Looks That Kill

VALDOR, the master mind reader, saw clearly the horrifying vision of Arlene . . . unconscious, bound and gagged . . . he saw a mysterious Egyptian room filled with a deadly poison gas . . . and he knew that two women had clashed over one man! Death and destruction crowded those other visions out of his mind . . . and he saw that the man they had fought over, the man they had killed for, was himself, Valdor the Mind Reader. But Valdor did not know that his broadcast set the tempo for this mad dance that meant . . . murder. Even Valdor did not realize that a simple twist of the dial, the turn to his mind-reading program, started the chain reaction that spread havoc from coast to coast!

Looks That Kill (Murder Mystery)

By Walter B. Gibson

Fiction House Press

ISBN #978-1514614945

Price $14.95

237 Pages

Rating 5-Stars

“A Good Mystery With A Nice Twist.”

Valdor the Mighty Mind does his mental magic on the air. Sponsored by Moonbeam Soap Company, the program airs from Studio G between 9 and 9’30 pm on Tuesday evenings. Visitors leave questions in a box outside the studio door, and the mental wizard tunes in on the visitors’ thoughts.  One night a visitor is murdered with an invisible knife in his back; the knife isn’t truly invisible, it’s made from volcanic rock which is like glass. D.A. investigator James Dorrance believes someone at the studio is the murderer. A young blond in the studio had caused an interruption in the program, and this brings her in contact with Valdor and the investigation. This also involves them both in the investigation. The big question is, if Valdor actually can read minds, does he know who the murderer is?

This was a fun mystery by magician and The Shadow creator, Walter B. Gibson, and you can see the influence in both the character and magic. I wasn’t sure who the main character was at times, however, Valdor the Mighty Mind, or James Dorrance, the D.A. investigator, but that’s in keeping with The Shadow novels, in which secondary characters led the story, while the hero stayed in the background. But Valdor does not always stay in the background, as, like The Shadow, he has to come to the rescue of the blond, Arlene Jennings, a few times. Definitely a fun read. Highly recommended.

Tom Johnson

Detective Mystery Stories