Wed 22 Oct 2025
Diary Review: NEW DETECTIVE MAGAZINE, May 1944.
Posted by Steve under Diary Reviews , Magazines , Pulp Fiction[2] Comments
NEW DETECTIVE MAGAZINE, May 1944. Cover art by Gloria Stoll. Overall rating: *½.
BRUNO FISCHER “Fatally Yours.” Novelette. A draft board official, accused of selling deferments, is also framed for the murders of those who might have found out, Could only have been written in those days of all-out mobilization, except for those fighting to stay out. (3)
F. ORLIN TREMAINE “The Dagger from Singapore,” Novelette. The love of a sailor with a memory for crime is interrupted by murder. Action, but little else. (1)
FREDERICK C. DAVIS “Death Marks the Spot.” Novel. After six years, an arsonist turned murderer is caught, allowing a falsely convicted gunsmith to work for the war effort, Hard to swallow at times, and overly dramatic. (1)
J. F. HUTTON “Three Days to Howl.” In the time remaining before his induction, Steve Warren helps keep an important new weapon out of enemy hands. (2)
JAMES McCREIGH “No End to Murder.” A train station robbery is thwarted while a cop stops in the restroom. (2)
October 22nd, 2025 at 9:27 pm
I can’t speak to the content, but Fischer did some pretty good work over his career, and Davis’s pulp work gave us The Moon Man and many of the Operator #5 adventures. Hutton published a dozen stories, mainly in the 40s, most of them forgettable. Tremaine is best remembered as the editor of ASTOUNDING immediately before Campbell, and he did a pretty job of it. James McCreigh, of course, was an early pseudonym for Frederik Pohl.
October 22nd, 2025 at 9:56 pm
This title is a fourth tier detective pulp by Popular Pub. so it doesn’t come as any surprise to me to garner a low grade given in your review. I’d guess they used a solidly good story as an opener and then went to the slush pile to round out the issues. I look forward to more of your reviews of this title to see if I’m right. Of course I could just go into the right closet and see these issues for myself, but seeing as you’ve already done the work, I’ll just wait!! Thanks Steve! Keep em coming.