Wade and Miller wrote numerous standalone novels, as well. The other Thursday novels are Fatal Step (1948), Uneasy Street (1948), Calamity Fair (1950), Murder Charge (1950) and Shoot To Kill (1951). It was made into a movie in 1950, starring Zachary Scott. Reviewers compared Guilty Bystanderfavorably with the work of Hammett and Chandler. In the story, Thursday’s ex-wife shows up to tell him their son has been kidnapped and, along with battling to stay sober, he has to battle assorted cops, thugs and doublecrossing hookers. Their next effort, Guilty Bystander (1947), features private detective Max Thursday, an unkempt alcoholic with an unpredictable temper who lives in a fleabag hotel. It was a fine and promising debut from the team, and featured PI Walter James, who is in San Diego investigating the shooting of his partner.

When WWII came along, they enlisted in the air force.Īfter WWII, Wade and Miller combined their surnames and wrote their first novel, Deadly Weapon (1946). They both attended San Diego State College and edited the college newspaper. They began writing together while teenagers–plays, sketches and radio scripts. They were both twelve years old and attending a music class at Woodrow Wilson Junior High in San Diego when they met for the first time.

Wade and Miller started their partnership early. The writing team of Robert Wade (left, born in San Diego, California in 1920) and Bill Miller (born in Garrett, Indiana, 1920) achieved several notable distinctions throughout their career: They successfully created their own private eye ( Max Thursday) they wrote a book, Badge of Evil, that served as the basis for one of the best film noirs, Touch of Evil), and wrote another book, Kitten with a Whip, that was the basis for one of the most entertaining “so-bad-it’s-good” films, starring Ann-Margaret. This bio, taken from Brian Ritt’s excellent Paperback Confidential, highlights the career of a unique writing partnership that was responsible for the creation of one of the all-time great private eyes, Max Thursday, as well as a couple of other notable eyes, Mort Hagen and Walter James. All are unread, and all boast covers so lovely that they might well have been printed in the Golden Age of mystery paperback art.Other pseudonyms include Whit Masterson, Dale Wilmer, & Will Daemer All were purchased as soon as they were released, so it seems reasonable to assume that all are first printings as well as 1st editions (or 1sts thus in instances where Hard Case re-issued a title published decades earlier). A multi-book lot featuring the first 25 titles published by Hard Case Crime from September 2004 through October 2006.

Farrell & Gregory Manchess, Chuck Pyle, Glen Orbik, Tim Gabor, Michael Koelsch, Larry Schwinger, William George (cover illustrations). by Chuck Pyle, Gregory Manchess, Bill Nelson, Robert McGinnis, Mark Texeira, Richard B. New York : Hard Case Crime / Dorchester Publishing Book.

Branded Woman by Wade Miller