Four Frightened Women by George Harmon Coxe, 1939

Series: Kent Murdock #4

About the author: George Harmon Coxe (1902-1984) began writing in the nickel and dime pulps for pennies a word. He was a particularly prolific author, writing a total of 63 novels, his last published in 1975. The Mystery Writers of America named him a Grand Master in 1964. (condensed from fantastic fiction)

 (no review)

The Camera Clue by George Harmon Coxe, 1937

 

This is Kent Murdock #3.

About the author: George Harmon Coxe (1902-1984) began writing in the nickel and dime pulps for pennies a word. He was a particularly prolific author, writing a total of 63 novels, his last published in 1975. The Mystery Writers of America named him a Grand Master in 1964. (condensed from fantastic fiction)

Major characters:

• Kent Murdock, news photographer
• Joyce Murdock, his wife
• Nora Pendleton, Joyce's friend
• Dana Pendleton, Nora's father
• Jerry Carter, gossip columnist and blackmailer
• Johnny Gowen, Kent's associate photographer
• Lew Novak, cheating private detective
• Gordon Thorndike, cheating socialite
• Wilfred Witherbee, an embezzler
• Robert Ostrum, a.k.a. George Brown

Locale: Boston

Synopsis: Newspaper photographer Kent Murdock comes home to find his wife's friend, Nora Pendleton. She is upset and reveals she has just shot a man, columnist Jerry Carter, who has been blackmailing her. Kent's wife, Joyce, urges Kent to help her out. Kent goes for a look-see. In front of Carter's office building, Kent first sees a man on stilts wearing an advertising sandwich board followed by a troop of kids. Sensing a human interest photo, Kent takes a photo of the scene, with several other passers-by in the background.

Kent enters the building and  finds the body as advertised, but Nora's gun is nowhere to be found. He takes photos of the body and scene. Nora finds the gun - in her father (Dana Pendleton)'s drawer, in his attempt to cover the murder up.

Kent returns to his office to have the photos developed. Soon a number of people show up wanting to get the photo of the sandwich-board man. It seems they were in the background of the photo and don't want it published. Things get pushy and someone slugs Kent's associate, Johnny Gowan, who dies.

Kent now has two goals: exonerate Nora, and avenge the death of Johnny Gowan.

Review: This one takes a great deal of suspension-of-disbelief. There is Kent's rush into a murder scene without notifying the police, there is the buddy-buddy relationship between them, and there is the crowd of cheaters, crooks, gamblers and embezzlers who just happen to wind up in the background of an innocuous photo. 

That said, this is a nonstop not-quite-hardboiled action book with lots of action, a cast straight out of Guys and Dolls, and provocative descriptions of the dames involved. Repeated recitations of the list of possible suspects should give the reader a clue that the murderer is "none of the above".

I enjoyed the specific descriptions of the streets of Boston (being familiar with them first-hand), and was surprised how little has changed from 1937 to today.

Please also see this review by Bev Hankins on My Reader's Block. 

The Fifth Key by George Harmon Coxe (1947)

 

goodreads

About the author: George Harmon Coxe (1902-1984) began writing in the nickel and dime pulps for pennies a word. He was a particularly prolific author, writing a total of 63 novels, his last published in 1975. The Mystery Writers of America named him a Grand Master in 1964. (condensed from fantastic fiction)

Major characters:

• Kent Murdock, photographer for The Clarion
• Sheila Vincent, writer for radio program Sob Sister
• Owen Faulkner, Sheila's estranged husband
• Lois Edwards, female lead in Sob Sister, and Owen Faulkner's girlfriend
• Dale Jordan, Sheila's secretary
• Keith Harding, Dale's husband
• Arthur Calvert, male lead in Sob Sister
• Ira Bronson, agent
• George Stark, advertising agency
• Miriam Stark, George's wife
• Rudy Nagle, Private investigator
• Lt. Peter Devlin, homicide squad

Locale: New York City

Synopsis: Clarion photographer Kent Murdock (our protagonist) travels from Boston to New York to photograph production of a hit radio program, Sob Sister. The program is written by Sheila Vincent, who used to work at the Clarion. 

Kent attends the production and takes the photos. After the program, he takes Sheila back to her apartment and they have drinks. The drinks were drugged, and Kent passes out. When he awakes in the morning, he is on the couch with Sheila - but she is dead from strangulation. There are remnants of film packaging on the floor, suggesting someone took photos after they were out in order to frame Kent for the murder.

Kent pretends to know nothing about the murder. He gets Sheila's secretary, Dale Jordan, to accompany him back to Sheila's - where they "discover" her body together. But it is no longer on the couch - it is stuffed into the closet. Kent soon discovers that pretty much everyone had a motive to want Sheila dead.

The identity of the murderer appears limited to someone who had a key to the apartment, of which there are five; and only four are accounted for:

1. Found on a chain in Sheila's bag

2. Dale Jordan, secretary

3. Marie Waterman, the maid

4. Rudy Nagle, PI - the key with the V-notch

5. ? (I'll withhold this one)

Review: It was interesting to read of the radio production studio, which brings us back to the golden age of radio - complete with announcers, rehearsals, dramatic performers, sound effects men, and even an orchestra!

Kent Murdock turns from his photographer role into the detective role, and does a great job in classic noir style - following people, lurking in dark corners, and engaging in fisticuffs with various bad guys. This is a great read to escape to the world of the 1930's-1940's.

Be sure to visit The Mystillery for my mystery reading challenges!

The Jade Venus by George Harmon Coxe (1945)

goodreads.com

About the author: George Harmon Coxe (1902-1984) began writing in the nickel and dime pulps for pennies a word. He was a particularly prolific author, writing a total of 63 novels, his last published in 1975. The Mystery Writers of America named him a Grand Master in 1964. (condensed from fantastic fiction)

Major characters:

• Kent Murdock, Army captain, former news photographer
• Lt. Bacon, Homicide
• Erloff and Leo, the abductors
• Professor Albert Andrada
• Louise Andrada, widow of the Professor's nephew, Donoto
• Carl Watrous, theatre producer
• Arlene, the Andrada maid
• Barry Gould, newspaperman
• Gail Roberts, niece/assistant to Professor Andrada, girlfriend of Roger Carroll
• Roger Carroll, artist
• George Damon, owner of the Art Mart gallery 
• Tony Lorello, guitar player, the messenger

Locale: Boston, Massachusetts

Synopsis: Kent Murdock is coming home to Boston on leave by train. Murdock is in the Fine Arts Division of the AMG (Army Materials Group) which inventories artwork in Europe for restoration after the war. He is briefly abducted by Erloff and Leo, who borrow his ID to impersonate him to Professor Andrada; who has acquired three odd paintings shipped from Italy. However, Andrada knows Murdock by sight, and sees through the imposter. Erloff and Leo were after one specific painting, called The Jade Venus.

Erloff and Leo smack the professor and make off with the painting. Soon after, the professor is found dead. Murdock finds a letter describing the shipment, which implies that The Jade Venus was a diversion painted over a map showing the location of an art treasure trove in Italy. Tony Lorello, the messenger who delivered the letter is then also found dead.

The Jade Venus shows up in a gallery, the Art Mart, a gallery owned by George Damon. However, it turns out to be a copy painted by Roger Carroll. The hunt for the original continues.

Review:

Kent Murdock is a believable character, and the story takes place during WWII when he is home on leave. His search for a painting turns into a search for a murderer. His newspaper background and contacts provide the experience for him to chase down the murderer. The action is nonstop, and the book is a page-turner. The book also provides much insight into the Nazi plundering of European artworks, and the efforts that were made to protect them for posterity. 

Also see this review by Bev Hankins.