Angel by Carter Brown

Angel

by Carter Brown

 

Police Lieutenant Al Wheeler meets a blonde tease whose good-luck charms are murder!

Grant Roberts Cover

Angel was 100% female, she was the answer to every mans dream. Beside her, even Venus took second place. One minute with Angel and Al Wheeler actually found himself enjoying the fact he had been sent to check out a routine traffic complaint. Five minutes with Angel and Al knew he was in for the right place, at the right time, with the right girl. Because in those five minutes, Wheeler had become a witness to murder.

When unorthodox cop Al Wheeler goes investigating a complaint about the dangerous skylarks of ex-Air Force heroes, the situation suddenly explodes into a baffling murder case.

Joy Ride to Death

The murder victim was the wrong man. The ex-jet flier took up the plane out of turn. And because he did, he died out of turn. All the evidence there was disintegrated in mid-air with the exploding plane. The mourners included six prime suspects: Three other ex-jet jockeys, ex-buddies of the murderer man, an airplane mechanic with a grudge, and two delectable dolls, one of whom was the intended victim's wife, the other his current "girl of the week".

Bonus Cover

Robert McGinnis Cover

Printing History

Written by Alan G Yates (1923-1985)

Horwitz Publications

Numbered Series #97 January 1962

International Edition Series #33 July 1963

Double Edition Series #10A 1981

New American Library

Signet Books

S2094 March 1962

D3413 1969

AE1027 September 1981

The Silken Nightmare (Revised) by Carter Brown

Midnight, a silken sultry 

siren who sang a song of 

murder as she used sex to 

bait a deadly trap for 

Danny Boyd

Her name was Midnight.

She was dangerous, delicious, just like a dream.

The kind where you wake up screaming.

 

Grant Roberts Cover

 "If you can resist me, you are a free man."

Midnight was as deadly as a black widow with the mating urge. Her raven hair danced over her bare white shoulders as her body twisted and taunted in sinuous invitation. Danny Boyd, toughest private eye in the business, nearly lost the dare. A split second before be belted her in the jaw. The reigning queen of the hoods plans a big crime, and in big time. When she takes Danny prisoner.

Robert McGinnis Cover

 Originally posted on August 21st 2011

The Silken Nightmare by Carter Brown

Printing History

Written by Alan G Yates (1923-1985)

Horwitz Publications, Inc

Main Series 

#115 January 1964

 

International Edition 

#47 May 1965 

New American Library

Signet Books

G2400 December 1963

T5277 1972

 

Scary Halloween Week (Sunday)

Scary Halloween Week kicks off today and will run through Saturday, which so happens to be Halloween this year. Just what is Scary Halloween week exactly? Well, Scary Halloween will showcase a different mystery or horror event. A book, film, or television show will be featured. 

Today we will start off with a old favorite

So What Killed The Vampire 

 by Carter Brown

When TV Writer Larry Baker stumbles through a comedy of horrors in an old haunted castle...Merrie England was never merrier or deadlier.

Robert McGinnis Cover

"Can I help it if the wall gave way?" In his crazy castle capers Larry Baker crashes through walls with ease of Superman. And somehow usually lands plunk in the middle of a lovely lady's bed. But Larry isn't really a sex maniac. Not quite. Even though the black-haired babe calls him seducer and the gamin-type blonde screams bloody murder.

Grant Roberts Cover

 When you up against a real live vampires, disappearing corpses, things that go wheesh in the night, plus a couple of gorgeous undressed gals guarantee to drive Larry up the wall. Something has to give. And when it does, with plenty of happy horrible hilarity! 

It was called Fearsome Grange and it's a natural for the supernatural. Larry baker and his sidekick Boris Silvka are there to create their new TV horror series right on location. The old 13th century castle has everything, slimy moat, revolving walls, secret passages, hidden treasure, and an ancient curse. In fact, it's made to order, right down to the unexpected bunch of murky monsters in residence. Perfectly cast and not in the script.

 

Printing History
Written by Alan G Yates (1923-1985)

Horwitz Publications Inc. 

Numbered Series #130 1966

International Edition Series #78 1975 

Published in Hong Kong

New American Library

Signet Books

D2859 March 1966

Y6549 1975

New English Library

Four Square Books

#1721 January 1967

Bonus Covers

USA

Germany

No Law Against Angels by Carter Brown

Meet the dames who'll go arm in arm with a snake.

All the way to murder.

And their corpses die in bed.

 The morgue before breakfast is not Al Wheeler's idea of living it up, but that is what comes from being an unorthodox cop! This was strictly business, too many beautiful dolls tattooed with snake sings had been found with their throats slit.

No Law Against Angels was revised as The Body with the introduction of Carter Brown in the United States in July 1958.

There was only one way a call girl could quit the business, as a corpse. 

And the corpses are piling up.

Barye Phillips Cover

 Killers are his business.

Dames as his pleasure.

In this case he tangles with both.

When hard drinking, quick thinking, California cop Al Wheeler goes gunning for the murderer of two call girls, he tangles with a luscious blonde, a big time racketeer, and a well stacked redhead who works in a fashionable mortuary. 

Grant Roberts Cover

Printing History
Written by Alan G Yates (1923-1985)
 

Horwitz Publications 

Numbered Series #43 (1957)

as The Body 
Horwitz Publications, Inc
Long Story Magazine #18 January 1961
International Edition #1 January 1961

International Edition #59 June 1969

New American Library

Signet Books (USA)

1st (1527) July 1958

2nd (G2488) May 1964

3rd (T4550) March 1971

Bonus Covers

USA

Australia

 

Brazil

Netherlands

Finland

1967 Book Signup

Rich Westwood has a meme over at his blog called Past Offences. Every month on Past Offences a year is chosen and crime fiction reviews are collected from that year. This month the year is 1967.

My entry is 

Target For Their Dark Desire

by Carter Brown

She was the hottest sexpot on the market until she ran into murder.

And then she was a very cold dish indeed.

Grant Roberts Cover

She had blonde hair and black sheets and everything.

All that a good girl should have. But someone decided she was getting too big for her lace unmentionables and put her out of business. Police Lt Al Wheeler investigates the sudden departure of a lovely sinner and is nearly dispatched himself. By a riotous joker with a very funny fetish for murder.

The Review
Elinor liked her work very much. And she never figured to end up dead in her own bed. But she was nonetheless very dead and Police Lieutenant Al Wheeler was asked to find her murderer and a not so clever little black book to a racket running in Pine City The typical Carter Brown tale with a corpse and multiple suspects. Some bedding of the female suspects and another murder and things heat up nicely. Until all the facts come together. A best fiend is not what she is supposed to be and some handwriting forgery and the mark on the forehead leads the funny facts. Forensics at its best, just like the TV show Quincy.


Printing History
Written by Alan G Yates  (1923-1985)

Horwitz Publications Inc.

Numbered Series #134
July 1967

Play Now....Kill Later by Carter Brown

 Though she was a playwright's daughter,

her body had lines no man could master...

no blackmailer could murder!

  

Grant Roberts Cover

The Cast

Antonia: Tall and elegant, looking like an Egyptian Pharaoh's dream of bliss after a hard day at the pyramids. "Any friend of Pop is a friend of mine. If you don't like his plays, lets discuss them in bed. I'm sure I can change your mind!"

Sandy: Blond, bountiful in body, a pretty face, and a private eye to boot. "Twenty-three years old and just one small birthmark strategically located.You've seen the rest already."

Jackie: Mistress of the moment to anyone with the time. "Nobody says you have to get involved. Just research a little and we'll both know if anything zings between us!"

Helen: Graying, middle aged and wearing a bullet hole over her left eye. she  could have said a lot, but kept silent. Supported by a variety of males, some scared, some stupid, some stoned, and all trouble.
 

Robert McGinnis Cover

 The Star

Rick Holman: The most important man to know in Hollywood, especially when you're being blackmailed.

The critics said "Great!" but the coroner said "Murder."

The Time: The present

The Place: Bel Air, California

Printing History
Written by Alan G Yates (1923-1985)
 

Horwitz Publications

Numbered Series #131 (1966)

International Edition #77 (1972)

New American Library

Signet Books

D2906 May 1966

T5013 1972

Bonus Covers

Germany

Die Mitternachtbucher

#319

1967

Denmark

Winther
1981

Finland

Valpas-Mainos
1968

The Dame by Carter Brown

A film star, a corpse, 

and a swimming pool make trouble for Al Wheeler

Police Lt Al Wheeler is out to stop the curvy blonde movie queen being cast in a fatal part. She is Hollywood's hottest property but somebody's cast her as a cold corpse.

Barye Phillips Cover

Stand in for Death

The flaxen haired blonde was very beautiful and very naked, except for the knife she wore in her back. She made a honey of a corpse even though she was the wrong girl for the part. And when the killer discovered the mistake and realized the scene needed to be shot again. California cop Al Wheeler was already on the killer's trail, ready to ring down the curtain on this lethal killer before the killer made some other beauty take her final bow.

Murder in the Cast

The husband: He's a philandering mate, a ham actor, a handsome heel.

The husband's mistress: She's a volcanic brunette in the suggestion of a bikini.

The would be producer: He;s a small man with big, big plans.

The wealthy financier: He was devoted his life to the mad pursuit of money.

Each of these four people had his or her own special reason for wanting to see Judy Manner dead. One of them tried once and will try again, in his or her own sweet time. In this fast paced scorcher, Police Lieutenant Al Wheeler plans a murder to catch a murderer.

 

Grant Roberts/Robert McGinnis Cover

 Printing History

Written by  Alan G Yates (1922-1985)

Horwitz Publications Inc

Numbered Series #82 Oct 1959

Long Story Magazine #8 March 1960

International Edition #13 Feb 1962

International Edition #66 1970, June 1977

New American Library
Signet Books

1st (1738) November 1959

2nd December 1959(Canada)

3rd (D2827) 1965

4th (Q6402) 1974

Four Square Books

1st (1614) September 1966

 Bonus Covers

Australia (February 1962)

UK (September 1966)

 Australia (June 1977)

Russia (1992)

Mexico (1963)

Finland (1961)

Netherlands (1962)

Suddenly By Violence by Carter Brown

The beautiful blonde named Pandora has a box full of murderous tricks that could make a killer .......yell cop.

Grant Roberts Cover

Enterprising Danny Boyd tangles with an enterprising blonde model and an extortion racket that means murder

Barye Phillips Cover

 Blondes can be murder. The ex boss of a narcotics syndicate hires P.I. Danny Boyd to find his wandering brunette daughter. And Danny sets off on a public search that leads him straight to a cold water pad in the Village complete with a red-hot corpse and a sizzling blonde named Pandora. The blond has some torrid ideas about men. When Danny tries to get back on the case, she uses everything she's got to stop him....including lethal kiss this side of murder.

Printing History

Written by Alan G Yates (1922-1985)

Horwitz Publications

Numbered Series #80 (September 1959)

Long Story Magazine #7 (February 1960)

International Edition Series #12 1961, (January 1962)

International Edition Series #65 (May 1970)

ISBN 7255 0005

New American Library

Signet Books #1722 (October 1959)

Bonus Covers

Australia

Australia

Brazil

Japan

2014 USA Fiction Challenge: Iowa

My home state of Iowa is next up in the 2014 USA Fiction Challenge

Presenting

The Silken Nightmare

by Carter Brown

Danny Boyd travels to Swinburn Iowa

Grant Roberts Cover

Her name was Midnight.

She was dangerous, delicious, just like a dream.

The kind where you wake up screaming.

"If you can resist me, you are a free man."

Midnight was as deadly as a black widow with the mating urge. Her raven hair danced over her bare white shoulders as her body twisted and taunted in sinuous invitation. Danny Boyd, toughest private eye in the business, nearly lost the dare. A split second before be belted her in the jaw. The reigning queen of the hoods plans a big crime, and in big time. When she takes Danny prisoner.
 

Robert McGinnis Cover

Printing History
Written by Alan G Yates (1923-1985)

Horwitz Publications Inc

Numbered Series #115 (1963, January 1964)

International Edition Series #47 (May 1965)

New American Library

Signet Books

G2400 (December 1963)

T5277 (1972)

New English Library
1964

Other Covers

Mexico
 1965

 

Estonia
2003

Japan
1964

Germany
1966

 

Finland
1966

Trivia
The Finland cover was recycled from a Matt Helm novel The Silencers from 1962