This is a continuation of a post made a couple of weeks back, based on a couple of discoveries made by Ken Johnson. First of all, here are the previous Addenda entries, repeated as they were given then:

FRITCH, CHARLES E(DWARD). 1927- . Add pseudonym Eric Thomas, q.v. For many years editor of Mike Shayne Mystery Magazine, beginning in 1979. Under his own name, a science fiction writer and the author of one private eye novel included in the (Revised) Crime Fiction IV.
      _Negative of a Murder. Sydney, Australia: Phantom, pb, 1960. See: Negative of a Nude (Ace 1959).
      Negative of a Nude. Ace, pb, 1959. Australian title: Negative of a Murder (Phantom, 1960). Setting: Los Angeles, CA. Add series character: Hollywood private eye Mark Wonder. Rewritten as Strip for Murder, by Eric Thomas (Kozy, 1960). As described by James Reasoner on his blog: “Mark Wonder […] is hired to recover some blackmail photos.”

Charles Fritch - Negative of a Nude



THOMAS, ERIC. Add: pseudonym of Charles E. Fritch, 1927- , q.v. Under this pen name, the author of two novels included in the (Revised) Crime Fiction IV; see below:
      Psycho Sinner. Athena, pb, 1961. Add series character: Hollywood private eye Mark Wonder. Says James Reasoner on his blog: “Mark Wonder is hired by beautiful starlet Silvi McClair to find out who’s trying to kill her.”
      Strip for Murder. Kozy Books, pb, 1960. Add setting: Los Angeles, CA. Leading character: private eye Christopher Sly. [Sly is hired by a stripper to recover some photos shed posed for.] According to James Reasoner on his blog, this book is “a very loose rewrite of Negative of a Nude (Ace, 1959), written under the author’s own name.

ERIC THOMAS Strip for Murder



   After these entries were posted, Ken emailed me with the following information:

    “I have a different book called 7 Deadly Sinners by Christopher Sly, published by Athena Books in 1961, also featuring Sly as the lead character. This book was reprinted a year later by Carousel Books, another porn house, as Fury in Black Lace by Charles Brockden. Here’s the interesting part: Carousel Books were published by Frimac Publications which, it is my understanding, was owned by Charles Fritch and Jack Matcha.”

   We’ll have to leave Frimac Publications to discuss another day — this was certainly news to me — but by pure coincidence, Jack Matcha’s entry was included in the same post as Charles Fritch’s.

   For now, though, the following revised entries will appear in Part 25 of the ongoing online Addenda to Crime Fiction IV, by Allen J. Hubin. Until perhaps Mr. Fritch confirms that he wrote the following books, we’ll reserve the possibility that some plagiarizing may have been going on, as was common in the sleaze-based paperbacks of that era.

SLY, CHRISTOPHER. Possible pseudonym of Charles E. Fritch, 1927- ; other possible pen name: Charles Brockden; qq.v. Confirmed pen name for Mr. Fritch: Eric Thomas, q.v.
      7 Deadly Sinners. Athena, pb, 1961. Setting: Los Angeles CA. Series character: Private eye Christopher Sly. [Sly is hired as a bodyguard to seven beautiful movie starlets.] Note: This book was rewritten as Fury in Black Lace, by Charles Brockden.

CHRISTOPHER SLY 7 Deadly Sinners



BROCKDEN, CHARLES. Possible pseudonym of Charles E. Fritch, 1927- ; other possible pen name: Christopher Sly, qq.v. Confirmed pen name for Mr. Fritch: Eric Thomas, q.v.
      Fury in Black Lace. Carousel, pb, 1962. Setting: Miami Beach FL. Leading character: Private eye Nicholas Gamble. [Gamble is hired as a bodyguard to seven beauty contest contestants.] Note: This book is a rewrite of 7 Deadly Sinners, by Christopher Sly.

CHARLES BROCKDEN Fury in Black Lace