*Crime, Spies & Sleaze: This week, we return to the famous and long-running Sexton Blake Library. Often dubbed ‘the poor man Sherlock Holmes’, there’s still no doubting the popularity of Sexton Blake, who has probably had far more fiction written of him than the world’s greatest detective. Six issues new in this week from the 1950s. These are picture library sized, but mainly text. The series ran from 1915 to 1968, These issues follow the 1956 revamp by W Howard Baker when the covers took on a more gangster/sleazy mode and were drawn by notable artists such as Reginald Heade (#315 here) and David Wright. Written by a ‘harem’ of notable writers including Wilfred McNeilly, W Howard Baker, Michael Moorcock (one of many moonlighting as house name Desmond Reid), Peter Saxon and Jack Trevor Story, the longevity of the series is testament to the quality of the plotting and writing.
PICTURED: SEXTON BLAKE LIBRARY: ALL AMALGAMATED 1950s ALL SOLD
#315: THE RIDDLE OF THE INVISIBLE MENACE by REX HARDINGE GD £8 Heade cover
#365: NIGHT BEAT by ARTHUR MACLEAN GD/VG £6
#366: REQUIEM FOR REDHEADS by W HOWARD BAKER VG £7
#367: ASSIGNMENT IN BEIRUT by JAMES STAGG VG £7
#368: DARK FRONTIER by ARTHUR MACLEAN VG £7
#369: WOMAN OF SAIGON by PETER SAXON GD £5