Delayed Verdict by R. C. Tuttle

Delayed Verdict by R. C. Tuttle
Short Story in Mike Shayne Mystery Magazine,
May 1981

Mysteries that take place in the World War II era have always been a favorite of mine. This one actually takes place in the middle of WWII at Guadalcanal. It's a flashback story, told by an ex-Marine Corporal named Lennie Bullard who arrives on the island in a tour boat. It's 1981 and 39 years ago Bullard was assisting in a murder investigation. He relives the questioning of five Marines by Lieutenant Milo Cannon. The victim was a Captain John Vinson, who was shot in the back with a .45 while leaving the Officer's Club. It seems that Capt. Vinson was a major SOB and all five Marines has a reason to kill him, making them prime suspects.

What is a bit strange is that the investigation takes place on the beach front lines. The five suspects, Lieutenant Cannon, and our story teller Bullard are "holding the line" while receiving a series of attacks by Jap Zeros and beach assaults. As we learn of each suspect's gripe with the dead Capt. Vinson, one of them is killed by the enemy. Little by little, the group gets smaller until only Bullard is left alive. We as readers have plenty of information, but the mystery remains unsolved. That is until Bullard returns 39 years later.

"Delayed Verdict" is a well written little thriller that mixes a good whodunit with wartime infantry action. The flashback adds drama to the story and the author R.C. Tuttle created an engaging and believable group of characters. The five Marine suspects come from a wide range of social backgrounds, one is even a Hollywood actor. This is another fine example of the quality stories that were published in the early 80s, found in the Mike Shayne Mystery Magazine publications. You'll always find good ones in them.

But the best entry in this issue is the Mike Shayne novelette titled, "The Stalker of Biscayne Bay." Having read many of these Shayne stories, I found a good percentage of them being very generic. That is definitely not the case here. This is a bang, bang noir-ish tale that takes our Miami based P.I. from dark alleyways to churches, with pimps and hookers to babes in lounge chairs around swimming pools. And Mike gets a good dose of slugs to the head in this one. Three parts I found outstanding in this mystery story. First is the opening pages where the victim is stalked and murdered. It's eerie and frightening, highlighted by lines like when the murderer tells his victim, "You should have thought about what might happen to you when you took up this life." The author creates a compelling start to the story that ropes in the reader. Second is the addition of the New Orleans undercover cop, Terry (Theresa) Denton. Shayne and her develop a wonderful working relationship that charges up the entire story. The third and best is the ending. It's how I like them, adrenalin filled with plenty of trigger action. (and it takes place in a chapel) This is one of the best Mike Shayne short stories that I have read in a long time.

Here is what is in this issue from May 1981:

"The Stalker of Biscayne Bay" by Brett Halliday (Ghostwritten by?)
"Assassination-Middle East" by Joseph Cummings
"In The Key of Murder" by Hal Charles
"Whistle" by Mignon Glass
"Don't Dare Reject the Manuscript" by William Schoell
"Animal Sounds" by Don Wall
"Delayed Verdict" by R. C. Tuttle
"Saturday Night Special" by Terry Black
Plus: Plenty of extra features

The New Hand by Richard Deming

The New Hand By Richard Deming
Short Story in Mike Shayne Mystery Magazine, Nov. 1968

I've always admired the work of Richard Deming. You'll get a solid crime mystery by picking up any of his novels, a couple like "Hit and Run" and "Vice Cop" are outstanding. In the 60s he was a ghostwriter for some Ellery Queen novels. (the ones that didn't feature the Ellery Queen character) Numerous authors were ghostwriting these, and I found Deming's were some of the most suspenseful. But its in Deming's short stories, where you will find some of his best work. Compact plots, usually with non-hero characters that are believably human, but must take that fatal step to reach an easier lifestyle. He wrote many and he didn't cheat any publisher or reader. One of these is "The New Hand."

Gladys had a neat little scheme planned. Marry 70 year old ailing farmer Amos Bull and when he kicks off, inherit all his land, clean out his bank account, and collect on the tidy life-insurance policy. One problem, a new doctor hits town and finds out old Amos was misdiagnosed and is expected to be around for quite awhile. A new plan needs to be cooked up and Gladys gets her opportunity when Amos' farm hand quits and he is looking for a replacement. Over the radio she hears that a mad killer has escaped from the nearby asylum and when a man fitting the description comes knocking on the door, she ensures Amos doesn't get hold of the news alerts. Amos unknowingly hires the man and Gladys sets the trap. Using an axe that has the fingerprints of the new farm hand on it, she slaughters Amos in the barn. She lures in the new man and shoots him dead. A perfect crime, call the police and say the new hand killed Amos and was ready the kill her before she shot the crazed man in self-defense. And just as she is ready to make the phone call, the screen door is opened and Gladys faces her fate.
This reads like an episode from one of those Alfred Hitchcock Hour TV shows. It moves fast, is highly suspenseful with a touch of horror, and contains an unexpected ending. I hunt down Richard Deming short stories, he sure knew how to deliver them.

A wonderful shorter work in this issue, is Ed Lacy's "Night Games." Two adventurous Americans travel to a remote sleepy island in the Caribbean to execute a heist. Unknown to them is the island's shrewd police chief, who has the learned instincts of an old city cop. John Lutz provides a violent ending to the haunting murderous story called "King of the Kennel." And thrown in, is a damn good Mike Shayne story, about a vengeance-filled fugitive ready to settle some scores.

The high-caliber mystery stories in this issue:

"Deadly Conscience" by Brett Halliday (Mike Shayne story)
"The New Hand" by Richard Deming
"Wearing the Green" by Jack Ritchie
"The Dismal Flats Murder" by Joseph Payne Brennan
"King of the Kennel" by John Lutz
"Night Games" by Ed Lacy
"The Richest Girl in Town" by Deane and David Heller
"Rent Money" by Hal Ellson
"An Affair of the Heart" by Henry Slesar

Mike Shayne Mystery Magazine ended its run in 1985, and I miss it. For publications we are left with Alfred Hitchcock's Mystery Magazine and Ellery Queen's Mystery Magazine. But I've always preferred MSMM over these two, it was more hardboiled, no light crime yarns with humor, and each issue contain many quality stories. (not only just one or two) I always felt it was left to carry the torch after Manhunt stopped in the 60s. Plus you can't beat getting that Mike Shayne novelette every month.

The Plunge by David Goodis

The Plunge by David Goodis
Short Story in Mike Shayne Mystery Magazine, Oct. 1958

David Goodis wrote some of the best noir novels of his generation, and he didn't short change readers when be penned short stories for mystery and pulp magazines in the 40s and 50s. One excellent contribution is "The Plunge, " about a squeaky-clean homicide cop who gradually descends down an emotional vortex , until it all ends fatally.

"His brain was staggered with the thought, and again he had the feeling of falling, of plunging downward through immeasurable space that took him away from the badge, he wore, the desk he occupied at Homicide in City Hall and his home and family."

Family man and honest cop Roy Childers despises corruption, whether it is corruption caused by the city's criminals or corruption within the police force. He becomes obsessed (his first plunge) in his case to find ex-con Dice Nolan and nailing him for murder during a payroll robbery of a waterfront warehouse. His first lead is to confront Nolan's girl, the beautiful Wilma Burnett. In her apartment he plays tough cop with her, but leaves uncomfortable and feeling emotionally affected by her.(his second plunge) Unable to focus, he later returns believing he will stake out her place waiting for Dice Nolan, but realizes he is there because of an uncontrolled desire to have her and knows this force can not be stopped. (another plunge) It comes down to a final violent confrontation with Nolan, Wilma and Childers in the apartment, and it is here in the story that Childers takes his final plunge.

This one will surely grab you, and is another example that shows why Goodis was superior to the majority of other authors who were providing stories to mystery magazines at this time. It's a little different that other Goodis stories. There are no bleak destitute people in the story and the urban setting is less dismal than in his other stories. The story turns dramatically cruel as Childers becomes wound tighter and tighter in an unexplainable crisis. You don't expect him to throw all of his family and professional values away just on a chance meeting with a girl. Goodis was a master of being able to curve a character emotionally around, which he did to Roy Childers. (and also to faithful readers of his stories)

He'd forgotten to put on his holster and the .38 it carried. You've never done that before, he thought. And then, with a slight quiver that went down from his chest to his stomach and up his chest again, "What's the matter here? What the hell is happening to you?"

The stories in this issue of Mike Shayne Mystery Magazine:

Brett Halliday "Witness for the Deceased"
Frank Ward "The Face of Death"
David Goodis "The Plunge"
J. L. Bouma "Unscheduled Murder"
Peter Cheyney "The Gangster"
Talmage Powell "Homecoming Party"
Freer Stalnaker "You Can't Let Go of Murder"
W.C. Tuttle "Payday"

The Jostlers by Michael Zuroy

The Jostlers by Michael Zuroy.
Short Story in Mike Shayne Mystery Magazine, April 1962

Michael Zuroy wrote many fine short stories. His work has been published in AHMM, Trapped, Guilty, and others. One story that is exceptional is "The Jostlers"

Oliver Beemis is a 48 year old reserved man. He avoids contact with people when possible, particularly physical contact. For 20 years he has been shoved and pushed in the NYC subways going to work, and he has had it. Beemis plans to murder the next man who forces his way through him on the subway. He contemplates numerous ways to commit the crime and comes up with a way to poison the person using an altered mechanical pencil. The day is set and on the subway a victim is selected. Only problem is when Beemis is ready to strike, the victim is just out of reach. Beemis is forced to move from station to station, subway to subway to catch up with him. Unknowing to himself, he becomes aggressive and forces his way through others to reach the victim. Eventually he is close enough to strike the victim, when another passenger physically confronts Beemis for jostling him. The result of this encounter does not go well for Beemis.

Very suspenseful and fast paced. Zuroy creates a obsessive, calculating character in Oliver Beemis. The reader is taken on the hunt with Beemis, as he stalks the victim with anxiety and panic. The storytelling has a claustrophobic atmosphere, which adds to the suspense.

One of the many quality stories in this edition of the Mike Shayne Magazine. Included are short stories: "The Mousy Man" by Murray Leinster, and "Murderer's Role" by Talmage Powell. The novel in this issue is Frank Kane's "The Mourning After"-with PI Johnny Liddell. And the Mike Shayne story is excellent-"The Restless Redhead." I'm not sure who wrote this Shayne story but I really enjoyed it.

Pretty damn good crime fiction for just one issue!