have yet. Introduction of secondary character Fan Su, she will return in The Red Guard in 1967.