Thorp McClusky’s Loot of the Vampire is a 1936 vampire novel in a contemporary big-city setting. There's also mind-reading. Belongs to the short-lived but interesting 1930s weird detective story genre. It's not great, but enjoyable enough.

My review: https://vintagepopfictions.blogspot.com/2024/04/thorp-mccluskys-loot-of-vampire.html

#1930s #horror #occultdetective #occultdetectives #occultthriller #occultthrillers #vampires #weirdfiction #pulpfiction #weirddetective

F. Marion Crawford’s The Witch of Prague, published 1891, is a strange occult love story mixed with reflections on philosophy and the mind and a scientific view of the occult rather than a conventional gothic horror novel. Fascinating.

My review: https://vintagepopfictions.blogspot.com/2014/02/f-marion-crawfords-witch-of-prague.html

#FMarionCrawford #gothichorror #gothicfiction #gothicliterature #occult #occultthriller #occultthrillers

E. Howard Hunt, Watergate conspirator and CIA agent, wrote many excellent hardboiled crime and spy novels. As David St John he wrote Diabolus in 1971. A hugely enjoyable lurid occult/spy thriller featuring drugs, satanic cults and sex orgies.

My review: https://vintagepopfictions.blogspot.com/2023/05/e-howard-hunts-diabolus.html

#spynovel #spynovels #spies #spyfiction #occultthriller #occultthrillers #EHowardHunt #pulpfiction

Simon Iff Stories and Other Works, an excellent collection of occult detective tales by Aleister Crowley (yes, that Aleister Crowley).

They're rather unique. There are no supernatural elements whatsoever. Not even paranormal phenomena. These are all very human crimes. But Simon is a magus and he uses Crowley’s philosophy/religion to solve the crimes.

My review: https://vintagepopfictions.blogspot.com/2013/05/aleister-crowleys-simon-iff-stories-and.html

#occultdetectives #occultthriller #occultthrillers #vintagethrillers #vintagecrime #occult #AleisterCrowley

The Dark Angel, a collection of tales by Seabury Quinn published in the early 30s.

He was the most popular of all the Weird Tales writers. His reputation did not last. While other Weird Tales writers have gained some literary respectability Quinn is still reviled as the kind of hack writer who gave the pulps a bad name.

In fact his stories are great fun.

My review: https://vintagepopfictions.blogspot.com/2021/06/seabury-quinns-dark-angel.html

#SeaburyQuinn #WeirdTales #weirdfiction #horror #pulpfiction #occultthrillers #occultdetectives

Dennis Wheatley’s The Ka of Gifford Hillary (1956), one of the “black magic” novels for which he was most famous. While there is no black magic as such in this book there are certainly supernatural, or at least paranormal, forces at work here.

An excellent occult thriller with some genuine horror and some sleaze.

Wheatley was truly one of the great thriller writers.

My review: https://vintagepopfictions.blogspot.com/2012/07/the-ka-of-gifford-hillary.html

#thrillers #DennisWheatley #occult #occultthriller #occultthrillers #horror #horrorfiction