Crime SuspenStories #9

In "Understudy to a Corpse!" from Crime SuspenStories #9 (1952), newlyweds Brad and Alice uncover a chilling secret in their new home’s attic—a trunk filled with human bones tied to a web of greed and deception. As the past unfolds through a series of murders driven by money, each victim is replaced by someone who takes their place, blurring the line between identity and fate.

In "Medicine!", Jo finds herself trapped in a tense web of jealousy and desperation after discovering her husband Luther’s reliance on daily medication—reminders from Miss Doyle, the nurse who’s always by his side. When Nora takes matters into her own hands, she sabotages Luther’s meds, unaware that her own car’s faulty brakes will soon force her to rely on him—just as he’s about to take his next dose.

In "Cut!", a desperate movie stand-in named Russell Slade sees a chance to steal another actor’s life when he notices his make-up man can make him look exactly like John Hammond. With a risky scheme in motion, he sets out to replace the star—only to find his plan spirals in a way he never expected.

In "A Tree Grows in Borneo!" from Crime SuspenStories #9 (1952), George and Amos venture deep into the Borneo jungle, drawn by the promise of gold hidden in ancient temples built by the Kenyahs—where the dead are buried inside hollowed trees. While George sees only treasure, Amos warns of a curse on those who disturb the sacred sites, a warning he soon ignores when greed takes hold. The story unfolds with a chilling sense of dread as ambition and superstition collide in the heart of the jungle.