Sun 17 Feb 2019
Archived Review: EMMETT McDOWELL – Stamped for Death.
Posted by Steve under Bibliographies, Lists & Checklists , Characters , Reviews[6] Comments
EMMETT McDOWELL – Stamped for Death. Jonathan Knox #1 . Ace Double D-329, paperback original, 1958.
I used to collect stamps. I’ve never been able to explain what the fascination is, but even though I sold my collection some time ago, for no good reason, the urge has never quite gone away. I never had any like the ones at the core of this story, though, a set of rare Hawaiian “missionary” stamps.
Louisville auctioneer Jonathan Knox has an eye for rare collectibles, too. After a few stories for the pulps (*), this is his first book appearance. I’m sorry to say that it shows. Lots of incoherent action, in a naive sort of way, although the topless belly dancer does have her charms.
The other half of this Ace Double is entitled Three for the Gallows, and consists pf three novelettes by Emmett McDowell, the first featuring Jonathan Knox as well. It’s reprinted from a 1953 appearance in Triple Detective Magazine (“All She Wants Is Money,” Summer 1953).
The remaining two stories, neither of them with Knox) were first published in 1949 in King Features Syndicate’s Great Mystery Novelettes series, and that’s all I can tell you about that. Does anyone know anything more. (*) I also have not been able to identify another Knox story that appeared in the pulps, so the use of the plural in this regard in the original review may be in error.
The Jonathan Knox series —
Stamped for Death. Ace 1958
Bloodline to Murder. Ace 1960
In at the Kill. Ace 1960
Portrait of a Victim. Avalon 1964 (no paperback edition)
February 17th, 2019 at 6:17 pm
Something similar happened to many writers successful in the pulps and to many British writers with the paperback revolution in that the demands of what American audiences wanted in a novel clashed with the style of writing many had become adept at.
John Creasey famously struggled to find his American voice (less emphasis on plot and more on character interaction), and actually had to live here a few years to successfully do it, and many popular pulp writers found they couldn’t master the new demands of the changed market.
We think of the pulps as being the training ground of so many writers who went on to success in paperbacks (MacDonald, Macdonald, L’Amour, Goodis, and so on), but in truth a great many pulp writers struggled with the more novelistic demands of the new market while a few turned to short fiction in the slicks (Fred Nebel and Lester Dent) rather than put much effort into the differing style and less rewarding money of the then paperback market.
February 17th, 2019 at 7:31 pm
As far as theories go, David, I like yours a lot. In all likelihood it was true of McDowell, the only naysaying factor being that he wrote only five stories for the pulps, the actual count being something I did not know when I wrote this review.
I’d have to read this one again, or another later one in the series before I’d say so for sure, but it’s possible he wasn’t another John D. MacDonald to begin with.
February 18th, 2019 at 12:28 am
McDowell wrote at least 40 stories for the pulps, maybe more than that because he may have written some under house-names for Fiction House, his usual publisher. I haven’t read any of his novels, but I’ve enjoyed the pulp stories of his that I’ve read.
February 18th, 2019 at 1:19 am
You’re absolutely right, James. I made the mistake of only looking for him in the online Crime Fiction Index, not the larger FictionMags one. I’ve made that mistake before, but I seem to keep making it. Lots of stories in both JUNGLE STORIES and PLANET STORIES, plus the occasional ones for ADVENTURE, STARTLING STORIES and so on.
That gives a lot more teeth to David’s conjecture that he was one of the pulp writers who couldn’t make the transition all that well to paperback novels when the pulp magazine market started to dry up.
January 31st, 2022 at 10:19 am
Thought you might find this interesting:
https://bullittcountyhistory.org/bchistory/rem.html
January 31st, 2022 at 10:39 am
Yes indeed. Thanks for the link. It’s a great piece. It was first posted on Douglas Anderson’s blog, here:
https://desturmobed.blogspot.com/2011/12/robert-emmett-mcdowell.html