Written in 1932, this was a controversial novel because of the frankness of its depictions of a morgue. Nowadays it's a real curiosity because of the way the characters obsess about alcohol. There are many parallels between the prohibition-era America and the situation we find ourselves in with marijuana and this book brings them out.

Ramble House, in a fit of perverse nostalgia, decided to bring back three action-packed novels by James Corbett all at once, and MURDER BEGETS MURDER is the mystery of the group. The other two are aeroplane thrillers. Corbett has a dodgy reputation among the old writers and with that in mind, Bay Area curmudgeon and historian Howard Pearlstein introduces the book with a plea for understanding. But read for yourself. This was the author's 43rd (and last book), published in 1951.

Originally published in Startling Stories in 1942, 'Devil's Planet' was Manly Wade Wellman's fourth published science fiction novel, and it combines an adventure story set on Mars with a locked room murder mystery. Dillon Stover lands on Mars with a mission to continue his grandfather's work to bring a sustainable water supply to the parched planet, but before he knows it he finds himself accused of murder and on the run.

Ned Anderson, wealthy young playboy of San Francisco, comes back from a trip around the world to find that James Gillespie, whom he had granted power of attorney before leaving on his trip, had swindled him of his fortune. In his attempt to recover his fortune, and to find Gillespie's secretary who has been kidnapped, Anderson hires Simon Crole, private detective. What follows is a most perplexing mystery in which there is a victim who suffers the same fate - twice Simon Crole and his small agency pull out all stops to beat the police to the solution of the mystery.

Dennis Lane spent 14 months in Vietnam back when it was dangerous and during his stint his unit painted a wall -- one they called The Bitch Wall. It tells the stories of Dennis' buddies as they struggle to survive.