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Ms. Tree #1
The Files of Ms. Tree, Volume One: I, For An Eye and Death Do Us Part
Collects “I, for an Eye” (Eclipse Magazine #1-6) and “Death Do Us Part” (Ms. Tree's Thrilling Detective Stories #1-3).
134 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1984
40 people want to read
About the author
Max Allan Collins
819 books1,345 followersReceived the Shamus Award, "The Eye" (Lifetime achievment award) in 2006.
He has also published under the name Patrick Culhane. He and his wife, Barbara Collins, have written several books together. Some of them are published under the name Barbara Allan.
Book Awards
Shamus Awards Best Novel winner (1984) : True Detective
Shamus Awards Best Novel winner (1992) : Stolen Away
Shamus Awards Best Novel nominee (1995) : Carnal Hours
Shamus Awards Best Novel nominee (1997) : Damned in Paradise
Shamus Awards Best Novel nominee (1999) : Flying Blind: A Novel about Amelia Earhart
Shamus Awards Best Novel nominee (2002) : Angel in Black
Japanese: マックス・アラン・コリンズ
or マックス・アラン コリンズ
He has also published under the name Patrick Culhane. He and his wife, Barbara Collins, have written several books together. Some of them are published under the name Barbara Allan.
Book Awards
Shamus Awards Best Novel winner (1984) : True Detective
Shamus Awards Best Novel winner (1992) : Stolen Away
Shamus Awards Best Novel nominee (1995) : Carnal Hours
Shamus Awards Best Novel nominee (1997) : Damned in Paradise
Shamus Awards Best Novel nominee (1999) : Flying Blind: A Novel about Amelia Earhart
Shamus Awards Best Novel nominee (2002) : Angel in Black
Japanese: マックス・アラン・コリンズ
or マックス・アラン コリンズ
Ratings & Reviews
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Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
October 24, 2019
Back in the pre-Brubaker days of the 1980’s, crime and detective fiction in comics were fairly rare. Sure, some superheroes--Batman and Elongated Man mostly--would put on the detective hat from time to time. And Dick Tracy was comfortably ensconced in the nation’s comics pages.
And then along came Collins and Beatty with Ms. Tree (to be fair, Collins was also writing Dick Tracy at the time, so it's not like he descended on comics completely out of the blue.) Yes, the name is a pun Chester Gould would have envied, but there's nothing silly about her. In traditional private eye fashion, her first case is tracking down the person responsible for her partner’s death. In somewhat of a break from tradition, said partner is also her husband.
This volume consists of the first two Ms. Tree stories, along with a previously unpublished short prose story. Yes, there are some rough edges at first. Both Collins and Beatty were still developing their skills. But their characters are sound, and you can definitely see their work improving as the book progresses.
Although this book is long out of print--it was published in 1984; it's currently 2019 as I type this--it's worth tracking down. Ms. Tree is a character for the ages, and deserves to be more widely known. Recommended!
And then along came Collins and Beatty with Ms. Tree (to be fair, Collins was also writing Dick Tracy at the time, so it's not like he descended on comics completely out of the blue.) Yes, the name is a pun Chester Gould would have envied, but there's nothing silly about her. In traditional private eye fashion, her first case is tracking down the person responsible for her partner’s death. In somewhat of a break from tradition, said partner is also her husband.
This volume consists of the first two Ms. Tree stories, along with a previously unpublished short prose story. Yes, there are some rough edges at first. Both Collins and Beatty were still developing their skills. But their characters are sound, and you can definitely see their work improving as the book progresses.
Although this book is long out of print--it was published in 1984; it's currently 2019 as I type this--it's worth tracking down. Ms. Tree is a character for the ages, and deserves to be more widely known. Recommended!
March 13, 2014
The first book reprinting the adventures of comic book private detective Michael Tree is an excellent collection! This features the first two storylines, reprinted from Eclipse Magazine and Ms. Tree's Thrilling Detective Adventures.
Max Allan Collins has always been a master of the series detective genre and these tales are no less than you would expect from his typewriter. Terry Beatty's fine, detailed and realistic artwork gives the stories a sense of drama and immediacy that you normally only find in the pages of Hammett or Spillane.
As both prime examples of the heights to which alternative/independent comic books can reach, and as simply fine storytelling, I can't recommend this book more highly.
Max Allan Collins has always been a master of the series detective genre and these tales are no less than you would expect from his typewriter. Terry Beatty's fine, detailed and realistic artwork gives the stories a sense of drama and immediacy that you normally only find in the pages of Hammett or Spillane.
As both prime examples of the heights to which alternative/independent comic books can reach, and as simply fine storytelling, I can't recommend this book more highly.
May 2, 2025
The first two Ms. Tree stories from teh 1980s originally published in Eclipse Magazine - a publisher I sorely miss- and Ms. Tree's Thrilling Detective Stories, though this volume was published by Aardvark- Vanaheim. This recounts how Ms. Tree and her detective agency began. Her husband is gunned down on their honeymoon and she vows revenge. What flows is a violent crime noir, one without mercy or morals. What I always found intriguing about the Ms. Tree stories is how one follows on from the other, and each add to the mythology of the world and depth to the characters. There are no stand-alone stories that have no meaning. Lots of great fun.
June 28, 2023
Una historia de origen para un personaje con innegables raíces en el hard-boiled (especialmente aquel que firma Mickey Spillane) y el interesante giro de presentar una protagonista femenina, los suficientemente endurecida para apretar el gatillo sin titubeos o asumir las consecuencias de una mala decisión. Una premisa filosa como la propia Ms.Tree.
August 22, 2014
This is the earliest Ms. Tree stories by Max Allan Collins and Terry Beatty. I enjoyed both stories in the volume. Terry Beatty has only gotten better. His art here is a little stiff but still gets the story across well enough.
March 8, 2016
Rereading this series... too bad the whole thing never got collected. I have a real fondness for Ms Tree's pulpy violent crusade against the evil Muerta mob family. Even the static art with its awkward poses and Ms Tree's bizarre mask of a face somehow just Works.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews