Altus Press is pleased to announce Series 2 of The Dime Detective Library. Created by Popular Publications, Dime Detective was one of the most important hard-boiled crime fiction pulps in the field, second only to Black Mask in its influence to the genre. Series 2 contains seven books, each containing the original pulp stories in order, along with the original illustrations, primarily by John Fleming Gould. The books are:
- The Complete Cases of the Reckoner by Carroll John Daly
- The Complete Cases of Keyhole Kerry, Volume 2 by Frederick C. Davis
- The Complete Cases of Mr. Maddox, Volume 2 by T.T. Flynn
- The Complete Cases of Jeffery Wren, Volume 1 by G.T. Fleming-Roberts
- The Complete Cases of The Bleeder by Edith and Ejler Jackobson
- The Complete Cases of Bail-Bond Dodd, Volume 1 by Norbert Davis
- The Complete Cases of Secrets, Inc., Volume 1 by Frederick C. Davis
These deluxe editions contain high-quality, classic pulp stories, few of which have been reprinted before. Available this fall, Series 2 of The Dime Detective Library will be available in softcover, hardcover and ebook formats. It will also be available in a heavily-discounted series bundle.
The Complete Cases of the Reckoner
by Carroll John Daly
Millionaire Marty Day has lost it all. Destitute and desperate, his path crosses the mysterious RECKONER…. Created by hard-boiled legend Carroll John Daly (creator of Race Williams), Day battled the Reckoner through four stories published between 1933 and 34 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 the Reckoner by Carroll John Daly contains the following stories:
- “The Curtain of Steel”
- “Drawn in Blood”
- “Blood on the Curtain”
- “Answered in Blood”
286 pages, $19.95 softcover, $29.95 hardcover, $5.99 ebook
The Complete Cases of Keyhole Kerry, Volume 2
by Frederick C. Davis
The series concludes here! Big-city residents on both sides of the law regard him with equal measures of fear and reticence. They know that whatever they’re doing, right or wrong, will sooner or later come to the attention of Guy “Keyhole” Kerry, a wise-cracking, hard-charging journalist who knows all and tells most of it. Kerry’s profession brings him into contact with all kinds of people, and the law of averages guarantees that some of them are better left alone. But Keyhole Kerry will risk anything for a scoop, even if it means becoming embroiled in murder mysteries and making himself a target.
This relatively brief series (eight late Thirties entries) was written for Dime Detectiveby Frederick C. Davis, a tireless pulp scribe who sold more yarns to the magazine—73 in all—than any other contributor save T.T. Flynn. With a half-dozen recurring characters in this one rough-paper periodical, Davis was one of the many talented contributors who made Dime Detective a prestigious crime pulp second only to the legendary Black Mask in its impact on the genre.
The Complete Cases of Keyhole Kerry, Volume 2 by Frederick C. Davis contains the following stories:
- “Double Deadline”
- “Burial Party”
- “The Ghoul Hangs High”
- “Poison on Her Lips”
284 pages, $19.95 softcover, $29.95 hardcover, $5.99 ebook
The Complete Cases of Mr. Maddox, Volume 2
by T.T. Flynn
To habitués of the nation’s top racetracks he’s known as “The Bland Buddha of the Bangtail Circuit.” Less polite players of the ponies call him a tout or a bookie. There’s no doubt that Mr. Joe Maddox is a shrewd judge of horseflesh, but he’s also a shrewd judge of men. And that’s a critically important quality to possess, because Mr. Maddox repeatedly finds himself pitted against crooks and killers whose depredations are linked in some way to the racing game. Assisted by his sidekick Oscar, the heavyset handicapper has always managed to beat the odds, but sooner or later his luck is bound to change….
The work of prolific pulpster T.T. Flynn, 35 Mr. Maddox novelettes were published in the pages of Dime Detective between 1938 and 1950. Fast-moving and suffused with authentic racing atmosphere, they were among the most popular stories ever to appear in this prestigious crime pulp, second only to the legendary Black Mask in its impact on the genre.
The Complete Cases of Mr. Maddox, Volume 2 by T.T. Flynn contains the following stories:
- “Kentucky Kickback”
- “The Bookie and the Blonde”
- “Blood on the Blue-Grass”
- “Trot Out Your Murder”
274 pages, $19.95 softcover, $29.95 hardcover, $5.99 ebook
The Complete Cases of Jeffery Wren, Volume 1
by G.T. Fleming-Roberts, introduction by James T. Roberts
The most polished of author G.T. Fleming-Roberts’ magician detectives, Jeffery Wren battled crime in the pages of Dime Detective for seven adventures. Included in Volume 1 are the first three stories: “No Haunting Allowed,” “The Spirit Was Willing,” and “A Sleight Case of Murder,” along with a bonus Fleming-Roberts story from the pages of Dime Detective: “Dig a Grave for Me.”
Rounded out by an all-new introduction by Fleming-Roberts’ son, James, this marks the first time this series has been collected.
The Complete Cases of Jeffery Wren, Volume 1 by G.T. Fleming-Roberts contains the following stories:
- “No Haunting Allowed”
- “The Spirit Was Willing”
- “A Sleight Case of Murder”
- “Dig a Grave for Me”
218 pages, $19.95 softcover, $29.95 hardcover, $5.99 ebook
The Complete Cases of The Bleeder
by Edith and Ejler Jackobson, introduction by Garyn G. Roberts, Ph.D.
Nathanial Perry was a “thin-skinned orphan with the courage dead in him” at age 14. A victim of a “hit and run,” Perry was rescued by Police Officer Harry O’Connor, a “stubborn, gritty, sawed-off little Irishman.” Nat knew he was a “bleeder,” a hemophiliac—his blood would not clot and a little cut could kill him. O’Connor took the adolescent to the hospital, and provided him with three blood transfusions over four days. The officer reasoned that Nat Perry could never die because he now had cop’s blood in him. From that point on, Nat Perry dedicated his life to becoming a police officer—and he found both unflinching courage and a father.
Fifteen years later, at 29, “The Bleeder” finds himself on the trail of the Rag Doll Killer….
The Complete Cases of The Bleeder by Edith and Ejler Jackobson contains the following stories:
- “The Rag-Doll Killer”
- “Dead Man—Killer!”
- “Funerals—C.O.D.”
- “They Die on Schedule!”
- “Secret Street”
- “Coffin for a Bathing Beauty”
- “Double Life of a Phoney”
145 pages, $14.95 softcover, $29.95 hardcover, $5.99 ebook
The Complete Cases of Bail-Bond Dodd, Volume 1
by Norbert Davis
Bailbondsman William “Bail-Bond” Dodd was the first series character that hard-boiled genius Norbert Davis created for Harry Steeger’s best detective pulp. Running for eight installments, this unique series was one of the best Davis ever wrote for the pages of Dime Detective, the prestigious crime pulp second only to the legendaryBlack Mask in its impact on the genre.
As a bonus, this edition also includes the first story that Davis wrote for Dime Detective: “The Gin Monkey.”
The Complete Cases of Bail-Bond Dodd, Volume 1 by Norbert Davis contains the following stories:
- “Murder Down Deep”
- “Murder in the Red”
- “This Will Kill You!”
- “Come Up and Kill Me Some Time”
- “The Gin Monkey”
229 pages, $19.95 softcover, $29.95 hardcover, $5.99 ebook
The Complete Cases of Secrets, Inc., Volume 1
by Frederick C. Davis, introduction by Will Murray
From 1933 to 1935, Frederick C. Davis chronicled the cases of Hollywood P.I. firm Secrets, Inc. Led by Clay “Oke” Oakley and assisted by Cherry Morris and Archibald Brixey, Secrets, Inc., investigated some of the weirdest and most ingenious crimes in the long history of Dime Detective Magazine—all centering around the film industry.
The Complete Cases of Secrets, Inc., Volume 1 by Frederick C. Davis contains the following stories:
- “Blood on the Block”
- “Skeleton Without Arms”
- “The Silver Doom”
- “Death Lights the Candle”
248 pages, $19.95 softcover, $29.95 hardcover, $5.99 ebook