Wanted Comics #51

Larry Newson's descent from a well-to-do young man into hopeless drug addiction unfolds as a cautionary tale of how marijuana leads to heroin, petty crime spirals into violence, and the grip of addiction becomes absolute. Trapped in a cycle of craving that consumes his every waking moment, Larry finds himself willing to commit increasingly desperate acts to feed his habit—even as the drug destroys everything around him. Based on actual police files, "Holiday of Horror!" documents the tragic events that drove one addict to the brink and beyond.

Chet Johnson, the genial owner of a seaside diner, is found shot dead on the night of August 17, 1949—and his till has been emptied. When police arrive in response to a call from the kitchen man, a suspicious auto speeds away from the scene, setting off a high-speed pursuit. Can you solve the crime before the authorities close in on their suspect?

Fresh out of prison, Harry Markos discovers his girlfriend with another man—and his violent response sets him on a ruthless path to power within the criminal underworld. As he claws his way to the top of the mob through merciless elimination of anyone who stands in his way, Markos earns the fearsome nickname "The Butcher," building an empire on cold-blooded ruthlessness. But when a trusted lawyer disappears with eighty thousand dollars, the Butcher's reign of terror faces its first real test.