Double trouble

Paperback publishing was booming in the United States after the Second World War, and publishers competed hard for attention on crowded racks. Ace Books arrived in this market with a bold pitch: two complete novels in one volume for the price of a single book.

Each Ace volume had two front covers, bound back to back at the spine. A reader who finished the first story simply turned the book over and started the second, which came with its own jacket art. The format was unlike anything else on the shelves, and it sold well.

This book traces the brief but popular run of the Ace Mystery Doubles. It also includes indexes of authors and titles to help readers find specific entries.