American Sailor Kurt Reid is a hothead and a hard case - a man who hits first and asks questions later. As scrappy and rough around the edges as Jimmy Cagney, it's no wonder that when the ship's captain turns up dead, it's Reid who takes the rap.
Falsely accused and under the gun, Reid jumps ship and vanishes into Shanghai - only to get caught in a web of intrigue, betrayal, and murder. In a world where nothing is what it seems and everything is for sale, he's soon out of his depth, drawn into a spy game in which the winner takes all... and the loser takes a knife to the back. ( )

Spy Killer

The Spy Killer is another one of the pulp fiction stories from L. Ron Hubbard, this time originally published in the late 1930s, before the USA got into World War II, Japan was occupying areas of China and one Kurt Reid was found on the streets of Shanghai, sopping wet and escaping the police.

Why? He's accused of a murder he did not commit, runs into a Russian spy (who happens to be a gorgeous woman, of course) and gets tangled into a conflict between her and a Chinese gangster.

Seems like a complex plot -- it is -- but it flows well at its 88 pages. The pulps usually ran these kinds of stories through several magazines, but here the reader gets to read it all in one go.

The reading is fairly easy, and any words used at that time are clarified in a glossary in the back.

The most gruesome scenes are the torture scenes as fingernails are being ripped out by pliers or guys are getting shot messily between the eyes. Surprisingly graphic tales for the kids of the old days.

Recommended.


( )

This book offers very little in real pulp thrills although the premise is sound. The romantic angle is silly, even for that era. The ending picks up quite a bit and brings things to a strong conclusion but its not too much fun getting there. It could have used some more action along the lines of the violent and tense finale. I did enjoy Hubbard's emphasis on the villain's ugliness. ( )

Spy Killer

The Spy Killer is another one of the pulp fiction stories from L. Ron Hubbard, this time originally published in the late 1930s, before the USA got into World War II, Japan was occupying areas of China and one Kurt Reid was found on the streets of Shanghai, sopping wet and escaping the police.

Why? He's accused of a murder he did not commit, runs into a Russian spy (who happens to be a gorgeous woman, of course) and gets tangled into a conflict between her and a Chinese gangster.

Seems like a complex plot -- it is -- but it flows well at its 88 pages. The pulps usually ran these kinds of stories through several magazines, but here the reader gets to read it all in one go.

The reading is fairly easy, and any words used at that time are clarified in a glossary in the back.

The most gruesome scenes are the torture scenes as fingernails are being ripped out by pliers or guys are getting shot messily between the eyes. Surprisingly graphic tales for the kids of the old days.

Recommended.


( )

"Spy Killer" is a classic L. Ron Hubbard story from 1936. Published prior to the wave of espionage novels inspired by Eric Ambler's "A Coffin for Dimitrios" in 1939, Hubbard had anticipated the espionage genre's popularity with this startling tale. "Spy Killer" is a well-written thriller, and readers will encounter the mysterious Russian woman Varinka Savischna. Hubbard's blazing talent is evident in beautiful lines like this: "The steam which rose from her cup of tea was not less illusive than the quality of her eyes." The audio book is outstanding. Each audio book features a multicast performance with music and sound effects reminiscent of radio's golden age. Starring the voice talent of Lori Jablons and featuring R. F. Daley, Shane Johnson, Jim Meskimen, and Tait Ruppert, "Spy Killer" is the perfect audio adventure when your driving long distance. ( )