The Corpse That Walked

by Octavus Roy Cohen

a selection from Chapter Twenty-five: THE FACT of having killed a man was not easy for Alan to grasp. And there were so many things about this homicide that were weird: the incongruous setting-a frilly, satiny, perfumed bedroom; the gray figure huddled on the floor; Sunny sprawled unconscious on the bed; Wayne Hamilton, correct and immaculate in dinner clothes. Everything was out of focus.Alan was aware of pain. He took out a handkerchief and dabbed at his face. He looked at the handkerchief and saw that it was crimson. He felt ill, and was grateful for the steady sound of Hamilton's voice. The lawyer was saying, -Take hold of yourself, son.

Alan tried, but without much success. He'd seen things like this in pictures, on the stage, and the person involved had seemed always to have glib speeches ready, to be capable of thinking clearly, of analyzing the situation, and of discussing it calmly. This was different. His head was whirling, his brain shied from accepting a ghastly fact. He was feeling rather than thinking.

Hamilton said, -Can you tell me what happened?-

But Alan couldn't tell him. Not then. He had to get one idea established. He looked down at Chuck and then at the lawyer:

-You're sure he's dead?-

-Yes.-

Simple. Like that. Alan spoke again, and even to himself his voice sounded unnatural. He said, -What about Sunny?-

Hamilton put his hand on Alan's arm. He pressed tightly and looked straight into the eyes of the younger man. -Snap out of it,- he ordered, not unkindly. Then he walked to the side of the bed and looked at Sunny.

He felt her pulse and her heart, he listened to her breathing, he looked for bruises. When he straightened up and looked at Alan again, he was shaking his head.

-She's out cold,- he said. -Her pulse is normal, her breathing is good, I don't see any marks. Maybe she fainted.-

-No. I think Chuck hit her with the gun.-

-Oh.- Wayne Hamilton nodded. -Then it's probably concussion; maybe even a slight fracture. With that pulse there's nothing to worry about.-

Alan said dully, -You'd better call a doctor.-

-I will. But first...- Hamilton took Alan by the arm and guided him into Sunny's bathroom. He turned on the cold water and spoke quietly. -Get yourself fixed up. You're a mess.-

Genres: Pulp, Mystery

Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 1951

About the author

Octavus Roy Cohen was an American author, born in South Carolina where he received his secondary education at the Porter Military Academy, now the exclusive Porter-Gaud School. He went on to receive a college education at the Clemson University. Between 1910 and 1912 he worked in the editorial departments of the Birmingham Ledger, the Charleston News and Courier, the Bayonne Times, and the Newark Morning Star. He became popular as a result of his stories printed in The Saturday Evening Post which concerned themselves with the adventures of the Southern Negro. If his people seemed to possess the usual mythical Negro qualities of drollery and miscomprehensions, his tales at any rate were spirited. In 1913, he was admitted to the South Carolina bar and practiced law in Charleston for two years. Between 1917 and his death he published 56 books, works that included humorous and detective novels, plays, and collections of short stories. He also composed successful Broadway plays and radio, film, and television scripts.

Reviews

[Marcus · Rating 4 out of 5]

I don’t know why people were so down on this book in reviews. It was fun and easy to read which is always a good time. It’s certainly a product of its time but that little bit of nostalgia was like a light summer snack.

[Kelliann Gomez · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book really made me appreciate books that have withstood the passage of time and remained pertinent... Because it has not.

It was a good reprieve from that true crime/mystery style that seems to be so completely common and overly done in the genre, but a lot of the events were very simple (although probably believable in a simpler time, I suppose). For example, one woman was able to buy a ticket to Cuba and Miami for the next day and get records and information from staff on cruise ships, at hotels, etc... She was also able to up and leave her NY apartment, find a seasonal job in FL, and rent an apartment in FL. NBD.

Police officers were very open with her at the end and fully disclosed everything that had happened to her. They also were able to take away only the suspects they thought were important...

So... Blah. A very convenient, simple, and unimpressive novel. The writing style seems a bit dated as well but wasn't half bad.

[Mary · Rating 2 out of 5]

Sure it's a bit a pulp potboiler, with plenty of 50s dialog like "This sure is a wow of a party" and "there's nobody that hard boiled, is there?" and cold-as-flint murderers and prostitutes with hearts of gold and an "average guy"in a sweater in the middle of it. Probably rots my brains, but every once in a while, there's a beautifully clever bit, like the description of an exotic dancer as someone with feathers of one end, shoes on the other and not much in between. I'm glad at least that I know this oft-cited genre of pulpy crime novel. Evidently, Octavus was one of the great practicers of it.

[Patrick Hayes · Rating 3 out of 5]

This 142 page novella from 1942 (Forget Kindle--I found a paperback for a buck!) has all the pulpy goodness one would want from this time period.

The setup is simple: an honest man (and he is) is offered two grand to go through plastic surgery to look like another and imitate the man in Miami. He and his fiancee need the money quickly, so the money is taken, but there's much more to the story.

This has plenty of twists, great characters--albeit a small cast, and some great lines.

The only downfall is the ending is anti-climatic. I read it in 90 minutes, so I didn't feel too put off.

If you're looking for an old time Noir novel, this is worth your time.

[Lisa Kucharski · Rating 2 out of 5]

A lot of lead up with all the action at the end. Luckily this was a short novel cause I don't think the story could have been dragged out any more than it was. It was getting frustrating at point where I knew what the set up was and then you just sat around and waited for "it" to happen.

The writing was nice, but it could have used some more twists and turns to make it much more interesting for the reader.

[Jeff · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a pretty good early Gold Medal PBO. Not a lot of action and stretches the limits of credulity at times, but all in all not a bad read.