The slayer had his eyes on Muriel Havens for a date with death — but he didn’t know the Phantom Detective would come along to chaperone the party! Along the banks of the crime ridden waterfront, the world’s greatest sleuth stalks a killer!
Although the magazine was titled The Phantom Detective, the lead character was referred to only as ‘The Phantom’ in the actual stories. The identity of this masked master sleuth was, as often was the case, a wealthy millionaire. Having served in World War One as a pilot known for his dogfighting prowess, Richard Curtis Van Loan left the idle rich gadabout he’d been in the skies of battle and returned home seeking a mission, wanting to give something back to the city and world he lived in.
Truly a one-man force against evil, The Phantom Detective did not follow the trend of other Pulp heroes and build a team around him or utilize a network of agents. That being said, he did not work completely alone, either. The most important ally to the masked sleuth was the man who knew his secret, Frank Havens. Havens’ daughter, Muriel, also lends a hand in various stories. In love with Richard Curtis Van Sloan, Muriel does not know that he and The Phantom are one and the same. Still, she assists where she can when the hero needs it. Another character, also a result of Havens’ connection to the Detective, that helps out occasionally is Steve Huston. Hard boiled and tough as they come, Huston has a bit of hero worship for the Phantom and this often leads to him not only getting involved in some of the masked man’s cases, but even taking on a major role as a hero in his own right.
‘The Staring Killer’ was originally published in the Winter 1953 issue of The Phantom Detective Magazine and is read with pulse pounding intensity by award winning voice actor Milton Bagby.
Table of Contents:
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
