‘Thrilling Detective Pulp Tales,’ Vol. 2

I was recently sent a new pulp-fiction reprint volume titled Thrilling Detective Pulp Tales, Vol. 2. Published by Brick Pickle Media under the heading of “A Thrilling Publication,” it’s one of a series of pulp-related works they have put out.

This volume collects five stories of varing lengths by different authors from Thrilling Detective. This can be seen as a sampler of works from this long running pulp. Thrilling Detective was one of Thrilling Publications’ first pulps, featuring mysteries and detective stories, including several detective series.

We get the following:

• “Death Walks Alone” (July 1932, cover featured) by George Allan Moffatt, which is a pseudonym of Erwin Burkholder. I was not aware of this writer or if other works by him have been reprinted. Interestingly he had a series about a bowling detective (yes!) named Hook McGuire that ran in the back of The Shadow for about 20 stories from 1936 to ’42. In this story, the longest in the collection, a rich bachelor who liked to talk about the perfect murder is murdered in what may be a perfect murder. Who did it? His best friend? His nephew? Or his adopted daughter? In figuring out whodunit, we learn more about the victim.

• “The Diamond Bride” (September 1941) by W.T. Ballard, who was also a prolific author, mainly in Black Mask. His best-known work is about Bill Lennoux, a Hollywood troubleshooter. I expect we’ll see a collection of these from Steeger Books at some point. Ballard also co-write the later Jim Anthony stories as well. Here we get the only story with an “adventurer” (not investigator). Humbolt Smith, who we learn has a law degree, also has a PI license and advertises himself as an adventurer. Here he is pulled into a strange adventure when he is married off against his will in a scheme involving stolen diamonds and a falling out among thieves. He’s an interesting character, so too bad we didn’t see more of him.

• “Death on the Wire” (November 1942) by C.K.M. Scanlon, which was a “house pseudonym” at Thrilling that hid many authors over the years, including several prominent ones. Unfortunately, there isn’t info on who wrote under the name this time. This tale is told from the bad guy’s viewpoint as he sets someone up to be killed and another to be blamed. His method of killing is pretty interesting. Will the police figure it out and catch him?

• “Publicity for the Corpse” (December 1944) by C.S. Montanye, who wrote some of The Phantom Detective stories. This one stars Johnny Castle, a sports writer who gets mixed up in murder in about a dozen stories from 1944 to ’49. Here he is pulled into a complex web when he goes to interview a new Brazilian lightweight boxer. He is sponsored by a millionaire plantation owner who is also hooked up with an up-and-coming Brazilian actress. But the owner is killed, and Castle is pulled into things that include blackmail and more.

• “Homicide Shaft” (April 1949, cover featured) by Robert Leslie Bellem, who is best known as the creator and writer of Dan Turner, Hollywood Detective over in the “spicy” pulps where most of his work appeared. He created former stuntman turned PI Nick Ransom, who first appeared in the Munsey pulps in 1940/41, then was brought back in Thrilling Detective in 1948-50. Nick becomes involved when he is asked to use his stunt skills to shoot an arrow at a starlet for a movie shot. When things go wrong, leading to murder, Nick is caught in the middle. The writing is pure Bellem, and it seems like a Dan Fowler story with the “spicy” element turned off.

• “Mystery Bafflers: Two Clues for Murder” is one of those short mystery pieces that some mystery mags run. You get the first part of the story over a page or two, then you’re challenged to solve the mystery before they provide the answer. Here is the murder of a millionarie bachelor. Was it his nephew after an argument, or did the butler do it?

Overall this is a good volume. The stories selected are varied in style and length, and we get stand-alone stories as well as selections from series characters. Original artwork is included, though I would have liked to have seen the covers of the pulps they came from, as a couple were cover featured. The artwork used for the cover wasn’t from either of them, but hints at one story. Each piece is introduced with a brief background on the author and his works, which is always an added touch I like to see.

If you like this volume, check out some of Brick Pickle Media’s other books. They have a pair of non-fiction books on the pulps themselves by Jonathen W. Sweet, including The Beginner’s Guide to Pulp Fiction: The Heroes, the Villains, and the Writers. Their fiction reprint volumes include Chicago Pulp Tales, Pulp Adventures on the Moon, Tombstone & Speedy, Range Detectives, and two other Thrilling Detective Pulp Tales volumes.