Visual style works for Max Allan Collins' mystery novel

It's 1954, and the comics industry is under attack for corrupting America's youth. When the leading critic of comics is found murdered at the Waldorf Hotel in New York City, Jack Starr is on the case.

That's the setup for Max Allan Collins' “Seduction of the Innocent” (Hard Case Crime, 269 pages, $9.95), a mystery novel loosely based on the actual history of the comics. The book is the third in a trilogy of comics-centric mysteries, but stands alone just fine. However, given my interest in comics and Collins' knack for snappy mysteries, I'll be going back to the first two entries.

Collins, who resides in Muscatine and is a graduate of the Iowa Writers' Workshop, isn't in a hurry in “Seduction of the Innocent.” The murder isn't discovered until chapter six, but the author uses the time leading up to the death to get plenty of suspects on stage. Starr is an appealing fellow, with quick fists and eye for the ladies. He isn't a cad, but he isn't a prude, either.

Each chapter is adorned with a comic illustration created by Terry Beatty, who collaborated with Collins to create the comic book P.I. series “Ms. Tree.” When Starr and another character discuss the various suspects just before the book's climax, the scene is rendered as a comic. Because Collins has done such a good job immersing us in the history of comics, the visual gimmick doesn't seem at all out of place.