The Complete Cases of the Dean, Volume 1 — Merle Constiner

Part-time detective/con artist Dean Wardlow Rock made his living as a purported fortune teller. In fact, his business card proclaims his expertise at pedomancy: "Fortunes Devined from the Soles of Your Feet... Learn the Secrets of Love, Hate, Riches." Ironically, The Dean's foresight never anticipated the mysteries he'd soon become embroiled in. Apparently an eccentric living encyclopedia-always using archaic words in casual conversation-this is actually a facade behind which The Dean operates in order to solve the case at hand. The Dean is one of the best series to grace the pages of Dime Detective. Written by Merle Constiner, The Dean appeared in nearly a score of stories published between 1940 and 1945 in the pages of Dime Detective, the prestigious crime pulp second only to the legendary Black Mask in its impact on the genre.