Robert McGinnis

Strange Embrace

Life On The Stage — And Death Behind The Scenes

They say the show must go on—but in the case of Broadway’s next sensation, A Touch of Squalor, someone’s out to make sure the show never opens. And when threats don’t do the trick, a straight razor to the throat just might.

It’s a case for the NYPD…but with a mysterious killer targeting his cast, producer Johnny Lane can’t just wait in the wings. There’s a Playbill full of suspects, giving Johnny the casting challenge of his career: who to put in the role of murderer, when the wrong call could bring down the curtain on his show—or his life!

Published as part of a “Double Novel” with another Lawrence Block story, 69 Barrow Street.

via Hard Case Crime Painting via Heritage Auctions

Death Deep Down

Topside She Was All Honey And Sex And Woman — Underwater She Had The Conscience Of A Shark

From the back:

Vietnam had been a bitch, and when I got to New York with 27 day’s leave, I had one hell of a lot of catching up to do on fun and games.
I walked into my hotel and smack into murder.
I walked out with an international agent at my heels.
I was going to get to play games after all—their way.
It wasn’t all bad. I got to play house the whole time with a gorgeous brunette named Dulcie. Even U.S. Naval Intelligence knew how to play —they tossed Dulcie and me into a very luxurious, and very phony, setup. Trouble was, most of the fun people at the fun houseparty on the fun island turned out to be killers or corpses or more international agents.
It was one hell of a leave, I tell you. Give me Viet Nam any day.

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