The Dead Darling

Pete Selby and Stan Rayder Detective Thriller #1

by Jonathan Craig

144 pages, paperback

First published November 1, 1955

About the author

Jonathan Craig was a pseudonym for Frank E. Smith, an American writer who lived in Florida. His series character for most of his novels was PI Pete Selby. He also wrote many short stories.

Reviews

[Joe Nicholl · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Dead Darling by Jonathan Craig (1955, 144 pgs.) is a very good '50's-original-paperback-police-procedural-mystery...I've read a few Jonathan Craig novels the past couple of years (check-out So Young, So Wicked) and he's an excellent writer, not as prolific but right up there with Harry Whittington, John D. MacDonald & Ed McBain. The Dead Darling is the first book in the “The Detective Pete Selby” series (soon changed to the “Pete Selby - Stan Rayder Detective Series”). Seen through the eyes of Selby it begins with the suicide of a hot nineteen year-old in her NYC apartment...or was it murder? The police procedure commences with some interesting forays like a stop at a lesbian bar; daring for a '50's novel. Each character is fleshed out and the mystery solid. Although it's a short novel every sentence is packed and it reads longer than it's 144 pgs. I'm planning on reading the entire 10 book series...If you like police-procedures like I do then I highly recommend The Dead Darling...4.0 outta 5.0.... -Note: This book is out-of-print and I could not find an e-copy like at Internet Archive (a great source for out-of-print '50's books). I ended up buying a ratty, yellowed copy I found on-line for $11.00. I hope you can find a decent inexpensive copy....