Cover art by Bill George.
Published 1951
Dell Publishing Company
Dead Weight
by Frank Kane
A Johnny Liddell Mystery
"Get in my way and I'll stamp you flat!"
That's what the boss of Chinese Heaven told Johnny Liddel.
"You'll tell me what I want to know - sooner or later."
The gunman swept the flat of the varrel across Johnny's cheek.
"You asked for it, peeper... We'll see how tough you are."
A switch-knife flashed in the goon's hand.
Everyone was threatening Johnny Liddel - even his girl, and the cops - until Johnny came up with a new twist to trap a killer. It was so good he fooled everyone - even himself!
This time our hero gets caught in the middle of a Tong war in the heart of Chinatown. The quarry is a mysterious bundle left in his care by a too-soon deceased client. The Feds want the package, and so does everyone else! The problem is that he hasn't got it anymore, and he's being framed for murder. His only allies are his redheaded secretary, his wits, a bottle of scotch and his trusty .45, not necessarily in that order. From the opium dens and gambling backrooms to the enticing arms of asian lovelies, Johnny takes on the Treasury department and a ring of foreign agents, all to prove his own (relative) innocence.
- Paul Irvin