Carter Brown Mystery Series

The Blondes

2010-08-26T21:49:00.000-07:00

Finnish

I see that Bruce Grossman has given the nod to Carter Brown's archetypal book: The Blonde. The cover he has is one of the later editions, a quintessential Robert McGinnis. So I thought I'd share some of covers from around the world.

The first cover is a Mexican one-she does look rather bedraggled doesn't she? She's been ridden hard and put away wet, apparently. The second one is Australian- she's much more playful and fun. The third is the Brazillian version--hey what's the man doing ther? Everyone knows that male detective stories need a sexy broad and not some bloke lurking.

These are all versions of the American artist Ronnie Lesser's cover-the one of the far left is the 1958 Signet original. The other one is the Dutch version.

Signet 1958

Dutch

But of course I'm saving the best until last; here are my two favourite covers.

Japanese

Norway

I love the abstract Japanese covers. More on that in the future. Who doesn't know the despair of the blonde? It could just be my favourite cover.

Nordic Carter Browns.

2010-08-21T12:34:00.000-07:00

Since January this year I have visited the National Libraries of Denmark, Norway and Finland. It is exciting and exhausting as I have uncovered hundreds of Carter Brown titles and a whole slew of new covers.

Here is a summary of CB's publishing history in these countries. In order of appearance

Finland
1957-85
first title The Wench is Wicked

139 books incl reprints

One publisher: Valpas-Mainos (Finland only)

Norway

1959-1968

289 books incl reprints

2 series/publishers (Denmark and then Norway)

Ponni-bok (1959 - 61). Publisher: Nasjonalforlaget printed in Oslo – 26 titles
CB series (1960-8). Publishers: Alle, Ingar Weyer Tveitan – Copenhagen (til 1975) and then Oslo (+1975)

Denmark
200 titles
1960 – 84
Publisher: Winther.

Sweden
178 books

1961 – 89
Publisher: Wennerberg (Copenhagen and then Stockholm)

Finland was out of step with the other three countries in that they reprinted Australian covers and used Australian material--not Signet material. Thus the Finnish covers are different to those used in the other countries (see this website). This suggests that there was an ongoing relationship with Horwitz, Carter Brown's Sydney publishers. On the other hand, Denmark, Norway and Sweden seem to have developed their relationship with Signet in America. As a result, they favoured Robert McGinnis covers.

Over the next few days I will be adding tables comparing the titles and series numbers of Finland, Denmark, Norway and Sweden. In the meantime, below is the Danish Series

Denmark CB Series

1960 Body CB 1

1960 Blonde CB 2

1960 Corpse CB 3

1961 Lover CB 4

1961 Mistress CB 5

1961 Victim CB 6

1961 Passionate CB 7

1961 Wanton CB8

1961 Dame CB 9

1961 Desired CB 10

1961 Bombshell CB11

1961 Temptress CB 12

1961 Savage Salome CB 13

1961 Ever-Loving Blues CB 14

1961 Myopic Mermaid CB 15

1962 Million Dollar Babe CB 16

1962 Stripper CB 17

1962 Unorthodox Corpse CB 18

1962 Tigress CB 19

1962 Exotic CB 20

1962 Zelda CB 21

1962 Sad-Eyed Seductress CB 22

1962 Murder Wears a Mantilla CB 23

1962 Angel! CB 24

1962 Hellcat CB 25

1962 Murder In Key Club CB 26

1962 Ice Cold Nude CB 27

1963 Lady Is Transparent CB 28

1963 Good-Morning, Mavis! CB 29

1963 Lover Don't Come Back CB 30

1963 Bullet for My Baby CB 31

1963 Loving and the Dead CB 32

1963 Hong Kong Caper CB 33

1963 Murderer Among Us CB 34

1963 Dum Dum Murders CB 35

1963 Guilt Edged Cage CB 36

1963 Lady Is Available CB 37

1963 None But the Lethal Heart CB 38

1963 White Bikini CB 39

1964 Girl Who was Possessed CB 40

1964 Passionate Pagan CB 41

1964 Blonde On Rocks CB 42

1964 Girl In A Shroud CB 43

1964 Nymph to the Slaughter CB 44

1964 Jade-Eyed Jungle CB 45

1964 Charlie Sent Me! CB 46

1965 Dance Of Death CB 47

1965 Scarlet Flush CB 48

1965 Walk Softly Witch CB 49

1965 Silken Nightmare CB 50

1965 Wind-Up Doll CB 51

1963 Hoodlum was a Honey CB 52

1965 Never-Was Girl CB 53

1965 Baby You're Guilt-Edged CB 54

1965 Vixen CB 55

1965 Murder is a Package Deal CB 56

1965 Bump and Grind Murders CB 57

1965 Who Killed Doctor Sex? CB 58

1965 Catch Me A Phoenix! CB 59

1965 Wreath for Rebecca CB 60

1965 No Blonde Is An Island CB 61

1965 Nude with a View CB 62

1965 Corpse For Christmas CB 63

1965 Strip Without Tease CB 64

1965 Venus Unarmed CB 65

1965 Sometime Wife CB 66

1966 Hammer Of Thor CB 67

1966 Girl From Outer Space CB 68

1966 Frame is Beautiful CB 69

1966 Blonde On A Broomstick CB 70

1966 So What Killed the Vampire CB 71

1966 Play Now- Kill Later CB 72

1967 Black Lace Hangover CB 73

1967 Target for their Dark Desire CB 74

1967 Wayward Wahine CB 75

1967 No Tears from the Widow CB 76

1967 Until Temptation Do Us Part CB 77

1967 Seidlitz and the Super-Spy CB 78

1968 Long Time No Leola CB 79

1968 House of Sorcery CB 80

1968 Plush-Lined Coffin CB 81

1968 Lament for a Lousy Lover CB 82

1968 Deadly Kitten CB 83

1968 Had I But Groaned CB 84

1968 Deep Cold Green CB 85

1969 Mini-Murders CB 86

1969 Flagellator CB 87

1969 Only Very Rich CB 88

1970 Die Anytime After Tuesday! CB 89

1970 Wanton CB 90

1970 Stripper CB 91

1970 Unorthodox Corpse CB 92

1970 Uptight Blonde CB 93

1970 Exotic CB 94

1970 Streaked-Blond Slave CB 95

1970 Sad-Eyed Seductress CB 96

1970 Murder Is Message CB 97

1970 Angel! CB 98

1970 Hang Up Kid CB 99

1970 Hellcat CB 100

1971 Good Year For Dwarfs? CB 101

1971 Tigress CB 102

1971 Tomorrow Is Murder CB 103

1971 Murder Wears a Mantilla CB 104

1971 True Son Of Beast! CB 105

1971 Ice Cold Nude CB 106

1971 Burden Of Guilt CB 107

1971 Murder In Harem Club CB 108

1971 Creative Murders CB 109

1971 Girl Who was Possessed CB 110

1971 Sex Clinic CB 111

1971 Murderer Among Us! CB 112

1972 Murder In Family Way CB 113

1972 Good Mourning Mavis CB 114

1972 Coffin Bird CB 115

1972 Bullet for My Baby CB 116

1972 Where Did Charity Go? CB 117

1972 Passionate Pagan CB 118

1972 Coven CB 119

1972 White Bikini CB 120

1972 WHORE! CB 121

1972 Nymph To Slaughter CB 122

1973 Invisible Flamini CB 123

1973 Girl In A Shroud CB 124

1973 Seven Sirens CB 125

1973 Blonde On Rocks CB 126

1973 Clown CB 127

1973 Jade-Eyed Jungle CB 128

1973 Angry Amazons CB 129

1973 Dum Dum Murders CB 130

1973 Pornbroker CB 131

1973 None But the Lethal Heart CB 132

1974 Master CB 133

1974 Dance Of Death CB 134

1974 Manhattan Cowboy CB 135

1974 Walk Softly Witch CB 136

1974 Murder Is So Nostalgic CB 137

1974 Silken Nightmare CB 138

1974 Murder On High CB 139

1974 Catch Me A Phoenix! CB 140

1974 Wheeler Fortune CB 141

1974 Hoodlum was a Honey CB 142

1975 Phreak-Out! CB 143

1975 Never-Was Girl CB 144

1975 And Undead Sing CB 145

1975 Bombshell CB 146

1975 So Move Body CB 147

1975 Vixen CB 148

1976 Star-Crossed Lover CB 149

1976 Night Wheeler CB 150

1976 Donavan CB 151

1976 Early Boyd CB 152

1976 Negative In Blue CB 153

1976 Wheeler Dealer! CB 154

1976 Sex Trap CB 155

1976 Donavan's Day CB 156

1976 Savage Sisters CB 157

1976 Aseptic Murders CB 158

1976 Ride Roller Coaster CB 159

1976 Iron Maiden CB 160

1977 Dream Merchant CB 161

1977 Remember Maybelle? CB 162

1977 Chinese Donavan CB 163

1977 Murder Is A Package Deal CB 164

1977 Pipes Are Calling CB 165

1977 Bump And Grind Murders CB 166

1978 Donavan's Delight CB 167

1978 Born Loser CB 168

1979 Strawberry Blonde Jungle CB 169

1979 Busted Wheeler CB 170

1979 See It Again Sam CB 171

1979 Who Killed Doctor Sex? CB 172

1979 Spanking Girls CB 173

1979 Wreath for Rebecca CB 174

1980 Rip-Off CB 175

1980 Nude--With A View CB 176

1980 Phantom Lady CB 177

1980 Target For Their Dark Desire CB 178

1980 Murder is So Gay CB 179

1980 Black Lace Hangover CB 180

1981 Swingers CB 181

1981 Until Temptation Do Us Part CB 182

1981 Antique Blonde (Wicked Widow) CB 183

1980 Wayward Wahine CB 184

1981 Kiss Michelle Goodbye CB 185

1981 Play Now Kill Later CB 186

1982 Death To A Downbeat CB 187

1982 Temptress CB 188

1982 No Tears From Widow CB 189

1982 Seidlitz And Super-Spy CB 190

1982 Blonde Avalanche CB 191

1983 Plush-Lined Coffin CB 192

1983 House of Sorcery CB193

1983 Lament For A Lousy Lover CB 194

1983 Deadly Kitten CB 195

1983 Had I But Groaned CB 196

1983 Long Time No Leola CB 197

1983 So What Killed Vampire? CB 198

1974 Wheeler Fortune CB 199

1984 Real Boyd CB 200

CARTER BROWN TRANSLATIONS

2009-01-14T15:14:00.000-08:00

Can anyone help me translate this Carter Brown title? I'm also unsure of its origin.

I'm also looking for the following translated Carter Browns:

[GREECE]
Oi Magisses
Me Lypasai Tis Omorfes
Me Lypasai Tis Omorfes
Neraida Sto Sfageio
E Latreia
Ena Fili Gia To Dolofono
E Kyria Einai Diathesime
Plasmene Kai Gia Kati Allo
To Pathos
E Klinike Tou Sex
I adistakti
To Spiti Me Tis Koukles

[ICELAND]
Nærsyna hafmeyjan
Likio gengur aftur

Geðbilaði leikarinn

[ISRAEL]
Ha-Na'Ara Be-Salmat Ha-Mawet
Bubbat Ha-Avadon
Hazmana lerezah

Any infomation would be gratfully apprieciated. Email j.sawyers@uq.edu.au

Looking for Carter Brown Books

2008-08-26T04:25:00.000-07:00

While many people seek the earliest Carter Brown books, I'm far more interested in the later reprints. Often the dates on the inside are wrong so don't be fooled. The verso of the title page might read 1960 but often the front cover tells a different story. Currently I am comparing the texts; so if anyone has some later CBs they are willing to sell please contact me.

I am always looking to buy CB in translation too. It's difficult for me to understand how to use foreign Paypal so I appreciate any help. Maybe you're willing to send scans of your covers? That would be welcome too -- leave a comment and I'll get back to you.

Carter Brown Titles 1964-1985

2008-08-21T20:26:00.000-07:00

By 1964 the Carter Brown Mystery Series changed considerably: Signet had been bought out by Times Mirror and D L Doctorow was the CBMS editor; Yates negotiated a much kinder writing schedule and he had only six novels to write per year; the international market continued to expand. Later covers claimed that over 70 million copies were in print--of course, in print doesn't mean sold!

The Wind-Up Doll 1964
The Dance Of Death 1964
The Never-Was Girl 1964
The Vixen 1964
Murder Is A Package Deal 1964
The Bump And Grind Murders 1964
Who Killed Doctor Sex? 1964
No Blonde Is An Island 1965
Catch Me A Phoenix! 1965
Nude--With A View 1965
A Corpse For Christmas 1965
The Girl From Outer Space 1965
The Hammer Of Thor 1965
The Sometime Wife 1965
Blonde On A Broomstick 1966
So What Killed The Vampire? 1966
Play Now...Kill Later 1966
The Black Lace Hangover 1966
Target For Their Dark Desire 1966
No Tears From The Widow 1966
Until Temptation Do Us Part 1967
Seidlitz And The Super-Spy 1967
Long Time No Leola 1967
House Of Sorcery 1967
The Plush-Lined Coffin 1967
The Deadly Kitten 1967
Had I But Groaned 1968
The Mini-Murders 1968
The Deep Cold Green 1968
The Flagellator 1969
Only The Very Rich 1969
Die Anytime, After Tuesday! 1969
The Uptight Blonde 1969
The Streaked-Blond Slave 1969
Murder Is The Message 1969
Temple Dogs Guard My Fate 1969
The Hang Up Kid 1970
Burden Of Guilt 1970
True Son Of The Beast! 1970
A Good Year For Dwarfs? 1970
The Coffin Bird 1970
Where Did Charity Go? 1970
The Creative Murders 1971
The Coven 1971
The Sex Clinic 1971
Murder In The Family Way 1971
W.H.O.R.E.! 1971
The Invisible Flamini 1971
The Seven Sirens 1972
The Aseptic Murders 1972
Murder Is So Nostalgic 1972
The Angry Amazons 1972
The Pornbroker 1972
The Clown 1972
The Master 1973
Murder On High 1973
The Born Loser 1973
Manhattan Cowboy 1973
Phreak-Out! 1973
So Move The Body 1973
Wheeler Fortune 1974
And The Undead Sing 1974
The Star-Crossed Lover 1974
Donavan 1974
Night Wheeler 1974
Negative In Blue 1974
The Early Boyd 1975
The Iron Maiden 1975
Sex Trap 1975
Wheeler, Dealer! 1975
Donavan's Day 1975
Ride The Roller Coaster 1975
The Savage Sisters 1976
Remember Maybelle? 1976
The Dream Merchant 1976
Chinese Donovan 1976
The Pipes Are Calling 1976
Coriolanus, The Chariot! 1978
Donovan's Delight 1979
The Spanking Girls 1979
The Strawberry Blonde Jungle 1979
Busted Wheeler 1979
See It Again, Sam 1979
The Rip-Off 1979
The Phantom Lady 1980
Model For Murder 1980
Death To A Downbeat 1980
The Swingers 1980
The Wicked Widow 1980
Prompt For Murder 1981
Kiss Michelle Goodbye 1981
The Blonde Avalanche 1984
The Real Boyd 1984
Stab In The Dark 1984

Carter Brown Titles 1957-1963

2008-08-21T20:11:00.000-07:00

In 1957 Signet (USA) signed a licensing agreement with Horwtiz Sydney for the Carter Brown series; the first title The Body was published in July 1958. Yates was committed to writing at least ten novels per year.

Booty For A Babe 1957
The Eve Of His Dying 1957
The Bribe Was Beautiful (reprint Lethal In Love) 1957
Darling You're Doomed 1957
Lethal In Love (later Minx is Murder; not 1953 Lethal In Love) 1957
Stripper, You've Sinned (revised Strip Without Tease") 1957
Venus Unarmed 1957
Trouble Is A Dame (not 1954 title of same name) 1957
Bella Donna Was Poison 1957
Eve - It's Extortion 1957
Wreath For A Redhead 1957
Sinner You Slay Me 1957
No Law Against Angels (later The Body, US 1961) 1957
Madam You're Mayhem 1957
Ten Grand Tallulah And Temptation (later Scarlet Flush 1963) 1957
Doll For The Big House (later Bombshell 1960) 1957
Blonde, Bad And Beautiful (later The Hong Kong Caper 1962) 1957
Chorine Makes A Killing 1957
Last Note For A Lovely 1957
Murder Wears A Mantilla 1957
That's Piracy, My Pet (later Bird in a Guilt-Edged Cage 1962) 1957
Cutie Wins A Corpse (later Graves I Dig with Danny Boyd) 1957
Good-Mourning, Mavis 1957
The Unorthodox Corpse 1957
Ice Cold In Ermine 1958
Siren Signs Off (later Myopic Mermaid 1962) 1958
Death On The Downbeat 1958
No Body She Knows 1958
No Future Fair Lady 1958
Widow Bewitched 1958
High Fashion In Homicide 1958
Tempt A Tigress 1958
Luck Was No Lady 1958
The Charmer Chased 1958
Deadly Miss 1958
Cutie Takes The Count 1958
The Blonde 1958
Sinfully Yours 1958
Goddess Gone Bad 1958
Hi-Fi Fadeout 1958
So Lovely She Lies 1958
The Lover 1958
The Corpse 1958
The Mistress 1958
The Body (revised No Law Against Angels 1957) 1958
The Cold Dark Hours 1958
The Victim (US version of Walk Softly Witch revised Eve It’s Extortion) 1959
Walk Softly Witch (US as The Victim; Australia So Deadly Sinner 1959 and The Victim 1961) 1959
The Loving And The Dead (revised A Morgue Amour) 1959
So Deadly, Sinner! 1959
The Passionate 1959
None But The Lethal Heart(The Fabulous: Australia) 1959
The Wanton 1959
Suddenly By Violence! 1959
Terror Comes Creeping 1959
The Dame 1959
The Desired 1959
The Wayward Wahine 1960
The Bombshell (revised Doll For the Big House) 1960
Graves - I Dig! (revised Cutie Wins a Corpse) 1960
Tomorrow Is Murder 1960
The Temptress 1960
The Brazen 1960
The Dream Is Deadly 1960
Lament For A Lousy Lover 1961
The Savage Salome (revised Murder Is My Mistress 1955) 1961
The Stripper 1961
The Tigress 1961
The Exotic 1961
The Seductress 1961
The Million Dollar Babe (revised Cutie Cashed His Chips 1955) 1961
Myopic Mermaid (revised Siren Signs Off 1958) 1961
Zelda 1961
Angel! 1962
Ice Cold Nude 1962
Hellcat 1962
Murder In The Harem Club 1962
The Lady Is Transparent 1962
Lover, Don't Come Back! 1962
Hong Kong Caper (revised Blonde, Bad and Beautiful) 1962
The Dum Dum Murders 1962
The Murderer Among Us! 1962
Bird In A Guilt-Edged Cage (revised That’s Piracy My Pet 1957) 1962
The Lady Is Not Available 1963
The Passionate Pagan 1963
The Ballad Of Loving Jenny (US White Bikini) 1963
The Sinners (US, UK, Canada: The Girl Who Was Possessed) 1963
Nymph To The Slaughter 1963
Blonde On The Rocks 1963
Girl In A Shroud 1963
The Jade-Eyed Jinx 1963
The Scarlet Flush (revised Ten Grand Tallulah And Temptation 1957 ) 1963
Charlie Sent Me! (revised Swan Song For A Siren 1955) 1963
The Silken Nightmare 1963

Carter Brown Titles 1951-1956

2008-08-21T19:58:00.000-07:00

After Yates signed his contract with Horwitz, he had to write two full-length novels and two novelettes per month. The novelettes are fewer than 34 pages of double columns and tiny print; the novels started in 1953 with Lethal in Love. Presumably the contract was signed around this time; though the Yates family claims that the contract was signed sometime in 1951.

The Lady Is Murder 1951
Your Alibi Is Showing 1951
Duchess Double-Cross 1951
Death Date For Dolores 1951
Hands Off The Lady 1952
Larceny Was Lovely 1952
Sssh! She's A Killer 1952
Meet Miss Mayhem 1952
Alias A Lady 1952
Murder Sweet Murder 1952
She Wore No Shroud 1952
Sweetheart You Slay Me 1952
Kiss Life Goodbye 1952
Blackmail For A Brunette 1952
Blondes Prefer Bullets 1952
Cyanide Sweetheart 1953
Slightly Dead 1953
Blackmail Beauty 1953
Kidnapper Wears Curves 1953
The Lady Wore Nylon 1953
Meet A Body 1953
Rope For A Redhead (later Model of no Virtue 1956) 1953
Murder Is A Broad 1953
Dimples Died De-Luxe 1953
My Honey Says Homicide 1953
Lethal In Love (not 1956 title; later The Bribe was Beautiful 1953
Penthouse Pass Out (later Hot Seat for a Honey 1956) 1953
The Lady's Alive 1953
Madame You're Morgue-Bound 1953
Moonshine Momma 1953
Stripper You're Stuck 1953
Model For Murder 1953
Judgment On A Jane 1953

Widow Is Willing 1953
Dead Dolls Don't Cry 1953
Butterfly Nett 1953
Chill On Chili 1953
Honky Tonk Homicide 1954
Floozie Out Of Focus 1954
Goodknife Sweetheart 1954
Yoga Shrouds Yolande 1954
Felon Angel 1954
Homicide Harem 1954
Poison Ivy 1954
Murder! She Says 1954
Strip Without Tease (later: Stripper, You've Sinned 1956/7) 1954
Wreath For Rebecca 1954
Perfumed Poison 1954
Sinsation Sadie 1954
Trouble Is A Dame (reprint Lady Is Chased; not 1954 title of same name) 1954
Black Widow Weeps 1954
Slaughter In Satin 1954
Pagan Perilous 1954
Venus Unarmed 1954
Shady Lady 1954
The Frame Is Beautiful 1954
The Lady Is Chased 1954
My Mermaid Murmurs Murder 1954
Fraulein Is Feline 1954
Murder - Paris Fashion 1954
Nemesis Wore Nylons 1954
Maid For Murder 1955
Homicide Hoyden 1955
The Killer Is Kissable 1955
A Morgue Amour (later Loving and the Dead with Mavis S) 1955
Shamus, Your Slip Is Showing 1955
Curtains For A Chorine 1955
The Two-Timing Blonde 1955
Honey, Here's Your Hearse! 1955
Sob-Sister Cries Murder! 1955
Curves For A Coroner 1955
A Bullet For My Baby 1955
Swan Song For A Siren (later Charlie Sent Me 1963) 1955
Cutie Cashed His Chips (later Million $ Babe 1961) 1955
Miss Called Murder 1955
Kiss And Kill 1955
The Wench Is Wicked 1955
A Shroud for My Sugar 1955
Murder Is My Mistress (later Savage Salome) 1955
Kiss Me Deadly 1955
Lead Astray 1955
Death Of A Doll (later Ever-Loving Blues 1961) 1956
Murder By Miss-Demeanour (later Murder by Miss Take 1958) 1956
Blonde Verdict 1956
The Hoodlum Was A Honey 1956
My Darling Is Deadpan 1956
Hi-Jack For Jill 1956
Blonde, Beautiful And - Blam! 1956
No Halo For Hedy 1956
Baby, You're Guilt-Edged 1956
The Lady Has No Convictions 1956
Strictly For Felony 1956
Delilah Was Deadly 1956
Meet Murder, My Angel 1956
Hot Seat For A Honey (revised Penthouse Pass Out 1953) 1956
No Harp For My Angel 1956
Bid The Babe Bye-Bye 1956
Model Of No Virtue (revised Rope For A Redhead 1953) 1956
Sweetheart This Is Homicide 1956
Donna Died Laughing 1956
Caress Before Killing 1956

Introducing Carter Brown

2008-08-11T14:09:00.000-07:00

The persona ‘Carter Brown’ started modestly enough in the Sydney offices of Horwitz Publications. Sometime in 1951, the Horwtiz editorial team approached one of their freelance writers, Alan Geoffrey Yates (1923-85), and asked him if he would be interested in writing a mystery series as “Peter Carter Brown”.

Alan G Yates was born in London in 1923; he visited Australia during World War II while in Navy. He fell in love with a local lass (Denise Mackellar) and they married in 1946. They lived in London for a short time but returned to Australia after 18 months (1948). After several jobs Yates worked for QANTAS in the public relations department, but in his spare time he wrote small novelettes -- westerns, science fiction and romances under a variety of names -- for the many Sydney publishing companies who needed cheap fiction for the growing reading market. (For more on the Sydney publishing industry read my Sydney Publishers Blog

Though it was a huge gamble, giving up a full-time job with QANTAS, Yates signed a contract. In exchange for a guaranteed weekly advance of £30 (almost double his QANTAS salary), he was to produce two novelettes and one full-length novel a month. The Lady is Murder, the first Lovely Mystery by Peter Carter Brown, appeared in September 1951. Yates continued to write science fiction for a couple of years but soon the Peter Carter Brown books were a success. They sold nearly 1million copies per year, the Australian pouplation was a little over 10 milllion at the time. So popular was the series, that it was soon being published overseas and the head of Horwtiz, Stanley Horwitz decided that it was time to take Carter Brown to the United States. He sent several books to one of the largest publishers, Signet (an imprint of the New American Library).

Signet co-founders (Victor Weybright and Enoch Powell) were impressed enough to sign a licensing agreement with Horwtz. Yates was now committed to write a new book every month, or at least ten per year. And he did so for the next thirty years, until his death in 1958.

Yates wrote approximately 300 Carter Brown novels and became Australia’s best-selling novelist: Signet claimed international sales of 80 million copies—the series was translated into nearly thirty languages, a Japanese tv series and two French movies. Many people remember the books not so much for the content (which is a pity because the books are amusing) but for their wonderful covers.

Introduction to Carter Brown

2008-08-10T19:34:00.000-07:00

Alan G Yates (1923-1985) is one of Australia's most popular authors. This blog site is part of an Australian Research Council research grant. The University of Queensland has also contributed to my research by providing teaching relief, conference funding and travel funds over the past several years. I am keen to hear from anyone who knows anything about his publishing history. Or anyone who has read his novel--for although sales of around 70 million are claimed, few people admit to having reading the Carter Brown Mystery Series.