Vintage Golden Age Mystery
Vintage Mystery Extravaganza category: 2011 #4
TBR #3
Date Finished: January 25, 2020
Eight Johnny Liddell short stories originally published between 1947 and 1955 are collected here. The stories are well told, but several felt familiar as if they had been reworked into longer Johnny Liddell novels. Several of these stories were first published in Manhunt appropriately as these are not cerebral whodunits, but tough action stories. Good, not great.
Vintage Golden Age Mystery
Vintage Mystery Extravaganza category: #19 Espionage
TBR #2
Date Finished: January 11, 2020
Sam Durrell returns for his fourth adventure, largely centered around New York City, as he investigates Eastern Bloc refugees who now suddenly want to return behind the Iron Curtain rather than stay in the U.S. One in particular, Stella Marni, is the latest who is also involved with his friend Art Greenwald’s brother Frank. Art calls in Sam to investigate, despite the resentment of the F.B.I. to the C.I.A. being involved, including one F.B.I. agent in particular who may have other motives behind his resentment.
Danger, bad guys, beautiful women, suspense — what more could you want? Aarons again writes an exciting, well-made story.
Vintage Golden Age Mystery
Vintage Mystery Extravaganza category: #2 Supernatural aspects
TBR #1
Date Finished: January 11, 2020
The first Green Lama story from Double Detective magazine, April 1940, was reprinted here in High Adventure #70 (2003), along with other stories from that issue, plus a bonus D.L. Champion story from the December 1938 issue. The supernatural aspects of the Green Lama are not as evident as later adventures, but he uses his ability derived from radioactive salts to do super-human things. I’m not sure that’s the wise course of action in the long run. The other stories are short story fillers with only the D.L. Champion one standing out.