Crime SuspenStories #4

In "Backlash!" from Crime SuspenStories #4 (1951), mystery writer Wilton grows increasingly confident in his theory of the perfect locked-room crime—until publishers keep turning down his manuscript. Frustrated and smug, he decides to prove his genius by committing the crime for real, only to find his plan spirals beyond his control.

In "Premium Overdue!" from Crime SuspenStories #4 (1951), Thelma, a woman with a sharp eye for opportunity, takes out a double-indemnity policy on her useless husband, Sam, just to please a charming insurance salesman. When Sam turns up dead under suspicious circumstances, Thelma thinks she’s escaped scrutiny—until a new man named George enters her life, and a second tragedy unfolds with chilling similarities.

In "Conniver!", Tom Brogen, a frustrated comic book editor who’s long felt unappreciated, schemes to eliminate his boss by manipulating events to frame an artist, Paul, for an affair with the boss’s rival, Mr. Graynor. As Tom weaves his web, his carefully constructed lies begin to unravel in ways he never anticipated.

In "Heads-Up!" from Crime SuspenStories #4 (1951), Dora grows restless in her marriage to Fred, the owner of a traveling freak show, and finds herself drawn to another performer. When Fred learns of her betrayal and her plan to replace him, he devises a chilling response—one that turns the circus spotlight into a weapon of his own design.