George Harmon Coxe (1901-1984) was an American journalist turned crime fiction author of the hard-boiled school. He began writing for the mystery pulp magazines early and was earning enough to focus full time on them by the 1930s. He was a regular contributor to the original Black Mask magazine, where Coxe’s first series character Jack Casey, a crime photographer in Boston, initially saw print. Casey later appeared in novels, movies, radio, and television. Other series characters from Coxe include Kent Murdock, a newspaper photographer; Sam Crombie; Jack Fenner; and Max Hale. Coxe published more than 60 novels between 1935 and 1975. Mystery Writers of America named him a Grand Master in 1964. For more about Coxe, see an essay by James Reasoner here: http://mysteriouspress.com/blog/the-legacy-of-george-harmon-coxe-by-james-reasoner.asp
In Lady Killer (Knopf, 1949) Kent Murdock, chief photographer of the Courier-Herald newspaper met the S.S. Kemnora as it docked in Boston at the request of Elsie Russell, a singer who was onboard the ship. He meets Elsie and another singer named Ginny Arnold in their cabin for a small going-ashore party, along with a few others including Harry Felton, a reporter. Later Murdock’s assistant finds a sealed package in Murdock’s camera case as he sorts through the day’s shooting. The package has disappeared by the time he tells Murdock about it. Murdock knows only a few people had the opportunity to put the package in his equipment and he goes to Harry Felton’s apartment to ask him about it, only to find Harry dead and his apartment rifled.
In no time Murdock finds himself deep in a multiple murder investigation and a larger smuggling inquiry. There’s a good deal about Ginny and Elsie and their attempts to establish themselves as singers. Indicative of the times, they weren’t looking for recording contracts as they would be now but long-running engagements at night clubs and parts in movies. Murdock never forgets that he’s a reporter; he’s always calling in the latest breaking news on the case in order to scoop the competition. Well-hidden motive and killer; I did not suspect the actual culprit at all. A good piece of mid-century crime fiction with plenty of tough characters and questionable motives to spare.