#willard downes

[bloodybosom]

1950. Cover by Willard Downes.

Does any of this, does this look alright to you?

[pulpsandcomics2]

Willard Downes

[inky-curves]

My Flesh is Sweet by Day Keene (1951)

Cover by Willard Downes

[michaelallanleonard]

Willard Downes, 1950

[fromthedust]

You're Lonely When You're Dead - James Hadley Chase (English, 1906-1985)  - originally published in 1949 - pictured cover art by Willard Downes (American, 1908-2000) - NY Popular Library edition - 1951

"You're Lonely When You're Dead builds a mystery of a series of murders which is finally broken down by an intelligent detective. The story is woven around a millionaire's wife who is suspected of kleptomania. It begins one sunny morning around 11'o clock in mid-March. Mr. Vic Malloy, head of Universal Services, goes to meet a millionaire, Mr. Jay Franklin Cerf, who hires him to watch his wife, Anita Cerf, whom he suspects of kleptomania. Malloy appoints one of his operators, Dana Lewis, for the job but she was found dead after a few days of work. The millionaire's wife also vanishes. As Universal services guarantees secrecy, Malloy has to beat the cops to the murderer. . . Chase's masterpiece has such lucid characters and precise attention to emotional details to construct a clever plot that is both witty and thought provoking. In addition to its specifically literary virtues, it is a wonderfully edgy thriller.” — from a review on Amazon

“Lonely when you're dead? Not in this book. The dead are a crowd, as characters go bye-bye in quick succession. Revenge, theft, blackmail, action, murder, and effective comic relief combine to make this a nice read.”  — from a review on Pulp International

[gameraboy2]

Manhunt, March 1953 Cover by Willard Downes