Authentic Police Cases #12

Lombard, a deported American con man, arrives in post-war Italy and reinvents himself as Major De Marco, using a forged uniform and papers to swindle black-market speculators and extract favors from unsuspecting officers and officials. As his audacious schemes escalate from petty rackets to election interference, the Army Criminal Investigation Division sets Lieutenants Catalano and Higgins on his trail—but the smooth-talking imposter's nerve and brazenness keep him one step ahead, at least until his overconfidence leads to a critical mistake.

Private detective Vic Flint is yanked out of bed by a mysterious caller named Still, who claims he can solve an old murder and prevent a new one—but the man is poisoned with cyanide before Flint can learn more. When a second body turns up at Sam's Place and a photograph of York Melcroft's daughter Marcia is found on Still's corpse, Flint must untangle a web of lies and hired killers to uncover the truth before someone else dies.

When a string of gangland murders plague a Central State city, detectives Jack Mitchell and Len Logan join a massive police dragnet to unmask the mysterious Phantom Fingerman—a crafty criminal who's managed to orchestrate hits without leaving a trace or revealing his identity. As the investigation tightens and informants begin to surface, Logan pursues a crucial lead through the widow of a dead triggerman, uncovering telltale marks that could finally bring the elusive killer within reach. The hunt accelerates toward a dangerous confrontation, but the Phantom Fingerman proves far more resourceful than anyone anticipated.