Crime Suspenstories #4

In "Backlash!", a clever mystery writer obsessed with the perfect locked-room crime finds his theories dismissed by every publisher he approaches—until he decides to prove his genius by committing the crime for real. Smug in his belief that he’s untouchable, he underestimates the consequences of playing with forces he doesn’t fully understand.

In "Premium Overdue!", a sharp-witted woman named Thelma takes out a double-indemnity insurance policy on her husband, Sam, for a lark—only to turn the joke deadly. After faking an accident to collect the payout, she finds herself entangled in a new relationship with George, whose own insurance plans soon take a dark turn. As fate mirrors her past, the consequences of her choices begin to close in.

In "Conniver!", a frustrated comic book editor named Tom Brogen, worn down by years of unseen labor, schemes to eliminate his boss by manipulating events to frame a fellow artist, Paul, for an affair with the boss’s fiancée. As Tom weaves his web of deceit, his carefully laid plans begin to unravel in ways he never anticipated.

In "Heads-Up!", The Old Witch sets the stage for a chilling tale of betrayal and twisted ambition as Dora, fed up with her husband Fred’s life in the freak show, finds herself drawn to another performer. When Fred learns of her affair and her plan to eliminate him, he devises a dangerous game with a deadly twist — one that turns the circus spotlight into a trap.