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The Other Woman
THE OTHER WOMAN
“It was a phone call that started the whole thing.”
Real estate agent Neil Cowan gets a call from the city's biggest developer, John Cameron Royal. He's interested in forty acres of land on a local lake that Neil has listed. He wants to turn the land into a housing development. He also wants Neil to handle the sale of the houses he builds there.
Then he meets Emmaline, Royal's beautiful and wild young wife, who seems to be interested in a business of a different kind. Is it simply an affair she's looking for—or something more sinister? Besides the fact that Neil is married, getting involved with Emmaline could jeopardize the biggest deal of his career. And when he falls prey to Emmaline's beauty, Neil soon starts to regret it.
“It was a phone call that started the whole thing.”
Real estate agent Neil Cowan gets a call from the city's biggest developer, John Cameron Royal. He's interested in forty acres of land on a local lake that Neil has listed. He wants to turn the land into a housing development. He also wants Neil to handle the sale of the houses he builds there.
Then he meets Emmaline, Royal's beautiful and wild young wife, who seems to be interested in a business of a different kind. Is it simply an affair she's looking for—or something more sinister? Besides the fact that Neil is married, getting involved with Emmaline could jeopardize the biggest deal of his career. And when he falls prey to Emmaline's beauty, Neil soon starts to regret it.
- GenresCrime
204 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1960
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
January 20, 2025
Originally published by Beacon in 1960 by Charles Burgess, now re-released with the original cover artwork brighter by Stark House's Black Gat Books in July 2024. Although Beacon was a sleaze pulp house, the Other Woman is firmly in the crime fiction camp despite a few hot and heavy scenes.
The setting is a small west coast of Florida town, Jellico, and the lead character, Neil Cowan is a real estate agent, married to Julie, with a young daughter, Linda. He is excited about meeting with a millionaire who wants to develop some land, one John Royal. Although Cowan offers that he is ethical and won't sell out the older woman who wants to hold fast to a fair price on her land, Cowan turns out to be a bit of a cad, who quickly falls for Royal's beautiful wife, Emmeline, and after a quick roll in the backseat, hands over his soul to her, lock, stock, and barrel, -- almost. Cowan also takes advantage of his young innocent secretary, Kathy, the minute his wife is out of town.
Despite all this, we as the readers feel sympathy for Cowan because we know - before he even does- that he is the foolish patsy taking the fall for the millionaire's murder. The set up is a beaut and the frame is so tight he can't wiggle his way out of it. The fun though is how foolishly he plays into the hands of whoever is setting him up, not knowing whether to go to the police with what he knows or to hide the evidence that comes into his possession.
Although we know Cowan is a cad, you can't help but follow in his shoes as he ridiculously makes a clown out of himself and no one - not his wife, not his lawyer, and not the homicide detectives - thinks he is innocent.
Burgess, who is known for writing only one other full-length novel which appears never to have reached American publication, does a great job with this one. It has all the right stuff from the blonde bombshell femme fatale to the patsy who takes the fall to the mysterious strangers lurking around in the background any one of whom could be the mastermind.
The setting is a small west coast of Florida town, Jellico, and the lead character, Neil Cowan is a real estate agent, married to Julie, with a young daughter, Linda. He is excited about meeting with a millionaire who wants to develop some land, one John Royal. Although Cowan offers that he is ethical and won't sell out the older woman who wants to hold fast to a fair price on her land, Cowan turns out to be a bit of a cad, who quickly falls for Royal's beautiful wife, Emmeline, and after a quick roll in the backseat, hands over his soul to her, lock, stock, and barrel, -- almost. Cowan also takes advantage of his young innocent secretary, Kathy, the minute his wife is out of town.
Despite all this, we as the readers feel sympathy for Cowan because we know - before he even does- that he is the foolish patsy taking the fall for the millionaire's murder. The set up is a beaut and the frame is so tight he can't wiggle his way out of it. The fun though is how foolishly he plays into the hands of whoever is setting him up, not knowing whether to go to the police with what he knows or to hide the evidence that comes into his possession.
Although we know Cowan is a cad, you can't help but follow in his shoes as he ridiculously makes a clown out of himself and no one - not his wife, not his lawyer, and not the homicide detectives - thinks he is innocent.
Burgess, who is known for writing only one other full-length novel which appears never to have reached American publication, does a great job with this one. It has all the right stuff from the blonde bombshell femme fatale to the patsy who takes the fall to the mysterious strangers lurking around in the background any one of whom could be the mastermind.
July 29, 2024
Good Pulp
Very well written pulp by an unknown author from the late fifties. The story involves the good guy who falls for the married femme fatale and the soon to occur death of her husband for which the good guy gets blamed. You’ve read it before but Burgess writes a tight story that will keep you turning the pages.
Very well written pulp by an unknown author from the late fifties. The story involves the good guy who falls for the married femme fatale and the soon to occur death of her husband for which the good guy gets blamed. You’ve read it before but Burgess writes a tight story that will keep you turning the pages.
June 28, 2024
Neil Cowan is a happily married indie real estate broker and father of a five-year-old daughter. Emmaline Royal is the wife of one of the biggest operators on the western coast of Florida. She’s also the most beautiful woman Cowan has ever laid eyes on. When they meet over a real estate deal with her husband, she’s as stricken by Cowan as he is of her. Infidelity ensues.
Burgess delivers a riveting murder mystery that’s only waylaid for the novel’s three shag scenes. Great cast of flawed characters that includes a (refreshingly) competent police force whose number one murder suspect is Neil Cowan. Of course, Cowan lies and withholds evidence during their investigation, yet his actions seem reasonably rational, not simply convenient to the plot. A 5-star read, highly recommended, especially for fans of 1960s crime books.
Burgess delivers a riveting murder mystery that’s only waylaid for the novel’s three shag scenes. Great cast of flawed characters that includes a (refreshingly) competent police force whose number one murder suspect is Neil Cowan. Of course, Cowan lies and withholds evidence during their investigation, yet his actions seem reasonably rational, not simply convenient to the plot. A 5-star read, highly recommended, especially for fans of 1960s crime books.
January 30, 2025
Beacon Books was a company that specialized in a brand of pulp known as "sleaze." They published sexy novels about wanton women and lustful men doing naughty things, usually in quiet suburban neighborhoods. Through the 1950s and 60s they published hundreds of novels that would seem tame today, but back then were considered sizzling. That does not mean Beacon only published junk. One will find quite a few excellent novels in their catalog. "The Other Woman" by Charles Burgess is a case in point.
Published in 1960 and weighing in at a mere 160 pages, "The Other Woman" starts with the age-old noir premise: Foolish young man falls for a gorgeous femme fatale, and the two of them suddenly realize that if they murder her rich, old husband they can live happily ever after on his money. Hundreds of novels start here. Charles Burgess does too. But before you can say "conniving female" the story takes off like a shot in a completely unexpected direction.
"The Other Woman" is a very well-written murder mystery that is truly puzzling. There are all kinds of clever twists and turns as well as numerous funky characters dropping into and out of the story, any of whom could be the key to the whole mystery or just a red herring. I had a blast trying to think along with the author, but alas, he was too clever for me.
Charles Burgess was a true crime writer who only wrote two novels. That seems a shame, considering how outstanding this novel is. Thanks again to Stark House Press for rescuing this classic from obscurity and making it available to today's readers. It's an absolute winner.
Published in 1960 and weighing in at a mere 160 pages, "The Other Woman" starts with the age-old noir premise: Foolish young man falls for a gorgeous femme fatale, and the two of them suddenly realize that if they murder her rich, old husband they can live happily ever after on his money. Hundreds of novels start here. Charles Burgess does too. But before you can say "conniving female" the story takes off like a shot in a completely unexpected direction.
"The Other Woman" is a very well-written murder mystery that is truly puzzling. There are all kinds of clever twists and turns as well as numerous funky characters dropping into and out of the story, any of whom could be the key to the whole mystery or just a red herring. I had a blast trying to think along with the author, but alas, he was too clever for me.
Charles Burgess was a true crime writer who only wrote two novels. That seems a shame, considering how outstanding this novel is. Thanks again to Stark House Press for rescuing this classic from obscurity and making it available to today's readers. It's an absolute winner.
April 8, 2024
“It was a phone call that started the whole thing.”
Real estate agent Neil Cowan gets a call from the city's biggest developer, John Cameron Royal. He's interested in forty acres of land on a local lake that Neil has listed. He wants to turn the land into a housing development called Emmaline Acres after his wife. He also wants Neil to handle the sale of the houses he builds there.
Then he meets Emmaline—Royal's beautiful and wild young wife–and she seems to be interested in a business of a different kind. Is it simply an affair she's looking for or something more sinister?
Despite the fact that he's married and getting involved with Emmaline could jeopardize the biggest deal of his career, he falls prey to Emmaline's beauty, but soon starts to regret it.
Real estate agent Neil Cowan gets a call from the city's biggest developer, John Cameron Royal. He's interested in forty acres of land on a local lake that Neil has listed. He wants to turn the land into a housing development called Emmaline Acres after his wife. He also wants Neil to handle the sale of the houses he builds there.
Then he meets Emmaline—Royal's beautiful and wild young wife–and she seems to be interested in a business of a different kind. Is it simply an affair she's looking for or something more sinister?
Despite the fact that he's married and getting involved with Emmaline could jeopardize the biggest deal of his career, he falls prey to Emmaline's beauty, but soon starts to regret it.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews