Cass Blue

Created by John Lawrence
(1907-1970)

CASS BLUE is a New York private dick who appeared in several short stories in Dime Detective back in the thirties. With his hard-ass attitude, a conveniently flexible set of morals and a blackjack on his hip, he’s ready for just about anything. His pals include speakeasy owner Al Lascoine, who serves up booze and alibis.

The stories are all rendered in pulpster Lawrence’s trademark first person, over-boiled prose style, full of gunfights and plot holes. Lawrence may not have been much of a writer, but he sure knew how to slap together the usual suspects to make a slam-bang action story.

Lawrence was one of many prolific pulpsters who managed to keep cranking ’em out, logic and finesse be damned, and is probably best known for his tales of The Marquis of Broadway, featuring the most ruthless, vicious gang of thugs to ever pin on badges in the pulps. He also found the time to create several other series eyes, including  Sam Beckett, Joey Saphir and the nameless Acme Indemnity Op.

SHORT STORIES

• “The Bloodstone” (November 1932, Dime Detective)
• “The Corpse Control” (June 1, 1934, Dime Detective)
• “Calling All Cars!” (August 1, 1934, Dime Detective)
• “Guilty Party” (August 15, 1935, Dime Detective)
• “Fade-Out” (September 15, 1934, Dime Detective)
• “The Barking Body” (February 15, 1935, Dime Detective)
• “A Burial Is Arranged” (March 1, 1935, Dime Detective)
• “Dangerous Dollars” ( June 1, 1935, Dime Detective)

COLLECTIONS

• The Complete Cases of Cass Blue, Vol. 1 (2014) | Buy this book | Kindle it
• The Complete Cases of Cass Blue, Vol. 2 (2023)  | Buy this book

Respectfully submitted by Kevin Burton Smith.