Fiction Books-Stamps
Dave
A rather dark topic, but the hit man collects worldwide
up to 1940. Between jobs he visits stamp shops.
A fun read.
Are there other novels that involve stamp collecting in the plot?
Dave Becker
TC
Dave:
Here are a few fiction books that feature philately.
Best Regards
Blair
========================================
Big Money, by Peter Turnbull
Large Print Ed. from Amazon Approx $21.95
I haven't seen a review or synopsis of this, but word
has it that it features stamps!
Bloodhounds, by Peter Lovesey
from Amazon Approx $4.79 Paperback
The stamp appears very early in the story before any crime is
committed. A group of Bath crime novel lovers meet weekly
to discuss their favorite reads and they're quite eclectic in their
interests. The discussion turns to locked room mysteries and the
novels of John D. Carr. Eventually the Bloodhounds have their
own locked room murder, in this case a locked houseboat.
The detection is done by Lovesey's Peter Diamond character
so there's a police procedural element as well.
Black Mail, by Doris Disney (Out-of-Print)
Mrs. Meeker's Money, by Doris Disney (Out-of-Print)
Unappointed Rounds, by Doris Miles Disney
These mysteries feature a Postal Inspector as a detective.
Have you read any of these?
The Burglar Who Thought He Was Bogart, by Lawrence Block
from Amazon Approx $5.59 (paperback)
Bernie Rhodenbarr, the main character in the Burgler Who... series,
just can't give up burglaring, and I suspect the reason why is that
stamps may be pretty high on his want list. In the legit world he is a
Used- that is, Antiquarian Bookseller who can't bear to sell his
four-year old Scott catalog, You see, just now it's rife with details
about his lovely paramours' country of origin, facts he can impress
her with. A fun and amusing read that appealed to the collector in me.
Lawrence Block is a confessed stamp collector with interests in
Ireland and worldwide 19th century.
The Case of the One-Penny Orange, by E. V. Cunningham [1981]
(Out-of-print) Search Required
Masao Masuto is a Japanese- American detective in Beverly Hills who
investigates the murder of a prominent stamp dealer. The title refers
to an 1847 stamp from the island of Mauritius that is worth over
$500,000. The case also involves Masao's following the trail of an SS
commander who disappeared at the end of World War II. (Pseudonym of
Howard Fast).
The Chinese Orange Mystery, by Ellery Queen
(out of stock) (1983 Ed.) Search Required
Frederick Dannay and Manfred Lee wrote this and many other mysteries
under the name "Ellery Queen" A man is found dead in the waiting room
of a noted stamp collector - and all of the man's clothing is on
back-to-front! To say more would spoil the story. Originally published
in 1934. The 1983 now out-of-print reissue had the curious subtitle of
"Wife or Death".
Dead Letters, by Sean McGrady [1992]
Paperback from Amazon Approx $4.40
Synopsis from Amazon: FBI-trained US Federal Postal Inspector Eamon
Wearie explores Baltimore's dead letters warehouse where he discovers
clues to a gruesome murder. Out of a job and in over his head, Wearie
finds his search leads straight to hell.
Dutch Blue Error, by William Tappley
A Boston lawyer is in hot pursuit of a stolen Dutch Blue Error.
The Fourth Postman, by Craig Rice (Out-of-print)
Search Required
Craig Rice appears to have been a popular writer in the 30s and a
number of his books are available as reissues in as mass paperback
"Library of Crime Classics" reprints. Unfortunately, this one does not
appear to have been reissued on its own.
Hit Man, by Lawrence Block. [1999] 256 pages
Hardcover from Amazon Approx $15.40
Paperback from Amazon Approx $5.59
Keller, the hit man of the title, engaging in what a review called "a
search for retirement satisfaction," tries out several things, one of
which -- and the only one that works out -- is stamp collecting. He
gets so into it that he can't retire because he needs the income to
support his new stamp collecting habit. [Mystery readers will know
that feeling!] Lawrence Block is a confessed stamp collector with
interests in Ireland and worldwide 19th century.
The Mandarin Mystery, by Ellery Queen [1936] [Video]
Directed by Ralph Staub and staring the unimposing Eddie Quillan as
Ellery Queen. A locked-room murder mystery revolving around a
priceless stamp. Also starring Charlotte Henry. This movie is
available only in the USA.
Note: Could this be The Chinese Orange Mystery under another name?
McNally's Secret, by Lawrence Sanders
from Amazon - Approx $6
Audio tape from Amazon - Approx $6.99
Synopsis (from Amazon): "Accustomed to helping the high society of
Palm Beach cover up its scandals, private investigator Archy McNally
agrees to assist a wealthy matron find a missing block of priceless
stamps when the case uncovers a shocking secret from his own past."
From the Editor: Lawrence Sanders has his fans. I imagine Product
Placement Managers, if there is such a thing for books, are among the
most active members. I also find it slightly odd that a guy of his
tastes and habits, I'm talking about McNally, still lives with Mom &
Dad. Yes, McNally is a curious amateur PI....
The Mystery Box, by Frederick Highland.
Short Story Collection
Hardcover from Amazon Approx $24.95
Softcover from Amazon Approx $16.95
Twenty mysteries of all types - suspense, cozy, psychological, parody.
Although only a few of the stories actually have a stamp in the story,
each story is illustrated with and is inspired by postage stamps.
Unique non-fiction commentary follows each tale, sort of like AMC or
History Channel vignettes. Reviewed widely in the philatelic press and
a cover-feature excerpt in the January 1999 American Philatelist. A
must have for collectors and mystery readers alike.
The February 2, 1998 Linn's Stamp News had a column in which they
reviewed a couple of novels with a stamp collecting connection.
The first, COMRADES, AVENGE US, is a thriller about Nazi hunting.
It barely mentions stamps, but it's by Stephen G. Esrati, who is a
well-known writer in r.c.s.d. It's available directly from the
author. Self-published, maybe?
The second is called RETURN OF THE JENNY, by Dick Stark
who evidently has written two other mysteries. This one is definitely
self-published. The Jenny of the title is the Curtiss Jenny, the
airplane that was printed upside down on one sheet of airmail stamps
in 1918. The book's premise is that a second sheet of 100 was spirited
out of the U.S. Bureau of Engraving and Printing by a worker, leading
to murders both back then and when the sheet is rediscovered in the
present day. The book is very harsh toward members of the stamp trade,
and, according to the review, rather poorly written.
The Scarlet Ruse, by John D. MacDonald.
Paperback Approx $4.79
Audio Cassette from Amazon Approx $6.29
A Travis McGee mystery in which Travis is hired to recover a
stolen stamp collection. The audio cassette version is read
by Darren McGavin.
Sealed With a Kiss, by Sean McGrady [1995]
Paperback Approx $4.40
Baltimore Postal Inspector Eamon Wearie and his partner, Bunko
Ryan, search for an avenging femme fatale and her poison pen
sending a series of threatening chain letters connected to the grisly
deaths of their male recipients.
Solomon's Seal, by Hammond Innes
Paperback Approx $19.95
LargePrint Ed. from Amazon Approx $21.95
A true "philatelic mystery". A must read for those who enjoy
adventure, exotic locations, historical content, and the unraveling
of a philatelic puzzle. Very well written and clearly well researched.
The paperback is a 1997 reissue from Pan. The 1981 Large Print
edition is from Ulverscroft.
The Stamp Collectors, by David Benedictus (Out-of-print)
Search Required
Town Without a Zip, by Sean McGrady
Paperback Approx $4.79
Synopsis (from Amazon): Returning from his honeymoon, Eamon
Wearie is the target of a series of life-altering incidents. Behind
the disasters is a madman's scheme to possess the woman
he has always loved. Now, to get inside the criminal mind,
Eamon must look to the deviant's heart--and the twisted love
letters that reveal the mark of a killer.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I have very little information about about the following titles?
The Adventure of the One-Penny Black from The Adventures
of Ellery Queen
The Antigua Stamp, by Robert Graves. [1936, UK The Penny Puce]
out of print.
Cancelled in Red, by Hugh Pentecost
A prolific writer, but I could find nothing about this title.
Darling Corey's Dead, by Maurice Webb
Death of a Postman, by John Creasy
The Great Mail, by Clarence Budington Kelland
The Postage Stamp Murder, by George C Bestor -
Geo. Clinton Bestor wrote "City Planning Bibliography".
Could he be moonlighting as a writer of philatelic fiction??
Stolen Stamps, by J Bruce Chiltenden
Neil C.
Neil C.
"TC" <T...@litterbox.com> wrote in message
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