The Plot Master/Death Jewels

by Maxwell Grant and Walter B. Gibson

The Dark Avenger crushes crime in two thrilling pulp mysteries by Walter B. Gibson, writing as Maxwell Grant. First, The Shadow follows a trail of espionage that begins on Death Island and leads to... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1934943053
• ISBN13: 9781934943052
• Release Date: January 2008
• Publisher: Nostalgia Ventures
• Length: 128 Pages
• Weight: 0.55 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.3" x 7.1" x 9.9"

Customer Reviews

2 classic Shadow novels in this new reprint series.

Nostalgia Ventures and Anthony Tollin have teamed up to do a comprehensive reprint of several Street & Smith pulp heroes. At present, they are doing double reprints of The Shadow and Doc Savage. Shortly, they will start new series reprinting The Avenger and The Whisperer. All have complete pulp texts (no edits or removals, like past reprints), tho reset so its easier to read, the original illustrations, reprinted covers (one is used as the cover of the book, but both original pulp covers are shown on the back), and several additional articles and extras. Hopefully, they can succeed to reprinting all these characters in these new editions, they are all excellent. With The Shadow having over 325 pulp novels, only a few reprinted, for the most part they are avoiding those that have been reprinted. They do try to pick two that more or less 'go together' in terms of a common theme. With this book, #21, we have "The Plot Master" (Feb 1, 1935) and "Death Jewels" (Aug 1, 1938). The common theme is death traps. The cover of "Death Jewels" is used as the cover of this volume, and the original pulp covers of both are shown on the back cover. "The Plot Master" see a return to the setting of the fourth Shadow novel, "The Red Menace" (as yet unreprinted by Nostalgia Venturers). It also has the first outing of new Shadow agent, pilot Miles Crofton; the Shadow using the identity of Henry Arnaud rather then Cranston, and the intro of Senator Ross Releston. Releston would be used further in the series as someone with the government who would *assign* cases to The Shadow. "Death Jewels" may seem a standard Shadow story about jewel thiefs, but is also an outing for The Shadow's real identity, Kent Allard. As extras in this issue are: An Interlude by pulp historian Will Murray, explaining the theme of these stories. An article by Walter Gibson entitled "I Remember Houdini". A brief bio of Gibson.

Pulp Fiction for real

All of the publication of The Shadow and Doc Savage are great fun. I prefer the Shadow. All of the stories are written under the name Maxwell Grant, but most were written by Walter Gibson. His plotting is solid and the stories are not just the same formula over and over. It is obvious that the Shadow in written form (not the old radio show - which was always separate stories) was a model for the Batman comics. It was a different time in the 30's and reading stories set in those times opens a doorway into the era. The pulps are enjoying a comeback, and I am loving it. The stories are not presented in any order so any of The Shadow series you happen upon will be a good start. Grab one and enjoy.