The Lesser Look: “Count Me In”

Part of a month-long celebration of Ron Lesser’s artistic legacy.



Count Me In, by Fan Nichols (Macfadden, 1969). Nichols (married name: Frances Nichols Hanna) concocted romance and crime novels during the mid-20th century. Among her other books were Be Silent, Love, One by One, and The Loner.

Happy Valentine’s Day, Everyone!

Love Me Now, by Fan Nichols (Monarch, 1963). Cover illustration by Rafael DeSoto. The back-cover can be enjoyed here.

READ MORE: “Sweetheart Sleuths for Valentine’s Day,” by Janet Rudolph (Mystery Fanfare).

A Face to Fall For

This cover of Angel Face (Macfadden, 1970) makes no visual sense. In the upper left-hand corner, we have the giant noggin of ubiquitous paperback model Steve Holland. In the middle appears a shapely blonde wearing either a blouse or a short, see-through negligee, and high heels on her feet, but evidently nothing in between. Finally, there’s a dark-haired, dark-suited gent falling to his death from the heights of a brick building--he’s the only one, it seems, who is unable to defy gravity in this illustration. I can only surmise by the cover line (“Her profession was love, but all she knew was hate”) that the blonde had some complicity in that man’s tumble.


I don’t know who was responsible for this peculiar artwork, but the author of Angel Face was Fan Nichols (married name Frances Nichols Hanna), who concocted romance and crime novels during the mid-20th century. Among Nichols’ other books were Be Silent, Love, One by One, and The Loner.