William Arthur Neubauer (1916–1982)

In his role as editor, W Howard Baker (here writing as `William Arthur`) was generally held to have turned the ailing SBL`s fortunes around by introducing a number of changes - new writers were employed, covers became flashier and stories were told with rather more pace and verve than had hitherto been the case. Many older fans, dubbed DHC`s (Die-Hard Collectors) by Baker, disliked these changes (though it should be remembered that many fans of pre-war Blakes disliked the change from larger-than-life villains to down-to-earth stories of crooked councillors etc post-World War Two).

It`s surprising, then, to find that this Baker tale, published when he had already been editor for two years, is very much in the tradition of Walter Tyrer and John Hunter as Blake et al investigate scurrilous goings-on surrounding a second-rate seaside concert party ( a sort of `variety act` featuring entertainers from different disciplines - comedians, dancers, singers, jugglers etc - on a single bill).

There is some quite witty writing ("Venner`s face had the wet-chopped look of a Roman lion about to indulge in its favourite meal of Christian.", "Her patently false teeth gaped at him.") and the story is also interesting for it`s wealth of period detail.

In the later parts, the story maybe doesn`t hold the attention as well as it might, but is more than redeemed by a brilliant ending and by the eventual solution to the case.

All in all, well worth a read.

FOOTNOTE - In correspondence, author Arthur MacLean claimed that this SBL had been extensively re-written by him before publication. His story has some credence as later Amalgamated had him re-write three US detective stories to make them into SBLs, an experience he loathed, and thereafter he refused to do re-writes of other writer`s work.… (altro)