Murder with Pictures

Kent Murdock Mystery #1

by George Harmon Coxe

Vintage paperback

Genres: Mystery, Fiction

269 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1935

About the author

George Harmon Coxe was an American writer of crime fiction.His series characters are Jack "Flashgun" Casey, Kent Murdock, Leon Morley, Sam Crombie, Max Hale and Jack Fenner. Casey and Murdock are both detectives and photographers. He started writing officially from around 1922, his work being for nickel and dime pulp fiction of the time. To earn money, he originally wrote in many genres, including romance and adventure stories, but was especially fond of crime fiction, his character "Jack (Flashgun) Casey" becoming a popular radio show through to the 1940s. He wrote a total of 63 novels, the last being published in 1975. He was associated with MGM as a writer.

Married to Elizabeth Fowler in 1929, Coxe had 2 children.

He was named a Grand Master in 1964 by The Mystery Writers of America.

Reviews

[Paul · Rating 4 out of 5]

So, Frank Butterfield made a reference to this book in one of his books, and so I thought, okay, let's read it. Entertaining, and fun to read and sort of obscure book from 1935.

[Sharon Healy-Yang · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reading Murder with Pictures is much like watching a sometimes gritty, sometimes elegant Warner Brothers film from the 1930s. You have the maverick photographer with his ironclad, though outside conventions, code of ethics. You have multiple murders. You have a plethora of likely suspects. And of course you have the sassy but still at time vulnerable heroine. Kent Murdock gets mixed up in the killing of a defense attorney for a charming former bootlegger just acquitted of the murder. Is the killer the first murder victim's gangster brother looking for revenge? The femme fatalish wife of the lawyer? The society semi-wastrel with whom she's having an affair? His sister, who proves a love interest for Murdock? Or even Murdock's gold digger separated wife from whom he can't shake free? The book will keep you guessing with lots of turns as Murdock runs down leads. I especially liked that the main character didn't pretend to be smarter than a bunch of oafish police, but respected them and his responsibility to play on the level with them - not that he always could do so. The writing captures the lifestyle of the era beautifully from cars, clothes, mores, locations, you name it.

[Alessandro Giuliani · Rating 4 out of 5]

Autore che non conoscevo e di cui purtroppo sono state tradotte poche opere. È un vero peccato perché questo libro è interessante, bella storia, non scontata, certo con atmosfere un po’ “datate” (è stata scritta negli anni trenta), originale nell’ambientazione (Boston e non le solite New York o L.A.) e nel protagonista, non il solito detective privato, né lo “sbirro” incorruttibile o il giornalista a caccia della verità, ma un fotografo che in fin dei conti si dà da fare per mero tornaconto personale. Insomma tante cose positive, andiamo alla ricerca di qualcos’altro di Coxe 😊

[Ethan Hulbert · Rating 5 out of 5]

Finally getting around to reading more George Harmon Coxe - I love Kent Murdock but I've been putting off reading more of them because then I'd be done with them - you know? But I figure enough of that silliness.

Murder With Pictures was a great book and exactly the sort of masterful piece I'd expect from GHC. Loved the descriptions, loved the non-stop excitement, loved Joyce and how everything tied together in the end. Wow. Very fun 1930s mystery!

[Tea73 · Rating 3 out of 5]

My grandfather was an avid reader of pulp fiction mysteries and there are quite a few at the cabin he built. I am particularly fond of the ones that include a floorplan and/or map on the back. The mystery is fun. There are plenty of suspects. It all came to a fairly satsifying conclusion. No complaints!

[Chazzi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kent Murdock is a newspaper photographer, a button pusher. He is good at what he does because he is the kind of guy that gets into places and get photos the others don't. This time is no different...or is it?

While showering and thinking about the strange people he saw at the party just upstairs from his apartment, he finds he is joined by a gorgeous girl who steps into his shower! She is the one he had his eye on at the party but was cold to his advances. Still in the dress she wore earlier, she whispers "Turn the water on!' just before he hears the police at his front door.

This is his introduction to a sensational and puzzling murder of a famous criminal lawyer who had hosted the party. Underworld characters and society types are among the suspects along with Murdock's ex, who he is trying to get a divorce from.

How these people all inter-relate is interesting. Set in the 1930s, there is atmosphere and action.

George Harmon Coxe (1901 - 1984) started as a newspaper man and also wrote his share of pulp fiction. He also had two of his books made into movies and one of his series became a radio show that ran into the 1940s. He has a total of 63 novels to his credit. A Goodread to me...

[Genna · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pretty good general pulp fiction. The cover of mine was way more scandalous than the actual story, but a perfectly fun page-turner

[Jack Heath]

Synopsis: reporter Murdock is in the shower thinking about the party upstairs. Just then a beautiful girl joins him. Why? There's been a murder.