Scary Halloween Week (Saturday)

Today we end our journey through the Scary Halloween Week. 

We started with the Carter Brown tale, So What killed The Vampire.

We will end with his tale, True Son of The Beast. 

True Son Of the Beast

by Carter Brown

Robert McGinnis Cover

then the moon merged from behind  a cloud bank and I could see level ground ahead of me, dotted with an occasional stunted brush. It figured I must be getting close to the river, so I managed to stop sobbing for breath and kept on walking. The next moment an owl hooted loudly close by, and almost put me into orbit........There was no reason to panic just because I was all on my own. lost in a strange country, and would probably never find civilization. And that flickering blue light...was strictly a figment of my imagination.......The next moment I was involved in a two sided conversation with myself....all the time I had been having that two way conversation with myself my idiot legs had gone walking all by themselves, and now I was too close not to see the thing lying on the ground directly in font of me....The closer I got the more it it looked like somebody was just lying there on the ground....The guy was stark naked on the ground with a aping hole in his throat.......

 A country house full of sexy, sultry swingers,

but one was a witch with murder on her mind!

 There was a curse on the house, and a corpse with its throat cut open in the marsh. Screenwriter Larry Baker came to the strange island estate to bring superstar Trudi Lambert back to Hollywood. But he did not count on a house full of devil worshipers. Before the week was over there were lewd satanic orgies, strange creatures lurking in the darkness. And an island strewn with dead bodies. Baker's script called for sex, but the question was survival!

Printing History
Written by Allen G Yates (1923-1985)

Horwitz Publications, Inc

Numbered Series #153 1970 (1971?)

ISBN 7255 0106

New American Library

Signet Books

P4268 June 1970

Y8050 1978

Scary Halloween Week (Sunday)

Scary Halloween Week kicks off today and will run through Saturday, which so happens to be Halloween this year. Just what is Scary Halloween week exactly? Well, Scary Halloween will showcase a different mystery or horror event. A book, film, or television show will be featured. 

Today we will start off with a old favorite

So What Killed The Vampire 

 by Carter Brown

When TV Writer Larry Baker stumbles through a comedy of horrors in an old haunted castle...Merrie England was never merrier or deadlier.

Robert McGinnis Cover

"Can I help it if the wall gave way?" In his crazy castle capers Larry Baker crashes through walls with ease of Superman. And somehow usually lands plunk in the middle of a lovely lady's bed. But Larry isn't really a sex maniac. Not quite. Even though the black-haired babe calls him seducer and the gamin-type blonde screams bloody murder.

Grant Roberts Cover

 When you up against a real live vampires, disappearing corpses, things that go wheesh in the night, plus a couple of gorgeous undressed gals guarantee to drive Larry up the wall. Something has to give. And when it does, with plenty of happy horrible hilarity! 

It was called Fearsome Grange and it's a natural for the supernatural. Larry baker and his sidekick Boris Silvka are there to create their new TV horror series right on location. The old 13th century castle has everything, slimy moat, revolving walls, secret passages, hidden treasure, and an ancient curse. In fact, it's made to order, right down to the unexpected bunch of murky monsters in residence. Perfectly cast and not in the script.

 

Printing History
Written by Alan G Yates (1923-1985)

Horwitz Publications Inc. 

Numbered Series #130 1966

International Edition Series #78 1975 

Published in Hong Kong

New American Library

Signet Books

D2859 March 1966

Y6549 1975

New English Library

Four Square Books

#1721 January 1967

Bonus Covers

USA

Germany

5th Anniversary

Today marks this blogs 5th anniversary 

This year, instead of rehashing the two book titles that got me started enjoying reading mysteries and spy stories. I will highlight the introduction of the characters of my favorite author, Mr Carter Brown. He brought into the world numerous characters with his stories and novelettes. He would settle on a handful of reoccurring characters, seven to be exact. His most famous would be Police Lieutenant Al Wheeler, in which he would appear from 1955 until 1984.
 

Al Wheeler (1955-1984)

Police Lieutenant in Pine City California

Danny Boyd (1957-1984)

New York City Private Eye that moves to California later in the series

Rick Holman (1961-1984)

Hollywood Trouble Shooter

Mavis Seidlitz (1955-1974)

 Blonde private investigator with Gracie Allen tendencies

 Randal Robert (1971-1976)

Lawyer 

Paul Donovan (1974-1979)

Millionaire Adventurer 

Larry Baker (1955-1975)

TV Gag Writer with his partner Boris Sivka

Off to another year

No Blonde Is An Island (Revised) by Carter Brown

Put TV comedy write Larry Baker on a plush private island with three beautiful women, two jealous husbands, one escaped lunatic.....

And what do you get? 

Lots of laughs and five corpses.
 

Anyone for Monte Cristo?

It's a game Hoyle never heard of. You play it stripped to your polka-dot shorts. If your the boy type player, that is. The playground is an old French-style chateau on an island off the West Coast, complete with dungeon, trapdoor, and plenty of mantraps...like your playmate for instance, a torrid blonde, 100% natural, 100% nude, and 100% up to no good.......

Robert McGinnis Cover

 In this frightening frolic through a tycoons island fun house, Larry Bake, TV writer, finds plots, people, and perils that defy even his wild imagination........

Printing History
Written by Alan G Yates (1922-1985)

Horwitz Publications

Numbered Series #123 1965

International Edition Series #75 1972 

ISBN 7255 0171

New American Library

Signet Books

D2612 January 1965

T5835 1974

New English Library

Four Square Books

#1374 November 1965

Bonus Covers

Germany (1980)

Germany (1968)

 Russia (1992)

 France (1987)

Finland (1967)

Robert McGinnis Cover

The Iron Maiden by Carter Brown

Hold That Corpse

US Edition

Larry Baker was sure he was dreaming, and he didn't want to wake up. An English castle full of willing maidens, a big fat advance, and all expenses paid. All he had to do was write a grade B movie script, starring Desiree Dawn, the lord of the manor's luscious wife, and using the ancestral home as his setting. Larry was on Easy Street, and enjoying every minute of it until things got out of hand. His script started writing itself, but Larry didn't like the way the plot was going. First the family ghost was seen walking the dungeons. Then Larry found himself chasing missing bodies and falling into secret passages. His dream job was now a nightmare, and Larry wanted to write the movie off as a total loss. It was either that or let someone else finish the story with a big bang that had "the end" of Larry Baker written all over it......

Horwitz Edition

Printing History

Written by Alan G Yates (1923-1985)

Horwitz Publications 

Horwitz Group Books Pty. Limited

(Hong Kong Branch)

Numbered Series #178

ISBN 7255 291

1975

New American Library

Signet Books

ISBN 451 Y6425

April 1975

Trivia

Larry Baker's last appearance. 

Charlie Sent Me! by Carter Brown (Revised)

TV's top-rated comedian planned a private eye gimmick which turned into mayhem when the hood walked in and said.....

Horwitz Numbered Series #114

When the gaunt hood walked into the room and said "Charlie Sent me," and beat up Eddie Sackville, top-rated comedian, he started a chain of gruesome events for script writer Larry Baker which started with murder and finished with murder.....

Charlie Sent Me!

Horwitz International Edition Series #46

TV write Larry Baker knows good lines when he sees them. In script. Or on a girl. But when somebody ad-libs an off screen murder, Larry sets out to prove he did not author the job. His search for a killer takes him to the bedrooms of a bevy of beauties, the plush apartment of a big time gangster, and a futuristic mansion that plays music to itself. A long playing dirge, a "Song of Death." Larry Baker is powerless to stop.

Robert McGinnis Covers

This title is the revision of the novelette Swan Song For A Siren published in 1955, 1958, 1960.

Swan Song For A Siren

Horwitz Numbered Series #2

Printing History

As Swan Song For A Siren

Horwitz Publications

Numbered Series #2 (September 1955)

Second Collectors Edition Series Volume 1 #16 (1958)

Reprint By Demand Series #30 (1960)

As Charlie Sent Me!

Numbered Series #114 (1963)

International Edition Series #46 (1965)

New American Library

Signet Books

G2394 (November 1963)

T4775 (September 1971)

T4775 (September 1971) in Canada.

True Son Of The Beast! by Carter Brown

A country house full of sexy, sultry swingers,

but one was a witch with murder on her mind!

Robert McGinnis Cover

Satanic Sex!

There was a curse on the house, and a corpse with its throat cut open in the marsh. Screenwriter Larry Baker came to the strange island estate to bring superstar Trudi Lambert back to Hollywood. But he did not count on a house full of devil worshipers. 

Horwitz Edition

Before the week was over there were lewd satanic orgies, strange creatures lurking in the darkness. And an island strewn with dead bodies. Baker's script called for sex, but the question was survival!

Signet Reprint

Printing History

Horwitz Publications

Numbered Series #153 1970 (1971?)

ISBN 7255 0106

New American Library

Signet Books

P4268 June 1970

Y8050 1978

Had I But Groaned by Carter Brown

Her magic was as old as the hills. 

She just took off her clothes and there he was..spellbound.

Robert McGinnis Cover

She was a witch, naturally. Why else would an able-minded young man accept an invitation to a dark old house with a curse upon it. Where a lake holds a dread secret and someone is about to die a horrible death? Which witch is going to get Larry Baker as she goes bump in the night?

Signet Reprint

Larry Baker walks into a blood-chilling, swinging Sabbath complete with an old hag, a dangerous enchanting witch, and one ripe virgin, about to be sacrificed.....

UK Edition

Printing History

Horwtiz Publications Inc

Numbered Series #142 1968

New American Library

Signet Books

D3380 February 1968

Y7222 1976

New English Library

Four Square Books

as The Witches

#2495 May 1969

No Blonde Is An Island by Carter Brown

Put TV comedy write Larry Baker on a plush private island with three beautiful women, 

two jealous husbands, one escaped lunatic.....

and what do you get? 

Lots of laughs and five corpses.

Robert McGinnis Cover

Anyone for Monte Cristo?

It's a game Hoyle never heard of. You play it stripped to your polka-dot shorts. If your the boy type player, that is. The playground is an old French-style chateau on an island off the West Coast, complete with dungeon, trapdoor, and plenty of mantraps...like your playmate for instance, a torrid blonde, 100% natural, 100% nude, and 100% up to no good.......

Signet 3rd Printing

In this frightening frolic through a tycoons island fun house, Larry Bake, TV writer, finds plots, people, and perils that defy even his wild imagination........

Horwitz Edition

Printing History

Horwitz Publications

Numbered Series #123 1965

International Edition Series #75 1972 

ISBN 7255 0171

New American Library

Signet Books

D2612 January 1965

T5835 1974

New English Library

Four Square Books

#1374 November 1965

Charlie Sent Me! by Carter Brown

Larry Baker, a fun-loving, women-chasing, TV Gag writer, finds out that murder can be a serious business.

Horwitz Edition

When the gaunt hood walked into the room and said "Charlie sent me," and beat up Eddie Sackville, top rated TV comedian, he started a gruesome events for script-writer Larry Bake which started with murder and finished with murder....

Printing History

Horwtiz Publications Inc

Numbered Series #114 1963

International Edition Series #46 1965

New American Library

Signet Books

G 2394 November 1963 

T4775 September 1971

T4775 September 1971 Canada

Note

Originally published as Swan Song For A Siren

Swan Song For A Siren

So What killed The Vampire? by Carter Brown

When TV Writer Larry Baker stumbles through a comedy of horrors in an old haunted castle...Merrie England was never merrier or deadlier.

Signet Edition

"Can I help it if the wall gave way?" In his crazy castle capers Larry Baker crashes through walls with ease of Superman. And somehow usually lands plunk in the middle of a lovely lady's bed. But Larry isn't really a sex maniac. Not quite. Even though the black-haired babe calls him seducer and the gamin-type blonde screams bloody murder.

Horwtiz Edition

When you up against a real live vampires, disappearing corpses, things that go wheesh in the night, plus a couple of gorgeous undressed gals guarantee to drive Larry up the wall. Something has to give. And when it does, with plenty of happy horrible hilarity! 

Four Square Edition

It was called Fearsome Grange and it's a natural for the supernatural. Larry baker and his sidekick Boris Silvka are there to create their new TV horror seriesright on location. The old 13th century castle has everything, slimy moat, revolving walls, secret passages, hidden treasure, and an ancient curse. In fact, it's made to order, right down to the unexpected bunch of murky monsters in residence. Perfectly cast and not in the script.

Robert McGinnis cover

Printing History

Horwitz Publications Inc. 

Numbered Series #130 1966

International Edition Series #78 1975 

Published in Hong Kong

New American Library

Signet Books

D2859 March 1966

Y6549 1975

New English Library

Four Square Books

#1721 January 1967

Swan Song For A Siren

Swan Song For A Siren was the second title in the Carter Brown Numbered Series published in September 1955 by Horwitz Publications Inc. The title was revised and reissued in 1963 as Charlie Sent Me! The main character was changed from Joe Dunne to Larry Baker. The original story has our hero as a TV show writer. Eddie Sackville is America's number one comedian, and his staff does not think he is even funny. Eddie gets a bright idea for his show to write in a gag private eye. It will be good for laughs with fake bullets. But somebody put the real bullets in and somebody gets killed right before 4 million viewers. Joe goes off to see the person who started it all, a guy named Charlie.

Cover photograph by Bernard Blackburn

New American Library Signet editions. Left is the November 1963 First Printing and on the right the 3rd Printing from September 1971. A note of such. The second printing was the same as the 3rd except printed in Canada.  Cover art by Robert McGinnis.

Horwitz reissued this title under the new title Charlie Sent Me! with book number 114 in the Numbered Series. Sorry no scan of yet.