Another Look: “The Case of the Vanishing Beauty”

Warning: Artistic inspiration drawn from book titles may vary.



Left: Case of the Vanishing Beauty, by Richard S. Prather (Gold Medal, 1950); cover illustration by Willard Downes. Right: Case of the Vanishing Beauty, by Richard S. Prather (Gold Medal, 1954); cover artwork by Barye Phillips.

Let Us Now Praise Mapbacks

No Coffin for the Corpse, by Clayton Rawson (Dell, 1948).
Cover illustration by Gerald Gregg.

As I explain today in The Rap Sheet, I recently put together a piece for CrimeReads that showcases Dell Books’ outstanding “mapback” editions of the mid-20th century. You will find the completed CrimeReads post right here.

During my work on that article, I poured through the 600-or-so paperbacks comprising Dell’s memorable line. I slowly culled out 28 examples of the breed that I thought best represented the publisher’s intents and successes with those mapbacks. Ultimately, however, I had room to feature only 13 such covers in CrimeReads.

Above and below, you can see the other 15 examples I left behind on the cutting room floor. Most of these fine fronts were painted by Gerald Gregg, though a few represent the equally familiar artistry of Robert Stanley. Almost all of the backside crime scenes are credited to Ruth Belew (with more of her work available here).

The Smell of Money, by Matthew Head (Dell, 1948).
Cover illustration by George A. Frederiksen.

No Mask for Murder, by Andrew Garve (Dell, 1952).
Cover illustration by Robert Stanley.

Death Knell, by Baynard Kendrick (Dell, 1949).
Cover illustration by Gerald Gregg.

The Bat, by Mary Roberts Rinehart and Avery Hopwood (Dell, 1948). Cover illustration by Gerald Gregg.

The Blackbirder, by Dorothy B. Hughes (Dell, 1947).
Cover illustration by Gerald Gregg.

A Man Called Spade, by Dashiell Hammett (Dell, 1945). Cover illustration by Otto Storch or Gerald Gregg.

Kiss the Blood Off My Hands, by Gerald Butler (Dell, 1947).
Cover illustration by Gerald Gregg.

The Case of the Constant Suicides, by John Dickson Carr (Dell, 1945). Cover illustration by George A. Frederiksen.

Through a Glass, Darkly, by Helen McCloy (Dell, 1951).
Cover illustration by Robert Stanley.

One Angel Less, by H.W. Roden (Dell, 1948).
Cover illustration by Gerald Gregg.

Dead of Night, by Stewart Sterling (Dell, 1952).
Cover illustration by Willard Downes.

The Opening Door, by Helen Reilly (Dell, 1947).
Cover illustration by Gerald Gregg.

The Feathered Serpent, by Edgar Wallace (Dell, 1944).
Cover illustration by Gerald Gregg.

The Circular Staircase, by Mary Roberts Rinehart (Dell, 1952).
Cover illustration by Robert Stanley.

The Heat Is On: You’re Lonely When You’re Dead

Celebrating the delights of summer. Click here for the full set.


You’re Lonely When You’re Dead, by James Hadley Chase
(Popular Library, 1951). Illustration by Willard Downes.