The Bedroom Bolero — Michael Avallone

ED NOON MYSTERY #13

The Bedroom Bolero

Five murdered nude lovelies are all found in rooms painted red, with Ravel's Bolero playing endlessly on a turntable. The Evil Evelyn, a showbiz phenomenon, is dead center of a bizarre serial killer hunt that has Captain Mike Monks completely baffled, so he enlists Noon's aide, and Ed is knee-deep in trouble again. This story marks the first appearance of Ed Noon's new secretary, beautiful African American Melissa Mercer, who remains with Noon for the rest of the series.

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.