Odds on the 8-Ball

• This eBook is illustrated with the artwork of the original magazine publication.

Robert Leslie Bellem was a prolific American writer who wrote in a variety of genres and for many pulp magazines, especially those of Culture Publications that included mastheads such as "Spicy Detective," "Spicy Adventure," "Spicy Western," and "Spicy Mystery." After the demise of the pulps, Bellem started writing for television and contributed scripts to shows such as "The Lone Ranger," "Adventures of Superman" (1950s version), the original "Perry Mason," "77 Sunset Strip," and others. His most famous creation was the hardboiled detective Dan Turner, Hollywood Detective, who narrates the stories in the first person in a racy, slangy style that made them very popular at the time. Bellem also wrote at least two novels, of which the best known is "Blue Murder."

The majority of Dan Turner's stories appeared in a dedicated pulp magazine called "Dan Turner Hollywood Detective" that was later renamed "Hollywood Detective" to accommodate other than Dan Turner stories. "Odds on the 8-BALL," "Murder's Mouthpiece," "The Dead Don't Dream," and "Coffin for a Coward" are, respectively, from the March 1944, August 1944, July 1944, and December 1945 issues of "Hollywood Detective" magazine.