The Heat Is On: Wake Up Dead

This concludes our two-week-long celebration of summer-related book fronts. Click here for the full set.


Wake Up Dead, by William Wall (Papillon, 1974).
Illustrator unknown.

The Heat Is On: Tropical Disturbance

Celebrating the delights of summer. Click here for the full set.


Tropical Disturbance, by Theodore Pratt (Gold Medal, 1961). Illustration by Robert McGinnis.

The Heat Is On: Zero Cool

Celebrating the delights of summer. Click here for the full set.


Zero Cool, by Michael Crichton, writing as John Lange (Hard Case Crime, 2013). Illustration by Gregory Manchess.

The Heat Is On: Borrowed Lover

Celebrating the delights of summer. Click here for the full set.


Borrowed Lover, by Dorene Clark (Bedside Books, 1959). Illustrator unknown. Original painting here.

The Heat Is On: Virgin’s Summer

Celebrating the delights of summer. Click here for the full set.


Virgin’s Summer, by Alan Marshall, aka Donald E. Westlake (Midwood, 1960). Illustration by Paul Rader.

The Heat Is On: The Beach Girls

Celebrating the delights of summer. Click here for the full set.


The Beach Girls, by John D. MacDonald (Fawcett Gold Medal, 1963). Illustration by Charles Binger.

I’m posting this today in recognition of what would be author MacDonald’s 98th birthday, were he still alive (he died in 1986). A subsequent edition of the same novel can be seen here.

The Heat Is On: You’re Lonely When You’re Dead

Celebrating the delights of summer. Click here for the full set.


You’re Lonely When You’re Dead, by James Hadley Chase
(Popular Library, 1951). Illustration by Willard Downes.

The Heat Is On: Illicit Desires

Celebrating the delights of summer. Click here for the full set.


Illicit Desires, by H.M. Appel (Quarter Books, 1949).
Illustration by George Gross.

The Heat Is On: Case of the Brazen Beauty

Celebrating the delights of summer. Click here for the full set.


Case of the Brazen Beauty, by Jonathan Craig, aka Frank E. Smith (Flamingo Books, 1973). Illustration by Ron Lesser.

The Heat Is On: Two Hot to Handle

Celebrating the delights of summer. Click here for the full set.



Two Hot to Handle, by Ed Lacy (Paperback Library, 1963)--contains two novellas, “The Coin of Adventure” and “Murder in Paradise.” Illustration by Charles Copeland.

The Heat Is On: Summer Widow

Celebrating the delights of summer. Click here for the full set.



Summer Widow, by Florence Stonebraker (Beacon, 1961).
Illustration by Al Rossi.

The Heat Is On: Murder Is Where You Find It

Celebrating the delights of summer. Click here for the full set.


Murder Is Where You Find It, by Robert P. Hansen (Permabooks, 1957). Illustration by James Meese.

The Heat Is On: Summer Heat

Celebrating the delights of summer. Click here for the full set.


Summer Heat, by Morgana Garson (Softcover Library, 1965).
Illustrator unknown.

The Heat Is On: The Dreamers

Celebrating the delights of summer. Click here for the full set.



The Dreamers, by J. Bigelow Clark (Permabooks, 1955).
Illustration by Stanley Borack.

The Heat Is On: Resort Girls

Celebrating the delights of summer. Click here for the full set.



Resort Girls, by Charles X. Wolffe (Beacon, 1964).
Illustration by Robert Schulz.

The Heat Is On: The Case of the Sunbather’s Diary

Five years ago, I posted a selection of summer-related paperback fronts in this blog. With the temperatures in usually pleasant Seattle soaring lately into the 80s and record 90s, I thought I ought to revisit that theme. So for the next couple of weeks, you can expect this page to be bursting out with sandy beaches, bikinis, smoldering lust, drifting sailboats, striped towels, and a few tall libations to keep the heat from causing too much trouble. Stay cool!

To enjoy the full set of our latest summer covers, click here.



The Case of the Sunbather’s Diary, by Erle Stanley Gardner (Pocket, 1962). Illustration by Robert McGinnis.