Written by Paul Ernst (using the house name Kenneth Robeson), Tuned for Murder appeared in the May 1940 issue of The Avenger.
When, as a teenager, I first read the Avenger stories in paperback reprints, I liked them but didn't think them quite as good as the Shadow or Doc Savage. But each time I revisit them, I appreciate them a little bit more. Great mysteries, excellent use of the supporting cast, exciting action scenes, unexpected plot twists. Though all other pulp heroes bow before the pure awesomeness of the Shadow, the Avenger is definitely a top tier hero himself.
Tuned for Murder is set in Garfield City, NY, where bizarre things are happening. First, a famous inventor announces that he's invented the ultimate weapon. He won't share this invention with anyone, but promises to use it to make war impractical by giving it to any nation that is invaded by another. The inventor lives in a castle outside the city, guarded by an electric fence and armed guards.
But, about the same itme, several prominant citizens of the city begin to publically act in clearly insane ways, only to later regain their sanity with no memory of what they had done. This soon becomes dangerous, with one man committing a double murder and a woman committing suicide.
It's not much of a spoiler to say that hypnotic control is involved. That's pretty obvious from the get-go. But the exact nature of the control and the identity of the man behind it all are still mysteries.
Soon, Justice, Inc. becomes involved. The Avenger and his crew survive a mob ambush getting to Garfield City and split up along several routes of inquiry. This emphasizes one of the strengths of the Avenger series I mentioned earlier. Each member of Justice, Inc gets a moment to shine.
The highlight of these highlights has to be when Nellie Gray and Rosebel Newton are kidnapped by mobsters. Using teamwork, intelligence and Nellie's martial arts expertise, the two ladies turn the tables on the thugs in a manner that can only be described as epic.
Josh Newton's escape from an attempt to kill him is also pretty cool.
I enjoy the way that all the bizarre occurances and apparently random deaths are tied together in the end in a way that makes sense. Well, it makes sense according to the logic of a Pulp Magazine Universe, but that's more than good enough for me. The good guys all end up apparently helpless while held at gunpoint by mobsters. But they are rarely helpless. The climatic fight scene and exposure of the Big Boss is wonderfully constructed.
In my mind, the Shadow is the #1 Pulp Hero. But the Avenger vies for 2nd place with Doc Savage. Right behind them are G-8 and then the Spider.
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I enjoyed The Avenger more than Doc Savage because there were no pets like Chemistry and Habeas Corpus abe no infantile squabbling like between Monk and Ham.
ReplyDeleteYou make a good point. I'm always annoyed by the pig and the ape as well, though I do think Monk and Ham's squabbling can sometimes be funny. But only sometimes.
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