September 20, 2016—Altus Press today announces Series 3 of its popular Dime Detective Library.
Running for twenty years, Popular Publications’ Dime Detective Magazine published thousands of high-quality hard-boiled stories by hundreds of authors, eventually becoming the most respected detective pulp magazine behind Black Mask. However, Dime Detective excelled at introducing long-running series characters, something Black Mask normally didn’t do. These series characters run the gamut of quirky detectives, completely unique and offbeat: the types of investigators which had never been seen before (and rarely repeated with such skill since).
Series 3 of The Dime Detective Library contains six collections of such fiction, each featuring one of Dime Detective’s long-running characters:
The Complete Cases of The Dean, Volume 1
The Complete Cases of The Dean, Volume 1by Merle Constiner
Part-time detective/con artist Dean Wardlow Rock made his living as a purported fortune teller. Apparently an eccentric living encyclopedia—always using archaic words in casual conversation—this is actually a facade behind which The Dean operates in order to solve the case at hand. Written by Merle Constiner, The Dean appeared in nearly a score of stories published between 1940 and 1945 in the pages of Dime Detective, the prestigious crime pulp second only to the legendary Black Mask in its impact on the genre.
The Complete Cases of Mariano Mercado, Volume 1
The Complete Cases of Mariano Mercado, Volume 1by D.L. Champion
A Germaphobic P.I. in Mexico City who has “a taste for clothing loud as a thunderbolt,” Mercado is considered “the smartest detective in Mexico.” Battling mystery as well as the corrupt Colonel Gomez of the Federal District Police, Mercado is is the first of his kind in popular fiction.
The Complete Cases of the Marquis of Broadway, Volume 2
The Complete Cases of the Marquis of Broadway, Volume 2by John Lawrence
NYPD Lieutenant Martin Marquis and the officers of his hand-picked Broadway Squad are the toughest, most vicious cops in pulp-fiction history. “The Marquis,” as he is called along Manhattan’s Main Stem, is trim and dapper, with a weathered face and deep-set blue eyes. In marked contrast to the average plainclothes officer, he dresses like one of New York’s “swells,” generally showing up at crime scenes clad in smartly angled derby hat, black silk scarf, black kid gloves and shoes, dark suit, and ankle-length black Chesterfield coat. His appearance notwithstanding, the Marquis is practically a gangster with a badge, only marginally less corrupt than the underworld figures he pursues. Members of the Broadway Squad share his casual morality and frequently abuse their authority not only for financial gain but personal satisfaction as well.
The Complete Cases of The Rambler, Volume 2
The Complete Cases of The Rambler, Volume 2by Fred MacIsaac
Created by Fred MacIsaac, at one time a redheaded journalist himself, Frank Murphy rambled through 19 terse, tough yarns published between 1933 and 1940 mainly in the pages of Dime Detective, the prestigious crime pulp second only to the legendary Black Mask in its impact on the genre.
The Complete Cases of Steve Midnight, Volume 1
The Complete Cases of Steve Midnight, Volume 1by John K. Butler, introduction by John Wooley
Down and out former playboy Steven Middleton Knight’s fortune was destroyed by the Depression. Now a cabbie for the Red Owl Cab Company, he never fails to take on another mystery with each new fare. Created by John K. Butler, this fast-paced, Los Angeles-based hard-boiled series was published between 1940 and 1942 in the pages of Dime Detective, the prestigious crime pulp second only to the legendary Black Mask in its impact on the genre.
The Complete Cases of Bill Brent, Volume 1
The Complete Cases of Bill Brent, Volume 1by Frederick C. Davis
Meet “Lora Lorne,” the love advice columnist for the Recorder newspaper… in actuality, gruff reporter Bill Brent. Created by Frederick C. Davis, Brent stumbled through 16 stories published between 1941 and 1946 in the pages of Dime Detective,the prestigious crime pulp second only to the legendary Black Mask in its impact on the genre.
Series 3 of The Dime Detective Library will Premiere at the Pulp AdventureCon in Bordentown, NJ, on November 5, 2016.