Passport To Danger (1954-1956)

The adventures of a United States diplomatic courier, as he travels to distant countries with important dispatches to American allies and dodges enemy agents.

 Cesar Romero (1907-1994) as Steve McQuinn

America's communications with friendly civilized nations is vital, and the nation's trust and confidence is placed in the hands of the diplomatic courier. Join Stephen McQuinn (Cesar Romero) as he travels the globe on assignment for the United States diplomatic corps in this fast-paced international espionage series.

50 Years Ago This Month (September)

50 Years Ago This Month

September 1965

The Eyes Of The Tiger 

by Manning Lee Stokes

Nick Carter is given the task of recovering some Nazi loot. This loot is from a Japanese temple that was presented to Adolph Hitler as a token of Axis partnership. As the story goes, the loot lay in a a Swiss bank account protected by a kill on sight order by two hand picked elite SS guards.

Five desperate people schemed to steal it:

1. Hermann Goering, Reichsmarschall.
2. Max Rader, Hitler's personal aide.
3. Shikoku Hondo, Colonel of Japanese Intelligence.
4. Baroness Elspeth von Stadt, Voluptuous double agent.
5. Nick Carter, AXE agent.

Chamber of Horrors

The little room, buried in the living rock of the old schloss, reeked of evil and pain. Rader and his men did not wear black hoods and masks, but the effect was the same. They were torturers. The young baroness' feet were already anchored to the rack. She was screaming with terror. The curse of the gold statue with the ruby eyes was about to claim another victim......

George Gross Cover

 Printing History

Written by Manning Lee Stokes (1911-1976)

Universal Publishing And Distributing Corp
Award Books

A152F (September 1965)

A152F (August 1966)

A315X (1969)

AN1132 (1973)

Charter Books

ISBN 441 22407

January 1981

Mayflower Books

1967

ISBN 583 11028 

1970, 1970, 1974

 

The Sucker Punch by James Hadley Chase

Confession By A Killer

He wanted her. Wanted her like he had never wanted anything else in his life. And he was ready to kill to get her. Chad Winter's violent infatuation for woman inspired him to attempt what he thought would be the perfect murder. But murder's never simple..........

Chad Winters was a small-time bank clerk, until he was put in charge of the Shelley account. Vestal Shelley was plain, a bitch and worth over seventy million dollars. No one had ever dared to stand up to her before, but Chad was determined to get his hands on her money. He found the perfect way to treat her and ended up as her husband. But he hadn't reckoned on failing violently in love with Vestal's secretary, a ruthless woman who also wanted her share of the fortune and who cunningly turned Chad's thoughts to murder...

 

Printing History

Written by René Lodge Brabazon Raymond (1906-1985)

Jarrolds Publishers Ltd.
1954

Granada Publishing Limited
Panther Books Ltd 1963
ISBN 58601473
Reprinted 1963, 1965, 1967, 1969, 1970

5th Anniversary

Today marks this blogs 5th anniversary 

This year, instead of rehashing the two book titles that got me started enjoying reading mysteries and spy stories. I will highlight the introduction of the characters of my favorite author, Mr Carter Brown. He brought into the world numerous characters with his stories and novelettes. He would settle on a handful of reoccurring characters, seven to be exact. His most famous would be Police Lieutenant Al Wheeler, in which he would appear from 1955 until 1984.
 

Al Wheeler (1955-1984)

Police Lieutenant in Pine City California

Danny Boyd (1957-1984)

New York City Private Eye that moves to California later in the series

Rick Holman (1961-1984)

Hollywood Trouble Shooter

Mavis Seidlitz (1955-1974)

 Blonde private investigator with Gracie Allen tendencies

 Randal Robert (1971-1976)

Lawyer 

Paul Donovan (1974-1979)

Millionaire Adventurer 

Larry Baker (1955-1975)

TV Gag Writer with his partner Boris Sivka

Off to another year

The Pipes Are Calling (1976) by Carter Brown

This month will be my second entry into Past Offences' monthly roundup of various blogs posts about crime fiction written or filmed in a particular year. For the month of September, the year of 1976 was chosen. I will post about the Carter Brown tale The Pipes Are Calling. 

The Pipes Are Calling

Carter Brown

A jet set beauty involves private eye Danny Boyd in her high powered world of orgies, investment's and cold blooded murder.

Corpse On A Chandelier

Private eye Danny Boyd and his beautiful buxom client Melanie Rigby walk right into a set up. The cabin was deserted, the lights were out, and Melanie's millionaire hubby was dangling above their heads with his throat slit. Boyd was not about to be the fall guy for anyone, especially when Melanie was ready to foot the bill if he could catch the killer. But in the tight-knit world of Santo Bahia's upper crust, pinning the knife blade on the murderer was no kid's game. Danny found his work really cut out for him when  he started playing hide-and-seek with the wealthiest people in town, but one orgy, kidnapping, and bed-to-bed leap later. Danny was almost convinced he had the killer. All he needed was a little more proof to slam the cell door on this stab-and-run artist. Unless his quarry twisted the knife into Danny first!

Printing History

Written by Allan G Yates (1923-1985)

New American Library

Signet Books

In association with Horwitz Publications Inc

ISBN 451 Y7182

October 1976

w/The Early Boyd
in association with Horwitz Grahame Publications
ISBN 451 AE2073
February 1983 

    

Horwitz Publications

Horwitz Group Books Pty, Ltd.

Hong Kong B.C.C.

 Horwitz Double Edition #17A 

ISBN 7255 13934

April 1983

Bonus Covers
France
1978

Germany
1977

  Sweden

1978

Rio Passion by James Luceno

Sudden death on the Mexican border sends Matt Terry down a dangerous trail

 Wilderness guide, Matt Terry, escorts an adventurous couple into the heart of war-torn Guatemala in the early 1980s, only to be drawn into a dangerous quest for a long-sought Mayan artifact.

Printing History

Written by James Luceno (1947- )

Ivy Books

#8263

November 1988

The Man From St Petersburg by Ken Follett

Set just before the outbreak of the First World War. The story is an account of how the lives of the main characters were interwoven with the success or failure of secret naval talks between Britain and Russia. As a result, Czar Nicholas’s nephew Prince Alexei is sent to London for high level bilateral talks.

In 1914, Germany arms for war and the allies are preparing their defences. Both sides need Russia. The Earl of Walden and Winston Churchill plan a secret Russian alliance, but a man steals into England, intent on leaving his mark on history. Fate catches up with a beautiful woman, a young girl and a star-crossed lover, while the police close in on the man who might bring England to her knees. His name was Feliks.  He came to London to commit a murder that would change history.  A master manipulator, he had many weapons at his command, but against him were ranged the whole of the English police, a brilliant and powerful lord, and the young Winston Churchill himself.  These odds would have stopped any man in the world-except the man from St. Petersburg.

 Printing History

Written by Kenneth Martin Follett (1949- )

William Morrow and Company

1982