Tuesday, June 30, 2015

The 4th Funeral by Charles L Leonard

A Paul Kilgerrin Mystery


Paul Kilgerrin in Brazil where he is wrapping up one case and preparing to leave Belem when a murder disrupts his plans. Forced to investigate, he finds a close-knit Anglo-American colony with more secrets than he knows what to do with.
 
Printing History
Written by Mary Violet Heberden (1906-1965)

Doubleday Crime Club
1948

Monday, June 29, 2015

Red Hot Ice by Frank Kane

A Johnny Liddell Mystery

She was an alcoholic blonde with a load of hot diamonds.
A set up for murder on the rocks

Cover by Victor Kalin
A Case Of Corpses
They piled up so fast that private eye Johnny Liddell figured he was a head if he could find them while they were still warm. It started when he was hired as a baby-sitter to a wildcat. She was blond and beautiful, and stacked better than a deck of marked cards. And she had a cool $200,000 worth of hot diamonds. There was just one catch. She used bourbon instead of perfume.

Printing History
Written by Frank Kane (1912-1968)

Dell Publishing Company Inc.
Dell Books
#901
1955

Sunday, June 28, 2015

The Murder The Wouldn't Stay Solved by Hampton Stone

An Inner Sanctum Mystery

William Rose Cover


It happened in a dingy hotel
Where no one asked questions
Until death checked in



Printing History
Written by Aaron Marc Stein (1906-1985)

Dell Books
#883 
1956

Paperback Library
1971

Thursday, June 25, 2015

The Black Venus Contract by Philip Atlee

On the hunt for a deadly gang of South American terrorists


Joe Gall #20
The Black Venus was named Julietta, housekeeper at the home Joe Gall occupies during an assignment to Sao Paulo, Brazil. She is also a major player in the the October Eighth Movement in Brazil. This group has kidnapped a legendary agent in the CIA and a man important enough that Gall is sent to rescue him.
Print History
Written by James Atlee Phillips (1915-1991)

Fawcett Gold Medal Books
M3187
February 1975

Tuesday, June 23, 2015

Operation- Kill Or Be Killed by Michael Dines

John Manning #3

   
In Madrid, several members of an assassination squad are killed and their intended victim barely survives. John Manning is dispatched there to find out why the hit was ordered but he, too, is targeted. Barely surviving, he must recover before again heading into the target site.
 
Printing History
Written by Michael Dines (1916-1992)

Robert Hale Ltd
September 1969

Monday, June 22, 2015

Three From Estonia by Carter Brown

Three Carter Brown adventures from Estonia
 
The Exotic 
2004


The Blonde
2004


The Hong Kong Caper
2002


Saturday, June 20, 2015

The Hounds of Vengeance by John Creasey

In the early days of World War II, John Creasey saw in the global nature of the war a theme for spy adventure stories which would help foster his ideal of 'one world'. So he created Dr Palfrey as the leader of an allied secret service whose members owed loyalty to the corporate body of Western Allies, not to an individual nation.


The war in Europe is finally over but many of those who lost are hungry to get back at the leaders who defeated them. Forming a group called the Hounds Of Vengeance, they are getting their revenge through killing and Palfrey's group must stop it.
Printing History
Written by John Creasey (1908-1973)

John Long
March 1945

John Long
ISBN  0090951204
1969

Arrow Books
1967

Thursday, June 18, 2015

The Last Time I Saw Hell by Simon Quinn

Killy stalks an ex-Nazi for unholy revenge


  Francis Xavier Killy is sent to investigate the actions of an ex-priest, quickly learning that the man was both power-mad and well on his way to taking control of France. Killy is a Lay Brother in the Tertiary Order of Saint Dominic, the Militia Christi, which is a tertiary branch of the Dominicans, He is working for the Holy Office of the Inquisition which is now called the Congregation of the Doctrine of the Faith.

Printing History
Martin Cruz Smith (1942- )

Dell
1974
ISBN 440 04661

Tuesday, June 16, 2015

The Passing Of Gloria Munday by John Garforth

The pop singer Gloria Munday has been murdered and the question of who and why have been passed to Steed and Mrs. Peel. Feeling that it is connected to her profession and not her private life, Mrs. Peel decides to take her place.


Can Emma Peel further her career as lady spy by becoming a top pop singer idolized by millions? There was more to singer Gloria Munday's death than simply murder, and so Steed puts Mrs. Peel on the job. Luckily she can belt out a song with bazazz, because by stepping into Gloria Munday's shoes she can find out a thing or two. Only she doesn't count on taking a nine-hour swim in the deep blue sea with an unscrupulous sadist at her heels while Steed is locked behind stout prison bars.
 
Printing History
Written by John Garforth (1934- )

Berkely Books
F1431
1967

Sunday, June 14, 2015

The Apple Dumpling Gang (1975)

A slick gambler named Russell Donovan is duped into taking care of a group of orphans who eventually strike gold during the California Gold Rush.


Set during the California Gold Rush, a gambler named Russell Donovan (played by Bill Bixby) arrives to town and finds himself duped into taking care of a trio of orphans with the town's sheriff, barber, Justice of the Peace, and judge Homer McCoy (played by Harry Morgan) telling him that he is legally obligated unless he can have someone else take custody of the children. By chance, the Bradley children end up finding gold with everyone in the town attempting to adopt the children from Donovan. Fearing they would not have the children's intentions in heart, he arranged a marriage with the stagecoach driver Magnolia Dusty Clydesdale (played by Susan Clark) so they can keep custody of the Bradley children. However, things become complicated when their legal guardian returns. At the same time, a pair of bumbling holdup men named Amos Tucker and Theodore Ogelvie (played by Tim Conway and Don Knotts) attempt to steal the Bradleys' gold before their former boss Frank Stillwell (played by Slim Pickens) kidnap the children while stealing the gold. But it ends with the gold nugget blown to bits, Stillwell arrested, and Donovan and Dusty keeping the Bradley children as they use the reward money for Stillwell's arrest to buy a farm where a reformed Amos and Theodore ask to work at.



Cast
 Bill Bixby as Russell Donovan
Susan Clark as Magnolia Dusty Clydesdale
Don Knotts as Theodore Ogelvie
Tim Conway as Amos Tucker
David Wayne as Col. T.R. Clydesdale
Slim Pickens as Frank Stillwell
Harry Morgan as Homer McCoy
John McGiver as Leonard Sharpe
Don Knight as John Wintle
Clay O'Brien as Bobby Bradley
Brad Savage as Clovis Bradley
Stacy Manning as Celia Bradley

Tuesday, June 9, 2015

N Or M by Agatha Christie

As the man lay dying he uttered five words which were the code names of Hitler's prize agents. Tommy and Tuppence travel to the seaside resort where he was killed to track down the killer and possibly stop the espionage ring.
 
 
After the outbreak of the Second World War and many years after they worked for British intelligence, Tommy and Tuppence Beresford feel useless and sidelined. When Tommy alone is approached to go undercover once more, however, Tuppence decides to join him on his mission whether invited or not. Through good sleuthing she learns where he is to be sent and actually arrives there before him. They begin a search for German fifth columnists. Another British agent that was following these Germans left a cryptic message on his deathbed: "N or M. Song Susie". Grant knew that "Song Susie" stood for Sans Souci, a hotel in the fictional seaside Leahampton, based on Bournemouth; "N" and "M" there were two German spies, one male and one female.

Printing History
Written by Agatha Mary Clarissa Christie (1890-1976)

Dodd, Mead and Company
ISBN 425 09845
1941

Bonus Covers




Monday, June 8, 2015

Bombe im Bikini by Carter Brown

Germany Edition of
Murder Wears A Mantilla


Printing History
Written by Alan G Yates (192-1985)
Ullstein Bucher #1142
Germany
1967 1970

Sunday, June 7, 2015

Murder In Paradise by Jocelyn Davey

An Ambrose Usher Mystery



Looking forward to a quiet vacation on a luxurious Caribbean island, Ambrose Usher is also looking to spend time with a much younger and far prettier young woman. Then the British Police Commissioner and friend of Usher is almost killed and he cannot help but get involved.

Printing History
Written by Chaim Raphael (1908-1994)

Walker & Co
1982

HarperCollins
September 1983

Thursday, June 4, 2015

The Burgos Contract by Angus Ross

Mark Farrow is given the kind of assignment he hates the most.
Eliminating an enemy agent. 
This case is even more difficult because the target is a woman.
Still, she did blow up his trailer.


Mike Farrow wants to retire, so his is cajoled into yet another assignment. Knocking off his archenemy, KGB super-agent Anna Serov, while she is on a rendezvous with an IRA villain in a Spanish hideaway. So Mike sails for Spain and teams up with a lovely CIA agent,who is also on the Anna Serov trail. By the time that Farrow has his showdown in Burgos with Anna, he has wrangled with local fascists and captured a local communist. He has to exchange the communist for his CIA lady, who's been nabbed by the KGB. The mission accomplished and all that remains is to escape from Spain in the trunk of a car.

Printing History
Written by Angus Ross

Hutchinson
1979
Walker & Company 
1985

Tuesday, June 2, 2015

The Ring-A-Ding UFOs by Robert Tralins

The Miss From S.I.S.
 

Reports of UFOs have increased, as have indications of an outbreak of something like the bubonic plague. Whether it is the work of a power hungry mad man or aliens from outer space is the question that Lee Crosley must answer. If she can get past the hungry crocodiles.
 
Printing History
Written by Robert Tralins (1926-2010)

Belmont Books
B50-745 
1967

Monday, June 1, 2015

The Limbo Line by Victor Canning

The Limbo Line


Marston had already retired from the Service and wanting to do something less stressful. But when a terrorist group named AGRIP started to cause trouble, now he was deeply involved to rescue a beautiful ballerina.
 
Printing History
Written by Victor Canning (1911-1986)

William Heinemann 1963
Berkley Books 1965
Award Books 1975
Ace Books 1979

Bonus Covers

UK