*Crime, Spies & Sleaze: This week, we return to the famous and long-running Sexton Blake Library. Often dubbed ‘the poor man’s 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 famous book cover artists such as Reginald Heade and David Wright (here on #392). 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
#377: PANIC IN THE NIGHT by JAMES STAGG GD/VG £6
#378: HOMICIDE BLUES by DESMOND REID GD/VG £6
#379: FLASHPOINT FOR TREASON by DESMOND REID GD/VG £6
#380: DEADLINE FOR DANGER by ARTHUR MACLEAN GD/VG £6
#391: PASSPORT TO DANGER by JAMES STAGG GD £5
#392: THE COPY-CAT KILLINGS by MARTIN THOMAS GD/VG £6