Showing results by narrator "John Rayburn" in All Categories

Part of a mystery series featuring renowned detective Fleming Stone. He is called on to decide whether it was suicide or murder in the case of a future college president. Stone has remarkable ingenuity for unraveling cases. Can he do it again? A young girl student is suspected. Was she guilty or was it just rumor? Several clues point both ways. Small footprints in the snow lead to a boarding house where the mystery girl is lodging and love letters between the two point to her guilt. Listening to the unusual tale will have you thinking both ways.

Once upon a time there were four men—all bad. That is, they were each bad, but none was entirely bad. Nobody is. The four were closely associated in their interests and were of varying types and varying degrees of badness. Basically, one was the Cat’s-paw; one was the Brutal Ruffian; one was the Arch Villain behind it all; and one was the Judas Iscariot, who carried the bag, and who betrayed the whole bunch. A millionaire is battered to death on an ocean liner by a bronze hand modeled from Rodin’s original.

This captures the spirit of the American west: It is a classic tale of heroism and romance, with a struggle to survive in a harsh and unforgiving environment. It has the breezy charm of “Cattleland,” as a young cowboy has a major task of saving his ranch from ruthless cattle rustlers. He has a romance as the fast-moving action makes its way through stampedes, shooting and bronc riding in the midst of the rugged and wild landscape of Wyoming.

A most unusual request for insurance was made to Lloyds of London. It was outre enough to bring on what can best be described as something of “improbable dimensions.” The request was made by a young Brirtish Lord. He was engaged to an American heiress and was worried she might back out. An added part of the story is a guarantee there would be a sizeable payout if the ceremony stalls. The story of same can easily be called a delightful romantic comedy and it wouldn’t be surprising if you laugh out loud, or at least chuckle frequently.

Victoria Van Allen was the name she signed to her letters and to her cheques, but Vicky Van, as her friends called her, was signed all over her captivating personality, from the top of her dainty, tossing head to the tips of her dainty, dancing feet. Young lawyer Chester Calhoun liked her from the first, and if her “small and earlies” were said to be so called because they were timed by the small and early numerals on the clock dial, and if her “little” bridge games kept in active circulation a goodly share of our country’s legal tender, those things are not crimes.

A young lawyer who is a bachelor by choice winds up as consulting attorney for a beautiful woman, who is considered perhaps guilty of the murder of her wealthy uncle. He is Otis Landon, who lives with his sister in an apartment next to scene of the crime. Otis is very intelligent and works with a collection of clues found at the scene of the murder. In doing so, he becomes involved and winds up trying to clear the young woman he finds he’s falling in love with. He reaches the limits of his abilities, with the case winding up in the hands of renowned detective Fleming Stone.

“Oh, I want to go back to the Rio Grande! The Rio! That’s where I long to be!” The words, sung in a soft and musical tenor, died away and changed to a plaintive whistle, leaving the scene more lonely than ever. For a few moments nothing was to be seen except the endless expanse of wilderness, and nothing was to be heard save the mournful warble of the singer. Then a horse and rider were suddenly framed where the sparse timber opened out upon the plain. Together, man and mount made a striking picture; yet it would have been hard to say which was the more picturesque—the rider or the horse.

Do you like to fly? If so, this is a great story that lets you in on the way things were in the early days of aviation, including the excitement and wonder of what it was like in the beginning. It all happens as a young inventor has hopes and dreams of breaking records with the new-fangled means of transportation. Along the way, he encounters not only dangerous weather conditions but also unscrupulous rival inventors. In spite of such hurdles to clear, the hero overcomes them with ambition and perseverance.

Just what is nostalgia? Here are provocative and exciting stories about a great period of popular music. It was a time when the nation was facing desperate days of the Great Depression as well on-going fears of a World War. The still young radio industry was a major force in helping provide a worried nation with a source of entertainment and comfort. The author/narrator had conversation/interviews with many of the major stars and he tells you about their talent and their wonderful music. It’s as though you’re sitting there listening as to one of the most memorable eras in the nation’s history.

The Saddle Boys in this western-themed series are Frank Haywood, only son of rich miner/ranch owner Leonidas Haywood, and Frank’s friend, Bob Archer, who hails from Kentucky. They became known far and wide because of being seen riding and dashing over the prairies at top-notch speed. They were often confronted by a spoiled young Peg, (nickname for Percy Egbert Grant, whose wealthy father let him get by with more than he should.)

Quick-witted detective Stone is capable of making decisions from a pair of muddy shoes and other seemingly unimportant clues. It’s almost like a performing magician pulling a rabbit from a hat. He once remarked that “One never knows what difference anything will make until the difference is made.” Publication time of books featuring Stone are unknown so just watch for them for ordering. Even very astute listeners will often be surprised at his amazing solutions.

This is the second in a series about the Saddle Boys in western-themed stories. In The Saddle Boys of the Rockies, you learned first about the adventures of two inquisitive youths of by-gone days. They are Frank Haywood, only son of rich miner/ranch owner Leonidas Haywood, and Frank’s friend Bob Archer, who hails from Kentucky. They became known far and wide after being seen riding and dashing over the prairies at top-notch speed. They were often confronted by a spoiled young Peg, (nickname for Percy Egbert Grant), whose wealthy father let him get by with more than he should).

A raging flood in Missouri took the lives of a married couple who barely got their three-year-old son into a cradle that carried him downstream. The parents were drowned. A kind rancher managed to pull the makeshift device to shore and wound up calling the boy Dave and raising the youngster to manhood without a known family name. The savior didn’t officially adopt the boy but they behaved as a loving father and son in adult life. A scoundrel family discovered the truth and labeled the young man a “nameless nobody.”

A visit to friends in Connecticut is a strange affair for David Stanhope. A brother and sister in the vicinity are brutally murdered and David joins local officials for investigation. A considerable number of suspects makes the situation greatly confusing and results in exceptional detective Fleming Stone being recruited to seek a solution.

This covers the great, near-great, and never-were in a wide range of athletic endeavors. Naturally, all major sports are included: Football, Baseball, Basketball, with many notes about Golf, Boxing, Horse racing, Auto racing, Tennis, Track, Bowling, Hockey, renowned broadcasters, and an overall mixture of such sports as Wrestling, Pool, Marbles, Archery, Cricket, even Horseshoe pitching. It’s all here! Written and narrated with exceptional knowledge and humor.

This is an ideal tale for those listeners who do their best to outguess the primary investigator Fleming Stone, who uses his logical deductions to nab greatly unexpected murderers. This follows The Clue: Fleming Stone Mystery #1, The Gold Bag: Fleming Stone Mystery #2, A Chain of Evidence: Fleming Stone Mystery #3, and The Curved Blades: Fleming Stone Mystery #4. There will be several more in the future about this man who takes on the most puzzling problems and is always willing to share information he gathers with unorthodox observations.

Another ideal tale for listeners trying to outthink primary investigator Fleming Stone, who uses logical deductions to nab greatly unexpected murderers. This follows The Clue: Fleming Stone Mystery #1; The Gold Bag: Fleming Stone Mystery #2; A Chain of Evidence: Fleming Stone Mystery #3; The Curved Blades: Fleming Stone Mystery #4; and The Mark of Cain: Fleming Stone Mystery #5.

Although part of the Fleming Stone mystery series, the stories can be enjoyed in any order because the plot and characters are completely different in each.

This detective winds up with situations of an inscrutable variety. Fleming Stone’s contacts are like strings of an instrument he plays. He has a personal magnetic manner and is always willing to share any information he gathers. Stone once said, “The hardest puzzle in this world is a woman,” and that brief comment comes to life in this fourth example of his prowess as he surprisingly falls in love with one of the murder suspects.

A young veteran of WWI in poor health heads to Arizona to try and recover. He meets young Flo Hunter, who successfully nurses him. However, life gets more complicated when his fiancée, Carley Burch, comes to him from back east. She winds up not liking life in the west and goes back to New York. Flo gets badly injured in an accident and vet Glenn Kilbourne wants to repay her for her assistance and proposes marriage. As wedding day approaches, Carley decides she made a mistake and returns to Arizona looking for him. Flo realizes they’re still in love and calls off the marriage.