The Killers #1

Tom Rice of the New York Homicide Squad investigates a suspicious pair of deaths—a man and his wife, both leaving hefty insurance payouts to the same beneficiary, a mysterious neighbor named Dr. Watson. When Rice discovers the victims died of tetanus and bore strange scratch marks, he traces the deadly connection to Watson's cat, uncovering a chilling murder scheme. Rice must outsmart a killer willing to do anything to keep his lethal secret hidden.

When a schoolgirl is murdered in Asbury Park, New Jersey, the authorities arrest two suspects—but private investigator Raymond Stormer grows convinced that the indicted man, Black Ace, is innocent. Working with the determined sheriff, Stormer sets out to uncover the real killer by employing cunning psychological tactics on the other suspect, Frank Heideman. What begins as a battle of wits becomes a cat-and-mouse game where every move—from planted rumors to carefully orchestrated encounters—pushes the guilty man closer to confession.

When private eye "Ace" High takes a case from a desperate woman named Adeline—her father murdered, priceless emeralds stolen—he fingers the culprit as a mysterious cloaked magician named Asmodeus. But as "Ace" digs deeper into the seedy underbelly of the city, he uncovers a web of blackmail, stolen goods, and desperation that's far more complicated than a simple robbery. From the shadowy corners of Towerchase Amusement Park to a climactic chase across the scenic railway, "The Magic of Murder!" pits the tough gumshoe against a con man whose tricks go deeper than mere stage illusions.