Friday, January 18, 2013

Paperback 593: A Death at Sea and The Time of Terror / Lionel White (Ace Double F-155)

Paperback 593: Ace Double F-155 (1st / 1st, 1961)

Title: A Death at Sea / The Time of Terror
Author: Lionel White
Cover artist: Uncredited / Uncredited (illeg. sig.)

Yours for: $15

AceDF155
Best things about this cover:
  • Elena bitterly regrets her decision to put two slugs in Steve and dump his body off the pier. That, or she has a toothache.
  • Why did all the boyfriends she killed have to return as demonic sea ghosts? It all seemed terribly unfair.
  • Opera gloves! Hot. 
  • If you squint and tilt your head a little, you can sort of see what Steve's head would look like on her body. Also, if you imagine Steve away, you can imagine Elena has one terrific scar just under her left collarbone.

AceDF155bc
Best things about this other cover:
  • "What the!?!? Oh, it's just a demonic merry-go-round horse. I gotta get my nerves under control."
  • I am distracted and mildly irritated by the definite article in the title.
  • Author's signature visible but not legible, just under demon horse hoof. Always frustrating to have a signature but not a clear attribution.
  • Not a fan of this hat style, whatever you call it. Brim's too small, and it's sitting too high up on his head, esp. in the back. I dig the gloves, though. Very professional.

Page 123~ (of The Time of Terror)
"It begins with Marko," Terry said. "Rudolph Marko—he was the key to the whole thing. I'll start with him. But first I'll have a drink of that rum. I'm forming a taste for it."
Priorities. Nice.

~RP

[Follow Rex Parker on Twitter and Tumblr]

6 comments:

Graham Powell said...

I believe that hat's called a homburg. Not too sure about that, though.

Tulse said...

I'd vote for trilby.

Karl said...

"Quit laughing at my hat, merry-go-round horse, or I'l shoot you!"

Datrappert said...

Lionel White was one of the great pulp writers.

Doug said...


This has to be the first time that I've ever seen a non-SF ACE Double.

Todd Mason said...

There were a lot of non-sf/fantasy Ace doubles...though most of those were crime fiction and westerns, I believe. The first cover painting could easily be Jack Gaughan's work, I think.