Thursday, August 30, 2012

100 Years Ago Today



100 Years Ago Today August 30th, 2012


Nancy Grace Augusta Wake was born on August 30th, 1912 in Wellington New Zealand. She served as a British agent during the later part of World War II. She became a leading figure in the maquis groups of the French Resistance and was one of the Allies' most decorated servicewomen of the war. In the 1930s she worked in Paris and later for Hearst newspapers as a European correspondent. She witnessed the rise of Adolf Hitler and the Nazi movement, and "saw roving Nazi gangs randomly beating Jewish men and women in the streets" of Vienna. After the fall of France in 1940, she became a courier for the French Resistance and later joined an escape network. In reference to her ability to elude capture, the Gestapo called her the White Mouse. She would go to Britain and join the Special Operations Executive (SOE). Immediately after the war, Nancy was awarded the George Medal, the United States Medal of Freedom, the Médaille de la Résistance and thrice the Croix de Guerre. She learned that the Gestapo had tortured her husband to death in 1943 for refusing to disclose her whereabouts. After the war, she worked for the Intelligence Department at the British Air Ministry attached to embassies of Paris and Prague. She died on Sunday evening August 7th 2011 at the age of 98.

Monday, August 27, 2012

Crime Fiction Alphabet: Letter O

We are rambling along in the Crime Fiction Alphabet meme, this week the Letter O is featured. Kerrie over at Mysteries in Paradise is keeping us in line.



"O" Is for Outlaw is the fifteenth novel in Sue Grafton's "Alphabet" series of mystery novels which features  Kinsey Millhone, a private eye based in Santa Teresa, California. The novel’s plot has its roots in the Vietnam War, and features information about Kinsey’s previously unnamed first husband, Mickey, and their brief marriage 14 years before, although there is no interaction between them in the present because Mickey is in a coma throughout the novel's action.


 Once Mickey Magruder was a cop with a wild streak. And Kinsey Millhone was a younger cop who adored and married him. Then Mickey was implicated in a fatal beating, and Kinsey walked out. Now, fourteen years later, she comes face-to-face with those tragic years and Mickey's harrowing downward spiral after he lost the job he loved--and the marriage he loved a little less.


 

For Mickey lies dying in an L.A. hospital. Trying to find out how Mickey got there, Kinsey uncovers evidence that he was innocent of the beating charge. But as she searches through the lives that swirled around Mickey's lives gone wrong and lives gone well, Kinsey must also search the blind spots of her own life, including one that hides a killer.

Printing History
Written by Sue Grafton

Henry Holt and Co.
1st edition (October 12, 1999)

Ballantine Books
January 2001

Sunday, August 26, 2012

The Hammer of Thor (Revised) by Carter Brown

She was out to get action.
She stripped for it.
And nearly stripped Al Wheeler of everything.
Including his life.

Horwitz Edition
Robert McGinnis Cover

Gateway to Valhalla
The right music (a crashing thunderstorm)...the right lighting (in forks through the black sky)....And who could blame Al Wheeler for chasing a gold and white nymph name Eve into her tempestuous world of Valkyrie splendor? So what if he got a bullet in his leg? So what if he is stumbling in his rain sodden clothes? Give up? Impossible. Not when he is after an earth like type goddess who is stripped for action. No even when she nearly strips Al of everything, including his life....


Printing History

Horwtiz Publications
Numbered Series #133 (1967)
 Printed in Hong Kong by Continental Printing Co Ltd 

New American Library
Signet Books
D2794 (October 1965)
Q6496 (March 1975)

Read the original post from September 2011
Hammer of Thor
 
Trivia
The fly sleeve of the Horwitz Edition states a 2nd Edition but is in actuality is a first edition. 

Saturday, August 25, 2012

Colorado Crossing by Gene Curry

The hardest-riding, hardest-loving cowboy who ever blazed a trail or set a heart on fire.


The Hellcat And The Honcho
When spoiled rich girl Liz Kelley ran away with a notorious outlaw, her millionaire father hired Jim Saddler to get her back. From the start Saddler knew it was going to a tough job. Liz's new love, Ben Calder, was the boss of the worst gang of killers in Colorado. And Saddler's former friend. If he had any hope of getting the girl home, Jim would have to regain Calder's confidence and join his gang. But even then, Liz swore she would kill any man who tried to take her home again. Saddler had the outlaw hot to put him six feet under, and the wildcat heiress even hotter to gun him down. Between the sheets or anywhere else.

Printing History
Written by Peter McCurtin

Belmont Tower Books
Tower Publications Inc. 
(1979)

Leisure Books
Dorchester Publishing Company
ISBN 8439-2988 (September 1990)

Thursday, August 23, 2012

Circle Of Scorpions by Jack Canon

A worldwide conference of terrorists prepares for all-out war!

George Gross Cover
Killmaster #196
Nick Carter "Killmaster N3" knows that the KGB has called a meeting of all the world's terrorists. It's a party he wants to crash. The only problem is, Nick doesn't know where or when. But espionage has its own deadly etiquette, and with the help of a beautiful double agent and a black market death-merchant, Nick proves that there are ways to get invited to even the most exclusive, and most deadly affairs.

Printing History
Written by Jack Canon

Berkley Publishing Group
Charter Books
Published by arrangement with The Conde Nast Publications, Inc.
ISBN 441 10561
January 1985

Wednesday, August 22, 2012

The Sign of the Scorpion by Richard Sewall

The Sign of The Scorpion



Clara Reeves, a beautiful, inexperienced young girl of good family, is determined to find her sister, who has disappeared under mysterious and provocative circumstances. Clara's amateur sleuthing catapults her into a  thrill-seeking world, and a labyrinth of sexuality. An attractive, rakish D.A. loses little time in seducing her, and under his expert guidance, Clara's capacity for pleasure is explored and extended. Ultimately, the dual worlds of her burning sexual life and investigative mission merge into one brilliant, climatic scene, providing the bizarre and startling conclusion to the mystery.

Printing History
Written by Richard Sewall

Grove Press, Inc
Black Cat Books
ISBN 394-17894
1970, 1981

Tuesday, August 21, 2012

Crime Fiction Alphabet: Letter N

This week in the Crime Fiction Alphabet meme we are up to the the letter N. You can check out this meme at Kerrie's blog at Mysteries in Paradise. My entry for the letter N is.........................

Nero Wolfe

Nero Wolfe is a fictional character created in 1934 by mystery writer Rex Stout. Wolfe's confidential assistant Archie Goodwin narrates the cases and is a central character in them. Stout wrote 33 novels and 39 short stories from 1934 to 1974, with most of them set in New York City.  There were many radio, television and film adaptations made from his works. Below are his novels


1934 Fer-de-Lance
1935 The League of Frightened Men
1936 The Rubber Band
1937 The Red Box
1938 Too Many Cooks
1939 Some Buried Caesar
1940 Over My Dead Body
1940 Where There's a Will
1942 Black Orchids
1944 Not Quite Dead Enough
1946 The Silent Speaker
1947 Too Many Women
1948 And Be a Villain (British title ''More Deaths Than One'')
1949 Trouble in Triplicate
1949 The Second Confession
1950 Three Doors to Death
1950 In the Best Families (British title ''Even in the Best Families'')
1951 Curtains for Three
1951 Murder by the Book
1952 Triple Jeopardy
1952 Prisoner's Base (British title ''Out Goes She'')
1953 The Golden Spiders
1954 Three Men Out
1954 The Black Mountain
1955 Before Midnight
1956 Three Witnesses
1956 Might as Well Be Dead
1957 Three for the Chair
1957 If Death Ever Slept
1958 And Four to Go
1958 Champagne for One
1959 Plot It Yourself (British title ''Murder in Style'')
1960 Three at Wolfe's Door
1960 Too Many Clients
1961 The Final Deduction
1962 Homicide Trinity
1962 Gambit
1963 The Mother Hunt
1964 Trio for Blunt Instruments
1964 A Right to Die
1965 The Doorbell Rang
1966 Death of a Doxy
1968 The Father Hunt
1969 Death of a Dude
1973 Please Pass the Guilt
1975 A Family Affair
1985 Death Times Three (posthumous)

With the approval of the estate of Rex Stout, journalist Robert Goldsborough wrote seven Nero Wolfe mysteries, published by Bantam Books.
 
1986 Murder in E Minor
1987 Death on Deadline
1988 The Bloodied Ivy
1989: The Last Coincidence
1990: Fade to Black
1992: Silver Spire  
1994: The Missing Chapter
2012: Archie Meets Nero Wolfe

Monday, August 20, 2012

The Seth Papers by Frank Lauria

DR. Owen Orient
Psychic Detective
Marked for destruction by an unholy cult




Orient
The Psychic
Master of telepathic powers
eons more highly evolved than any on earth....
even those could not shield him!

Orient
The Mystic
Initiate of mysteries dating back to the 
dawn of time..even those could not protect him!

Orient
The Fugitive
Refusing to use his massive occult
gifts to further the political greed of nations
...now they pursue him! From the Untied States, 
the CIA, and from Europe,
a bizarre neo-fascist cult possesses a mythical
secret weapon, an object more potent
than all of Orients skill.....

The Seth Papers
Dark legacy of Ancient
Egypt...with enough evil power
to destroy the world!

Printing History
Written by Frank Lauria 
copyright 1979

Ballantine Books
ISBN 345 27329
February 1979

Friday, August 17, 2012

Baby, You're Guilt-Edged by Carter Brown

A Carter Brown "Lovely" Mystery



There were two of them in the police car and one look at the accident was enough. The guy who had been driving needed a preacher, not an ambulance. A routine assignment for a cop, or so Dave Gault thought, but the cop who had been in the police car with him ended up dead that night. A week later, he ended up in the pen with a two to five stretch which showed Dave was a cop with different ambitions anyway. Then his wife disappeared and he figured the pen could get along without him. That was when Dave met Lorraine, the girl who fixed the bullet hole in his shoulder amongst other things. The rest of the problem was simple, all he had to do was find out how he was framed and who did it. And find out why that envelope was worth as much as it seemed to be. Didn't he mention the envelope? That was what started the whole trouble..................


Printing History
Written by Allan G Yates

Horwitz Publications, Inc.
for and on behalf of Transport Publishing Company
Sydney Australia 
Distributed by Gordon and Gotch Ltd.
Numbered Series #19 (July 1956)
Second Collectors Series Volume 1 #22 (February 1959)
 with Pagan Perilous 

Thursday, August 16, 2012

San Juan Inferno by Joseph L Gilmore

Nick Carter N3 must locate and disarm an atomic bomb holding a city hostage!

George Gross Cover

Killmaster #195
They called them "Los Bravos", the most feared guerrilla organization in Latin America. They were about to graduate from small time sabotage and terror. They now possessed an atomic bomb. Their plan was to set it off in an unsuspecting city. Nick Carter's job was to infiltrate Los Bravos, destroy the bomb, and smash the underground.

Printing History
Written by Joseph L Gilmore (1929-2005)

Berkley Publishing Group
Charter Books
Published by arrangement with The Conde Nast Publications, Inc.
ISBN 441 74965
December 1984

Wednesday, August 15, 2012

Venus Unarmed (1st Edition) by Carter Brown

First Edition of Venus Unarmed 
Published by Transport Publishing Co. Pty. Ltd.
Distributed by Gordon and Gotch Ltd.

She had small arms, and ammunition
But when she was kissed she was.....


Novel Series 
1954

You may read the original post here from December 15th 2011.

Monday, August 13, 2012

Crime Fiction Alphabet: Letter M


This week in the Crime Fiction Alphabet meme we are up to the halfway point with the letter M.You can check out this meme at Kerrie's blog at Mysteries in Paradise . My entry for the letter M is....................

Minor In Possession
by J.A. Jance




A Stiff Shot Of Murder

The Arizona alcohol rehab ranch was no picnic for J.P.Beaumont. First they stuck him in a room with a sleazy, teenage drug dealer named Joey Rothman. Then they sick the local law on him when the punk was discovered shot dead with Beaumont's own gun. But the party responsible for Joey's early checkout wasn't satisfied with simply framing J.P. for murder. Suddenly the Seattle detective faced a choice of fates for more unpleasant than cold turkey. A long stay in the state cooler, or an even longer one beneath the cold, cold ground.

Printing History
Written by Judith Ann Jance

The Hearst Corporation
Avon Books
ISBN 380 75546
April 1990

Saturday, August 11, 2012

The Deep Cold Green by Carter Brown

She would have been a smash hit at the beach orgy,
But for that fatal swim.

Horwitz Edition
Al Wheeler gets in the swim of things at a real wild beach orgy with a guest list of curvaceous broads, corpses, and killers......

Robert McGinnis Cover
She was a real man killer:
Tall, Curvy, Pouting,
And sizzling with Sex!

Signet Photo Cover
And before Police Lieutenant Al Wheeler knew it, she had him thigh-high in trouble. Sucker for an identity switch to end all switches, fall guy in a way out California beach party. And number one target for a pack of gamblers who held a deck stacked totally in their favor and kept their guns pointed straight at Al......

Printing History
Written by Alan G. Yates

Horwitz Publications, Inc. Pty. Ltd.
 Horwitz Group Books Pty. Ltd.
Numbered Series #144 (1968)
Printed in Hong Kong

New American Library
Signet Books
D3623 November 1968
Y7288 (1976)

Friday, August 10, 2012

Laid In The Future by Rod Gray

In the weird, unisex world of the future.
Eve tinkers with the shape of things to come!



Without a stitch in time
It's future shock time when Eve Drum, the worlds sexist spy, takes an erotic trip to the year 3693. Eve thought it would be a drag to be the only real female in the weird, unisex world of the future, but it turns out to be a ball and a half! In a society where men and women have forgotten how to make love, Eve's curves and crevices start quite a revolution. When Eve says: "I'd like to teach the world to..."she isn't kidding. Before she's through she has to demonstrate good old 20th century sex methods to the entire planet. Now that's public education!

Printing History
Written by Gardner F Fox

First Set
as The Lady From L.U.S.T. #12
Tower Publications, Inc
T-095-1 1969

Second set
As The Lady From L.U.S.T. #13
Belmont Tower Books
BT 50667 April 1974

Tuesday, August 7, 2012

The Mayan Connection by Gayle Lynds

Killmaster tracks the KGB into the jungles of Central America

George Gross Cover
Killmaster #194

Itzamna! Everywhere Nick Carter turned the strange word cropped up. On a microdot hidden between the toes of a dead Cuban agent. In an intercepted communications of the KGB. On a map left in a stolen jet. Nick Carter "Killmaster N3" had to solve the mystery, yet all he knew was that it was the name of an ancient Mayan god!

Printing History
Written by Gayle Lynds

Berkley Publishing Group
Charter Books
Published by arrangement with The Conde Nast Publications, Inc.
ISBN 441 52276
November 1984

Monday, August 6, 2012

Crime Fiction Alphabet L

This week in the Crime Fiction Alphabet over at Kerrie's website Mysteries in Paradise we are currently up to the Letter "L". My contribution will be the Carter Brown title from 1960. Lament For A Lousy Lover.

Crime Fiction Alphabet: L is for Lament For a Lousy Lover

An astrologist spells death for the star of a TV Western




Al Wheeler, tough L.A. cop, and Mavis Seidlitz, sensational blonde private eye, meet head-on in a free-for-all bout of mischief and murder!


A man-hungry heroine and a cast of potential killers on location for a spectacular TV Western made Pine City police officer Lieutenant Al Wheeler's horoscope highly dangerous! Taking his cue from the corpse who's been robbed of a fabulous diamond ring, the tough free-wheeling cop tries to shake the clues of wacky blonde bombshell Mavis Seidlitz and trap a desperate murderer, in the most sensational case of his career. 






When the villain took aim, it did not turn out like the movies. The hero fell down really dead. So Police Lieutenant Al Wheeler had an unrehearsed corpse on his hands and that was the least of his worries. There was the fiery female star, built like a man-trap. The brooding, blue-chinned heavy. The frantic film producer. The scheming sponsor....And Mavis Seidlitz! That wacky, yacky dame had some hot leads on homicide and hotter plans for Al Wheeler!





Printing History

Horwitz Publications, Inc
Numbered Series #90 1961
Long Story Magazine #19 Feb 1961
International Edition Series #25 1962
International Edition Series #72 1971
  
New American Library 
Signet Books
S1856 November 1960
S1856 November 1960 (Canada)
D3162 1967

New English Library
Four Square Books
2179 July 1968

Saturday, August 4, 2012

Just Another Sucker by James Hadley Chase

A man will do almost anything when a rich and highly attractive woman offers him fifty thousand dollars just to make a telephone call. But when that telephone call is part of a fake kidnap plan to extract five hundred thousand dollars from one of the richest men in the world, only a sucker would gamble on the deal paying off in his favor.


Harry Barber was a sucker. After spending three and a half years in jail wrongly accused of manslaughter, Harry found his reputation had made it impossible to get work as a reporter. So with no job and no money he is the perfect target of a brilliant plan to make him the obvious suspect when a rich and beautiful young girl is savagely murdered.............

Printing History
Written by René Lodge Brabazon Raymond
copyright 1960
 
Robert Hale Ltd 
1961
 
Transworld Publishers Ltd
Corgi Books
ISBN 552 09466
1974

Wednesday, August 1, 2012

The Real Boyd by Carter Brown


The doorbell rang around ten the next morning when Danny Boyd was finishing his second cup of coffee. He opened the door cautiously and looked  into the eyes of Captain Schell. It's a kind of unnerving thing to do at anytime of the day or night and Danny's breakfast skittered around his stomach in a kind of unhinged reaction.

"Explanations" he said.

"I don't need any, Captain" Danny said quickly. "Anything you do is absolutely okay with me. Anything!"

"From you," he said quietly. "Please don't be cute, Boyd, or I will kick you in the crotch then book you for assaulting a police officer."

Printing History
Written by Allen G Yates

Castle Books
Distributed by Horwitz Grahame Books Pty Ltd
ISBN 7255 1736
copyright 1984
by agreement with Universal Copyright Company (1959)

Printed by The Dominion Press
Hedge & Bell
Maryborough Victoria 3465

Triva
Danny Boyd's final appearance