Wednesday, December 10, 2014

Paperback 841: The Bombshell / Carter Brown (Signet 1767)

Paperback 841: Signet 1767 (1st ptg, 1960)

Title: The Bombshell
Author: Carter Brown
Cover artist: Barye Phillips

Estimated value: $8-10

Sig1767

Best things about this cover:

  • One of the few crime novels to take place entirely inside a circus tent.
  • Either that is a letter-perfect come-hither look or the rabid dog on her head has burrowed deep into her skull and now has full mind-control capabilities.
  • That is one hell of a negligee. So … negligible.
  • You can tell police dude is confused. "Shoot the thing on her head … or ask her out? Damn it, this job's hard!"
  • Title font victory! Total A+.


Sig1767bc

Best things about this back cover:

  • I think I found my new look for 2015. I am only 1/4 kidding. (The 1/4 that contains the cigarette)
  • Anagrams to LIE TALLY, which I'm sure is high, 'cause she's a blonde dame, know what I'm sayin'? Also LIT ALLEY, where she buys all her books, and TILE ALLY, as she's known in the bathroom flooring industry.
  • carter brown sold 25.5 million books without capital letters in his name so he's not about to start now.


Page 123~

 "Al!" She jumped up and down gleefully. "That thing's a microphone, isn't it?"

"It's whatever you want it to be, baby."

~RP

[Follow Rex Parker on Twitter and Tumblr]

6 comments:

Tulse said...

That's a stupendous illustration of the woman. Boy howdy...

Z said...

Sometimes a gun is just a gun.

Stoutcat said...

Looks a bit like a young Stella Stevens, circa The Nutty Professor.

Anonymous said...

He must be a bad detective if he can't tell if she's a corpse or not.

Unknown said...

Had me at "secluded harem".

DemetriosX said...

Rex must be right about this taking place in the circus, because that cop must be on stilts. If she's 5'5", then he's got to be at least 10' tall.