Publisher Description
American Sailor Kurt Reid is a hothead and a hard case—a man who hits first and asks questions later. As scrappy and rough around the edges as Jimmy Cagney, it’s no wonder that when the ship’s captain turns up dead, it’s Reid who takes the rap.
Falsely accused and under the gun, Reid jumps ship and vanishes into Shanghai —only to get caught in a web of intrigue, betrayal, and murder. In a world where nothing is what it seems and everything is for sale, he’s soon out of his depth, drawn into a spy game in which the winner takes all . . . and the loser takes a knife to the back.
Will Reid live up to his reputation as the Spy Killer? He’ll have to learn the rules fast, because with players like the sexy White Russian secret agent, Varinka Savischna, in the hunt, the game is about to turn as seductive as it is sinister.
As a young man, Hubbard visited pre-Communist China three times, where his closest friend headed up British intelligence. In a land where communists, nationalists, war lords and foreign adventurers schemed for control, Hubbard gained a unique insight into the intelligence operations and spy-craft in the region—a knowledge that informs stories like Spy Killer.
“Vividly written, super-fast-paced.” —Ellery Queen
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
In this fast-paced short novel of espionage and intrigue from pulp master Hubbard, Kurt Reid, bucko mate of the tanker Rangoon, jumps ship to avoid a murder rap. His goal is the city of Shanghai because "behind it lay all of China" and a fair chance for escape. Instantly, Reid is drawn into a plot involving a beautiful Russian spy, Varinka, and the sinister Gen. Lin Wang and his executioners known as "the Death Squad." The equally beautiful Anne Carsten complicates the romantic equation. While not as polished or prolific as Max "King of the Pulps" Brand, the future founder of Scientology carved a solid career as a contributor to the popular magazines of his day. This action yarn first saw print in the April 1936 issue of Five-Novels Monthly the bright primary colors of that original cover, reproduced here, add nicely to the timeless pulp appeal.
