Monday, July 14, 2014

Thrift Shop Book Covers: If Dying was All


Posted: 02 Jul 2014 04:14 PM PDT
If Dying was All is the first of four novels featuring 
Southern California private eye John Easy. It was 
published as a paperback original in 1971 by Ace Books,
 and the cover art is absolutely groovy. Not just anyone can 
pull off an ascot, polyester bell bottoms, and Florsheims. 
The artist: Beats me. Although I do know I really, really like this cover.































The opening paragraph:

“The tall, naked girl held up the portable typewriter at arm’s length, gripping the case handle with long tan fingers, and asked, ‘How about this one?’

The other three Easy novels are: Too Sweet to Die (1972), The Same Lie Twice (1973), and One Grave Too Many (1974). John Easy also appeared in three short stories—“The Tin Ear” (1966), “You Have to Stay Dead for So Long” (1976), and “They’re Gonna Kill You after Awhile” (1976).

This is the sixth of a series of posts featuring the cover art and miscellany of books I find at thrift stores and used bookshops. It is reserved for books I purchase as much for the cover art as the story or author.

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4 comments:

  1. J. Kingston Pierce6:03 PM

    It turns out, the cover of If Dying Was All was painted by Elaine Duillo. I showcase some of her other paperback covers here:

    http://killercoversoftheweek.blogspot.com/2014/07/talent-enough-for-any-genre.html

    Cheers,
    Jeff

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  2. RJR10:04 PM

    I really liked this 4 book series.

    RJR

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  3. James Reasoner7:55 AM

    I read all four of the books and really liked them, too. John Easy is a great name for a private eye.

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  4. Fred Blosser1:19 PM

    Flickering 40-year old memory: the plot expanded on an earlier Goulart short story in AHMM, "Undertaker Please Drive Slow." I don't remember if the first-person PI had a name.

    ReplyDelete