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.