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Dead Men Kill: A Murder Mystery of Wealth, Power, and the Living Dead
Detective Terry Lane is a standout homicide cop who thought he’d seen it all ... until now.
Lane has seen the darkest side of human behavior but he’s never seen a murder spree like this, targeting the wealthy, the powerful and the privileged. For the evidence is clear: the killers have not emerged from the seamy underside of the city ... but from six feet under it. They are the walking dead, spreading terror and showing no mercy.
Following a trail of drugs, blackmail, and the twisted clues of a seductive nightclub singer, Detective Lane will have to think outside the box ... or he could end up inside one, buried alive. Lock your doors and turn on the lights as the audio version of Dead Men Kill brings the dead to life.
>b>"A rollicking horror yarn [that] taps into the current craze for zombies.... heart-pounding." —Publishers Weekly
* An International Book Awards Winner
Lane has seen the darkest side of human behavior but he’s never seen a murder spree like this, targeting the wealthy, the powerful and the privileged. For the evidence is clear: the killers have not emerged from the seamy underside of the city ... but from six feet under it. They are the walking dead, spreading terror and showing no mercy.
Following a trail of drugs, blackmail, and the twisted clues of a seductive nightclub singer, Detective Lane will have to think outside the box ... or he could end up inside one, buried alive. Lock your doors and turn on the lights as the audio version of Dead Men Kill brings the dead to life.
>b>"A rollicking horror yarn [that] taps into the current craze for zombies.... heart-pounding." —Publishers Weekly
* An International Book Awards Winner
2 pages, Audio CD
First published September 30, 2006
35 people are currently reading
859 people want to read
About the author
L. Ron Hubbard
1,927 books649 followersL. Ron Hubbard is universally acclaimed as the single most influential author and humanitarian of this modern age. His definitive works on the mind and spirit—comprising over 350 million copies in circulation and more than 40 international bestsellers—have resulted in a legacy benefiting millions and a movement spanning all cultures.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 134 reviews
January 1, 2018
This may be my favorite strictly action oriented book, I have read by Hubbard. Takes off from the first word, I was sucked into the story immediately. It had a great amount action and some good twists and turns. This did not feel dated at all, which probably helped me get into the story so effectively. Loved this particular gem.
July 1, 2013
Books like Dead Men Kill are pretty much made to be listened to. In the style of old 1950's radio plays the audiobook is executed very well. There are different people doing the voices and various sound effects which bring the story to life and really makes it feel like the time period. This audio version is only two hours long and it moves at a swift pace.
Recently with the start of this summer I have been listening to a lot of old radio plays in the form of podcasts on my iPod. There are a ton of people who are using podcasts as a medium to bring back some of the old style radio. Back in the day when there wasn't TV or the internet, there was the radio. Radio Detective Story Hour has a bunch of archived radio plays from the 1940's to 1950's and The Thrilling Adventure Hour is a podcast recorded in front of a live audience that brings back all the classic tropes with a wink and a nod tying in science fiction, punch-drunk paranormal, superheroes, and war time tales. When I remembered that I had the audiobook of Dead Men Kill I just had to give it a listen. It was perfect timing, but unfortunately it was a bit of a let down. I can tell you that if I had read this book instead of listening to it I would have gotten bored fast.
In Dead Men Kill, the title says it all. People are seemingly coming back from the dead and killing their former employers in gruesome and brutal fashion. Someone is using the situation to blackmail the city's elite, but people keep dying and no one quite knows what to make of it. But Detective Terry Lane is on the case! To be honest, how Detective Lane manages to solve anything is completely beyond me, but solve he does.
Right now zombie mythology is much more common knowledge than it was back in 2006 when this was first published and that played a big factor in my lack of enjoyment of the mystery itself. The big twist is one that you see coming from a mile away and because of this it came across more like what I would expect from an episode of Scooby-Doo rather than some thrilling suspense novel. However, there were still some creepy moments, especially because I listened to this when I couldn't sleep at four in the morning.
So in the end I would give it three stars for the production, but only two for the story, which has me rounding with a 2.5 star rating overall.
Recently with the start of this summer I have been listening to a lot of old radio plays in the form of podcasts on my iPod. There are a ton of people who are using podcasts as a medium to bring back some of the old style radio. Back in the day when there wasn't TV or the internet, there was the radio. Radio Detective Story Hour has a bunch of archived radio plays from the 1940's to 1950's and The Thrilling Adventure Hour is a podcast recorded in front of a live audience that brings back all the classic tropes with a wink and a nod tying in science fiction, punch-drunk paranormal, superheroes, and war time tales. When I remembered that I had the audiobook of Dead Men Kill I just had to give it a listen. It was perfect timing, but unfortunately it was a bit of a let down. I can tell you that if I had read this book instead of listening to it I would have gotten bored fast.
In Dead Men Kill, the title says it all. People are seemingly coming back from the dead and killing their former employers in gruesome and brutal fashion. Someone is using the situation to blackmail the city's elite, but people keep dying and no one quite knows what to make of it. But Detective Terry Lane is on the case! To be honest, how Detective Lane manages to solve anything is completely beyond me, but solve he does.
Right now zombie mythology is much more common knowledge than it was back in 2006 when this was first published and that played a big factor in my lack of enjoyment of the mystery itself. The big twist is one that you see coming from a mile away and because of this it came across more like what I would expect from an episode of Scooby-Doo rather than some thrilling suspense novel. However, there were still some creepy moments, especially because I listened to this when I couldn't sleep at four in the morning.
So in the end I would give it three stars for the production, but only two for the story, which has me rounding with a 2.5 star rating overall.
January 26, 2011
As pulpy and fictiony as pulp fiction can be, “Dead Men Kill” has everything. Femme fatale? Check. Hard-boiled, lucky, and crazy hunky lead detective? Check. Billions of flying bullets? Also check. It’s a throw-back to a time when all conversations came in one-liners, and night clubs were full of disguised henchmen. Was it just me or did the leader of the nightclub band shoot at the detective? The thing that really sets “Dead Men Kill” apart from other mystery/noir adventures is zombies. Yes, there isn’t anything the EZ Read team won’t do for a good zombie read.
Detective-sergeant Terry Lane is part James Bond, part superhero, and all man. While the rest of the police department appears to be having deep tissue massages and tea parties back at the station, Lane is out searching for zombie killers. Indeed, rich men are being killed by what appears to be the walking dead: former employees that appear conveniently after an extortion attempt. And no, this isn’t Scooby Doo, there are fingerprints and everything. Without giving away any of the plot, let’s just say I haven’t caskets get this much action since…ever.
Fast-paced and fun, “Dead Men Kill” will satisfy readers who love the noir genre and want a quick read with tons of quotable lines. Pretty much every time Terry Lane punches the cold clammy flesh of a zombie, it’s worth sharing. And at 80-something pages, it keeps a consistently action-packed pace that reminded me of old “Batman” cartoons, or old timey radio mysteries. True to the genre and first published in 1934, it is exactly how a noir should be: quick, exciting, and unsentimental.
Trying to resist making a pun or a one-liner,
EZ Read Staffer Jenifer
Detective-sergeant Terry Lane is part James Bond, part superhero, and all man. While the rest of the police department appears to be having deep tissue massages and tea parties back at the station, Lane is out searching for zombie killers. Indeed, rich men are being killed by what appears to be the walking dead: former employees that appear conveniently after an extortion attempt. And no, this isn’t Scooby Doo, there are fingerprints and everything. Without giving away any of the plot, let’s just say I haven’t caskets get this much action since…ever.
Fast-paced and fun, “Dead Men Kill” will satisfy readers who love the noir genre and want a quick read with tons of quotable lines. Pretty much every time Terry Lane punches the cold clammy flesh of a zombie, it’s worth sharing. And at 80-something pages, it keeps a consistently action-packed pace that reminded me of old “Batman” cartoons, or old timey radio mysteries. True to the genre and first published in 1934, it is exactly how a noir should be: quick, exciting, and unsentimental.
Trying to resist making a pun or a one-liner,
EZ Read Staffer Jenifer
April 25, 2013
Before seeing this book (and other similar books) on the shelf, I had no idea that L. Ron Hubbard had written pulp fiction. I honestly only knew about him peripherally as the writer of Dianetics and founder of the Church of Scientology. Since I never really had any interest in either of those, I never bothered to learn more. So I was surprised to find that he had a number of pulp adventure stories like Dead Men Kill.
Based on the cover and the blurb, I was anticipating something akin to the action/detective thrillers of Dashiell Hammett or Raymond Chandler. The main story arc of Dead Men Kill follows a young police Detective, Terry Lane, as he tries to solve a series of murders. This story takes a turn for the supernatural in that the murders are being committed by dead men, as the title suggests. Detective Lane sees a fairly obvious pattern to the murders and can logically link them together. Each man killed was a wealthy and/or prominent citizen in the community who has received death threats demanding money. Someone close to the victim dies of a fever or illness of some sort and then shortly after that funeral, the corpse turns up at the wealthy associate's house and kills them.
The supernatural twist made the whole thing feel very "Scooby Doo" to me. The writing certainly isn't as gritty as Hammett's work so it could potentially be accessible by Scooby fans. There is violence in the terms of shootouts and car chases but no harsh descriptions. The writing is also fairly simple and doesn't feel as tight or as elegant as hard boiled detective thrillers. With the other books, even though there were sequences of intense action and adventure, the writing still had a flow and tone that made it feel solid. Hubbard's writing got the job done but it wasn't anything overly impressive. If anything, it was written very simply and straightforward which once again makes it accessible to the young Scooby crowd.
As the story went on I was impressed by the degree of tension, twists and turns integrated into the plot. Rather than a simple shoot-em-up adventure mystery there was a fair amount of good detective work to be done. There were some pretty good character interactions and tension between Detective Lane and his superiors as well as some of the suspects and informants. As the story goes on, Lane finds himself the object of threats and attempts on his life. While some of the situations felt a little laughable (very "Scooby Doo" style - capture or just threaten the hero rather than kill him), they did create some good tension and left me wondering just how Lane was going to escape from one predicament after another.
When the final solution to the mystery was revealed, I found it to be actually fairly satisfying. I really liked the way the supernatural elements were dealt with, especially considering this was written in the 1930s without our 21st century sophistication. *grin* Some of the accomplices and motives were a little thin, but this is pulp fiction after all. It's never meant to be high drama with amazingly realistic and fully-fleshed-out characters.
Overall this wasn't a "great" read but it was a "fun" read. I haven't decided yet whether I'll seek out any more Hubbard in the near future. More likely I'll probably turn to Hammett or Chandler. But this was a fun way to broaden my horizons and find a new author I otherwise never would have turned to.
***
3 out of 5 stars
Based on the cover and the blurb, I was anticipating something akin to the action/detective thrillers of Dashiell Hammett or Raymond Chandler. The main story arc of Dead Men Kill follows a young police Detective, Terry Lane, as he tries to solve a series of murders. This story takes a turn for the supernatural in that the murders are being committed by dead men, as the title suggests. Detective Lane sees a fairly obvious pattern to the murders and can logically link them together. Each man killed was a wealthy and/or prominent citizen in the community who has received death threats demanding money. Someone close to the victim dies of a fever or illness of some sort and then shortly after that funeral, the corpse turns up at the wealthy associate's house and kills them.
The supernatural twist made the whole thing feel very "Scooby Doo" to me. The writing certainly isn't as gritty as Hammett's work so it could potentially be accessible by Scooby fans. There is violence in the terms of shootouts and car chases but no harsh descriptions. The writing is also fairly simple and doesn't feel as tight or as elegant as hard boiled detective thrillers. With the other books, even though there were sequences of intense action and adventure, the writing still had a flow and tone that made it feel solid. Hubbard's writing got the job done but it wasn't anything overly impressive. If anything, it was written very simply and straightforward which once again makes it accessible to the young Scooby crowd.
As the story went on I was impressed by the degree of tension, twists and turns integrated into the plot. Rather than a simple shoot-em-up adventure mystery there was a fair amount of good detective work to be done. There were some pretty good character interactions and tension between Detective Lane and his superiors as well as some of the suspects and informants. As the story goes on, Lane finds himself the object of threats and attempts on his life. While some of the situations felt a little laughable (very "Scooby Doo" style - capture or just threaten the hero rather than kill him), they did create some good tension and left me wondering just how Lane was going to escape from one predicament after another.
When the final solution to the mystery was revealed, I found it to be actually fairly satisfying. I really liked the way the supernatural elements were dealt with, especially considering this was written in the 1930s without our 21st century sophistication. *grin* Some of the accomplices and motives were a little thin, but this is pulp fiction after all. It's never meant to be high drama with amazingly realistic and fully-fleshed-out characters.
Overall this wasn't a "great" read but it was a "fun" read. I haven't decided yet whether I'll seek out any more Hubbard in the near future. More likely I'll probably turn to Hammett or Chandler. But this was a fun way to broaden my horizons and find a new author I otherwise never would have turned to.
***
3 out of 5 stars
Read
February 23, 2013Perhaps the Scientologists are trying to raise money by selling reprints of L. Ron Hubbard's pulp fiction. With each copy of this free book is a postage paid reply card for the 80 titles of "Stories from the Golden Age" book club, www.goldenagestories.com, all of them by L. Ron Hubbard and so badly written they are hilarious.
"Inspector Leonard rushed from his desk into the squad room and spotted Detective-Sergeant Terry Lane. 'Lane! Snap into it. Gordon's been murdered and I think it's a clue on your Burnham killing. The man on the switchboard heard Gordon shout "My God, Jackson, get away!" into the phone. Get out there right away!"'
"Detective- Sergeant Terrence Lane needed no further word. Like a shot, his wiry figure hurtled through the door, plunged down a flight of steps and swung aboard the scout car at the curb.
"'The Gordon residence!' shouted Lane to Monahan [who, alas, will later have his face blown off] at the wheel. 'And step on it!'
"The car roared up the street, Lane hanging to the running board, his blue eyes flashing, the wind tearing at his raven black hair. Monahan had given the wild figure a brief glance, decided that Terry Lane meant what he said, and the squad car ripped past a red light, lanced up a traffic-jammed avenue, screamed around a curve and then came to a stop before the imposing mansion which was the home of the late Ralph Gordon, a well-known wealthy sportsman.
"If Detective Lane was disheveled, he had good reason to be. For a week he had been on the trail of a killer he could never reasonably expect to apprehend. The papers were blatant in their denouncement of the police force in general and Terry Lane in particular." (pp. 4-5)
Action at the night spot, Club Haitian:
"Without stopping, Lane jumped over the footlights and raced in among the panic-stricken guests. Waiters clutched at him, tried to beat him down. Expertly [Hubbard is a great fan of adverbs.] he skirted the tables and made for the main entrance.
"A doorman in a welter of gold braid crouched and whipped out a revolver. Lane saw him and skipped to one side. The doorman's weapon belched smoke. The detective cracked down, shooting from the hip. His automatic snapped back into his palm. The doorman screamed and rolled to the floor, spitting blood.
"Glass was shattering about Lane. Bullets were whipping into potted palms. Splinters flew from the woodwork. The detective ran swiftly to the entrance, lanced [seems to be a favorite verb of Hubbard's] through the door, raced out into the street.
"A cab was cruising past at low speed and Lane leaped for it. 'The Morton residence, and step on it! [something Lane yells a lot]'
"The driver gave Lane a wild-eyed stare, and then stepped all the way down on the accelerator. Bullets were biting into the machine from the doorway of the Club Haitian." (pg. 55)
"Inspector Leonard rushed from his desk into the squad room and spotted Detective-Sergeant Terry Lane. 'Lane! Snap into it. Gordon's been murdered and I think it's a clue on your Burnham killing. The man on the switchboard heard Gordon shout "My God, Jackson, get away!" into the phone. Get out there right away!"'
"Detective- Sergeant Terrence Lane needed no further word. Like a shot, his wiry figure hurtled through the door, plunged down a flight of steps and swung aboard the scout car at the curb.
"'The Gordon residence!' shouted Lane to Monahan [who, alas, will later have his face blown off] at the wheel. 'And step on it!'
"The car roared up the street, Lane hanging to the running board, his blue eyes flashing, the wind tearing at his raven black hair. Monahan had given the wild figure a brief glance, decided that Terry Lane meant what he said, and the squad car ripped past a red light, lanced up a traffic-jammed avenue, screamed around a curve and then came to a stop before the imposing mansion which was the home of the late Ralph Gordon, a well-known wealthy sportsman.
"If Detective Lane was disheveled, he had good reason to be. For a week he had been on the trail of a killer he could never reasonably expect to apprehend. The papers were blatant in their denouncement of the police force in general and Terry Lane in particular." (pp. 4-5)
Action at the night spot, Club Haitian:
"Without stopping, Lane jumped over the footlights and raced in among the panic-stricken guests. Waiters clutched at him, tried to beat him down. Expertly [Hubbard is a great fan of adverbs.] he skirted the tables and made for the main entrance.
"A doorman in a welter of gold braid crouched and whipped out a revolver. Lane saw him and skipped to one side. The doorman's weapon belched smoke. The detective cracked down, shooting from the hip. His automatic snapped back into his palm. The doorman screamed and rolled to the floor, spitting blood.
"Glass was shattering about Lane. Bullets were whipping into potted palms. Splinters flew from the woodwork. The detective ran swiftly to the entrance, lanced [seems to be a favorite verb of Hubbard's] through the door, raced out into the street.
"A cab was cruising past at low speed and Lane leaped for it. 'The Morton residence, and step on it! [something Lane yells a lot]'
"The driver gave Lane a wild-eyed stare, and then stepped all the way down on the accelerator. Bullets were biting into the machine from the doorway of the Club Haitian." (pg. 55)
August 19, 2012
A zombie infused pulp that felt very dated but still semi appealing for fans of the genre. Hubbard blends elements of the supernatural with the trashy detective fiction of the golden age of dime store novels to form a pulp that lacks substance yet maintains the reader interest through the whodunit nature of the plot.
The dialogue was repetitive and characters mostly two dimensional with very little distinguishing one from another. As a result I found it difficult to care much about the outcome or the potential threats the police and civilians were subject to throughout the course of proceedings. The one character highlight was in villain Loup-Garou, who had the perception of the supernatural about him and mystery surrounding his identity.
'Dead Men Kill' is light pulp, easily read in one sitting - a kind of fast food for the mind. Consumed then forgotten about. While this review comes across negative, I should state that it was enjoyable for what it was - a true penny dreadful; a dime store, one-read novel designed for immediate short term entertainment. If you're after intrigue, substance, character depth, multi layered plotting, etc, do not look here. If you're after something light and breezy to get you through a train ride, something trashy to enjoy that requires little attention, then 'Dead Men Kill' fits the bill. 2 stars.
The dialogue was repetitive and characters mostly two dimensional with very little distinguishing one from another. As a result I found it difficult to care much about the outcome or the potential threats the police and civilians were subject to throughout the course of proceedings. The one character highlight was in villain Loup-Garou, who had the perception of the supernatural about him and mystery surrounding his identity.
'Dead Men Kill' is light pulp, easily read in one sitting - a kind of fast food for the mind. Consumed then forgotten about. While this review comes across negative, I should state that it was enjoyable for what it was - a true penny dreadful; a dime store, one-read novel designed for immediate short term entertainment. If you're after intrigue, substance, character depth, multi layered plotting, etc, do not look here. If you're after something light and breezy to get you through a train ride, something trashy to enjoy that requires little attention, then 'Dead Men Kill' fits the bill. 2 stars.
November 10, 2013
Originally published in the July, 1934, issue of THRILLING DETECTIVE MAGAZINE, Galaxy Press has reprinted this novella in the mystery category of their Hubbard series. I would have labeled it as a horror title (zombies, right?), and thought it would have been equally at home in an issue of WEIRD TALES in its time. It's a squeaky and creaky old-fashioned tale, a little silly in spots, as pulpish as can be, and I really enjoyed it. It would have been a wonderful old black-and-white noir hard-boiled detective Universal film in the pre WWII days. Read it with popcorn and an old instrumental soundtrack playing... I won this copy in a Goodreads Firstreads Giveaway.
November 16, 2012
Free audiobook download from audiobooksync.com.
Kind of reminded me a little of those old CBS Mystery Radio plays. The audio version had a few different narrators, music, and sound effects. The story itself was a little predictable but fun to listen to in small spurts.
Kind of reminded me a little of those old CBS Mystery Radio plays. The audio version had a few different narrators, music, and sound effects. The story itself was a little predictable but fun to listen to in small spurts.
July 17, 2024
Whole thing seems a little far-fetched if you ask me.
And I'm referring to the biography in the "About the Author" section.
And I'm referring to the biography in the "About the Author" section.
October 26, 2011
Read 10/19/11 - 10/21/11
3 Stars - Recommended for readers familiar w/ pulp fiction
Pgs: 95
Funny story. On the first morning of BEA, as soon as we were given the "go-ahead" to enter the expo floor, as I made my way around the right hand corner of the vendor booths, Galaxy Press stopped me in my tracks and began aggressively pitching me L. Ron Hubbard's books.
Upon hearing the name, I inwardly cringed... "Oh no," I thought to myself, "They are going to try to Scientologize me. Run... run and don't look back!". The woman was incredibly polite and I couldn't find the nerve to be rude that early in the day, so I humored her. After she clarified that these were fictional books with no religious affiliations, we discussed the types of books I enjoy reading and she pointed me towards Dead Men Kill - which, while being incredibly pulpy, at least contained zombies.... Folks, I admit that my curiosity got the best of me and I... I... I stepped on the red carpet. God help me, but I did it! (if you've ever been to BEA, you know what I mean...)
I find pulp fiction to be predictable and generically written, but it can also be quite fun. If you can come to terms with the fact that the writing is a bit dated - my absolute pet peeve with dated literature: using the word "ejaculated" as a term for linguistic excitement / blurting something out - and if you can get past the fact that the covers are incredibly cheesy and gaudy, the few hours you spend reading the books will pass in a rompy, enjoyable blur.
Dead Men Kill is a murder mystery at its core. Executives are turning up dead; all evidence points to strangulation at the hands of their recently deceased secretaries, but how can that be? What is causing the dead to rise? Why are they only attacking their bosses? And is Detective Terry Lane really on the hunt for... zombies?
Of course, it wouldn't be a true cop caper unless the Detective gets tipped off by a saucy, sexy nightclub girl who's got loads of inside information, and is dragged unwittingly into a dark and twisted plot that may or may not have anything to do with a lone receipt from a pharmacy in Haiti. And wouldntcha know it, Dead Men Kill has exactly those sort of ingredients!
If you're looking for a quick, fun, easy-to-swallow read that leaves no question unanswered, this is your book. L. Ron Hubbard must not be a fan of "cliff hangers" or of leaving stories open for potential sequels cause he was quick to solve this mystery and file it away in the drawer forever.
Case Closed!
3 Stars - Recommended for readers familiar w/ pulp fiction
Pgs: 95
Funny story. On the first morning of BEA, as soon as we were given the "go-ahead" to enter the expo floor, as I made my way around the right hand corner of the vendor booths, Galaxy Press stopped me in my tracks and began aggressively pitching me L. Ron Hubbard's books.
Upon hearing the name, I inwardly cringed... "Oh no," I thought to myself, "They are going to try to Scientologize me. Run... run and don't look back!". The woman was incredibly polite and I couldn't find the nerve to be rude that early in the day, so I humored her. After she clarified that these were fictional books with no religious affiliations, we discussed the types of books I enjoy reading and she pointed me towards Dead Men Kill - which, while being incredibly pulpy, at least contained zombies.... Folks, I admit that my curiosity got the best of me and I... I... I stepped on the red carpet. God help me, but I did it! (if you've ever been to BEA, you know what I mean...)
I find pulp fiction to be predictable and generically written, but it can also be quite fun. If you can come to terms with the fact that the writing is a bit dated - my absolute pet peeve with dated literature: using the word "ejaculated" as a term for linguistic excitement / blurting something out - and if you can get past the fact that the covers are incredibly cheesy and gaudy, the few hours you spend reading the books will pass in a rompy, enjoyable blur.
Dead Men Kill is a murder mystery at its core. Executives are turning up dead; all evidence points to strangulation at the hands of their recently deceased secretaries, but how can that be? What is causing the dead to rise? Why are they only attacking their bosses? And is Detective Terry Lane really on the hunt for... zombies?
Of course, it wouldn't be a true cop caper unless the Detective gets tipped off by a saucy, sexy nightclub girl who's got loads of inside information, and is dragged unwittingly into a dark and twisted plot that may or may not have anything to do with a lone receipt from a pharmacy in Haiti. And wouldntcha know it, Dead Men Kill has exactly those sort of ingredients!
If you're looking for a quick, fun, easy-to-swallow read that leaves no question unanswered, this is your book. L. Ron Hubbard must not be a fan of "cliff hangers" or of leaving stories open for potential sequels cause he was quick to solve this mystery and file it away in the drawer forever.
Case Closed!
April 11, 2013
I was attracted by the title of this book, which is weird given that it has the word "kill" in it LOL
In my head the title echoed of recent TV shows, like "Supernatural" or "The Walking Dead" and I was spot on, with zombies and situations that cannot happen in real life, but will make you wonder....what if???
What I loved about this book was first and foremost the pagination, as it was divided in chapters instead of being a one piece novel like "The Iron Duke" and that made it easier for me to take breaks.
That said, it was very easy to read in a whole afternoon. I couldn't put it down as I love mystery books like this and I wanted to "solve" it.
The main character, Detective Terry Lane, is kind, handsome and very strong. Picture Dean of Supernatural, smoking hot, but with the kid heart of Sam (from the beginning of the show anyway)
He's a good man, always trying to do the right thing by every one, but I find him also a bit too naive at times, making me scream: "Really??? And you fell for that???" right at the book, like he could really hear me now. (My husband thought I was hilarious)
Then there is the beautiful and mysterious nightclub dancer, Dawn Drayden, that really confuses and fascinate both the reader and poor Detective Lane. She's also a character full of surprises that leave the readers breathless with.every.single.action! Until the very end!
If I had to find a flaw about this book it will be that I saw right through the plot from the very beginning. Now mind you, it could be because I love mystery books and read a lot of them, so I was able to pick up little hints here or there of who the stranger villain would be.....and found out I was totally right.
In this respect, I think that if there is a lesson to be taken from the novel, it will be to keep your friends close and keep your enemies even closer because you'll never know at any given time, who's after you and what their motives might be. But also it made me think about not being so paranoid about every little thing all the time, because troubles struck when you least expect it. The important thing is not to give up hope and use all the resources available to get out of a dangerous situation.
In my head the title echoed of recent TV shows, like "Supernatural" or "The Walking Dead" and I was spot on, with zombies and situations that cannot happen in real life, but will make you wonder....what if???
What I loved about this book was first and foremost the pagination, as it was divided in chapters instead of being a one piece novel like "The Iron Duke" and that made it easier for me to take breaks.
That said, it was very easy to read in a whole afternoon. I couldn't put it down as I love mystery books like this and I wanted to "solve" it.
The main character, Detective Terry Lane, is kind, handsome and very strong. Picture Dean of Supernatural, smoking hot, but with the kid heart of Sam (from the beginning of the show anyway)
He's a good man, always trying to do the right thing by every one, but I find him also a bit too naive at times, making me scream: "Really??? And you fell for that???" right at the book, like he could really hear me now. (My husband thought I was hilarious)
Then there is the beautiful and mysterious nightclub dancer, Dawn Drayden, that really confuses and fascinate both the reader and poor Detective Lane. She's also a character full of surprises that leave the readers breathless with.every.single.action! Until the very end!
If I had to find a flaw about this book it will be that I saw right through the plot from the very beginning. Now mind you, it could be because I love mystery books and read a lot of them, so I was able to pick up little hints here or there of who the stranger villain would be.....and found out I was totally right.
In this respect, I think that if there is a lesson to be taken from the novel, it will be to keep your friends close and keep your enemies even closer because you'll never know at any given time, who's after you and what their motives might be. But also it made me think about not being so paranoid about every little thing all the time, because troubles struck when you least expect it. The important thing is not to give up hope and use all the resources available to get out of a dangerous situation.
Read
August 31, 2012This is not a book I would suggest reading at night if you get spooked easily. At times I let my imagination run wild and at night time, reading scary stories, I can get pretty nervous. I have to say that Dead Men Kill was really awesome as it combined horror and mystery which I love.
The writing style was really good. It’s different to the kinds of books I usually read and so I find it to be quite a nice change of pace.
The story itself had the ability to keep me sucked in. I felt like there was never a dull moment in the book because everything was just go, go, go. I really enjoyed that as it helped me get through the story faster.
I have to say that I had fun guessing who the bad guy was and I did get it right, I always like it when I guess right.
Overall, I really enjoyed Dead Men Kill. It was something a little different and had a lot of horror and mystery thrown in that made it awesome.
The writing style was really good. It’s different to the kinds of books I usually read and so I find it to be quite a nice change of pace.
The story itself had the ability to keep me sucked in. I felt like there was never a dull moment in the book because everything was just go, go, go. I really enjoyed that as it helped me get through the story faster.
I have to say that I had fun guessing who the bad guy was and I did get it right, I always like it when I guess right.
Overall, I really enjoyed Dead Men Kill. It was something a little different and had a lot of horror and mystery thrown in that made it awesome.
July 12, 2013
In the 1930s and 1940s, readers read pulp fiction - rough cut, pulpwood paper that held stories. Pulp fiction authors were considered no-holds barred entertainers and real storytellers that were interested in thrilling plot twists, horrific villains or white knuckle adventure.
Dead Men Kill was a short read - literally a matter of a few hours over two nights. (It didn't help that I found it to be quite a page turner.)
I loved the story. It wasn't your typically zombie story and it held thrill and excitement and mystery. I was actually excited as it neared revealing everything that I was able to piece the puzzle together (at the last minute but still!)
I highly enjoyed this and will be getting hubby to read this because I truly think he would enjoy this. I'm not sure there is anyone that wouldn't enjoy it. It isn't gross or gore-ish, but is a great, easy read.
Disclosure: I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Dead Men Kill was a short read - literally a matter of a few hours over two nights. (It didn't help that I found it to be quite a page turner.)
I loved the story. It wasn't your typically zombie story and it held thrill and excitement and mystery. I was actually excited as it neared revealing everything that I was able to piece the puzzle together (at the last minute but still!)
I highly enjoyed this and will be getting hubby to read this because I truly think he would enjoy this. I'm not sure there is anyone that wouldn't enjoy it. It isn't gross or gore-ish, but is a great, easy read.
Disclosure: I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
August 26, 2013
I received a free audio copy from the goodreads giveaway, and I'm glad it was an audio copy! I am sure I would have liked it much less if I actually had to read it, but it was decent background entertainment while working on odd projects. This is definitely everything you'd imagine it would be--ridiculous, cheesy, dated, predictable entertainment. I think audio is really the only way it would work for me, for that radio-show feel about it.
June 20, 2019
If I am to believe what is written about LRH in the pages of this book, which have nothing to do with this story (and there are A LOT of those in this book), he is some kind of genius when it comes to writing stories, of any kind, from Westerns to Sci-Fi. Sure would have liked to have spent the last three days (a dedicated reader could have finished this story in a couple of hours, but I have other things to do in my day) reading one of those stories, as this one is trite and predictable. So... there are zombies, but we are lead to believe that these things are commonplace in Haiti. And there are all these characters that somehow have been to Haiti, yet I am not supposed to think anything of that. Except that any reader with half a brain would know that Haiti is not the kind of place an average Joe (and that's what these detectives are, right? Just average stereotypical detectives in brimmed hats that talk like they're into jazz - so hip, cool daddy... FFS) would visit, so why have half the characters in this book been there? So it comes as no surprise that the man who leaves the letters written in green ink, and the man who wears the green ring and mask, is also the killer.
As I am reading, what struck me is how difficult it must have been to solve crime in an era before detectives had all these ways of identifying fingerprints and collecting evidence.
And then there's the whole casual acceptance of zombies. If Joseph Conrad's HEART OF DARKNESS is considered racist, then this book certainly must qualify. The only thing we learn about Haiti is that there's voodoo. And this is okay because, well, it's Haiti. I feel like we could have worked in voodoo and all kinds of dark arts without bringing another country into it. New Orleans, anyone?
How was this type of story (pulp fiction) ever popular? Were readers just so stupid? It's one thing to have millions of people reading during the 50s, but for them to be reading such schlock? Does that even count? And it REALLY bothers me that the author of the biography and the forward threw LRH's name in with a lot of authors I really do admire and read (such as Elmore Leonard).
I only read this book because I was curious about how someone who could found Scientology could be a successful fiction writer. After reading this book, I still I can't account for his success as a writer. I've written better.
As I am reading, what struck me is how difficult it must have been to solve crime in an era before detectives had all these ways of identifying fingerprints and collecting evidence.
And then there's the whole casual acceptance of zombies. If Joseph Conrad's HEART OF DARKNESS is considered racist, then this book certainly must qualify. The only thing we learn about Haiti is that there's voodoo. And this is okay because, well, it's Haiti. I feel like we could have worked in voodoo and all kinds of dark arts without bringing another country into it. New Orleans, anyone?
How was this type of story (pulp fiction) ever popular? Were readers just so stupid? It's one thing to have millions of people reading during the 50s, but for them to be reading such schlock? Does that even count? And it REALLY bothers me that the author of the biography and the forward threw LRH's name in with a lot of authors I really do admire and read (such as Elmore Leonard).
I only read this book because I was curious about how someone who could found Scientology could be a successful fiction writer. After reading this book, I still I can't account for his success as a writer. I've written better.
January 27, 2024
Wealthy men are being murdered by their secretaries who were buried a week before the murders. Sgt. Terry Lane is brought in to stop the next murder and investigate who is murdering the wealthy men. As he investigates, he learns that the murderer has ties to Haiti. Can it be true that the murderer is bringing the dead secretaries to life via voodoo? Can Sgt. Lane find the killer before the next murder happens?
I enjoyed listening to this. It works well as you think you are listening to a 1930's radio broadcast. I liked the actors and actresses portraying the character. I liked Sgt. Lane and his tough guy exterior. I did not figure out the murderer. I got so caught up in the theatrics of it, I just went along for the ride. Glad I was not in the play. Lots of bullets fly. Just saying. The flavor of the 1930's is apparent from the first chapter. I liked it.
I enjoyed listening to this. It works well as you think you are listening to a 1930's radio broadcast. I liked the actors and actresses portraying the character. I liked Sgt. Lane and his tough guy exterior. I did not figure out the murderer. I got so caught up in the theatrics of it, I just went along for the ride. Glad I was not in the play. Lots of bullets fly. Just saying. The flavor of the 1930's is apparent from the first chapter. I liked it.
July 11, 2024
I see why people flocked to Scientology. L. Ron is a phenomenal author and I really couldn't put the book down. Even with only 100 pages to read, it is jam-packed with action and only a touch of racism. For a book published in 1936, this honestly holds up and would be really nifty to see a tv or streaming series.
April 17, 2022
I was forced to read because my daughter wanted me to read it to her
action kind of novels don't intrigue my interest. I am more interested in something more optimistic.
but this was a well written story.
action kind of novels don't intrigue my interest. I am more interested in something more optimistic.
but this was a well written story.
October 1, 2017
This one is very different from other Hubbard's detective stories that I have read so far as this one has a very supernatural / horror twist to it with zombies!
March 29, 2023
You have to go into this story in the proper mindset of the genre and the times in which it was written. If you can do that, then this is a rather entertaining story full of action and mystery.
December 2, 2013
As I’ve mentioned before, I rarely make use of audiobooks. Not for any particular hatred of the format, just because they are rarely convenient for me. Nevertheless, I recently found myself with a two-hour solitary car trip. How to fill the time? Surf from one FM classic & current hits station to another, switching every time they cut to commercials?* Maybe in other circumstances I would have done that, but I happened to have a two-hour audiobook sitting here awaiting my purview. And so it was that I marathoned the audiobook version L. Ron Hubbard’s one-and-only zombie** story, Dead Men Kill. In the interest of full disclosure, I received my copy through the Goodreads FirstReads program. This in no way influences my review except to ensure its existence.
Some dismiss so-called “pulp fiction” out of hand, but I have found the little I’ve read to be highly entertaining. We join our protagonist, Detective Terry Lane, as the city is swept by a wave of high-profile murders in which the only clues point to men recently dead and buried. As bodies pile up and the media calls for his resignation, Lane is forced to consider the impossible....could it be that Dead Men Kill?
This particular audiobook was an unabridged full-cast recording, and I have to say that the effect was pretty impressive. It was occasionally awkward, what with *character voice* “Dialogue” *narrator voice* “he said…” or one bit where the villain ends his monologue with a maniacal giggle, treating us to the full effect before the narrator describes him giggling. I’m not saying it needed to happen otherwise, just that it was a bit awkward and jarring for a moment here and there. Across the board, however, the production succeeded admirably. The whole thing is played for maximum effect, playing up the inherent qualities of pulp detective fiction by matching the overly-melodramatic writing with over-the-top voice acting by a talented cast. R.F. Daley’s narrator manages to deliver Hubbard’s melodramatic prose with a grim enthusiasm that perfectly sets the tone of the production. He is joined by Matt Scott as the square-jawed detective, Jennifer Aspen as the damsel in distress (though a stronger female character than some would give the era credit for), John Mariano as the villain, and Jim Meskimen as most of the background cast. It is a credit to the production that the exaggerated Palpatine-esque voice Mariano uses fits perfectly, which is important as it keeps you from identifying the villain’s true identity before you’re supposed to–at least by the sound of his voice, but we’ll discuss that in a moment.
If you can set aside your inner critic and just allow yourself to have a good time, this is a very fun way to spend two hours. As you may have gathered from my commentary on the audio side of the production, everything about the book is delightfully over-the-top. You’re not going to find any grand truths about the nature of human existence here, but you will find a couple hours of pure delightful escapism. The one downside for lovers of suspense is that the mystery of the villain’s true identity is incredibly easy to guess, due to the narrator’s noting otherwise-inconsequential details early in the story. If you are paying attention and have any familiarity with the genre, you know who the villain will turn out to be–he’s the only one that makes logical sense, though they never really explain why he has it out for Detective Lane outside of purely professional concerns. You may doubt your conclusions as the story progresses, but at the end you will be congratulating yourself on one-upping the author. I personally prefer congratulating the author for pulling a fast one on me, but that’s okay. It doesn’t substantially detract from the experience, so far as I’m concerned.
CONTENT: Some violence, not overly gory but still a bit disturbing due to the overwhelmingly over-the-top nature of the narration and prose. I don’t recall any language, which isn’t surprising given the publishing standards of the pulps. No real sexual content, just some mild flirting and an embarrassingly-objectified (not to mention smitten) description of a woman on a character’s first meeting her.
*Yes, I do this. I can’t stand radio commercials and will change the channel every time I run into them. I turned off the radio yesterday because every bloody one of my presets was playing a commercial…..
**Let me clarify real quick before you get your hopes up–these are Haitian Voodoo zombies, not Romero/Walking Dead zombies. Sorry for the confusion.
Some dismiss so-called “pulp fiction” out of hand, but I have found the little I’ve read to be highly entertaining. We join our protagonist, Detective Terry Lane, as the city is swept by a wave of high-profile murders in which the only clues point to men recently dead and buried. As bodies pile up and the media calls for his resignation, Lane is forced to consider the impossible....could it be that Dead Men Kill?
This particular audiobook was an unabridged full-cast recording, and I have to say that the effect was pretty impressive. It was occasionally awkward, what with *character voice* “Dialogue” *narrator voice* “he said…” or one bit where the villain ends his monologue with a maniacal giggle, treating us to the full effect before the narrator describes him giggling. I’m not saying it needed to happen otherwise, just that it was a bit awkward and jarring for a moment here and there. Across the board, however, the production succeeded admirably. The whole thing is played for maximum effect, playing up the inherent qualities of pulp detective fiction by matching the overly-melodramatic writing with over-the-top voice acting by a talented cast. R.F. Daley’s narrator manages to deliver Hubbard’s melodramatic prose with a grim enthusiasm that perfectly sets the tone of the production. He is joined by Matt Scott as the square-jawed detective, Jennifer Aspen as the damsel in distress (though a stronger female character than some would give the era credit for), John Mariano as the villain, and Jim Meskimen as most of the background cast. It is a credit to the production that the exaggerated Palpatine-esque voice Mariano uses fits perfectly, which is important as it keeps you from identifying the villain’s true identity before you’re supposed to–at least by the sound of his voice, but we’ll discuss that in a moment.
If you can set aside your inner critic and just allow yourself to have a good time, this is a very fun way to spend two hours. As you may have gathered from my commentary on the audio side of the production, everything about the book is delightfully over-the-top. You’re not going to find any grand truths about the nature of human existence here, but you will find a couple hours of pure delightful escapism. The one downside for lovers of suspense is that the mystery of the villain’s true identity is incredibly easy to guess, due to the narrator’s noting otherwise-inconsequential details early in the story. If you are paying attention and have any familiarity with the genre, you know who the villain will turn out to be–he’s the only one that makes logical sense, though they never really explain why he has it out for Detective Lane outside of purely professional concerns. You may doubt your conclusions as the story progresses, but at the end you will be congratulating yourself on one-upping the author. I personally prefer congratulating the author for pulling a fast one on me, but that’s okay. It doesn’t substantially detract from the experience, so far as I’m concerned.
CONTENT: Some violence, not overly gory but still a bit disturbing due to the overwhelmingly over-the-top nature of the narration and prose. I don’t recall any language, which isn’t surprising given the publishing standards of the pulps. No real sexual content, just some mild flirting and an embarrassingly-objectified (not to mention smitten) description of a woman on a character’s first meeting her.
*Yes, I do this. I can’t stand radio commercials and will change the channel every time I run into them. I turned off the radio yesterday because every bloody one of my presets was playing a commercial…..
**Let me clarify real quick before you get your hopes up–these are Haitian Voodoo zombies, not Romero/Walking Dead zombies. Sorry for the confusion.
September 2, 2013
Goodreads First Reads Giveaway Book.
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An exciting tale of the undead. This audiobook, Dead Men Kill, is a Zombie mystery short story from 1934. It’s about a police Detective, Terry Lane, as he tries to solve several supernatural murders, which, as the title suggests, are being committed by dead men. Each victim was a wealthy prominent citizen in the community. Capturing your attention early was a creepy voice uttering, “I have come to kill you, Gordon.” Right before a Zombie kills Gordon.
The author, L. Ron Hubbard, is best known for his research on the subject of Dianetics and later Scientology . What most people may not realize is that he was a prolific fiction writer from 1932 to 1950. And, this story was from that era. With over 300 works, Hubbard wrote in different story genre, including Adventure, Fantasy, Mystery, Romance, Science Fiction, and Western. He was also known to have used various pseudonyms, including Legionnaire 148, Lieutenant Scott Morgan, John Seabrook, Tom Esterbrook, and Mister Spectator. The three stories in this set were probably influenced from this own military service in the US Navy in the 1940s, including World War II. Although he served, much of it was spent ashore in the continental US. And, his claims of what he did in the military conflicts with the official records.
With a multicast presentation, this audiobook was very entertaining. The narrators from Golden Age Stories allows one to lose themselves in this book with no noticeable problems that pulled one out of the story. In addition to the different voices this book was peppered with music and sound effects, making one believe that they’re being chased by Zombies. All, enhancing this intriguing mystery.
Even though this adventure story was first published almost 80 years ago, I enjoyed listening to it today while believing that it could have just as easily been written within the last few years. A great listen for anyone wanting to enjoy a good short story on a long road-trip. Overall, if you like thrilling Zombie mysteries, this audiobook, Dead Men Kill, is probably worth listening. It’s an old fashioned Agatha Christie (or even Raymond Chandler) style mystery peppered with exciting fight scenes and a dangerous woman.
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An exciting tale of the undead. This audiobook, Dead Men Kill, is a Zombie mystery short story from 1934. It’s about a police Detective, Terry Lane, as he tries to solve several supernatural murders, which, as the title suggests, are being committed by dead men. Each victim was a wealthy prominent citizen in the community. Capturing your attention early was a creepy voice uttering, “I have come to kill you, Gordon.” Right before a Zombie kills Gordon.
The author, L. Ron Hubbard, is best known for his research on the subject of Dianetics and later Scientology . What most people may not realize is that he was a prolific fiction writer from 1932 to 1950. And, this story was from that era. With over 300 works, Hubbard wrote in different story genre, including Adventure, Fantasy, Mystery, Romance, Science Fiction, and Western. He was also known to have used various pseudonyms, including Legionnaire 148, Lieutenant Scott Morgan, John Seabrook, Tom Esterbrook, and Mister Spectator. The three stories in this set were probably influenced from this own military service in the US Navy in the 1940s, including World War II. Although he served, much of it was spent ashore in the continental US. And, his claims of what he did in the military conflicts with the official records.
With a multicast presentation, this audiobook was very entertaining. The narrators from Golden Age Stories allows one to lose themselves in this book with no noticeable problems that pulled one out of the story. In addition to the different voices this book was peppered with music and sound effects, making one believe that they’re being chased by Zombies. All, enhancing this intriguing mystery.
Even though this adventure story was first published almost 80 years ago, I enjoyed listening to it today while believing that it could have just as easily been written within the last few years. A great listen for anyone wanting to enjoy a good short story on a long road-trip. Overall, if you like thrilling Zombie mysteries, this audiobook, Dead Men Kill, is probably worth listening. It’s an old fashioned Agatha Christie (or even Raymond Chandler) style mystery peppered with exciting fight scenes and a dangerous woman.
October 14, 2015
As a die-hard zombie fan, I'm always looking for another film or novel to whet my zombie-loving appetite. Best selling American pulp fiction author L. Rob Hubbard introduces a unique perspective on the walking dead, setting his story, "Dead Men Kill," in the Golden Age of the 1930s. Originally published in a 1934 issue of the pulp fiction magazine, Thrilling Detective, "Dead Men Kill" follows Terry Lane, a police detective, through the most spine-tingling and dangerous investigation of his life. In an effort to capture a serial murderer, Lane battles the living dead, encounters a sexy vixen, and tries to evade the mysterious and deadly threats from "loup-garou."
If you're looking for an action-packed, quick and easy read, "Dean Men Kill" is sure to be right up your alley. At less than 100 pages, L. Ron Hubbard's story took me less than two hours to read. While not the most elegant use of language or most flowery prose, the short chapters are engaging and leave you wanting more.
The audio-drama version is equally as fast paced and suspenseful. Featuring Emmy Award-winning actor John Mariano, the audio performance includes music and sound effects that make you feel as though you're running beside Terry Lane through the cemetery and fighting off your own pack of brainless zombies. In some cases, the audio-drama acting is almost too quick paced, making it difficult to follow the story line if you're not
reading along with the actors' performances.
The book itself is printed on wonderfully thick paper meant to mimic the look and feel of the pulp fiction magazines in which the story was originally published and bring that Golden Age nostalgia in its readers. If you're looking for an out-of-the-box zombie tale or you just want a quick and entertaining read, "Dead Men Kill" is worth the time.
Disclaimer: I did receive a free copy of the book and audio-drama to facilitate my review. However, all opinions are 100% my own.
If you're looking for an action-packed, quick and easy read, "Dean Men Kill" is sure to be right up your alley. At less than 100 pages, L. Ron Hubbard's story took me less than two hours to read. While not the most elegant use of language or most flowery prose, the short chapters are engaging and leave you wanting more.
The audio-drama version is equally as fast paced and suspenseful. Featuring Emmy Award-winning actor John Mariano, the audio performance includes music and sound effects that make you feel as though you're running beside Terry Lane through the cemetery and fighting off your own pack of brainless zombies. In some cases, the audio-drama acting is almost too quick paced, making it difficult to follow the story line if you're not
reading along with the actors' performances.
The book itself is printed on wonderfully thick paper meant to mimic the look and feel of the pulp fiction magazines in which the story was originally published and bring that Golden Age nostalgia in its readers. If you're looking for an out-of-the-box zombie tale or you just want a quick and entertaining read, "Dead Men Kill" is worth the time.
Disclaimer: I did receive a free copy of the book and audio-drama to facilitate my review. However, all opinions are 100% my own.
August 26, 2013
I received this audio cd from a Goodreads Giveaway. Wootles!
I have loved old time radio shows since I first bought a tape of The Shadow when I was in high school. In the 90's, a local radio station would air old shows starting at midnight and I would go to sleep to them. When my kids were just out of toddlerhood, we would listen to shows on a little replica jukebox. We'd lay out blankets in front of it and turn off all the lights so that only the orange glow of the jukebox filled the room. The radio station stopped doing nostalgia radio and my kids are grown, but I still love the old shows. They are so much easier to find now on the internet. When I saw Dead Men Kill as part of a giveaway, I thought why not try. It's actually been awhile since I listened to any old shows. I was pretty surprised when I won because it's rare. I was nearly ready to give up on getting the copy, but it finally arrived the other day and I had it in my old cd player within the hour. Now, my review is only for the product and not the story. There are 2 CDs and the total length is 2 hours. There was a booklet in the cd container that covers information about L. Ron Hubbard, but I have to admit I haven't actually read through it yet. It's not just a couple of pages. The quality of the cd is great. Great voice acting and sound effects. There were a few times I had to pause the story because I heard something and couldn't tell where it was coming from. The story is unabridged so there is a narrator which at times was a little annoying. A character would say something and then the narrator would follow with "so and so said". It's like using the descriptive service for the blind when watching a movie. But I enjoyed the narrator's old timey voice. So overall I really enjoyed the cd. The story was meh, but Galaxy Audio made it worth listening to.
I have loved old time radio shows since I first bought a tape of The Shadow when I was in high school. In the 90's, a local radio station would air old shows starting at midnight and I would go to sleep to them. When my kids were just out of toddlerhood, we would listen to shows on a little replica jukebox. We'd lay out blankets in front of it and turn off all the lights so that only the orange glow of the jukebox filled the room. The radio station stopped doing nostalgia radio and my kids are grown, but I still love the old shows. They are so much easier to find now on the internet. When I saw Dead Men Kill as part of a giveaway, I thought why not try. It's actually been awhile since I listened to any old shows. I was pretty surprised when I won because it's rare. I was nearly ready to give up on getting the copy, but it finally arrived the other day and I had it in my old cd player within the hour. Now, my review is only for the product and not the story. There are 2 CDs and the total length is 2 hours. There was a booklet in the cd container that covers information about L. Ron Hubbard, but I have to admit I haven't actually read through it yet. It's not just a couple of pages. The quality of the cd is great. Great voice acting and sound effects. There were a few times I had to pause the story because I heard something and couldn't tell where it was coming from. The story is unabridged so there is a narrator which at times was a little annoying. A character would say something and then the narrator would follow with "so and so said". It's like using the descriptive service for the blind when watching a movie. But I enjoyed the narrator's old timey voice. So overall I really enjoyed the cd. The story was meh, but Galaxy Audio made it worth listening to.
February 2, 2015
I had purposely avoided reading anything by L. Ron Hubbard due to his quasi religion. I couldn't separate the man from his religion. When Audible offered a free audio book download of Dead Men Kill, I thought it would be the perfect opportunity to determine whether there is any basis for my stance. I'm happy to say, that in this case, there isn't.
Dead Men Kill is a police based mystery story. Detective Terry Lane must find the perpetrator of several murders where all evidence points to recently dead men, in other words, zombies.
The slang is very dated, though accurate to the time when it was written during the 1930-40s. I wasn't able to find a specific year. Likewise, there was one scene that would be totally unacceptable by today's standards. When I heard it, it stopped me in my tracks, I couldn't believe what I heard. I quickly realised that the book wasn't written recently and that it was most likely an acceptable comment at the time of writing. I didn't let it stop me from enjoying the rest of the narration.
I found this an enjoyable story and it was greatly enhanced by the full cast dramatic reading. The reading ran for just over two hours and was perfect listening for an otherwise boring drive.
A glossary for the slang can be found at Galaxy Press.
Read by: R.F Daley, Jennifer Aspen, Lori Jablons. John Mariano, Matt Scott and Jim Meskimen.
Dead Men Kill is a police based mystery story. Detective Terry Lane must find the perpetrator of several murders where all evidence points to recently dead men, in other words, zombies.
The slang is very dated, though accurate to the time when it was written during the 1930-40s. I wasn't able to find a specific year. Likewise, there was one scene that would be totally unacceptable by today's standards. When I heard it, it stopped me in my tracks, I couldn't believe what I heard. I quickly realised that the book wasn't written recently and that it was most likely an acceptable comment at the time of writing. I didn't let it stop me from enjoying the rest of the narration.
I found this an enjoyable story and it was greatly enhanced by the full cast dramatic reading. The reading ran for just over two hours and was perfect listening for an otherwise boring drive.
A glossary for the slang can be found at Galaxy Press.
Read by: R.F Daley, Jennifer Aspen, Lori Jablons. John Mariano, Matt Scott and Jim Meskimen.
April 4, 2017
This novella-length story (95 pages) was very much a product of it's time. Long on action, short on characterization, and full of a story which would have been at home in serialized-movies at the nickel theater or on an evening radio show as it likely was in pulp-magazines in the 1930's.
Right off the bat, there is the murder of a rich man by the corpse of his dead secretary. Soon, and with no fanfare whatsoever, you meet the protagonist- Terry Lane. Lane is a detective in the mold of Dick Tracy without the fancy gadgetry. Lane is also near to losing his job over an unsolved murder just like the most recent one and he jumps on the side of a police wagon for a ride to the crime scene. The novel continues with action scene after action scene culminating in a somewhat unexpected guilty party.
I would recommend this book for anyone who has a bit of time and wants a quick, fun read that won't require much deep thought.
**Full disclosure: I received this book from the publisher with the expectation that I would write a review of the book. I appreciate the opportunities this publisher gives people through their giveaways and other chances for people to get to read these old pulp stories.
Right off the bat, there is the murder of a rich man by the corpse of his dead secretary. Soon, and with no fanfare whatsoever, you meet the protagonist- Terry Lane. Lane is a detective in the mold of Dick Tracy without the fancy gadgetry. Lane is also near to losing his job over an unsolved murder just like the most recent one and he jumps on the side of a police wagon for a ride to the crime scene. The novel continues with action scene after action scene culminating in a somewhat unexpected guilty party.
I would recommend this book for anyone who has a bit of time and wants a quick, fun read that won't require much deep thought.
**Full disclosure: I received this book from the publisher with the expectation that I would write a review of the book. I appreciate the opportunities this publisher gives people through their giveaways and other chances for people to get to read these old pulp stories.
July 6, 2017
Full disclosure, I got this audiobook at no cost as part of the Goodreads First Reads program.
This book is a real pulp period piece, and is fun when looked at in that regard. It features honest-to-god Serpent and the Rainbow style zombies brought to the big white-man's city, where they wreak appropriate havoc, which was fun to see in a book written in the 1940's. At the same time, it is definitely a creature of it's time. For example the hero knew that a certain character could have nothing to do with the villain's Haitian zombie plot because he was a 'colored man'. It was never stated, though obvious in context, that the staff on patrons of the night club "Haitian" was whites only. A woman was arrested for being a convicted criminal who had served her time for a misdemeanor who was in disguise at the wrong place and wrong time. I'm not even going to discuss the heroine, though she was not quite as egregious as she could have been.
Over all I'd say that Hubbard did his homework, then phoned in the rest of it. It's entertaining but not especially memorable. If you like the genre then you'll enjoy the book.
This book is a real pulp period piece, and is fun when looked at in that regard. It features honest-to-god Serpent and the Rainbow style zombies brought to the big white-man's city, where they wreak appropriate havoc, which was fun to see in a book written in the 1940's. At the same time, it is definitely a creature of it's time. For example the hero knew that a certain character could have nothing to do with the villain's Haitian zombie plot because he was a 'colored man'. It was never stated, though obvious in context, that the staff on patrons of the night club "Haitian" was whites only. A woman was arrested for being a convicted criminal who had served her time for a misdemeanor who was in disguise at the wrong place and wrong time. I'm not even going to discuss the heroine, though she was not quite as egregious as she could have been.
Over all I'd say that Hubbard did his homework, then phoned in the rest of it. It's entertaining but not especially memorable. If you like the genre then you'll enjoy the book.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 12, 2014
I was fascinated by the title. Little did I expect L. Ron Hubbard to write a tale of Haitian inspired zombies. That is such a contemporary topic for writers. Junior High students frequently request zombie novels and very few that are published are appropriate for a younger audience. Dead Men Kill would definitely appeal to this age group and as an adult I thoroughly enjoyed it.
I would love the get a hardbound copy of the book because this story would have great kid-appeal. I think reluctant readers would enjoy following along as Galaxy does its exemplary job of bringing the novel to life. Sadly, the books are only available in paperback form and we don't purchase paperbacks for our library because they don't hold up to the wear-and-tear of our active patrons.
L. Ron Hubbard was an amazingly versatile author. He and Galaxy Press are a winning combination that never disappoints.
I would love the get a hardbound copy of the book because this story would have great kid-appeal. I think reluctant readers would enjoy following along as Galaxy does its exemplary job of bringing the novel to life. Sadly, the books are only available in paperback form and we don't purchase paperbacks for our library because they don't hold up to the wear-and-tear of our active patrons.
L. Ron Hubbard was an amazingly versatile author. He and Galaxy Press are a winning combination that never disappoints.
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