‘The Complete Cases of Mr. Strang’

Carroll John Daly (1889–1958) is best known for his hard-boiled detectives, such as Race Williams in Black Mask, and Satan Hall in Detective Fiction Weekly (since 1930). But another interesting character is Mr. Strang, who appeared in a short-lived series in Detective Fiction Weekly.

His stories have been reprinted in two volumes by Steeger Books. I guess since Satan Hall had a distinctive appearance, they had to do the same with Mr. Strang.

The first volume, Lady of Death: The Complete Cases of Mr. Strang, Vol. 1, reprints a trio of linked novellas from 1935. He was cover-featured each time, but we only get the cover for the second story, “Lady of Death.”

We are introduced to the mysterious Mr. Strang, who is on a mission to smash the ones behind the abuse of the parole system, which is being used to release criminals to again commit crimes. Mr. Strang is an intense individual with what can only be described as a “Mr. Spock” haircut. We are also told that he has a bullet lodged in his head, the result of a paroled criminal who killed his father. While this bullet might someday kill him, it could be removed. But Mr. Strang fears that if it is, his drive for vengeance might go with it.

He has a network of assistants, all people with fatal diseases, who put their lives on the line to ensure their loved ones are provided for. It’s not clear that “Mr. Strang” is his actual name. He takes on the name of “Curtis Cummings,” an art dealer. Later, this becomes “Strang Cummings,” a poor alias.

There is also Inspector Barton, whom Mr. Strang has been assisting. Thanks to that, he was promoted from lieutenant to inspector, and may get promoted to chief inspector and perhaps commissioner of police. There is Martin Quinn, who runs a brokerage firm that may just be a front for his illegal activities. Is he the mastermind, or is someone behind him? There is clearly a highly placed politician who is helping him. And then there is Resa Kent, a girl who comes to work for Quinn who seems to have a hidden agenda. Whose side is she on?

The first story starts off with a bang, so to speak. In the office of a diamond dealer, the police find a girl tied up in a chair, tortured to death. In a locked closet, they find a recently paroled killer hanging from a hook, dead. A knife is stuck in his chest with a note. Did he kill the girl? And why? And who killed him and hung him in the closet?

While Inspector Barton is on the case, there are a lot of questions. He later meets with Mr. Strang, who lets him know more. Then things shift to Martin Quinn and his associate Steve Baker, who is the one who actually killed the girl after the paroled killer lost his nerve. The girl was working for Mr. Strang, and they hoped to get info from her, but failed.

Mr. Strang boldly meets Quinn, with Baker there, saying he has the knife Baker used to kill the girl, but instead of giving it to the police, will exchange it for information they have on Barton. Quinn and Baker then meet with Resa, whom they convince to help them. She will plant a gun in Mr. Strang’s office that Baker can use. When Baker confronts Mr. Strang in his office to exchange evidence, he makes use of the gun to try to eliminate Mr. Strang. But things go awry. After Resa leaves, Mr. Strang is told the gun used by Quinn had blanks. Resa had set him up, but why?

The second story is similar. Quinn gets a criminal named Johnny Lester to take care of Mr. Strang, but it doesn’t go as he expected. Resa Kent is somehow involved, though whose side she is on is unclear. Quinn has been using a fence named Sam Silverberg to sell off his ill-gotten gains, but when it seems that evidence on him is in the hands of the police (by whom?), Quinn bumps him off and will be using another fence. And who gave Quinn this info? One who has links to Mr. Strang. Also, Mr. Strang has figured out who the politician is behind Quinn, a Senator Stone, but Barton thinks he’s wrong. Is he? Lester takes another run at Mr. Strang, but things go awry thanks to someone else.

The final story concludes things. It’s getting difficult for both Quinn and Mr. Strang. We learn the “origin” of Mr. Strang. Quinn eliminates more of his crew that he thinks are a threat, and takes Resa and Senator Stone. Things come to a head, and we learn who Resa actually is and her connection to Mr. Strang, as well as Senator Stone’s role. The bullet is removed from Mr. Strang. And perhaps a new future for Mr. Strang and Resa. So this seems to conclude his story.

But then a further four-part serial appeared in 1937, “The Legion of the Living Dead,” with Mr. Strang still out for vengeance against the parole system. This one is reprinted in The Legion of the Living Dead: The Complete Cases of Mr. Strang, Vol. 2, using the cover art from the first part.

Strangely, some of what happened in the last story has been forgotten: Mr. Strang still has the bullet in his head. He and Resa want to get married, but as there seems to be a new mastermind behind the corrupted parole system, Steve Mason, and Senator Stone isn’t here, we have Senator Bixby.

Mr. Strang still fears that removing the bullet will affect his personality. But tragedy strikes. First, he is shot, and the bullet is removed. Then, as he is recovering, he and Resa are attacked, and Resa is murdered. Mr. Strang seems a broken man, no longer a threat, but his enemies want to both eliminate him and get his ledger with their crimes. What will happen?

The bad guys are making their move to remove the head of the parole board and put their own in place. They have eliminated Mr. Strang. Or have they? And who is this “legion of the living dead”? At the end, will Mr. Strang be able to eliminate these new enemies, and will there be a new future for him with a new love interest? Read and find out.

Overall, I enjoyed this series, but I didn’t like that they changed some of what happened in the first set of stories for the next one. I get the feeling that only the first three works were planned, with the story concluded. And then, for whatever reason — maybe the publisher — Daly brought Mr. Strang back for one more story a couple of years later.

I have only read a little bit of Satan Hall, so I don’t have much to compare Mr. Strang with. He is similar to Satan Hall by being a very intense character who is willing to kill if needed, though he isn’t a cop, so he has to be careful. There is a love interest element in this series, which I don’t see in Satan Hall, and that is a change.

If you’re looking to check out Daly’s work with a short series, this may be one to check out. I do plan on getting into Satan Hall. But I’m not sure about others like Race Williams.