
1958 Avon paperback original – cover art by Robert Maguire

1958 Sphere UK paperback original with new title

republished in 1968 by Walker as A Whiff of Death




undated Lancer reissue from the 70s



1958 Avon paperback original – cover art by Robert Maguire

1958 Sphere UK paperback original with new title

republished in 1968 by Walker as A Whiff of Death




undated Lancer reissue from the 70s



3rd novel with Hollywood trouble-shooter Bill Lennox who works for the General Consolidated Studios

better image than previously posted

1954 Graphic reissue – cover art by Walter Popp

1958 Banner reissue in the UK – cover art by Stanley Borack

1959 Morrow US first edition

1960 Heinemann UK first edition

1961 Corgi reissue from the UK

1962 Pocket reissue, cover art by Harry Bennett

1963 Corgi reissue from the UK

1964 Pocket reissue, 3rd print


cover art by Fred Craft
better image than previously posted
~ W.T. Ballard, “In Dead Man’s Alley”, 10th of 27 stories with ‘Bill Lennox, troubleshooter for Consolidated Films’, 10th of 43 stories in BM
~ Eugene Cunningham, “Room Service”, last of 5 with Cleve Corby, 11th of 14 stories in BM
~ Carroll John Daly, “The Eyes Have It”, ‘last William’s caper [of 53 though Hagemann lists 54] in BM (wherein he had appeared ‘exclusively’), CJD not to pub. in BM until Mar 1938’, reprinted in If Death is Respectable: The Collected Hard-boiled Stories of Race Williams, v.4 (Altus, 2018), 66th of 71 appearances in BM
~ Erle Stanley Gardner, “Hot Cash”, 59th of 73 Ed Jenkins, as Bob Sabin, 83rd of 99 stories in BM
~ Herbert Koehl, “See See Drops In”, ‘C.C. Cane, private eye, 1st person narrator‘, author’s only appearance in BM
~ Roger Torrey, “Law and Disorder”, 10th of 11 with Dal Prentice, Magna City police dick, ‘one tough guy’, title used again in April 1941 issue, not the same story, 13th of 50 appearances in BM
©Seattle Mystery Bookshop

March 11, 1939 issue – cover art by Emmett Watson



July 1952 Signet reissue, 3rd printing
cover art by Maurice Thomas – better image than previously posted

cover art by Robert Schulz
better image than previously posted

It was first published in 1939 by Hodder and Stoughton in the United Kingdom and by the Crime Club in the United States.



better image than previously posted

1954 Gold Medal paperback original
cover art by Saul Tepper

published by Cassel in London, 1965, as Mix Yourself a Redhead


cover art by Chuck Pyle

September 1961 Gold Medal paperback original
better image than previously posted
later republished as Coward’s Kiss, 1996, Carroll & Graf mass market

