One of the last detective pulps to be launched, Smashing Detective Stories featured hard-action stories of mystery and detection. After 27 issues the magazine title changed to Fast Action Detective and Mystery Stories but only 3 more pulp issues were published under this title, followed by 3 digest issues.
A British reprint edition ran for at least 8 issues in the early 1950s.
SCORE NONE FOR THE CHAIR—THOMAS THURSDAY
“Look, Bub, when you’ve been in the crime-chipping business as long as I have, you’ll learn that a criminal investigator has two duties. One is to prove guilt, and the other is to prove innocence.”
YOU’LL KILL THE PEOPLE—RICHARD BRISTER
Right after he first appeared on TV, Buddy Burton began to receive warnings: get out while you’restill alive! It didn’t make seem to make any sense, but Buddy found that the party sending them meant business, and . . .
MURDER WITH FOLDED ARMS—THOMAS THURSDAY
Why were the victim’s arms folded neatly across his chest after he was shot?
DEAD MEN DON’T MOVE—THOMAS THURSDAY
Anyone who knew him laughed at the thought of Jonathan Rumley being killed by a hit-and-run driver while he was fixing a tire. The idea of Rumley stooping to manual labor, under any circumstances!
DEATH OF A DEJECTED EDITOR—DENNIS WIEGAND
Nicholas Nocturne was far too egotistic to take his own life – even in the spectacular way he died. Obviously, he had had a bit of help in falling out that window . . .
SERVANT OF THE STATE—THOMAS THURSDAY
ANNALS OF CRIME
THE BIG SQUAWK—THOMAS THURSDAY
Like most practical jokers, Jack Kane didn’t appreciate a joke played on him—especially when it connected him with a killing.