The Corpse Steps Out

The John J. Malone Series, Book 2

By: Craig Rice

Narrated by: Johnny Heller

Radio star Nelle Brown is known coast-to-coast for her sweet and sultry voice. But her press agent and manager, Jake Justus, is familiar with another side of the darling of the airwaves: her crackpot marriage to a penniless tycoon, disastrous string of lovers, and propensity for flying into spectacular fits of rage. Now, it appears she’s being burned by an ex-flame who’s holding her scandalous love letters for ransom. The missives could ruin Nelle’s career, but so could the scoundrel’s murder. For Nelle and Jake, reporting the crime is out of the question - not to mention pointless, as the corpse has vanished along with the incriminating evidence.

John J. Malone, Chicago’s rumpled yet resourceful legal beagle, is tasked with finding both. But as every new unscrupulous lead turns up dead, Malone isn’t sure whether Nelle is orchestrating a killer cover-up to save her pretty neck or if she’s about to belt out her own swan song.

©1940 Georgiana Ann Randolph Craig (P)2020 Blackstone Publishing

Madcap

On top of the fun of a missing corpse, a crazy husband and some purloined letters of a compromising nature, there's the guided tour of another time and place. Personal details can't be culled from a Facebook profile. Compromising letters have to be hand-copied. And a gunshot sound effect is produced by an odd contraption of wood, leather and rubber, not an Mp3. Seems like the detectives of yesteryear -- even the funny ones -- had to work harder than now.

Johnny Heller is, once again, superb. My only suggestion is that you might want to play him at .95 speed so you don't miss anything.

perfectly fine story

nothing great or overly original but a perfectly fine story. narrator was excellent. am glad to recommend for a light, quick read.

Very Enjoyable

These books are funny and light hearted but still interesting. I love this genre. Great narration too.

A Classic Series Wonderfully Read

Craig Rice's 1940's series has passed "dated" and become vintage. Or classic. Love the genre of the times or hate it, the lively, intelligently phrased narration sets off the wacky story of the peripatetic corpse, the songbird (of the speakeasy sort), the rich girl, the lovestruck press agent, and above all Malone the Chicago shyster.

I find Johnny Heller's comfortable voice easy to listen to and just Midwestern enough to be comfortable to my Midwestern ears without indulging in some of the more grating regional pronunciations.