Ron K. (WhidbeyIslander) -
Novellas written in the 1940's by Clayton Rawson under the pen name Stuart Towne. Also included are essays about Clayton Rawson, and The Red Star Mystery pulp magazine these stories appeared in. Plot outlines and my rating (* to ***** stars).
Ghost of the Undead = PLOT: a woman is apparently murdered by a man who can turn into a huge bat and escape through a fifth floor window in the side of a building with no footholds. Magician Don Diavolo is suspected since the woman was in his locked dressing room. The Scarlet Wizard uses disguises and his knowledge of how séances can fool participants to unmask the killer. REVIEW: fun, light reading, but a little contrived. The footnotes about crimes and methods probably were intended to add to the authentic air, but are somehow distracting. ***
Death from Thin Air = PLOT: the murder of a police detective in his office by a seemingly invisible man leads to Don Diavolo being a suspect because of his disappearing acts. Other crimes warned of by the Invisible Man occur, even as the police have Don under observation. The theft of priceless artifacts under the nose of witnesses and further deaths prompt Don to use extreme methods to uncover the culprit. REVIEW: a sort of preposterous story involving a centuries-old apparatus and magician-tricks that goes in to too much detail about the artifacts. Stories like this are out of favor with 21st century readers, and probably for a good reason. **
The Claws of Satan = PLOT: when Don goes to confront the owner of a circus who defrauded him, he stumbles into a murder which the police are, as ever, anxious to pin on him. He is found inside a room with a body that has marks on it similar to slashes from leopard claws, and the only door in or out was watched by the circus owner's secretary, who claims no one came out after a client and then Don went in. REVIEW: the disappearing murderer is explained in detail (clues laid out beforehand), and the latter part of the story is set in the circus where another mysterious death occurs. I thought there was a little too much going on, although it's understandable given that Don is a magician. ***
The Enchanted Dagger = PLOT: a mysterious man just returned from India contacts Don, but before they can speak, the man is attacked in his hotel and disappears. Don suspects it is connected with a wager a millionaire offers to Don: $10,000 to disprove the exploits of an Indian mystic. During the dinner at the millionaire's house a murder occurs, and it appears that it was a floating dagger unaided by a human hand that was responsible. REVIEW: written in a style of its time, the story is a little farfetched and Don's interaction with the same police squad no matter where these crimes occur is a bit tiresome. The solution to the crime is the least satisfying of the four novellas. **
Short stories that appeared in Detective Fiction pulps in the 1940's:
Stand-In for A Kill = PLOT: Don Diavolo is nowhere to be seen in this tale about a man who thinks he can get away with murder with a perfect alibi if he has no motive for the killing. REVIEW: It's ok, but sort of silly and you aren't given one crucial bit of evidence. **
Mr. Mystery = PLOT: secret documents are stolen, recovered and sought after. Showman and mentalist Mr. Mystery helps G-Men foil spies out for an explosive formula in a short story that has no relation to Don Diavolo stories, or impossible crimes. REVIEW: It's a run-of-the-mill, undistinguished tale. *
The Man with The Radio Mind = PLOT: Mr. Mystery uses a new electronic listening device to aid the police in trapping a killer. REVIEW: Interesting but dated for today's readers, especially those with smart phones. **
Ace of Death = PLOT: while Mr. Mystery performs his mind-reading act in a hotel lounge a murder occurs in the floors above. Despite an iron-clad alibi, he and his pick-pocket companion are suspected and are determined to withhold his mind-reading secrets which could otherwise remove that suspicion. REVIEW: More clever than the other Mr. Mystery stories, but Towne's penchant for making his hero a target of the police is a bit tiresome. ***
The Man with The Radio Mind = PLOT: A hard-boiled detective battles corrupt police officials and gangsters, aided by a man who seems to know things he shouldn't be able to know. REVIEW: a complete departure from the other stories in this book, it's like it was written by Raymond Chandler or Dashiell Hammett. No mystery involved except how one character can divine facts he has no way of knowing (and which is explained in the end ludicrously.) *
Final pages contain some amusing anecdotes from the editors of Red Star Mystery Magazine and a few choice Letters they received.
Ghost of the Undead = PLOT: a woman is apparently murdered by a man who can turn into a huge bat and escape through a fifth floor window in the side of a building with no footholds. Magician Don Diavolo is suspected since the woman was in his locked dressing room. The Scarlet Wizard uses disguises and his knowledge of how séances can fool participants to unmask the killer. REVIEW: fun, light reading, but a little contrived. The footnotes about crimes and methods probably were intended to add to the authentic air, but are somehow distracting. ***
Death from Thin Air = PLOT: the murder of a police detective in his office by a seemingly invisible man leads to Don Diavolo being a suspect because of his disappearing acts. Other crimes warned of by the Invisible Man occur, even as the police have Don under observation. The theft of priceless artifacts under the nose of witnesses and further deaths prompt Don to use extreme methods to uncover the culprit. REVIEW: a sort of preposterous story involving a centuries-old apparatus and magician-tricks that goes in to too much detail about the artifacts. Stories like this are out of favor with 21st century readers, and probably for a good reason. **
The Claws of Satan = PLOT: when Don goes to confront the owner of a circus who defrauded him, he stumbles into a murder which the police are, as ever, anxious to pin on him. He is found inside a room with a body that has marks on it similar to slashes from leopard claws, and the only door in or out was watched by the circus owner's secretary, who claims no one came out after a client and then Don went in. REVIEW: the disappearing murderer is explained in detail (clues laid out beforehand), and the latter part of the story is set in the circus where another mysterious death occurs. I thought there was a little too much going on, although it's understandable given that Don is a magician. ***
The Enchanted Dagger = PLOT: a mysterious man just returned from India contacts Don, but before they can speak, the man is attacked in his hotel and disappears. Don suspects it is connected with a wager a millionaire offers to Don: $10,000 to disprove the exploits of an Indian mystic. During the dinner at the millionaire's house a murder occurs, and it appears that it was a floating dagger unaided by a human hand that was responsible. REVIEW: written in a style of its time, the story is a little farfetched and Don's interaction with the same police squad no matter where these crimes occur is a bit tiresome. The solution to the crime is the least satisfying of the four novellas. **
Short stories that appeared in Detective Fiction pulps in the 1940's:
Stand-In for A Kill = PLOT: Don Diavolo is nowhere to be seen in this tale about a man who thinks he can get away with murder with a perfect alibi if he has no motive for the killing. REVIEW: It's ok, but sort of silly and you aren't given one crucial bit of evidence. **
Mr. Mystery = PLOT: secret documents are stolen, recovered and sought after. Showman and mentalist Mr. Mystery helps G-Men foil spies out for an explosive formula in a short story that has no relation to Don Diavolo stories, or impossible crimes. REVIEW: It's a run-of-the-mill, undistinguished tale. *
The Man with The Radio Mind = PLOT: Mr. Mystery uses a new electronic listening device to aid the police in trapping a killer. REVIEW: Interesting but dated for today's readers, especially those with smart phones. **
Ace of Death = PLOT: while Mr. Mystery performs his mind-reading act in a hotel lounge a murder occurs in the floors above. Despite an iron-clad alibi, he and his pick-pocket companion are suspected and are determined to withhold his mind-reading secrets which could otherwise remove that suspicion. REVIEW: More clever than the other Mr. Mystery stories, but Towne's penchant for making his hero a target of the police is a bit tiresome. ***
The Man with The Radio Mind = PLOT: A hard-boiled detective battles corrupt police officials and gangsters, aided by a man who seems to know things he shouldn't be able to know. REVIEW: a complete departure from the other stories in this book, it's like it was written by Raymond Chandler or Dashiell Hammett. No mystery involved except how one character can divine facts he has no way of knowing (and which is explained in the end ludicrously.) *
Final pages contain some amusing anecdotes from the editors of Red Star Mystery Magazine and a few choice Letters they received.
