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Ed Noon #2
The Spitting Image
"She was a brunette edition, pocket size, but her binding wasn't what you usually found in bookstores." --Ed Noon, Private Eye
Which one of the very famous and beautiful Wexler twins is trying to kill the other in order to collect the million dollar payoff on the strangest last will and testament of all? Noon is caught between two lovely suspects and various murder attempts to make the will’s weird demands come true. The explosive solution takes place at a burning factory in the Bronx before the stunning showdown in Noon’s office, which he calls the Mouse Auditorium.
Which one of the very famous and beautiful Wexler twins is trying to kill the other in order to collect the million dollar payoff on the strangest last will and testament of all? Noon is caught between two lovely suspects and various murder attempts to make the will’s weird demands come true. The explosive solution takes place at a burning factory in the Bronx before the stunning showdown in Noon’s office, which he calls the Mouse Auditorium.
135 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 1953
6 people are currently reading
29 people want to read
About the author
Michael Avallone
198 books41 followersAlso wrote Nick Carter: Killmaster series under Nick Carter alias with others
Michael Angelo Avallone was a prolific American author of mystery and secret agent fiction, and novelizations based on TV and films. He claimed a lifetime output over 1,000 works, including novels, short stories, articles, published under his own name or 17+ pseudonyms.
His first novel, The Tall Dolores 1953 introduced Ed Noon PI. After three dozen more, the most recent was 1989. The final volume, "Since Noon Yesterday" is, as of 2005, unpublished.
Tie-ins included Man from U.N.C.L.E., Hawaii Five-0, Mannix, Friday the 13th Part III, Beneath the Planet of the Apes and even The Partridge Family. In late 1960s novellas featured U.N.C.L.E.-like INTREX. He is sometimes cited incorrectly as the creator of Man from U.N.C.L.E. (as in the January 1967 issue of The Saint Magazine), or having died March 1.
As Troy Conway, Rod Damon: The Coxeman novel series 1967-73, parodied Man from UNCLE. An unusual entry was the novelization of the 1982 TV mini-series, A Woman Called Golda, the life of Golda Meir.
Among the many pseudonyms that Michael Avallone used (male and female) were: Mile Avalione, Mike Avalone, Nick Carter, Troy Conway, Priscilla Dalton, Mark Dane, Jeanne-Anne dePre, Dora Highland, Stuart Jason, Steve Michaels, Dorothea Nile, Edwina Noone, John Patrick, Vance Stanton, Sidney Stuart, Max Walker, and Lee Davis Willoughby.
From 1962-5, Avallone edited the Mystery Writers of America newsletter. Personal Life:
He married 1949 Lucille Asero (one son; marriage dissolved), 1960 Fran Weinstein (one son, one daughter); died Los Angeles.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_...
http://www.thrillingdetective.com/tri...
Michael Angelo Avallone was a prolific American author of mystery and secret agent fiction, and novelizations based on TV and films. He claimed a lifetime output over 1,000 works, including novels, short stories, articles, published under his own name or 17+ pseudonyms.
His first novel, The Tall Dolores 1953 introduced Ed Noon PI. After three dozen more, the most recent was 1989. The final volume, "Since Noon Yesterday" is, as of 2005, unpublished.
Tie-ins included Man from U.N.C.L.E., Hawaii Five-0, Mannix, Friday the 13th Part III, Beneath the Planet of the Apes and even The Partridge Family. In late 1960s novellas featured U.N.C.L.E.-like INTREX. He is sometimes cited incorrectly as the creator of Man from U.N.C.L.E. (as in the January 1967 issue of The Saint Magazine), or having died March 1.
As Troy Conway, Rod Damon: The Coxeman novel series 1967-73, parodied Man from UNCLE. An unusual entry was the novelization of the 1982 TV mini-series, A Woman Called Golda, the life of Golda Meir.
Among the many pseudonyms that Michael Avallone used (male and female) were: Mile Avalione, Mike Avalone, Nick Carter, Troy Conway, Priscilla Dalton, Mark Dane, Jeanne-Anne dePre, Dora Highland, Stuart Jason, Steve Michaels, Dorothea Nile, Edwina Noone, John Patrick, Vance Stanton, Sidney Stuart, Max Walker, and Lee Davis Willoughby.
From 1962-5, Avallone edited the Mystery Writers of America newsletter. Personal Life:
He married 1949 Lucille Asero (one son; marriage dissolved), 1960 Fran Weinstein (one son, one daughter); died Los Angeles.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_...
http://www.thrillingdetective.com/tri...
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
November 15, 2017
"The Spitting Image" (1953) is the second Ed Noon novel.
The book tells the story of April and June Wexler, twin sisters who both fear the other is planning to do her in. There’s a convoluted will that their wealthy oil tycoon father drew up stating if by the date of their twenty first birthday one of the twins dies, the other will inherit his two million dollar estate.
If both survive, none will inherit anything and the estate goes to a charity. Prior to the novel's opening chapter three attempts were made on June Wexler and she tries to hire Noon to protect her and put a stop her murderous sister’s plot. When a chandelier comes crashing from the ceiling nearly killing both girls Noon is not sure which woman is the intended target.
The book tells the story of April and June Wexler, twin sisters who both fear the other is planning to do her in. There’s a convoluted will that their wealthy oil tycoon father drew up stating if by the date of their twenty first birthday one of the twins dies, the other will inherit his two million dollar estate.
If both survive, none will inherit anything and the estate goes to a charity. Prior to the novel's opening chapter three attempts were made on June Wexler and she tries to hire Noon to protect her and put a stop her murderous sister’s plot. When a chandelier comes crashing from the ceiling nearly killing both girls Noon is not sure which woman is the intended target.
June 10, 2017
Ed Noon is a typical pulp era private eye operating out of an office so small he called it the mouse auditorium. In later novels in the series, he actually moves to a more normal sized office and hires a secretary, Melissa. But he's still the same wisecracking Joe. In still later novels in
the series, he becomes a super spy and meets space aliens. But in this book, the second Ed Noon book in the series, he's still the original swashbuckling PI.
One of the best things about Noon books is Avallone's wild phrasing and crazy descriptions. The book begins with a new client rushing into Noon's office: "She was a brunette edition, pocket size, but her binding was not what you usually find in bookstores." "Dames," Noon explains,
"especially the good looking ones, were always getting into trouble. This was a very good looking one. That meant only one thing to me. A lot of trouble."
Well, he wasn't wrong on that account. When told that this is June Wexler and that her twin sister is April Wexler and June is scared of their chauffeur Anton, Noon wants to know if Anton's surname is
March. Too bad June doesn't think he's funny. He knows who they are now. The rich spoiled heirs to a tremendous
fortune who were in all the gossip columns. Some bullets go flying and Noon observes that: "what was left of
Anton wouldn't interest anybody but his mother or maybe a ghoulish
morgue attendant." No one else writes quite like this.
Indeed, when Lieutenant Mike Monks wants to hear June's side of the story, he finds out that "She was one of those dames who can't talk sitting down. Either that or she knew she had a figure and she wanted to make the most of it
the series, he becomes a super spy and meets space aliens. But in this book, the second Ed Noon book in the series, he's still the original swashbuckling PI.
One of the best things about Noon books is Avallone's wild phrasing and crazy descriptions. The book begins with a new client rushing into Noon's office: "She was a brunette edition, pocket size, but her binding was not what you usually find in bookstores." "Dames," Noon explains,
"especially the good looking ones, were always getting into trouble. This was a very good looking one. That meant only one thing to me. A lot of trouble."
Well, he wasn't wrong on that account. When told that this is June Wexler and that her twin sister is April Wexler and June is scared of their chauffeur Anton, Noon wants to know if Anton's surname is
March. Too bad June doesn't think he's funny. He knows who they are now. The rich spoiled heirs to a tremendous
fortune who were in all the gossip columns. Some bullets go flying and Noon observes that: "what was left of
Anton wouldn't interest anybody but his mother or maybe a ghoulish
morgue attendant." No one else writes quite like this.
Indeed, when Lieutenant Mike Monks wants to hear June's side of the story, he finds out that "She was one of those dames who can't talk sitting down. Either that or she knew she had a figure and she wanted to make the most of it
December 28, 2017
Another good mystery. Ok, granted, a bit implausible, but I enjoyed it anyway.
February 20, 2018
Nice twist
This is an action packed story about twins with a very good twist. It will keep you guessing as to which is the bad one.
This is an action packed story about twins with a very good twist. It will keep you guessing as to which is the bad one.
August 24, 2013
ok murder mystery in the 40's genre
April 5, 2017
Probably more 3.5, but a fine, fast read for times waiting for appointments or swimming lessons.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews