Hugh Pentecost was a pen name of mystery author Judson Philips. He came of age during the golden age of pulp magazines, and spent the 1930s writing suspense fiction and sports stories for a number of famous pulps. His first book was Hold Em Girls! The Intelligent Womens Guide to Men and Football (1936). Phillips produced over 100 novels featuring a variety of recurring characters. Shadow Of Madness (1950) was one of three in the Dr. John Smith series and this time out Dr. Smith, a criminal psychologist, thinks hes just going fishing when he gets trapped in death race to find a blackmailer. If he doesnt the person being blackmailed will kill him and 7 others. This incredible cover is by Earle Bergey for the 1951 edition. The Obituary Club (1958) was one of four books in the Lt. Pascal series and has a cover by Robert Maguire for this 1960 edition. Its the saga of Charles Seely one of the greatest comic talents of the golden age. The list ran: Chaplin, Fields, Seely. Charley had spent his life perpetrating cruel, giant-size practical jokes on the famous. His final one, included in his will, was a sample of his monstrous sense of humour. There were seven people named in the will. All big names in show business, all the public butt of Charleys last horrible joke. Columnist Grant Simon tagged the group, The Obituary Club. It was a fitting title, for as the will was set up, only after the first of the seven died, would one of the remaining six become Charleys heir. It was a waiting game; someone had to kick the bucket to set up the payoff. But the payoff came when Hollywoods biggest star became a target for a killer who wanted to turn the macabre lottery into cold-blooded murder. Keeping things show business like and theatrical the Maguire art had been used (with quite a few tweaks) before for Michael Avallones Violence In Velvet in 1956.
Posted on: Fri, 02 Jan 2015 13:00:24 +0000
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