The Fat Death — Michael Avallone

ED NOON MYSTERY #15

The Fat Death

“Beware the Fat Death” reads the thousands of leaflets fluttering down from the sky over Manhattan. A thin man, giant freak, who calls himself the Slim Savior, has begun a huge campaign because he has some idea about making America dietconscious, but nothing that innocent is the byplay that ensues from his doctrine. The fashion world and the garment industry is also the background for Noon's love affair with Alberta Carstairs, which will have repercussions some thirty year's later when a bastard son walks into Ed Noon's life unannounced.

The Adventures of Ed Noon, Private Eye, spanning over 30 novels written
between 1953 and 1990. Noon starts out dirt poor with a tiny office in Midtown Manhattan (his “Mouse Auditorium”) but success moves him to better digs, a lovely secretary (Melissa Mercer) and, eventually, the most important client of all: the President of the United States. The series concludes with a daring turn towards science fiction in the last two novels. Through it all, the wisecracking Noon is consistent: a movie and baseball-obsessed romantic who always fights the good fight. And, more often than not, wins.