Each guide is written from the episode itself, sets up the story and never gives away the ending. Every recording is remastered for the stream: cleaned of rumble, hiss and mains hum (and the old TV whine where we found it), then levelled in two passes to steady broadcast loudness, so one show is never quieter than the next.
Let George Do It: 319 episode guides
Let George Do It - A Visit From Merlin (1950)
George Valentine is called to Renwick Manor when its eccentric owner, Arthur Thurston-Renwick, becomes disturbed by a mysterious little man who has been visiting on tour days. The stranger, whom Renwick nervously names Merlin, keeps returning despite being refused a job as a guide, and he mysteriously delivers Renwick a stolen dagger covered with blood before vanishing from a locked cabinet. When the man is arrested for theft, he escapes from a locked jail cell under impossible circumstances.
Renwick Manor, an eccentric seaside castle filled with medieval artifacts and antiques, and the nearby town jail. · George Valentine, Arthur Thurston-Renwick, Mrs. Renwick, Merlin, Joe, Sheriff
Listen for: A mystery involving an impossible theft and an escape from a locked cell, with questions about whether the mysterious visitor possesses genuine magical powers or is simply a clever magician and thief.
Let George Do It - Come and Get Me (1949)
George Valentine receives a letter from Winslow Bark, who claims to have committed the perfect murder of a man named Donald Anderson and wants George to prove it to the authorities. However, Anderson's wife Teresa has been arrested for the crime instead, and Winslow insists he actually committed the murder and wants to confess. George must investigate whether Winslow is truly guilty or whether the police have the right suspect in Teresa.
The Anderson house and police station in an unspecified city. · George Valentine, Booksy Brooks, Winslow Bark, Lieutenant Riley, Mrs. Teresa Anderson, Jonathan Gaines, Farnsworth, Jesse
Listen for: The poisoned drink test that Winslow uses to evaluate George's caution, and Farnsworth's overly formal testimony about what he supposedly overheard Mrs. Anderson say to Jonathan Gaines.
Let George Do It - Go Jump in the Lake (1950)
George Valentine receives an urgent letter from Mona Chandler, secretary to Terence Doyle, Vice President of Consolidated Machine Tool Company, begging for his help. Doyle is in serious trouble—he's bought a gun for protection, received a mysterious package containing a broken gun as a threat, and is deeply involved in gambling debts. When George visits the office, he discovers financial irregularities and learns that Doyle has been acting paranoid and secretive. A phone call traced to the Club 50 suggests involvement with notorious gangster Starchy Bennett.
Consolidated Machine Tool Company offices and surrounding locations in the city, including the Club 50 nightclub · George Valentine, Claire Brooks, Mona Chandler, Terence Doyle, Gil Frank, Starchy Bennett
Listen for: The mysterious broken gun sent as a threat, the gambling debts, the missing Gil Frank, and the phone call traced to the Club 50 that may connect Doyle to gangster Starchy Bennett
Let George Do It - Juniper Lane (1950)
George Valentine receives a misdirected letter from a man warning of a planned murder on Juniper Lane, a forgotten street in the city. When George investigates to return the letter, he discovers the woman it was meant to protect—the elderly Queen Bess—has already been murdered with a knitting needle. As George and Lieutenant Riley search for the killer among Juniper Lane's struggling residents, a second murder occurs, revealing a more complex and sinister scheme than anyone suspected.
Juniper Lane, a forgotten one-block street in the city bounded by industrial areas and gas works, lined with brownstone buildings and one small shop. · George Valentine, private investigator, Brooksie, George's assistant, Lieutenant Riley, police detective, Stevenson Sprote, part-time printer and former newspaper editor, Miss Bathwell, an elderly woman who paints on windows, Miss Bess Pottswell, the murdered landlord of Juniper Lane, Felix McCoy, Bess's estranged husband
Listen for: The mystery of the switched envelopes that draws George into a tangled web of murder; Sprote's confession that he cannot remember whether he committed the crime; the second murder that shifts suspicion; and George's deduction about which gun was actually used to kill Felix.
Let George Do It - The Chair of Humanities (1950)
George Valentine is called to Dearly College by Gloria Cable, wife of Professor Edward Cable who holds the Chair of Humanities. When George arrives, he finds Gloria packing to leave for a mental health facility, but then the Professor confides that he believes someone is attempting to murder him. A mysterious visitor named Bill Rasseter arrives demanding money, adding to the mounting tensions at the college household.
Dearly College, on faculty row at the home of Professor Cable · George Valentine, Gloria Cable, Professor Edward M. Cable, Jesse, Bill Rasseter
Listen for: The mysterious circumstances surrounding Gloria's sudden departure, the Professor's startling claim of being in danger, and Bill Rasseter's suspicious visit demanding money.
Let George Do It - The Silent Waterfall (1950)
Private investigator George Valentine receives an urgent note from Dora Duncan asking him to visit her home, Waterfall House, on a country estate. When George arrives with his secretary Brooksie, he discovers that Dora is deaf and mute, unable to communicate except by writing. The evening grows tense as various people arrive at the house, including Dora's sister Cynthia, neighbor Jake Mannering, and mysterious references to a man named Everett Stone whom Dora met traveling in India.
Waterfall House, a country estate on South River Road near a waterfall, owned by the Duncan family · George Valentine, Brooksie, Dora Duncan, Cynthia, Jake Mannering, Everett Stone, Mr. Frail
Listen for: A mystery involving Dora Duncan's disability, her recent return from India, and the arrival of a mysterious stranger named Everett Stone at her isolated home
Let George Do It - The White Elephant (1950)
George Valentine receives an unusual letter from wealthy Miss Alice May Edmond, who claims someone is trying to murder her and offers him $1,000 to catch the culprit. When George visits her sprawling 42-room mansion, Miss Edmond reveals her isolated life with her brother Stephen and their elaborate home filled with curios and antiques. Suspicious relatives circle around her, and shortly after George's arrival, he discovers poison in the milk Miss Edmond has just drunk.
Miss Alice May Edmond's 42-room mansion in the commercial district of the city, an old-fashioned house filled with antiques and curios that dominates an entire city block. · George Valentine, Miss Alice May Edmond, Brooksie, Dr. Jensen, Clarence Morley, Steven Edmond, Pete Deener
Listen for: The mystery of who is poisoning Miss Edmond and why her relatives are circling around her; the significance of her brother Steven and the mansion she refuses to leave.
Let George Do It - Too Near the Sky (1949)
Private investigator George Valentine receives a cryptic letter from a mysterious woman named Sonya Belsing, who asks him to attend a party at a penthouse on the 32nd floor of an office building, hinting at danger and murder. George and his assistant Claire climb the stairs to the top floor, where they meet Eric Simms, the building's general manager, and discover that the party is actually just a small gathering of lonely people rather than the grand event they expected.
An office building in the city, primarily on the 31st and 32nd floors, late at night. · George Valentine, Claire, Sonya Belsing, Mrs. Belsing, Vivian Hargrove, Eric Simms, Rockman
Listen for: A mysterious woman's warning about murder and danger, and the strange circumstances surrounding a penthouse party that turns out to be much smaller than advertised.
Let George Do It - Tune on a Triangle (1951)
George Valentine receives a mysterious letter from Jerry Briskin claiming to have a tiger and requesting a meeting. When George arrives at his office, he discovers a woman on a building ledge threatening to jump. George manages to coax her down and rescue her from the ledge, but the incident attracts photographers and becomes a public spectacle. The woman, who turns out to be a performer named Stella, reveals that Briskin orchestrated the entire scene as a publicity stunt for her act.
George Valentine's office building in a city, with a dramatic scene on an exterior ledge attracting police, firefighters, and newspaper photographers. · George Valentine, Jerry Briskin, Stella, Fador (Stella's husband)
Listen for: The tense rescue scene on the building ledge, with George's smooth talking used to convince the desperate woman to move toward safety, followed by the revelation that the whole incident was a staged publicity stunt.
Let George Do It: & (510702 not) (1950)
George Valentine is hired by Mrs. Ames, who fears her husband is in danger. At the local club, Valentine discovers four men—Norton, Ames, Soto, and Chester—who have drawn cards in a rigged deck to determine who must confess to the unsolved murder of Dorothy Fulman from a year ago. The loser was supposed to confess and take his own life to end the town's suspicion that hangs over all of them.
A small town with a local club and the bluffs overlooking Dorothy Fulman's house where she was murdered a year prior. · George Valentine, Victor Ames, Mrs. Ames, Geoffrey Chester, Mr. Norton, Soto, Jimmy, Miss Brooks
Listen for: The revelation of how a marked deck of cards and a rigged drawing were used as an elaborate scheme, and Valentine's clever deduction about which card was truly marked and why.
Let George Do It: A Close Call (1948)
George Valentine receives a letter from Joyce Dunning, who is in love with her best friend's husband, Lawrence Putnam. To convince Lawrence to stay faithful to his wife Bernice, whose weak heart cannot withstand shock or stress, Joyce asks George to pose as her romantic interest. When Lawrence spots them together at a restaurant, he becomes suspicious and invites George, Joyce, and George's secretary Miss Brooks to a weekend at his Mount Webster estate, determined to uncover the truth.
A city restaurant called the Croydon, George Valentine's office, and Lawrence Putnam's Mount Webster estate. · George Valentine, Joyce Dunning, Lawrence Putnam, Bernice Putnam, Miss Brooks, Dr. Llewellyn, Mr. Folsom
Listen for: The clever plan to protect Bernice's fragile heart, Lawrence's growing suspicion about the staged romance, and the dangerous weekend ahead at the Putnam estate.
Let George Do It: A Crime Too Simple (1951)
A cook named Veroni is found murdered, shot by a hired killer who is himself discovered dead with a note revealing he was paid three thousand dollars to commit the crime. Detective George Valentine must unravel the mystery of who hired the killer, knowing that the only person who could identify the culprit—the cook—is now dead, and the killer cannot speak.
A pier and various locations in the city; the investigation involves an expedition that took place in South America. · George Valentine, Johnson, Captain Apperson, Frank Boyle, Veroni, Three Grand
Listen for: George Valentine's deduction that this is a crime with all the clues removed—the killer is dead, the only witness is dead, and the person who hired the killer remains hidden and protected by his own careful planning.
Let George Do It: A Matter of Doubt (1949)
Young Stephen Rollins tells police he found a man shot in the neck, but then recants his story, claiming he made it up. His mother, Eleanor, hires private investigator George Valentine because she believes Stephen is hiding something, especially after he suffers a series of suspicious accidents. George discovers a blood-stained silk shirt collar and begins unraveling a dangerous mystery that threatens the boy's life.
Regis Park, a new residential development, and the surrounding areas including New Lots Road and downtown streets with rooming houses. · George Valentine, Miss Brooks, Stephen Rollins, Eleanor Rollins, Lieutenant Riley, Mr. Hotchkiss, Red Kinsey, The Weasel
Listen for: The clever way George uses a fake ambulance to trick Stephen into revealing what he knows, and the escalating tension as the truth about a San Diego bank robbery unfolds.
Let George Do It: A Matter of Honor (1952)
George Valentine investigates mysterious break-ins at a magicians' convention hotel. Several rooms belonging to magicians have been ransacked, but nothing of value was stolen, suggesting the intruder was searching for something specific. George must uncover who is behind the disturbances and what they're looking for.
A hotel hosting a magicians' convention · George Valentine, Miss Brooks, Mr. Medford, Aileen, Charlie Geech, Princess Elsa, Langford Pimmer, Dennis the Amazer
Listen for: George investigates ransacked hotel rooms and discovers a lipstick-marked cigarette in Dennis the Amazer's room, revealing an unexpected visitor. The search seems targeted at specific magicians rather than random theft.
Let George Do It: A Minor Case of Murder (1948)
George Valentine is hired by the Bearcat Social Club to prove that Danny Corey, their leader, is innocent of murdering his stepfather Phil, even though Danny has confessed to the crime. As George investigates, he discovers troubling details about Danny's troubled relationship with his stepfather and the circumstances surrounding the confession.
A city with the Bearcat Social Club, Danny's home, a rooming house, and various street locations including a pool parlor and jail. · George Valentine, Roxy (George's partner), Chuck, Danny Corey, Danny's mother, Mrs. Corey, Phil (Danny's stepfather), Mrs. Rebel (landlady), Sudan
Listen for: A case of a young man confessing to murder under suspicious circumstances, with George uncovering hidden motives and relationships that question whether the confession is genuine. Watch for revelations about Danny's troubled past and his stepfather's questionable character.
Let George Do It: A Piece Of Publicity (aka-Hired for a Bodyguard) (1948)
George Valentine is hired by Marta Devorak, a glamorous trapeze artist at the circus, to serve as her bodyguard after she receives a threatening note demanding $5,000 and warning of a bad accident. George must protect her while investigating whether the threat is genuine or merely a publicity stunt.
A circus in California, George Valentine's office, and a house in the canyon · George Valentine, Marta Devorak, Scrae Brooks, Leo de Voreg, Dorian, Risa, Lieutenant Roy
Listen for: The interplay between George and his assistant Brooks as they investigate Marta's claims, the circus performers' revelations about Marta's plans to leave for Hollywood, and whether the threatening note is real or staged for publicity.
Let George Do It: A Piece of Publicity (1948)
Glamorous trapeze artist Marta de Vorek hires private investigator George Valentine to protect her after receiving an anonymous threatening letter demanding $5,000 and warning of a bad accident. George agrees to be her bodyguard, but discovers that Marta may be orchestrating the entire scheme as a publicity stunt for the circus.
A circus in the city, George Valentine's office, and a house in the canyon · George Valentine, Marta de Vorek, Brooksie, Lieutenant Riley, Dorian
Listen for: The revelation that Marta deliberately stages a near-accident on the trapeze for publicity, deliberately slipping one hand to create the appearance of danger.
Let George Do It: A School of Sharks (1952)
When newspaper compositor Joe Hagerty kills himself after falling into debt to loan sharks, his daughter Mary asks private investigator George Valentine to find the real murderers behind his death. George discovers that two suspected sharks, Pagano and Ringler, have evaded police prosecution because witnesses are too frightened to testify. He devises a daring plan to turn the suspects against each other using a fake newspaper story.
A city newspaper office, the Clarion, and police headquarters; the story centers on a newspaper composing room where employees fall victim to loan sharks. · George Valentine, Mary Hagerty, Lieutenant Johnson, Mr. Wells, Oscar Strike, Jake Pagano, Stan Ringler
Listen for: George's scheme to use a fabricated newspaper story to manipulate the loan sharks into betraying each other; the tension between police procedure and private investigation methods.
Let George Do It: A Visit From Merlin (1950)
George Valentine is called to Renwick Manor when Arthur Thurston-Renwick, an eccentric collector of medieval artifacts, becomes haunted by a mysterious small man in a tattered coat who appears repeatedly at his estate. The stranger claims knowledge of obscure history, requests a job as a guide, and mysteriously returns a stolen tenth-century dagger covered in blood before vanishing from a locked cabin and disappearing from the town jail.
Renwick Manor, a medieval-themed estate on the ocean, and a small town nearby with its jail. · George Valentine, Arthur Thurston-Renwick, Mrs. Renwick, Merlino, Joe, Sheriff
Listen for: The mystery of Merlino's identity and his seemingly magical ability to appear and disappear, locked doors that cannot contain him, and whether he is truly a supernatural being or simply a clever magician.
Let George Do It: A Visit from Merlin (1950)
George Valentine is called to Renwick Manor, an eccentric collector's castle filled with medieval treasures, where the owner is being haunted by a mysterious little man in a tattered coat. The stranger repeatedly appears and disappears from the manor, steals a bloodstained tenth-century dagger from a locked case, and claims his name is Merlin. When the man is finally caught stealing a salt shaker and locked in jail, he vanishes from his cell without a trace.
Renwick Manor, an ocean-side medieval castle and museum, and the town jail · George Valentine, Mr. Runaway, Mrs. Runaway, Sheriff Joe Coolaw, The little man/Merlin, Guard
Listen for: The mystery of the strange little man who vanishes from locked rooms and claims to be Merlin; the locked dagger case that keeps opening; the impossible escape from the sheriff's jail cell.
Let George Do It: Am I My Brothers Keeper (1948)
Martin Bettner seeks George Valentine's help locating his estranged brother Phil, whom he wishes to reconcile with after years apart. When they track Phil down through an informant named Renee Clemens, George and his associate Miss Brooks discover Phil's apartment—and inside it, the body of a man named Lou Henning, stabbed in the back, with evidence suggesting Phil owes Henning money from gambling debts.
A city apartment at 356 Morena Street; hotel and streets of an unnamed town; standard stations · George Valentine, Miss Brooks, Martin Bettner, Renee Clemens, Lou Henning, Lieutenant Johnson
Listen for: The mystery of whether Phil Bettner is guilty of murder, and the race between police and Henning's mob to find him first
Let George Do It: And Hope to Die (1950)
George Valentine is hired to investigate blackmail threats against Flora Stewart, a legendary but aging actress. Someone is breaking her master recordings and demanding $10,000, claiming to know secrets about her. As Valentine investigates the household's tangled relationships, a shot rings out and Flora is found dead.
Flora Stewart's home · George Valentine, Flora Stewart, Claire Brooks, Betty Robinson, Kenneth, Jake, Jim Sharon
Listen for: The tragic revelation of Flora's true circumstances and the solution to her mysterious death.
Let George Do It: Angel's Grotto (1950)
George Valentine is hired to investigate the death of John Moraga, a wealthy man confined to a wheelchair who fell 200 feet from a cliff into Angel's Grotto while visiting his family ranch. Emily Flood, Moraga's nurse, insists it was murder despite the lack of physical evidence, and George must untangle the complex web of family resentments to discover the truth.
A family ranch with Angel's Grotto, a dramatic clifftside location with a waterfall, overlooking rocks 200 feet below · George Valentine, Emily Flood, John Moraga, Herman, Jake, Mary
Listen for: The revelation of John Moraga's plans to cut off his family financially and move to Florida, and the family tensions that emerge during the dinner scene
Let George Do It: Bewildered Bird-watcher (aka Penthouse Roof) (1948)
George Valentine is hired by Dr. Elliot Wormsley, a statistician and bird-watcher, to investigate a possible murder the doctor witnessed from a penthouse roof. Using binoculars trained on the River House across the river, Wormsley believes he saw a man push another man off a roof, but hesitates to contact police due to concern for his reputation. George visits the River House posing as a potential tenant and encounters the wife of broker Philip Dunlap, whose secretary reports the man has been missing for two days. George and his associate Brooksie search the grounds with Dr. Wormsley and discover a body in an overgrown lot behind the building.
New York City, primarily the River House penthouse building and surrounding grounds · George Valentine, Brooksie, Dr. Elliot Wormsley, Mrs. Paula Dunlap, Philip Dunlap, Hal, Mr. Stevens
Listen for: The clever setup of Dr. Wormsley's hesitation to report what he witnessed, the suspicious circumstances surrounding Philip Dunlap's absence, and the discovery of the body that confirms the doctor's fears.
Let George Do It: Big Brother (HSG) (1951)
George Valentine is hired by Lou Mendel, owner of the nightclub the Top Hat, to investigate a mysterious attack. Mendel was knocked unconscious after finding an envelope containing a thousand dollars and a cryptic note beneath a dressing room door. The note reads: "The picture was not even worth the price of a loge, but this is where I came in." When Mendel's apartment is searched, he discovers that a dancer named Dove, who works at his club and whom several men seem protective of, is somehow connected to the trouble.
New York City: the Top Hat nightclub, Dove's apartment, and city streets · George Valentine, Lou Mendel, Dove, Max (taxi driver), Lieutenant Johnson, Mr. Andrews, JJ Stopes, Landlord
Listen for: A clever blackmail scheme involving doctored photographs, unexpected violence, and an examination of fingerprint evidence that reveals the true murderer among several suspects with connections to an innocent young woman.
Let George Do It: Blue Plate Special (1951)
When antiques dealer Sam Ferris asks private detective George Valentine to recover a valuable plate from the wealthy Higbee brothers, Valentine agrees to investigate what seems like a simple case. But when he visits the Higbee house in Hickory Corners, he discovers that Doris Brewer, a young secretary staying with the family, has been found dead, and suspicion falls on one of the brothers.
Hickory Corners, a small town with the Higbee family home and surrounding properties including Mrs. Parsons' cottage. · George Valentine, Sam Ferris, Josh Higbee, Amos Higbee, Mrs. Parsons, Doris Brewer
Listen for: The mystery of the broken plate and how it connects to the secretary's death; Valentine's investigation into which Higbee brother is responsible.
Let George Do It: Cae Reposo (1952)
George Valentine is hired by Thomas Jefferson Moore, president of a Western Tobacco Fund, to travel to Havana and bid on a tobacco lot at an auction. The catch: a rival tobacco broker named Ran Hubbard also wants the same lot, and his men have threatened George's life if he interferes. George and his secretary Miss Brooks arrive in Havana, where they encounter mysterious figures and receive a warning about a man named Miguel who may not be trustworthy.
Havana, Cuba and en route by plane from Miami · George Valentine, Miss Brooks, Thomas Jefferson Moore, Ran Hubbard, Miguel, Rosa Intado
Listen for: The setup of a dangerous business deal involving competing tobacco brokers, mysterious warnings about who to trust, and the arrival of Rosa Intado at George's hotel room with important information.
Let George Do It: Cause for Thanksgiving (1950)
A mute ten-year-old boy is brought to police sergeant Mike Murphy after nearly being hit by a squad car at three in the morning. The boy won't speak and can't communicate who he is or where he came from, but the police suspect he witnessed something frightening at the waterfront that night. George Valentine is called in to help track down the boy's identity and discover what scared him into silence before it's too late.
A city waterfront and police precinct, present day at midday and the previous night at three a.m. · George Valentine, Sergeant Mike Murphy, Sally, Shorty, The Captain, The Sailor, The Dock Watchman
Listen for: George's investigation of the mute boy and his attempts to get information from street kids and dock workers about what happened at the pier the night before.
Let George Do It: Cay Reposo (aka Guy Reposo) (1952)
George Valentine is hired by Thomas Jefferson Moore, a wealthy tobacco magnate, to travel to Havana and bid on a tobacco option at an auction, with a blank check authorized up to $85,000. Upon arrival, George encounters a mysterious man named Miguel who offers assistance, but George receives a warning phone call from a woman named Rosa, the secretary to the tobacco seller, revealing that Miguel works for a rival bidder named Rand Hubbard and has been sent to prevent George from reaching the auction.
A Miami airport and the National Best Hotel in Havana, Cuba in the early 1950s. · George Valentine, Miss Brooks, Thomas Jefferson Moore, Miguel, Rosa
Listen for: The developing mystery around who can be trusted and what Rand Hubbard's intentions are for the tobacco option.
Let George Do It: Chance and Probability (1952)
George Valentine travels to a pink-housed South American town to investigate the death of Bill Shields, an engineer who claimed to have discovered a mathematical system for winning at Caesar's Casino. Shields was killed during a robbery at the casino, but his friend Mary believes he was deliberately murdered to prevent him from using his system. George must uncover the truth while various parties—including the police and the casino owner—seem eager to keep the system secret.
A South American town with pink houses and a luxury gambling casino called Caesar's, located outside the capital city of Polyzons. · George Valentine, Miss Brooks, Mary, Professor Marcel Lervu, Bill Shields, Lieutenant Acastro, Caesar Capo
Listen for: The mystery of Bill Shields' mathematical system for predicting gambling outcomes and who killed him to keep it hidden.
Let George Do It: Christmas Letter (1951)
Private Dan Ferris, stationed in Japan, sends George Valentine money and a letter asking him to take out Lucy Rand on Christmas Eve as his proxy, write about it, and cheer up the lonely soldier. George discovers that Lucy is already committed to spending the evening with Walter Denning, a charming but questionable character who has given her a diamond ring and promises of marriage once his divorce is final.
A city apartment building on Christmas Eve, 1951; Lucy's apartment and a bar · George Valentine, Angel (George's girlfriend), Dan Ferris, Lucy Rand, Walter Denning, Mr. Nye
Listen for: The irony of George playing Cupid for a soldier overseas only to find his sweetheart already entangled with another man; Walter Denning's smooth but suspicious courtship of Lucy; Red's recorded Christmas message from Japan.
Let George Do It: Christmas in January (1951)
George Valentine encounters the eccentric Francis Xavier Wick at an art gallery, where Wick purchases an original painting by Otrio for $250 as a Christmas gift for a woman named Charity DuFrayne, whom he calls his "yo-yo." George and his companion soon discover that the painting is actually a forgery—the genuine Otrio painting is worth $17,000 and was just sold to Wick by the gallery owner, who wrapped it as a Christmas gift for the same woman.
An art gallery and shop in an unspecified city · George Valentine, Francis Xavier Wick, Charity DuFrayne, Brooksie, Jukes
Listen for: The mysterious connection between a fake painting, an original masterpiece, and what Wick plans to write about in his column.
Let George Do It: Come and Get Me (1949)
Private detective George Valentine receives an unusual letter from Winslow Barker, who claims to have committed a perfect murder and wants Valentine to prove his guilt to the police. However, the police have already arrested someone else for the crime—Donald Anderson's wife, who had motive, opportunity, and purchased a gun shortly before the murder.
California; Anderson home and police station · George Valentine, Brooksie (Miss Brooke), Winslow Barker, Lieutenant Riley, Farnsworth, Mrs. Anderson, Jonathan Gaines, Jesse
Listen for: A man desperate to confess to a murder no one believes he committed, while an innocent woman faces arrest for the same crime.
Let George Do It: Come to the Casbah (1952)
George Valentine, a troubleshooter for hire, is approached by a French intelligence agent named Giacaro who enlists him to retrieve stolen plans. Posing as an English scientist named Professor Benham, George must travel to Algiers and meet a man named Faderock in the Casbah to obtain a package of documents. The agent provides George with coded recognition signals and a false identity card for the dangerous mission.
Paris and Algiers, including the Casbah marketplace · George Valentine, Angel Brooks, Giacaro, Faderock, Bill Turner
Listen for: The coded recognition sequence George must use to identify himself to Faderock in the Casbah shop—two short knocks and one long, followed by specific exchange phrases about souvenirs and the color scheme of a room.
Let George Do It: Cortez Island (1952)
George Valentine receives an urgent letter from Mrs. Jensen asking him to find her husband Clyde, an explorer and anthropologist who traveled to Cortez Island over a week ago to search for pirate treasure based on an old map. With no word from him since he left and no regular communication from the island, George travels to the remote location to investigate his disappearance.
Cortez Island, a remote fishing location off the coast, and its small hotel · George Valentine, Mrs. Jensen, Miss Brooks, Cork, Mary Roman
Listen for: George's investigation into the mysterious disappearance and what he discovers about Jensen's activities on the island
Let George Do It: Cousin Jeff and the Pigs (1946)
George's cousin Jeff arrives from the farm looking for a wife who loves his 57 pigs as much as he does. George promises to find him the perfect match and spots Kathy Phillips, a stage door girl who claims to be mad about piggies. However, George soon discovers that Kathy's passion is for piggy banks, not actual pigs, forcing him to scramble and enlist Claire's help to educate Kathy about real farm animals before Jeff's dinner date tomorrow night.
George Valentine's office in the city, a theater stage door, and surrounding urban locations; Jeff is visiting from his farm in Three Oaks. · George Valentine, Jeff Williams, Claire Brooks, Kathy Phillips, Sonny
Listen for: The comedic confusion over Kathy's love of piggy banks instead of pigs, and George's scheme to educate her about actual farm animals before the date.
Let George Do It: Cover for an Hour (1950)
George Valentine is knocked out and locked in a closet for an hour by a mysterious delivery boy named Joe, who sends George's assistant Miss Brooks on a wild goose errand across town. When George recovers, he discovers someone used his office during that missing hour, but nothing appears to have been stolen. George suspects the office was used as a cover for something sinister, while a confused stenographer named Sue arrives claiming she was hired to take letters during that same hour.
George Valentine's detective office and various locations around the city, including Wagner's investment office across town. · George Valentine, Miss Brooks, Joe, Lieutenant Riley, Mr. J.W. Wagner, Barney, Sue
Listen for: The mystery of what actually happened during the missing hour and why someone would go to such elaborate lengths to use George's office as a cover.
Let George Do It: Cry Murder (1948)
Private detective George Valentine receives a mysterious note from client Joe Logan warning that if he turns up dead, Valentine should cry murder—because Logan suspects foul play. When Logan is killed in what police call a hit-and-run accident near the Half Moon Motel, Valentine begins investigating and discovers that Logan was supposed to meet banker Frank Potter at the motel the same night. Potter is also found murdered, and Valentine must uncover the real killer before the police pin both deaths on his dead client.
A city with the Half Moon Motel on Whitman Highway, various bars including Mort's Patek Bar, a detective agency, and police headquarters. · George Valentine, Miss Brooks, Joe Logan, Lieutenant Riley, Frank Potter, Maggie, Mrs. Cronin, Sheila Cronin
Listen for: The clever deduction about Joe Logan's fatal walk down the highway, the revelation of Mrs. Cronin's true reasons for being at the motel, and the growing evidence that someone else killed both men.
Let George Do It: Cry Murder (aka-A Deadman Who Was a Murderer) (1948)
Private detective George Valentine receives a letter from client Joe Logan, asking him to cry murder if Logan ends up dead. When Logan is found killed at the Half Moon Motel—the same place where Potter, a friend of the police commissioner, was also murdered—Logan becomes the prime suspect. Valentine must uncover the truth before the police close the case.
A city with a police force and private detective agency; the Half Moon Motel; Mort's Patek Bar on Whitman Highway. · George Valentine, Joe Logan, Lieutenant Riley, Miss Brooks, Maggie, Frank Potter, Mrs. Cronin, Sheila
Listen for: The clues pointing to Joe Logan's innocence: his car left at the bar, him walking toward the motel, and Mrs. Cronin's suspicious presence and lies about seeing him there.
Let George Do It: Dead on Arrival (1952)
George Valentine is approached at a bus terminal café by a mysterious stranger named Philip Redmond who claims to be ill and asks for help getting registered at a hotel. When George discovers the man has actually been shot, the situation grows more complicated when two men arrive asking about Redmond's whereabouts, and the injured stranger is spirited away before police can arrive.
A bus terminal café and hotel in the city · George Valentine, Roxy (George's secretary), Philip Redmond, Lieutenant Johnson, Horace Fatt (desk clerk)
Listen for: A case of mistaken identity and a mysterious shooting that draws George into a dangerous situation involving a wounded stranger and pursuing strangers.
Let George Do It: Deal Me Out and I'll Deal You In (HSG) (1951)
George Valentine is hired by Ambrose Acropolis to find his friend Bob Sprague, who has mysteriously begun avoiding everyone and acting strangely. George tracks Bob to a hotel where he discovers the young man is hiding from someone and mentions $40,000, but before George can learn more, Bob flees. When Ambrose arrives at the hotel, George realizes the truth about why Bob is in trouble.
A hotel bar and rooms in the city · George Valentine, Ambrose Acropolis, Bob Sprague, Bartender
Listen for: The revelation of why Bob Sprague is in hiding and what the $40,000 has to do with his troubles
Let George Do It: Death Begins at 45 (1950)
George Valentine is hired by freelance reporter Wendell Mason to investigate a mysterious criminal sighting in the exclusive suburb of River Vista. When George and his assistant Brooksie arrive at the meeting spot by the river, they discover the body of Rocko Banion, one of America's biggest criminals, shot with a .45 automatic. The case grows complicated as George learns that Mason himself was struck unconscious the morning of the murder while trying to locate Banion for a story, and that a well-dressed stranger named Tim McNeil, who owns a houseboat where the body was found, is refusing to talk about Banion's presence there.
River Vista, an exclusive and quiet suburb, particularly along a river with houseboats and wooded trails · George Valentine, Brooksie (George's assistant), Wendell Mason (freelance reporter), Tim McNeil (houseboat owner), Lieutenant Devlin (police officer), Rocko Banion (murder victim)
Listen for: The mystery of why a major criminal would be hiding in an exclusive suburb, the suspicious circumstances around Mason's attack and Banion's murder, and Tim McNeil's evasive behavior about the dead man on his houseboat
Let George Do It: Death In Fancy Dress (1948)
George Valentine is hired by a man named Reynolds to investigate threats against his life. George discovers that his client's nemesis is the blackmailer Bascom, who collects scandalous mementos from the private lives of society figures to hold over them. When George refuses to help Reynolds against Bascom, tragedy strikes at Reynolds' home, and George realizes he must uncover Bascom's vulnerabilities to stop the man's cruel exploitation.
A city with society figures, nightclubs, and police department; primarily Bascom's trophy room and Reynolds' home. · George Valentine, Brooksie, Mr. Bascom, Reynolds, Donna Reynolds, Lieutenant Riley
Listen for: The detailed description of Bascom's collection of scandal mementos, the confrontation between Reynolds and Bascom over letters, and George's determination to find evidence against the blackmailer.
Let George Do It: Death Wears a Gay Sports Jacket (1948)
George Valentine receives an anonymous letter offering $300 to investigate a series of violent deaths in the Warrington Square area, including mentions of a victim named Nancy Cabot. A newspaper reporter named Pringle has been linking the murders to a suspect wearing a distinctive plaid sports jacket, but Lieutenant Riley remains skeptical about whether the cases are actually connected. George begins investigating the various witnesses and suspects to determine if Pringle's theory holds any truth.
Warrington Square area and various locations around the city; George's office; police headquarters · George Valentine, Angel, Lieutenant Riley, Jack Pringle, Nancy Cabot, Miss Brooks, Joe Barcelona, Mrs. Walts
Listen for: The mysterious anonymous letter with $300; the recurring detail of a plaid sports jacket; the disagreement between reporter Pringle and Lieutenant Riley over whether the deaths are connected; George's interview with the witnesses who claim to have seen the plaid-coated suspect
Let George Do It: Death in Blue Jeans (1949)
George Valentine arrives in the quirky town of Benson Flats after receiving an urgent letter from Miss Emily Wintrich, a librarian who fears her fiancé Saddlebags (the town judge) will be murdered. She has discovered that Saddlebags's estranged brother Henry, who has recently appeared in town after years of isolation in the hills, has been checking out every book in the library about poison. Miss Wintrich believes Henry, who stands to inherit everything, plans to poison his healthier brother.
Benson Flats, a small Gold Rush-era mining town in the hills, particularly the library and local jail that has been converted from an old building. · George Valentine, Miss Emily Wintrich, Saddlebags (the judge), Henry Benson, Brooks, Pete, Dusty
Listen for: The absurd town ordinance requiring all men to wear beards or pay a fine; Henry Benson's suspicious interest in chemistry and poison books; Miss Wintrich's mounting fears about her fiancé's safety.
Let George Do It: Death in Fancy Dress (1948)
Private investigator George Valentine is hired by a blackmailer's victim to look into the past of Mr. Baskam, a man who collects mementos of his friends' scandals and uses them to extort money and secrets. When Mrs. Reynolds, whose love letters Baskam possessed, is found dead in what authorities rule a suicide, Valentine suspects Baskam's cruelty may have driven her to it and vows to find evidence of his crimes.
A city with nightclubs and high society; Baskam's apartment with his trophy room; Reynolds' home · George Valentine, Baskam, Reynolds, Donna Reynolds, Lieutenant Riley, Angel
Listen for: The description of Baskam's grotesque collection of scandals and blackmail material; the confrontation between Reynolds and Baskam over love letters; the discovery of Mrs. Reynolds' death and Valentine's determination to bring Baskam to justice despite police indifference.
Let George Do It: Destination - Dead End (1949)
George Valentine receives a desperate plea from Sophie Pevilman to help her son Richard, a private investigator who has gotten into serious trouble. Richard has been selling information to various criminal operations and now has made a deadly enemy in Matt Downey, who has hired thugs to kill him. George must find a way to protect Richard and his mother from Downey's revenge.
The city, primarily at the Richel-O restaurant and police precinct, with references to River Street in the slums. · George Valentine, Sophie Pevilman, Richard Pevilman, Matt Downey, Brooks, Lieutenant Riley
Listen for: The interplay between George's quick thinking and Richard's cynical acceptance of danger; George's negotiation with the police to keep Richard safe by shuffling him between precincts; the revelation that Downey has kidnapped Sophie as leverage.
Let George Do It: Destination Danger (1951)
George Valentine receives an anonymous briefcase with cash, plane tickets, and instructions for a dangerous assignment in Panama. On the flight, a mysterious man drugs George's coffee and steals a letter of introduction, then mysteriously returns it. Upon arrival in Panama, a young man named Carlos meets George and his assistant but refuses to explain their mission, promising details will come tomorrow.
A Pan-American Clipper flight from the United States to Panama, and the lobby of a hotel in Panama City · George Valentine, Brooks (George's assistant), Manuel Perez, Carlos, Captain Santo Silvera
Listen for: The mysterious theft and return of George's letter of introduction, and the cryptic appearance of Carlos with news of the assignment
Let George Do It: Destination, Danger (1951)
George Valentine receives an anonymous briefcase with cash, plane tickets to Panama, and cryptic instructions about a dangerous assignment. Along with his assistant Brooksie, he boards a Pan American Clipper for Panama, but during the flight a mysterious passenger drugs his coffee and steals a letter of introduction from his pocket. Upon arrival in Panama City, a young man named Carlos makes contact at their hotel but refuses to reveal details of the assignment, promising answers the following day.
A Pan American Clipper airplane en route to Panama, and the Hotel Tivoli in Panama City in 1951. · George Valentine, Brooksie (his assistant), Manuel Perez, Carlos, Captain Santo Silvera
Listen for: The mysterious theft during the flight and George's growing suspicion that someone knows more about his mission than he does; Carlos's cryptic refusals to explain the assignment.
Let George Do It: Double Death (1949)
George Valentine is hired by the nervous Mr. Groves to find his missing wife, who disappeared from their newly rented house the night before following a heated argument. Groves is reluctant to involve the police due to his past, and George soon discovers that the case may be far more complicated than a simple disappearance, with suspicious details emerging about Groves' other activities and visitors.
Mr. Groves' newly rented house in the country, near his office · George Valentine, Mr. Groves, Rena Hilliard, William (neighbor)
Listen for: George's sharp observation of a freshly scrubbed floor and his probing questions about Groves' mysterious nighttime visitor and early morning activities at the incinerator
Let George Do It: Drop Dead (HSG) (1951)
Writer Jerry Yule calls George Valentine with a mysterious story involving a green and orange parrot. When George and his associate Miss Brooks meet Yule at the run-down Captain Charlie's Neptune Palace hotel near the docks, they discover a dead sailor in an alley and learn the parrot's connection to his demise.
Captain Charlie's Neptune Palace, a dilapidated hotel near the commercial docks in a foggy seaside district; an alley nearby. · George Valentine, Miss Brooks, Jerry Yule, Captain Charlie, Morton, Sadie, Lamey, Lieutenant
Listen for: The parrot's distinctive squawk and repeated phrase 'Drop dead'; discussion of a dead sailor found in an alley and the mystery surrounding his death; clues involving tobacco chewing and a valuable parrot.
Let George Do It: Eleven O'Clock (1950)
George Valentine is called to investigate a college girl named Estella who has disappeared after acting strangely at summer session. When a blonde coed named Vicki is thrown from a horse at the stables, George discovers the saddle cinch has been deliberately cut—suggesting someone at the college is in serious danger, and Professor Ferris's name keeps appearing in connection with the mysterious events.
A women's college during summer session, including dormitory, classrooms, and stables. · George Valentine, Estella Blair, Maggie, Mrs. Ferris, Professor Ferris, Vicki, Uncle (Estella's guardian), Mrs. Jensen
Listen for: The repeated mention of 11 o'clock as a time when people are told to go places, and the discovery that Vicki's saddle cinch was deliberately cut.
Let George Do It: Eleven O'clock (1950)
George Valentine is hired by a worried uncle to look into his niece Estella's strange behavior at a university summer session. When George arrives on campus, he discovers that a girl named Vicki has been thrown from a horse with a deliberately cut saddle strap, and multiple young women seem connected to Professor Ferris through mysterious instructions to meet at 11 o'clock.
A university campus during summer session, including dormitories, classrooms, and the campus stables. · George Valentine, Estella Blair, Maggie, Mrs. Ferris, Professor Ferris, Vicki, The stable master
Listen for: The mystery of who tampered with the saddle and why multiple women are receiving instructions tied to 11 o'clock; whether Professor Ferris is involved in the schemes.
Let George Do It: Empress of Fishfalls (1949)
George Valentine is on a fishing vacation when he and his companion discover a murdered midget in the water. The victim carries a watch inscribed to Merle Bender from Colonel Gerald P. Fargo's circus. George tracks down the mysterious Empress of Fish Falls, a wealthy and commanding former circus performer who seems to know more about the dead man and the small town of circus retirees than she initially reveals.
Fish Falls, a small town by a river where retired circus performers have settled, and the Empress's castle estate nearby. · George Valentine, Claire Brooks, The Empress (Mrs. Bender), Shorty McDonald, Colonel Gerald P. Fargo, Castle (the butler), Elephant (the footman), Brother Face (store owner)
Listen for: George and Claire's discovery of the murdered midget; the revelation that Fish Falls is populated by retired circus folk; the mysterious Empress and her connection to the victim.
Let George Do It: End of Summer (1949)
Private investigator George Valentine arrives at a mountain retreat to investigate Dr. Nicholas Wills on behalf of the nervous Miss Rosaire Burlick, who fears the doctor may be involved with her sister Marsha. When Marsha disappears and her husband Frederick Gentle confesses to shooting her in a moment of despair, Valentine must untangle the truth from a web of misunderstandings and emotional turmoil among the residents of the quiet summer home.
A mountain retreat with vacation cabins and a permanent house, during the end of summer season. · George Valentine, Brooks (his assistant), Rosaire Burlick, Frederick Gentle (artist), Marsha Gentle, Dr. Nicholas Wills
Listen for: The revelation of a confession that may not be what it seems, and the theme of emotional breakdown versus actual crime; Shakespeare's words about guilty creatures at a play striking souls to confession.
Let George Do It: Every Shot Counts (1949)
Detective George Valentine is hired by cowboy actor Rafe Dizzaro to investigate a mysterious situation involving Daphne Crockett, a schoolteacher Rafe recently met who is being watched and shot at from a nearby apartment building. When a blackmailer named Curly Black is found dead in the apartment of a blind piano player named Dick Siva, Valentine must unravel a tangled web of murder, blackmail, and hidden motives to find the true killer.
A modern apartment building in the city, with rooftop gardens where Daphne practices her shooting. · George Valentine, Rafe Dizzaro, Daphne Crockett, Dick Siva, Curly Black, Michael J. Martin, Lieutenant Riley
Listen for: The clever twist that reveals how a blind man could commit two seemingly professional murders by using a hidden gun rig beneath his nailed-down chair; Valentine's deduction of the killer's method through process of elimination.
Let George Do It: Everything Is Nice (1949)
Private investigator George Valentine is hired by a wealthy man named Sanderman to investigate his red-haired daughter VV, who has been spending her afternoons at a disreputable establishment called Bamboo Bill's. When Valentine visits the bar to gather information, VV is shot upstairs. Before Valentine can fully investigate, Sanderman himself is murdered in his home on his wife's birthday, shot through a kitchen window. Valentine must untangle a web of alibis and deceptions to identify the killer.
A city with a tropical-themed nightclub called Bamboo Bill's, the Sanderman home, and police headquarters. The story takes place during a birthday celebration for Mrs. Sanderman. · George Valentine, Mr. Sanderman, VV Sanderman, Mrs. Sanderman (Dora), Bill McGee, Osbert Layton, Lieutenant Riley, Charlie
Listen for: The clever solution involving birthday candles and their burn time to establish when the murder actually occurred, proving the apparent alibi is false. Also listen for the revelation of a bigamy scheme and the twist about who the real killer is.
Let George Do It: Fifty Shares of Mazooma Limited (1946)
George Valentine agrees to buy 100 shares of Mazouma Limited stock for a mysterious anonymous client through his lawyer neighbor Spencer, who provides a $5,000 check. George sends his office boy Sonny to deliver the check to the investment firm Jellico and Bean before the market closes at three o'clock, but Sonny becomes confused about the firm's name and delivers the check to the wrong company instead.
George Valentine's detective office in a city office building, the Security Exchange Building, and surrounding city locations. · George Valentine, Claire, Spencer, Sonny, Al Melcher, Elevator starter
Listen for: The comedic misadventure as Sonny tries to remember the name of the investment firm, confusing "Jellico and Bean" with candy names like "Jelly Bean" and "Gumbra," leading to the check being left at the wrong company.
Let George Do It: Follow That Train (1949)
George Valentine receives a mysterious letter signed by Santa Claus requesting help recovering stolen toys from the North Pole display at Gumperts department store. When George investigates, he discovers that Joe Smith, who plays Santa at the store, has been pressured by a small-time crook named Mo Dickerson to let him take over the role. The theft turns out to be connected to a larger criminal scheme involving a planned robbery of the store's substantial daily receipts.
A department store's North Pole display and the surrounding city streets during the Christmas season · George Valentine, Claire Brooks, Joe Smith, Lieutenant Riley, Mo Dickerson, Louie, Hilda, Felton
Listen for: A clever twist involving fingerprints on the stolen electric train and a mysterious Santa Claus who appears at a crucial moment to save George and Claire from a taxi
Let George Do It: Follow That Train! (1949)
Private investigator George Valentine receives a mysterious letter from Santa Claus requesting specific toys. When George discovers that these exact items were donated to a police charity box, he suspects foul play. He sets out to find Joe Smith, the real Santa Claus who works at Gumpert's department store, but the investigation takes a dangerous turn when he and his companion Angel are attacked on the street.
A city during Christmas time, including a department store, police headquarters, an employment agency, and a boarding house. · George Valentine, Angel Brooks, Lieutenant Vines, Sergeant Del Bay, Joe Smith, Mr. Louie, Hilda
Listen for: A classic mystery setup involving stolen charity goods, multiple Santa Claus imposters, and a violent street attack that separates George from his companion Angel, leaving their fates uncertain.
Let George Do It: Forty-Two on a Rope (1947)
George Valentine collides with a young woman fleeing down a street, scattering pearls everywhere. As they collect the artificial pearls from a string of 42, one disappears down a sewer drain. George gallantly retrieves it, but the woman mysteriously flees with his coat and wallet. Now George investigates the jeweler who made the pearls and tracks down the woman at her address, only to find her apartment ransacked and himself confronted by dangerous men who force him inside.
City streets, a jewelry manufacturer's shop, and an apartment building · George Valentine, Brooksie, Miss Dale Krillin, Bela Zagari, Nubbin
Listen for: The comedic collision and pearl-counting sequence; George's banter with Brooksie about being fooled by the mysterious woman; the sinister turn when George arrives at Dale's apartment to find trouble waiting.
Let George Do It: Forty-two on a Rope (1947)
George Valentine collides with a young woman fleeing down a street, and helps her retrieve a pearl from her broken necklace after it falls into a sewer drain. The grateful woman runs off with his coat and wallet. Later, George discovers she bought the pearl necklace from a jeweler named Bela Zagari and tries to track her down, but when he and his friend Brooksie visit her address, they find the apartment ransacked and are confronted by violent men who force George inside at gunpoint.
City streets, a jeweler's shop, and an apartment building · George Valentine, The young woman (Dale Krillin), Brooksie, Bela Zagari, Nubbin
Listen for: The comedic sequence of George and the woman scrambling to retrieve the missing pearl from the sewer drain, and the tense turn when George arrives at the woman's apartment only to find trouble waiting.
Let George Do It: Framed for Hanging (1951)
George Valentine receives a mysterious summons from A.W. Ankerz, a wealthy businessman, asking him to meet at the Dewey Company office at 5:30. Ankerz hints he needs advice about a personnel matter involving someone who might commit murder. When George arrives, he finds the office closed, but discovers a letter from Ankerz on a table. Before he can read it, George encounters a security guard named Joseph Portland who mistakes him for an intruder and pulls a gun.
The Dewey Company office in an unnamed city, late afternoon into evening. · George Valentine, A.W. Ankerz, Jerry Frame, Angela Barkley, Joseph Portland, Mr. Dewey
Listen for: A cryptic message about a personnel problem and potential murder, mistaken identity leading to a tense confrontation with an armed security guard, and mysterious connections between employer and employee.
Let George Do It: Friendship Club (aka-Island in the Lake) (1948)
George Valentine is hired by Edith Wilder to find her missing sister Angela, who disappeared two days ago from Tuxedo Lake. Angela, a serial bride who has been married multiple times, vanished after her current husband Walter paid her twenty thousand dollars to settle their separation, but the circumstances of her disappearance grow increasingly mysterious when George discovers she left behind all her clothes and possessions.
Tuxedo Lake, an exclusive area with an island community in California, and the Selby Friendship Club marriage bureau · George Valentine, Brooksie (George's associate), Edith Wilder, Walter Filiston, Angela Kramer Filiston, Mr. Selby (Friendship Club operator), Bud Kramer (Angela's son)
Listen for: George and Brooksie's investigation into a disappearance that may be more sinister than it appears, involving a marriage broker, a suspicious son, and evidence suggesting foul play rather than elopement
Let George Do It: Friendship Clubs (1948)
George Valentine is hired to find Angela Filistin, a woman in her early forties who has disappeared from Tuxedo Lake. Her sister Edith fears a scandal, as Angela has been corresponding with another man through the Selby Friendship Club while still married to her third husband, Walter. George investigates the friendship club and searches Angela's empty house, where he encounters Angela's bitter son Bud, who stands to inherit money if his mother doesn't return.
Tuxedo Lake and surrounding areas including George's office, the Selby Friendship Club, and Angela Filistin's house on the island. · George Valentine, Miss Brooks, Edith Wilder, Walter Pelison, Angela Filistin, Mr. Selby, Bud Kramer
Listen for: George's investigation into the mysterious disappearance, the revelation that Angela married through a matrimonial agency and paid her husband $20,000 to stay away, and the suspicious appearance of Angela's resentful son at her empty house.
Let George Do It: Go Jump in the Lake (1950)
George Valentine receives a letter from Mona Chandler, secretary to the troubled businessman Terence Doyle, asking for his help. Doyle is nervous, has bought a gun, is avoiding strange callers, and has received a mysterious package. When George meets Doyle at his office, the man dismisses his concerns and tells George to go jump in the lake, but a mysterious phone call suggests deeper involvement with dangerous people.
The offices of the Consolidated Machine Tool Company in the city, with a phone call traced to the Club 50. · George Valentine, Claire Brooks, Mona Chandler, Terence Doyle, Gil Frank, Starky Bennett
Listen for: The mysterious phone call revealing a connection to Starky Bennett and the Club 50; Mona's discovery that Doyle is in real danger despite his dismissal of it.
Let George Do It: Have Some Excitement (1948)
George Valentine, a troubleshooter for hire, receives an urgent request from Peter Murch, a timid movie comedian who has spent 30 years playing meek characters. Murch wants George to introduce him to excitement and danger to help him overcome his nervous disposition before starting his first starring role. George agrees to help, but when he takes Murch to Mark Logan's pool hall for some excitement, Logan suggests an increasingly dangerous plan involving a kidnapping and a trip to the seaside amusement park's tunnel of love—where a murder once occurred.
A city featuring a pool hall, a vegetarian restaurant, and a seaside amusement park with a tunnel of love attraction. · George Valentine, Peter Murch, Brooksie, Mark Logan
Listen for: The tension between George's attempts to provide harmless excitement and Mark Logan's schemes that become increasingly sinister, culminating in an ominous reference to an unsolved murder in the tunnel of love.
Let George Do It: High Card (1950)
George Valentine, a private investigator, receives a letter from Mrs. Ames asking for help with her troubled husband, Victor. Victor, a lawyer, has become increasingly erratic and despondent, haunted by suspicions from his town that he murdered a woman named Dorsey-Folman a year ago, despite never being formally tried. George must discover what Victor is really doing and why he seems bent on self-destruction.
A small town, primarily at the Father's Club and the Ames household · George Valentine, Victor Ames, Mrs. Ames, Chester, Norton, Lord
Listen for: A murder mystery from a year past that still haunts the community; a card game with mysterious stakes; a man on the edge of desperation
Let George Do It: How Guilty Can You Get (1951)
Millionaire Fred Vincent Liggett hires detective George Valentine after writing a suspicious letter accusing his wife of plotting against him. When Liggett is found dead, apparently poisoned with medicine mixed at the local drugstore, suspicion falls on Mrs. Liggett—especially since she regularly picked up prescriptions for her husband and has been seen socially with the town doctor, Everett Nichols. George must untangle the web of small-town gossip and hidden motives to discover who really poisoned the wealthy man.
Sandhill Center, a small town where Liggett made his fortune · George Valentine, Clare Brooks, Mrs. Liggett, Fred Vincent Liggett, Sheriff, Ed Manks, Dr. Everett Nichols, Miss Boggs
Listen for: George investigates the circumstances surrounding Liggett's death and tracks down the missing Dr. Nichols while Mrs. Liggett becomes the prime suspect.
Let George Do It: Human Nature (1952)
George Valentine receives a letter from Ruby Devlin, a cleaning woman at Club Bim Bam, asking him to help a kind pawn shop owner named Ben Cullum who she fears is being pressured into criminal activity. Ruby overheard a drunk named Joey Krieger claiming he had pulled off a heist and used Cullum as a fence, but George suspects there may be more to the situation than Ruby's simple interpretation of human nature reveals.
A nightclub called Club Bim Bam and a pawn shop on Lower Forest Street in the city, with police headquarters involved. · George Valentine, Miss Brooks, Ruby Devlin, Ben Cullum, Joey Krieger, Lieutenant Johnson, Sergeant Lee
Listen for: George's skepticism about Ruby's naive reading of the situation, the details emerging about Cullum's surprisingly well-secured back room despite his modest front shop display, and the police sergeant's revelation about a major jewelry heist.
Let George Do It: Is Everybody Happy (1951)
George Valentine arrives at the estate of Lorenzo, an eccentric millionaire who has dedicated his fortune to giving talented people the opportunity to pursue their passions. But when Lorenzo is shot dead on his marble staircase, George must determine whether the murder was committed by one of the residents—Dr. Merkel, the psychologist; Hansen, the poet; or Amy, the language professor—or by Fred Jeffries, Lorenzo's suspicious brother-in-law who has been trying to have him committed.
Lorenzo's estate, a large house in the countryside with gardens and grounds. · George Valentine, Lorenzo, Fred Jeffries, Dr. Merkel, Hansen, Amy, Dr. Nolan
Listen for: An ingenious murder method involving a photo-electric cell, mirrors, copper wire, and a concealed gun that fires automatically when someone breaks a light beam.
Let George Do It: Island in the Desert (1950)
George Valentine receives a desperate letter from Ray Mackie, a private detective friend, asking him to rescue him from a remote desert island town on the Mexican border where he is trapped and dying of heat. When George arrives, he finds Mackie dead in his hotel room with only a letter for identification, and discovers that Mackie had been secretly investigating a series of suspicious fires in the Mexican border town before his death.
A small desert town on the U.S.-Mexico border, featuring a hotel, a local bar, and a boarding house pool room. · George Valentine, Ray Mackie, Sheriff Tázco, Páro, Chief Slim, Miss Brooks
Listen for: The mystery of why private detective Ray Mackie concealed his identity in this remote border town and what connection his death has to the fires he was investigating across the border.
Let George Do It: It Happened on Friday (1952)
George Valentine is hired by Mrs. Craig to find her husband Stanley, who disappeared on Friday's Island in the Pacific during a vacation flight. Stanley left the plane deliberately, claiming he had business to attend to, but Mrs. Craig fears he may be involved with a communist organization called "the group" operating on the island. George arrives on Friday's Island with his assistant Roxy and immediately encounters a mysterious man named Nicholas Grand who demands the message George is carrying from someone named Kestier.
Friday's Island in the Pacific, near Tahiti; also a brief scene in Mrs. Craig's home · George Valentine, Mrs. Craig, Roxy, Leon, Stanley Craig, Nicholas Grand, Kestier
Listen for: The mysterious communist plot, Nicholas Grand's threatening behavior, and what the message from Kestier contains
Let George Do It: It's A Mystery To Me (1950)
George Valentine takes a case for mystery writer Marlon King, who is distraught over his sweetheart Cynthia suddenly refusing to see him. When George investigates, he discovers Cynthia's roommate Mabel has been murdered, and Cynthia herself is found dead in a closet. As Lieutenant Riley investigates, the evidence points in multiple directions, but George must unravel the true motive behind the double murder.
A city bar called Joe's Oasis and a nearby apartment building, with police investigating a murder scene. · George Valentine, Marlon King, Cynthia, Mabel, Tony, Lieutenant Riley, Joe, Michael
Listen for: The solution to who murdered both Cynthia and Mabel, revealed through George's logical deduction about fingerprints, gloves, and a mysterious engagement ring hidden in a pocket.
Let George Do It: Journey Into Hate (1949)
Private investigator George Valentine receives a frantic cable from Janice Gibson asking him to travel to Hawaii immediately to help her sister Colleen, who has become convinced that people around her are plotting to kill her. George and his assistant Brooke board a ship to Honolulu, where they meet Colleen's husband Marcel Millet on the dock. Marcel reveals that Colleen has developed paranoid delusions and imagines grotesque conspiracies against her, and he hopes George can help uncover what is troubling his wife.
Aboard the ocean liner Udara traveling to Hawaii, and the docks of Honolulu leading to a private island · George Valentine, Brooke, Janice Gibson, Colleen, Marcel Millet, Ship's Doctor
Listen for: George's witty banter with Brooke as they embark on the mystery, the revelation of Colleen's mysterious mental state, and Marcel's account of his wife's paranoid delusions
Let George Do It: Juniper Lane (1950)
George Valentine receives a letter intended for someone else, written by an elderly man on Juniper Lane thanking his aunt for knitted wristlets. Curious about the mix-up, George and his partner Roxy track down the sender to a peculiar dead-end street in the city. But when they visit the address, they discover that the letter's intended recipient, an old woman who knits, has been found dead in her bedroom—stabbed with a knitting needle.
Juniper Lane, a dead-end street in the city bounded by industrial areas, with brownstone houses and one store run by Miss Bartwell. · George Valentine, Roxy, Miss Bartwell, Miss Bathwell, Felix McCoy, Queen Beth, Lieutenant
Listen for: George's discovery of crossed letters leading him to a murder scene; the strange, insular atmosphere of Juniper Lane described by its residents; the mystery of who killed the old woman with the knitting needle.
Let George Do It: Kleptomaniac (1946)
George Valentine, a newly independent private investigator, takes on a case from Mrs. Harrington, who confesses she has a compulsive stealing problem that could ruin her husband's campaign for Alderman if discovered. George agrees to watch over her to keep her out of trouble, but when Mrs. Harrington accompanies him on an errand to a department store, her kleptomaniac tendencies emerge again, putting both of them in a difficult spot.
A private investigator's office, a department store, and the streets of the city in the present day. · George Valentine, Claire Brooks, Mrs. Isabel Harrington, Mr. Gordon, Sonny
Listen for: George's witty banter with his secretary Claire, Mrs. Harrington's nervous confession about her stealing habit, and the escalating tension when Mrs. Harrington steals at the department store despite hiring George to prevent such incidents.
Let George Do It: Knock on Wood (1951)
George Valentine is hired by Alfred J. Liggett, owner of the Golden Tower Department Building, to deal with a troublesome tenant named Side Bet Sinclair who lives in apartment 16A and has threatened violence against the wealthy tenant Mrs. Fairchild living directly above him. When George and his associate visit both parties, they discover Sinclair is an ex-convict gambler who parties loudly, while Mrs. Fairchild seems strangely fascinated by the danger he represents despite her complaints.
The Golden Tower Department Building, specifically apartments on the 15th and 16th floors · George Valentine, Miss Brooks, Alfred J. Liggett, Side Bet Sinclair, Mrs. Fairchild, Mr. Newton the janitor
Listen for: The contrast between Liggett's desperate concern for his building's reputation and Mrs. Fairchild's mysterious interest in her troublemaking neighbor; Sinclair's brash confidence about his criminal past and current lifestyle.
Let George Do It: LGDI - (HSG Synd.#004) - Portrait of a Suicide
George Valentine is called to investigate a troubled marriage after a farmer named Stengel witnesses what he believes might be a suicide attempt by Mrs. Blair on a bridge. When George and his secretary Miss Brooks visit the Blairs' home, they discover that Mr. Blair has been painting a portrait of another woman as his model, and the canvas has been savagely slashed to pieces—apparently by Mrs. Blair in a jealous rage after she discovered it.
A rural country area with farms and bridges, and the Blair family home, with George Valentine's office in the city · George Valentine, Miss Brooks, Ole Miss Stengel, Mrs. Blair, Mr. Blair, Dr. Fee
Listen for: The growing tension as George uncovers the Blairs' unhappy marriage, Mr. Blair's affair with his portrait model, and Mrs. Blair's emotional breakdown and violent jealousy
Let George Do It: LGDI - (HSG Synd.#005) - Prairie Dog
George Valentine investigates the death of Jerry Mace, a private investigator for an insurance company found dead on the railroad tracks. The victim was apparently robbed and pushed in front of a train. George learns that Mace was working on a case involving the Prairie, a rough district in town, and traces the investigation to a pawn shop run by a man named Felix.
A city with a railroad station and the Prairie, a run-down commercial district from Front Street to Third Street where the investigation takes Valentine to a pawn shop. · George Valentine, Lieutenant Johnson, Miss Brooks, Angel, Felix, Sergeant
Listen for: A man being pushed onto railroad tracks, the discovery of an empty pawn shop that just closed, and George's confrontation with Felix the pawnbroker about a stolen watch.
Let George Do It: LGDI - (HSG Synd.#005) - Prairie Dog (1951)
When insurance investigator Jerry Mace is murdered at the railway station, George Valentine is called in to help solve the case. Police suspect a serial criminal called the Prairie Dog, responsible for six unsolved crimes over two years, who leaves distinctive clues: special Swedish matches, greasy glove marks, and cigarette butts. George's investigation leads him to a pawn shop on the Prairie, where he uncovers a dangerous web of murder and robbery.
A city's industrial Prairie district and railway station, with a pawn shop and barbershop serving as key locations in the investigation · George Valentine, Lieutenant Johnson, Miss Brooks, Jerry Mace, Sniffy, Felix, Tony the barber, Calgary the landlord
Listen for: George's deduction that the Prairie Dog is actually two criminals working together, using overlapping alibis and shared evidence to evade capture; the revelation that Sniffy's pickpocketing skills were used to rob Jerry Mace before his murder
Let George Do It: LGDI - (HSG Synd.#006) - Tonight the Mayhem's Going to be Different
George Valentine is invited to a country estate for a fishing weekend by Cecile Lewis, a woman he's never met. Upon arrival at Crescent Lane, George discovers that Cecile's brother Avery is deeply upset and unstable, and that Joe Ames, a social-climbing newcomer, has entangled himself in the family's affairs by purchasing a neighbor's property. When George hears gunshots from a repair shed, he finds Avery armed and clearly troubled about his sister's involvement with Ames.
Crescent Lane, a country estate with gardens, woods, and outbuildings, owned by Avery Lewiston · George Valentine, Cecile Lewis, Avery Lewiston, Joe Ames, Paul Merrell, Claire Brooks
Listen for: The mystery of why Cecile invited George to the estate and what has made Avery so unstable and dangerous
Let George Do It: LGDI - (HSG Synd.#007) - The Eight Ball
George Valentine arrives in Summer Springs, hired by mysterious local politicians to find a big-time collection racket operator. When he checks into his hotel room, he discovers a dead man who appears to have been mistaken for him—a necktie salesman named Harold Stark. George must now work around this complication to discover who the imposter killer is and find the criminal he was hired to locate.
Summer Springs Hotel and the town of Summer Springs · George Valentine, Brooksie, Lemuel, Nielsen, Emmet, The Mayor, Vic, Harold Stark
Listen for: George Valentine, a private detective hired to investigate a payoff racket, finds himself framed when a man mistaken for him is murdered in his hotel room. He must solve the case while staying ahead of the police.
Let George Do It: LGDI - (HSG Synd.#007) - The Eight Ball (1951)
George Valentine arrives in Summer Springs after being hired by three local politicians to investigate a collection racket run by an unknown big shot. But before he can begin his investigation, a dead man is found in his hotel room carrying false identification, and George becomes the prime suspect. He must quickly prove his innocence and uncover the real criminal before the killer strikes again.
Summer Springs Hotel and the town of Summer Springs · George Valentine, Brooks (Brooksie), Nielsen, Vickery, Mayor Emmett Waller, Lemuel, Harold Stark, Clarence Prell
Listen for: A clever frame-up plot with multiple mistaken identities, including a fake necktie salesman who turns out to be a detective, and a hotel clerk who is the true mastermind behind the payoff racket.
Let George Do It: LGDI - (HSG Synd.#008) - Every Shot Counts
Private investigator George Valentine receives a letter from Rafe Disbro, a cowboy movie star, asking for help protecting a young woman named Daphne Crockett who lives in the Imperial Crest Apartments. Rafe says Daphne is nervous and afraid, watched by a mysterious man with black hair and a sour face. George agrees to investigate and meet Daphne, but discovers she is actually a professional sharpshooter and bullseye artist who seems to be protecting a dangerous secret.
Imperial Crest Apartments in the city, with adjacent buildings and apartments overlooking each other. · George Valentine, Rafe Disbro, Daphne Crockett, Lieutenant Cleary, Curly Black
Listen for: A case of mistaken danger where the supposed victim turns out to be a skilled marksman protecting herself, and the introduction of escaped convict Curly Black who may be the real threat.
Let George Do It: LGDI - (HSG Synd.#008) - Every Shot Counts (1949)
Cowboy actor Rafe Disbro hires private detective George Valentine to protect schoolteacher Daphne Crockett, who he claims is in danger from an unknown man. George discovers Daphne is actually a sharpshooter performing at the Club Paris, and becomes entangled in a blackmail scheme involving her estranged husband Curly and millionaire Michael J. Martin. As bodies pile up from precise gunshots, George must uncover who among the various suspects is the real killer.
The city, including an apartment building, the Club Paris nightclub, and a roof garden. · George Valentine, Rafe Disbro, Daphne Crockett, Curly Blackshin, Lieutenant Cleary, Dead Eye Dix Siva, Michael J. Martin
Listen for: George's wisecracks and the clever reveal of how a blind man uses the sound of voices and the positions of nailed-down furniture to commit murder with precision shooting.
Let George Do It: LGDI - (HSG Synd.#009) - The Anthill
George Valentine is hired to help a small man named Trailer who has been shot six times in a dark alley. Lieutenant Riley hints that Trailer might have information about a criminal organization, and George must earn Trailer's trust to learn more. George begins investigating the case by visiting locations connected to Trailer and uncovering a web of illegal slot machines and organized crime.
A city with hospitals, police stations, and various criminal operations involving slot machines and organized crime. · George Valentine, Lieutenant Riley, Trailer, Betty, Miss Brooks, Mr. Wilton, Louie
Listen for: George's investigation into who shot Trailer and why, the structure of the criminal pyramid Trailer may have discovered, and whether Trailer will reveal what he knows about his employers.
Let George Do It: LGDI - (HSG Synd.#009) - The Anthill (1950)
George Valentine is hired to help a dying slot machine repairman named Trailer find his girlfriend Betty, but the case spirals into a dangerous investigation of an organized crime empire. As George infiltrates a mysterious penthouse apartment belonging to someone called Mr. Black, he uncovers layer upon layer of ambition, deception, and violence within the criminal organization.
A city with an underworld district called the Ant Hill, featuring a nightclub, a police hospital, bars, and a luxury penthouse apartment · George Valentine, Lieutenant Riley, Trailer, Betty, Claire Brooks, Louis, Mr. Wilton, Mr. Black
Listen for: The clever revelation that connects apparently separate characters and motives, and the tragic irony of how secrets and paranoia destroy the very empire someone built
Let George Do It: LGDI - (HSG Synd.#010) - Touched By An Angel
George Valentine is hired by banker Frank Emerson to find out why Myrtle Dane, secretary to recently deceased gangster Lefty Lumpert, has become terrified after a car accident. When George visits Myrtle in the hospital, she refuses to talk but cryptically mentions she's afraid of Lefty's 'angel.' George discovers a mysterious armed man trying to see Myrtle and realizes the case is more dangerous than it first appears.
A hospital room and surrounding locations in the city, involving a banker's office and police connections. · George Valentine, Frank Emerson, Myrtle Dane, Bill McCord, The Nurse, A mysterious armed man
Listen for: The mysterious identity of Lefty's 'angel' and why Myrtle is so frightened; the armed man's connection to Lefty's death.
Let George Do It: LGDI - (HSG Synd.#011) - Drop Dead
Writer Jerry Yule calls private investigator George Valentine to help solve a mysterious story involving a foreign sailor, a valuable green and orange parrot, and some dangerous characters at the dilapidated Neptune Palace hotel on the waterfront. When the sailor who sold the parrot is found dead in an alley and another hotel resident dies under suspicious circumstances, George must untangle the web of secrets surrounding the bird and the people at the hotel.
The Neptune Palace, a run-down old waterfront hotel in a fog-shrouded harbor district, now occupied by permanent residents including a sea captain and other characters from the area's past. · George Valentine, Brooksie, Jerry Yule, Captain Charlie, Lymie, Sadie, Morton, Lieutenant Johnson
Listen for: The parrot's repeated cry of 'drop dead' and the mysterious circumstances surrounding who really caused the deaths at the hotel; George's deduction about counterfeiting and replaced money that explains the crimes.
Let George Do It: LGDI - (HSG Synd.#011) - Drop Dead (1951)
Writer Jerry Yule calls private investigator George Valentine to a run-down waterfront hotel called Captain Charlie's Neptune Palace, claiming he has a mysterious story that needs solving. The tale involves a foreign sailor who sold Captain Charlie a peculiar green and orange parrot before being found dead in an alley, and now Lymie, a resident of the hotel, has been found dead at the bottom of the stairs, with George himself drugged and robbed when he tries to investigate with the bird.
Captain Charlie's Neptune Palace, a decrepit old waterfront hotel in the run-down commercial dock district on a foggy night. · George Valentine, Brooks (Miss Brooks), Jerry Yule, Captain Charlie, Lymie, Sadie, Morton, Lieutenant Johnson
Listen for: The parrot's repeated cry of 'drop dead' and George's methodical unraveling of the mystery by connecting the money, the counterfeiting operation, and the crimes that seem linked to the bird.
Let George Do It: LGDI - (HSG Synd.#012) - Uncle Harry's Bones
Private investigator George Valentine is summoned to a remote farm near Pine Lake by a woman named Sophie, who fears that skeletal remains recently found in the lake may or may not actually be those of her missing Uncle Harry, who disappeared five years ago. George and his associate Miss Brooks arrive to find Sophie frightened and confused, joined by her brother Doc Sellers, a retired veterinarian, and Douglas Kent, who help Valentine search for old medical records that might identify the bones.
A rundown farmhouse near Pine Lake, reached by turning right at the Red Silk Post office · George Valentine, Miss Brooks, Sophie, Doc Sellers, Douglas Kent, Sheriff
Listen for: George's investigation into whether the skeleton found in the lake truly belongs to the missing Uncle Harry, with Doc Sellers skeptical of jumping to conclusions while George searches for x-rays that could provide positive identification
Let George Do It: LGDI - (HSG Synd.#012) - Uncle Harry's Bones (1951)
Private investigator George Valentine is summoned to a remote rural area by Sophie Sturdevant, who claims to have discovered the skeleton of her missing Uncle Harry in the lake. Sophie insists that George prove the skeleton's identity so she can prove her estranged husband Bunker murdered him for his money. But as George and his partner Brooks investigate, they find the town has little interest in disturbing five years of peace, and the mystery grows more complicated than a simple murder.
A remote rural area near Pine Lake, including Sophie's farmhouse, Uncle Harry's cabin, and the surrounding woods and lake. · George Valentine, Brooks (Miss Brooks), Sophie Sturdevant, Doc Sellers, Douglas Kent, Sheriff, Dorky, Bunker
Listen for: The revelation that Doc Sellers committed perjury to cover up the real murderer; the twist that the skeleton is actually Bunker, not Uncle Harry; and George's final conversation with Sophie about the waste of hatred and time.
Let George Do It: LGDI - (HSG Synd.#014) - No Escape from the Jungle
George Valentine is hired by Peta Van Russell, a research chemist from Burma, to locate a man named Terrence Hollowell who has recently arrived in the city. Hollowell sent Van Russell a cryptic cable mentioning a valuable pearl necklace, but when Van Russell tries to reach him, Hollowell's household claims he is not at home despite evidence he is in town. George begins investigating, discovering that Hollowell has a young wife and a business partner, and uncovering a mysterious employment agency connection that may be key to finding the elusive traveler.
A city, primarily at Hollowell's residence and its surroundings; the story involves characters recently arrived from Burma and Rangoon. · George Valentine, Peta Van Russell, Terrence Hollowell, Mrs. Hollowell, Sai Kirby, Angel
Listen for: The mysterious circumstances surrounding Hollowell's apparent disappearance despite being in the city, the significance of the ten black pearls, and George's investigation into the employment agency lead.
Let George Do It: LGDI - (HSG Synd.#014) - No Escape from the Jungle (1951)
George Valentine is hired by Peter Van Rossel, a chemist from Burma, to locate Terence Hollowell, who has just arrived in the city but is mysteriously hiding. George discovers Hollowell is registered at a hotel under an assumed name and has been spending time at a jewelry store, where he sold a valuable black pearl necklace and commissioned a cheap imitation. When George finally finds Hollowell and warns him that Van Rossel has vowed to kill him, the charming con artist is found dead in his home with three bullets in his body.
A city (likely in America), including Hollowell's home, the Benson Hotel, a jewelry store, and various other locations; with backstory in Burma and Rangoon. · George Valentine, Brooksie (Miss Brooks), Peter Van Rossel, Terence Hollowell, Mrs. Hollowell, Sai Kirby, Lieutenant Johnson, Mrs. Van Rossel
Listen for: The mystery of who actually shot Hollowell, given that multiple people had motives and Mrs. Van Rossel fired her gun several times; the revelation about the fake pearl necklace and Hollowell's deceptions; George's realization that he should have prevented the murder by understanding all the clues earlier.
Let George Do It: LGDI - (HSG Synd.#015) - Murder On Vacation
George Valentine arrives at Sandy Spit, a quiet seaside town, hoping for a peaceful vacation and famous fish stew. His plans are disrupted when he encounters mysterious townspeople acting suspiciously, including a man named Clyde Mercy carrying a clam shovel at night and a woman who seems frightened of being seen. George discovers a hidden cup and realizes the town harbors secrets beneath its peaceful exterior.
Sandy Spit, a remote, foggy seaside town known for its isolation and sand dunes. · George Valentine, Brooks, Miss Gallagher, Clyde Mercy, Dr. Crow
Listen for: Mysterious nighttime activities, hidden secrets among the townspeople, and the discovery of a mysterious cup.
Let George Do It: LGDI - (HSG Synd.#015) - Murder On Vacation (1951)
George Valentine arrives at Sandy Spit for a relaxing vacation, hoping to enjoy Miss Gallagher's famous fish stew. His plans derail when he discovers a Spanish gold cup and coin, sparking treasure fever among the townspeople. The situation turns deadly when carnival worker Clyde Mercy is found murdered on the beach with a clam shell used as the weapon.
Sandy Spit, a remote and foggy seaside town with sand dunes, visited by George for a vacation · George Valentine, Brooks, Miss Gallagher, Dr. Crow, Todd Lewis, Clyde Mercy, Mrs. Mercy, Mr. Brown
Listen for: The revelation of who actually murdered Clyde Mercy and why the treasure hunt was used as a cover for the crime
Let George Do It: LGDI - (HSG Synd.#016) - Man Behind the Frame
Lawrence Ferguson, a naive young clerk, is arrested for the murder of Sally Fife after being found fleeing her apartment. Businessman Vic Burnett hires detective George Valentine to help the confused kid, but as George investigates the case at the Silver Duck bar and Sally's apartment, he discovers a web of blackmail, secret relationships, and hidden motives that suggest the real murderer may still be at large.
A city with a county jail, police station, a bar called the Silver Duck, Sally Fife's apartment, and George Valentine's office · George Valentine, Lawrence Ferguson, Vic Burnett, Lieutenant Johnson, Claire Brooks, Sally Fife, Lupi (Sally's husband), Jake (bartender)
Listen for: The clever use of a wire recorder to capture a confession, George's deductive work at the bar, and the final confrontation that reveals the true killer's identity and motive.
Let George Do It: LGDI - (HSG Synd.#016) - Man Behind the Frame (1951)
When Lawrence Ferguson, a naive office clerk from out of town, is arrested for the murder of Sally Fife after being found fleeing her apartment, his employer Vic Burnett asks George Valentine to help prove his innocence. As George investigates, he discovers the case is far more complex than a simple frame-up, with multiple suspects harboring secrets about the victim and her connections.
A city with a county jail, a bar called the Silver Duck, Sally Fife's apartment, and George Valentine's office · George Valentine, Claire Brooks, Lawrence Ferguson, Vic Burnett, Lieutenant Johnson, Sally Fife, Lupi (Sally's husband), Jake (bartender)
Listen for: The clever use of a wire recorder that accidentally captures a confession, and George's realization that the innocent-seeming victim was actually involved in blackmail schemes
Let George Do It: LGDI - (HSG Synd.#017) - Big Brother
Lou Mendel, owner of the upscale Club Top Hat, hires private detective George Valentine to find out who knocked him unconscious and stole a thousand dollars and a mysterious note. The case centers on Dove, a beautiful but guileless new dancer at the club, who seems to be at the heart of the trouble. When a landlord is found murdered in Dove's apartment, Valentine must untangle a web of blackmail, fake photographs, and desperation to find the real killer.
New York City, primarily at the Club Top Hat nightclub, Dove's apartment, and police precinct · George Valentine, Lou Mendel, Dove, Max, Lieutenant Johnson, J.J. Stopes, Andrews, Sergeant
Listen for: The clever detective work as Valentine pieces together clues from a photograph, a taxi meter, and the absence of fingerprints to catch the killer; the running joke about all the men who want to be Dove's 'big brother'
Let George Do It: LGDI - (HSG Synd.#017) - Big Brother (1951)
George Valentine is hired by Lou Mendel, owner of the Top Hat nightclub, to investigate who struck him on the head and stole a thousand dollars left in a mysterious note. The case becomes complicated when a landlord is found murdered in the apartment of Dove, a naive young dancer whom several men want to protect as a "big brother."
A nightclub called the Top Hat, Dove's apartment, police station, and various locations around the city · George Valentine, Lou Mendel, Dove, Max, Andrews, Lieutenant Johnson, Sergeant, J.J. Stopes
Listen for: The clever resolution revealing how the taxi driver's camera meter was used to create the blackmail photographs, and George's demonstration that Dove's innocence led inadvertently to the entire scheme.
Let George Do It: LGDI - (HSG Synd.#018) - What Became of Terry Cable
When Shorty McGowan, a talkative pub owner, discovers his acquaintance Terry Cable's watch in a pawn shop, he becomes obsessed with finding out what happened to the young man who vanished from the neighborhood. George Valentine takes the case and begins investigating Cable's background, uncovering a web of fires, gambling joints, and suspicious characters tied to the missing man.
A city's east side, including a pub, a warehouse district, a ruined neighborhood, and an insurance company office. · George Valentine, Shorty McGowan, Fat Williams, Mr. Manx, Mr. Everett, Angel, Terry Cable, Loose Sprinkle
Listen for: The gradual revelation of what Terry Cable really was doing in the neighborhood and why he disappeared from view.
Let George Do It: LGDI - (HSG Synd.#018) - What Became of Terry Cable (1951)
George Valentine is hired by pub owner Shorty McGowan to find out what happened to Terry Cable, a regular customer who disappeared six months ago. When Shorty shows George Cable's watch, which he found in a hock shop, it sets off a chain of inquiries that reveals Cable was a fire insurance investigator. The case takes a dark turn when Shorty is murdered, and George travels to Maryville to uncover the truth behind Cable's disappearance.
A city and the town of Maryville, featuring a pub, warehouse, insurance office, gambling joint, and county graveyard · George Valentine, Angel Brooks, Shorty McGowan, Terry Cable, Fat Williams, BB Manx, Lou Sprinkle, Lieutenant Johnson
Listen for: The solution to why Terry Cable vanished and his connection to a series of fraudulent fires; the revelation of who really killed him and why
Let George Do It: LGDI - (HSG Synd.#019) - The Discovery of Ponce the Lion
George Valentine arrives in Baja Junction, a small Pacific town, to investigate the return of Ponce the Lion, a dangerous ex-convict released from jail after serving time for manslaughter. The townspeople fear Ponce may carry out threats against those who testified against him, but when George confronts him, Ponce claims he has discovered something that has changed him and made him different.
Baja Junction, a small town in the Pacific; includes Toli's dance hall and the Oriental section of town · George Valentine, Buster, Franco (Director of Baja Junction Trade Relations Club), Miss Brooks, Lawrence Pinkney, Phil Minahan, Ponce the Lion
Listen for: George's investigation into what Ponce has discovered and whether the ex-convict's claims of change are genuine or a cover for his revenge threats against his former accusers.
Let George Do It: LGDI - (HSG Synd.#019) - The Discovery of Ponce the Lion (1951)
George Valentine arrives in Baja Junction to investigate rumors that a recently released convict named Ponce the Lion has vowed to murder the witnesses who testified against him in a manslaughter case. But when murders begin occurring, George discovers that the crime's real architect has cleverly used Ponce's desire for revenge and a joss house's shadowy sanctuary as cover for a carefully orchestrated plan.
Baja Junction, a multicultural Pacific port town with an Oriental section and a joss house, in the early 1950s · George Valentine, Ponce the Lion, Mr. Franko, Lawrence Pinkney, Miss Brooks, Phil Minahan, Mr. Blake, Joss house keeper
Listen for: The clever setup of alibis within a place of worship; the revelation of who really orchestrated the murders; the climactic confrontation in the joss house with its iron idol
Let George Do It: LGDI - (HSG Synd.#020) - The Fearless Clown
George Valentine is hired by Relita, a circus acrobat in strawberry-colored tights, to protect the life of Fofo, a fearless clown performer who works with snakes and elephants. Relita had written a confession letter stating she would kill Fofo, but the letter has gone missing from her waistband, and she fears someone will use it to frame her for his murder.
A traveling circus with various acts including acrobats, snake handlers, and elephant performers. · George Valentine, Relita, Fofo the clown, Freddy, Boxer
Listen for: The mystery of who stole Relita's confession letter and what they plan to do with it; George's investigation into the circus performers and Fofo's unpopularity.
Let George Do It: LGDI - (HSG Synd.#020) - The Fearless Clown (1951)
George Valentine is hired by Relita, a circus performer, to protect Fofo the fearless clown from harm after she writes a threatening letter she fears has been stolen. When an elephant tramples a clown during an afternoon performance, George investigates whether it was truly an accident or murder, uncovering a complex web of resentment among the circus performers.
A circus that has come to town, including the circus grounds, tent, dressing rooms, and nearby areas. · George Valentine, Brooksie, Relita, Fofo the fearless clown, Otto, Boxer, Freddy, Raustavod
Listen for: The clever solution involving the elephant's battle training and a broken reed from an oboe that triggers an ancient military command in the animal's memory.
Let George Do It: LGDI - (HSG Synd.#021) - The Man From French Guiana (1951)
George Valentine is hired to find a missing brother-in-law named Sid Forrest who abandoned his sister. A mysterious man wearing a white linen suit appears, and when George confronts him, the stranger is found with an address and a calling card belonging to someone from French Guiana. The man claims to have lost his memory from a fight at the waterfront, but George discovers the name on the card belongs to someone who died six weeks ago.
A city office and various locations including a waterfront area, with connections to French Guiana. · George Valentine, Mr. Scott, Mary, Sid Forrest, Jack McDonald, Joe, Mrs. Forrest, Mr. Ambler
Listen for: The mystery of the amnesiac man with the calling card, the search for Sid Forrest, and the revelation that the name on the card belongs to a dead man.
Let George Do It: LGDI - (HSG Synd.#022) - Sucker Stunt (1951)
George Valentine accepts a job from Tim, a photographer who claims his younger brother has become involved with a suspicious character named Florio who runs a shop on the North Side. Tim is worried about his brother's mysterious connection to Florio and wants George to investigate. When George poses as a customer to size up Florio, he discovers the man may be connected to a recent highway robbery.
A city neighborhood on the North Side, including Florio's shop and a sheriff's office · George Valentine, Tim, Florio, Sheriff
Listen for: George's clever approach to investigating Florio by posing as a customer, and the revelation of a highway robbery that may connect to the case
Let George Do It: LGDI - (HSG Synd.#023) - The Marauder
George Valentine arrives at a remote, isolated resort owned by Hans Bjorkman, who has become obsessed with hunting a mysterious marauder—a large cat, possibly a puma or panther, that prowls the grounds. Hans is so consumed by the threat that he's become nearly uncontrollable, firing his gun at shadows and neglecting everything else. George must figure out what's really happening at this desolate place where everyone seems on edge.
A remote, snow-covered resort in a mountainous area during winter, isolated and nearly deserted. · George Valentine, Hans Bjorkman, Pinnock, Olga, Mr. Saxon, Miss Brooks
Listen for: The mysterious sounds of the prowling cat and Hans's increasingly erratic behavior as he hunts for the creature he believes is stalking his property.
Let George Do It: LGDI - (HSG Synd.#023) - The Marauder (1951)
Writer Rafe Saxon calls George Valentine to a remote winter resort run by the increasingly obsessed Hans Bjorkman, who is consumed with hunting down a dangerous mountain lion terrorizing the isolated property. When Hans is found dead near the dead lion, Valentine must determine whether a wild animal killed him or if something far more sinister occurred.
A small, isolated resort in the mountains during a harsh winter with ice and wind; surrounded by frozen landscape and deep snow. · George Valentine, Rafe Saxon, Claire Brooks, Hans Bjorkman, Olga Bjorkman, Peanut, P. Knuckle
Listen for: The revelation that Hans's death was not caused by the mountain lion; a discussion of marauders and broken homes; the discovery of a steel trap and its significance to the true crime.
Let George Do It: LGDI - (HSG Synd.#024) - The High Price of a Penny
George Valentine arrives at Fish Lake after receiving a cryptic letter from lawyer Amos Fell about an elderly couple, Mr. and Mrs. Frederick Morm, who face a million-dollar swindle connected to a penny they once spent on a lollipop for their nephew Clifford years ago. On his way to investigate, George discovers that the Morms have just died in a suspicious car accident on a nearby road.
Fish Lake country, at night, with a car wreck scene and Amos Fell's cabin nearby. · George Valentine, Amos W. Fell, Clifford, Brooks, The boy at the road
Listen for: The mystery of how a penny and a lollipop from years past connect to the Morms' sudden deaths and the involvement of their nephew Clifford, plus the significance of a diamond bracelet in stopping the swindle.
Let George Do It: LGDI - (HSG Synd.#024) - The High Price of a Penny (1950)
George Valentine is hired by a lawyer to investigate a suspicious penny that led to a million-dollar inheritance. When a wealthy couple, Mr. and Mrs. Mom, die in a car accident, their nephew Clifford stands to inherit everything. But when the photographer documenting the accident scene is murdered, George discovers the deaths may not have been accidental at all.
Fish Lake country, a remote rural area with winding roads where a wealthy couple lives and dies in a car accident · George Valentine, Miss Brooks, Amos Fell, Clifford, Lieutenant Riley, Mrs. Mom, Mr. Mom, The Photographer
Listen for: The clever plotting of a murder disguised as an accident, the discovery of diamonds scattered along the roadside, and the revelation of how switching bodies at an accident scene could affect inheritance taxes
Let George Do It: LGDI - (HSG Synd.#025) - Tune On A Triangle
George Valentine receives a mysterious letter from Jerry Briskin claiming to have a tiger and asking for help. When George arrives at his office, he finds a woman on a ledge outside his building screaming. George talks her down and rescues her from the ledge as photographers capture the dramatic scene. The woman, whose name is Estella, turns out to be connected to a circus performer named Fedor, who bursts into George's office demanding answers about his wife.
George Valentine's office building in the city, with a dramatic rescue scene on an exterior ledge. · George Valentine, Jerry Briskin, Estella, Fedor, Brooksie
Listen for: The exciting ledge rescue sequence and the introduction of the mysterious Estella and her husband Fedor; the revelation that this case involves more than just a tiger.
Let George Do It: LGDI - (HSG Synd.#025) - Tune On A Triangle (1951)
Press agent Jerry Briskin hires George Valentine to help stage a publicity stunt involving Estella, a famous trapeze artist known as the Tigris. George rescues Estella from a building ledge, but the stunt goes awry when Estella's jealous husband Fador arrives from the circus. That night, Estella is found murdered in her dressing trailer, struck on the head, with her jewelry missing. Both Fador and Estella's lover Ferelli are found fighting over George's gun at the scene.
A city and a traveling circus, primarily in and around the circus grounds and Estella's dressing trailer. · George Valentine, Brooksie, Jerry Briskin, Estella (the Tigris), Fador, Flying Ferelli, Lieutenant Johnson
Listen for: The dramatic rescue sequence on the building ledge, the escalating tensions between Fador and Ferelli, and George's attempts to untangle the mystery of who really killed Estella.
Let George Do It: LGDI - (HSG Synd.#026) - Red Spots in the Snow
George Valentine is hired by Herbert Judson to serve as his bodyguard at Snow Valley Lodge, a mountain resort. Soon after arriving, Judson receives threatening notes warning him to leave, but before George can investigate further, a shot rings out from the woods during a chairlift ride up the mountain.
Snow Valley Lodge, a luxury mountain resort with skiing and a chairlift · George Valentine, Angel Brooks, Herbert Judson, Mary
Listen for: The mysterious gunshot from the woods and the figure in the blue sweater skiing away down the mountain
Let George Do It: LGDI - (HSG Synd.#033) - Nothing But the Truth
George Valentine receives a mysterious letter from Tyogutam, a wealthy desert recluse claiming to be the only honest man left in the West, asking for help investigating the theft or disappearance of his dog. George boards a train to Cactus Junction and discovers he is not alone in his journey—a lawyer named Flannery, a woman claiming to be Tyogutam's former common law wife, a cousin, and a mysterious man named Loosefoot are all traveling to see Tyogutam on the same night, each having received telegrams summoning them.
A train traveling to Cactus Junction in the desert West, and the surrounding area near Tyogutam's castle in the desert. · George Valentine, Tyogutam, Claire Brooks, Mountain Ryan, Loosefoot, Mr. Flannery, Widow Carmichael, Cousin Henry
Listen for: The mystery of why so many people are being summoned to visit the reclusive Tyogutam on the same night, and what really happened to his dog.
Let George Do It: LGDI - (HSG Synd.#033) - Nothing But the Truth (1950)
George Valentine receives a cryptic letter from Tioga Tom, a reclusive desert dweller claiming to be the only honest man left in the West, asking for help finding whoever stole or killed his seeing-eye dog. When George arrives by train at a remote junction, he discovers that multiple people with claims against Tom have mysteriously received telegrams summoning them to the castle. Before George can even reach Tom, one of these visitors—lawyer Flannery—is murdered on the train with a sharp instrument. George must navigate through Tom's deadly trap and uncover the truth about the dog's disappearance and the murder.
A remote desert location near Cactus Junction, featuring a train journey and Tioga Tom's castle in the desert hills · George Valentine, Brooks (Claire Brooks), Tioga Tom, Posing (Tom's servant), Loosefoot, Mr. Flannery (lawyer), Widow Carmichael, Cousin Henry
Listen for: The mystery of who killed the seeing-eye dog and murdered Flannery; the revelation of Tioga Tom's clever deception to trap the culprit; Cousin Henry's confession; Tom's admission about his actual eyesight and honesty
Let George Do It: LGDI - (HSG Synd.#034) - High Card (500828 & (510702 not))
George Valentine arrives at a small town to investigate a case involving lawyer Ames, whose career was destroyed by suspicion surrounding the unsolved murder of Dorothy Foreman a year ago. When Valentine finds Ames at a late-night card game with friends, one of the players confesses to Foreman's murder and then leaves town with Ames's car, leaving Valentine to untangle the mystery of who really killed Dorothy Foreman.
A small town, centered around a private card game at a club and the Ames household · George Valentine, Mr. Ames, Mrs. Ames, Chester, Norton, Soto, Mr. Victor
Listen for: The shocking confession during the card game and George Valentine's investigation into why someone would suddenly confess to a year-old unsolved murder
Let George Do It: LGDI - (HSG Synd.#037) - Angels Grotto
George Valentine is hired by nurse Emily Flood to investigate the death of her employer, wealthy John Maraga, who died when his wheelchair went over a cliff at the Grotto Farmhouse. The police have ruled it an accident, but Emily suspects murder. George questions the family and household members to determine whether John was pushed or simply rolled off the edge during an evening visit to overlook the grotto.
The Grotto Farmhouse, a rural estate where John Maraga spent his final evening in a wheelchair overlooking a dramatic cliff and waterfall. · George Valentine, Brooksie, Emily Flood, John Maraga, Jake, Herman, Mary the cook
Listen for: The family tensions revealed at dinner as John announces plans to retire and cut off support to his relatives; the mysterious circumstances of how John's wheelchair came to go over the cliff; whether anyone had opportunity and motive to push him.
Let George Do It: LGDI - (HSG Synd.#037) - Angels Grotto (1950)
George Valentine is hired by a nurse to investigate the death of wealthy John Moraga, who fell 200 feet from his wheelchair at Angel's Grotto. The police have ruled it an accident, but the nurse believes it was murder. As George searches for evidence, family tensions and hidden secrets emerge, leading to an attempt at vigilante justice and the revelation of the true killer.
The Grotto Farmhouse and Angel's Grotto, a natural formation of rocks and cliffs near a farm · George Valentine, Brooksie, Emily Flood, John Moraga, Jake Moraga, Herman Moraga, Mary the cook
Listen for: George's clever deduction about the angel rock formation that could only be seen from partway down the cliff, revealing that John Moraga must have been conscious and clinging to the cliff face after being pushed.
Let George Do It: LGDI - (HSG Synd.#038) - The Hand in the Coconut
George Valentine is summoned to a quarantined ship by the renowned hunter Mr. Stang, who claims that Lars Michelson, a crew member, has stolen his prized field glasses. Stang describes how greed traps animals in a coconut trap and suggests Michelson is similarly caught by his own desires. George boards the vessel to investigate the theft and discover the truth about the missing glasses and their alleged thief.
A South African freighter ship docked in port, under quarantine and carrying a cargo of wild animals destined for zoos across the country. · George Valentine, Mr. Stang, Captain Tigg, Lars Michelson, Baba, Mrs. Stang
Listen for: The clever metaphor of the coconut trap and how it relates to human nature and the theft; George's investigation aboard the quarantined ship and his encounters with the crew and passengers.
Let George Do It: LGDI - (HSG Synd.#038) - The Hand in the Coconut (1950)
George Valentine is hired by Derek Stang, a legendary big game hunter, to catch the second mate Lars Mickelson red-handed stealing field glasses. But when Stang is found dead in his cabin and his body mysteriously goes overboard, George must untangle a web of deception involving Stang's unfaithful wife, a loyal servant, and a ship full of exotic animals to discover who orchestrated the perfect murder.
A South African freighter docked at an American port, carrying exotic animals in quarantine. · George Valentine, Derek Stang, Mrs. Lorna Stang, Lars Mickelson, Baba, Dr. Bowling, Captain Tigg, Lieutenant Riley
Listen for: A clever murder plot that hinges on the absence of evidence rather than its presence, and how a cunning hunter turns the tables on those he's manipulated into committing crime.
Let George Do It: LGDI - (HSG Synd.#039) - The Sedan from the City
George Valentine is called to the small town of Broomeville to investigate the murder of Mervin Brewster, a beloved local broom manufacturer who was shot through his front door window by a stranger in a dark hat and fish-colored face driving a big black sedan from the city. As George and Lieutenant Haster examine the crime scene, they discover that while everyone loved Brewster, the killer left no footprints—suggesting someone locally may have deliberately trampled the tracks with rubber boots to cover evidence.
Broomeville, a small town; the Brewster house and surrounding area · George Valentine, Lieutenant Haster, Mrs. Brewster, Fred Mackenzie, Miss Brooks
Listen for: The mystery of who killed the beloved broom factory owner and why someone in town is covering for the killer; the strange sedan from the city and the peculiar tripwire trap on a neighbor's lawn.
Let George Do It: LGDI - (HSG Synd.#039) - The Sedan from the City (1950)
When a beloved factory owner named Mervin Brewster is shot dead on Halloween in the small town of Broomville, suspicion falls on a mysterious stranger in a big black sedan from the city. George Valentine investigates, but discovers that the real mystery lies not with an outsider, but within Broomville itself, hidden beneath the town's cheerful façade.
Broomville, a small town built around Brewster's Broom factory, on Halloween night. The action moves between the Brewster house, the surrounding woods and roads, and Fawnville's property nearby. · George Valentine, Lieutenant Riley, Brooksie (Miss Brooks), Dora Brewster, Fred, Mervin Brewster, Mr. Mackenzie, Everett Fawnville
Listen for: The clever way George pieces together the truth by noticing details others overlook: a loose street sign, the significance of a rubber Halloween mask, and the revealing sketch in Brewster's study that exposes his wife's hidden resentment.
Let George Do It: LGDI - (HSG Synd.#040) - Tag You're It
George Valentine, a private investigator who solves problems for hire, receives an urgent letter from a woman claiming someone is trying to murder her. The letter was accidentally discovered during George's radio show when he reads the contents of a woman's purse as part of a on-air game. When George tries to locate the woman who wrote the letter to help her, he discovers she has been found dead in an alley in the commercial district, shot that very morning.
George Valentine's office and the city streets; a radio studio where George hosts an audience participation program. · George Valentine, Lieutenant Riley, Birdie, Mrs. Oscar Peterman, Sister-in-law
Listen for: The clever premise of how George discovers the threatening letter through a radio show game, and the investigation into Mrs. Peterman's mysterious murder.
Let George Do It: LGDI - (HSG Synd.#040) - Tag You're It (1950)
A murderer poses as a radio contest operator, calling victims with the offer "Tag, you're it—you're wealthy!" to lure them to their deaths. George Valentine must stop the killer before more people are eliminated, while Mrs. Pettyman and others fall victim to the scheme.
A radio station in the city, including Studio B in the basement, and various locations around town where victims are lured. · George Valentine, Brooksie, Lieutenant Riley, Mrs. Oscar Pettyman, Johnny Russell, Dorothy Cheever, F.J. Holman, Ansel the janitor
Listen for: The eerie phone message "Hello from Tag, you're it, you're wealthy"—a murderer's calling card. Listen also for how George uses the radio broadcast itself to trap the killer.
Let George Do It: LGDI - (HSG Synd.#041) - The White Elephant
George Valentine is hired by the eccentric Miss Alice Edmond, who lives alone in a large white house with her brother Stephen. She reveals someone has already tried to murder her by tampering with electrical wiring, and she now wants George to catch her killer, promising him $1,000 in her will. As George investigates her wealthy but isolated life and her scheming relatives who want her out of the house, he discovers poison in the milk she has just drunk.
A large, old-fashioned white house in the middle of the city, containing 42 rooms. · George Valentine, Miss Alice Edmond, Stephen Edmond, Clarence Morley, Jensen, Brooksie
Listen for: The mysterious poisoning attempt and George's discovery of who among Miss Edmond's relatives is trying to kill her for her valuable property.
Let George Do It: LGDI - (HSG Synd.#041) - The White Elephant (1950)
George Valentine receives a letter from the eccentric Miss Alice May Edmond, who lives alone in a sprawling 42-room mansion. She informs him that she's leaving him $1,000 in her will—payable only if he catches her murderer. When George arrives at her house, someone attempts to poison her milk, but the poison is mysteriously counteracted by an antidote, leaving her only slightly ill. George must determine who among her scheming relatives wants her dead and why.
Miss Edmond's large, old-fashioned 42-room mansion in the middle of the city, filled with antiques and closed-off rooms. · George Valentine, Miss Alice May Edmond, Brooksie, Doctor, Lieutenant Riley, Clarence Morley, cousin Yule, Jensen
Listen for: The revelation that Miss Edmond poisoned her own milk to prevent her family from forcing her out of the house, and the tragic discovery of the Irish servant girl's photograph hidden in the closed-off maid's quarters—connected to the death of Miss Edmond's brother Steven twenty years earlier.
Let George Do It: LGDI - (HSG Synd.#042) - Deal Me Out and I'll Deal You In
George Valentine is hired by Ambrose Acropolis to find his missing friend Bob Sprague, a young man who has apparently gone into hiding. Valentine discovers that Bob is fleeing from Ambrose himself, who claims to be owed $40,000 from a poker game, though he insists his intentions toward the boy are friendly despite having hired people to track him down.
A hotel bar and surrounding areas · George Valentine, Ambrose Acropolis, Bob Sprague, Bartender, Ambrose's associates
Listen for: The mystery of why Bob Sprague is hiding and what really lies behind Ambrose Acropolis's pursuit of the young man over the gambling debt.
Let George Do It: LGDI - (HSG Synd.#042) - Deal Me Out and I'll Deal You In (1951)
George Valentine is hired by Ambrose Acropolis to find his troubled friend Bob Sprague, a young man who has been hiding and avoiding everyone. Valentine discovers Bob is in debt to Acropolis from gambling losses, but before he can sort out the situation, someone kidnaps Bob and demands $40,000 from his uncle. When the ransom is paid and Bob is released, Valentine must uncover who really orchestrated the kidnapping and the murder of Bob's uncle.
A city with a hotel, a bar, and the homes of wealthy citizens. · George Valentine, Ambrose Acropolis, Bob Sprague, Bob's Uncle Dougal, Lieutenant Johnson, Lawyer Jackson, Al (the bartender/hired hand), Brooks (the secretary)
Listen for: The clever twist revealing that Bob Sprague himself orchestrated the kidnapping and murdered his uncle to inherit the money before his uncle's planned marriage could cut him off. Listen for the key detail about the yachting cap that proves Bob's guilt.
Let George Do It: LGDI - (HSG Synd.#043) - The Blue Plate Special
George Valentine is called to Hickory Corners by Sam Ferris, a businessman who claims he's been swindled over a valuable plate and fears ruin at the hands of the vengeful Josh Higbee. When George arrives to investigate the dispute over the chinaware, he discovers the secretary staying at the Higbee house has been murdered, and suspicion falls on Josh's brother Amos.
Hickory Corners, a small town, with the Higbee house and Sam Ferris's business at the center of the action. · George Valentine, Sam Ferris, Josh Higbee, Amos Higbee, Mrs. Parsons, Doris Brewery, the police
Listen for: A mysterious murder involving a broken plate, a love triangle with the visiting secretary, and George's investigation into whether Amos Higbee is guilty of the crime.
Let George Do It: LGDI - (HSG Synd.#043) - The Blue Plate Special (1951)
George Valentine arrives at a farmhouse in Hickory Corners after receiving a desperate letter from furniture dealer Sam Ferris, who fears he's being ruined by Josh Higbee over a disputed antique plate. But when Valentine and Sam return to investigate, they discover the Higbees' young secretary Doris Drury dead, struck down by one of the heavy decorative plates. The prime suspect is one of the Higbee brothers, but there's a crucial problem: Josh and Amos are identical twins, and no one can say which one committed the murder.
Hickory Corners, a rural area where the wealthy Higbee brothers own a large farmhouse filled with antiques; also the Higbees' home and Mrs. Parsons' neighboring cottage. · George Valentine, Sam Ferris, Josh Higbee, Amos Higbee, Doris Drury, Mrs. Parsons, Sheriff, Brooks
Listen for: The clever use of feminine details—wrapping technique, curlers in hair, and baking skills—to identify the real murderer among the suspects; George Valentine's deduction that someone planted evidence after the police left the scene.
Let George Do It: LGDI - (HSG Synd.#044) - The Noose Hangs High
George Valentine is hired by a magazine editor to investigate the mysterious Fairweather mansion at 37 Ashton Street, where a man named Ansel Fairweather hanged himself ten years ago. The two Binks brothers who live there have remained isolated in the gloomy house ever since, never leaving and allowing no visitors inside. When George manages to enter the house posing as a fire inspector, he encounters the eccentric brothers, their business manager Merton, and a young woman named Janet, only to discover mysterious shadows of nooses appearing on the walls.
The Fairweather mansion at 37 Ashton Street, a gloomy, sparsely furnished house with shuttered windows that has been sealed off from the outside world for ten years. · George Valentine, J.H. McEew, Tom Binks, Jared, Merton, Janet, Ansel Fairweather
Listen for: The mysterious shadows of nooses that appear on the walls of the house, and the strange behavior of the isolated Binks brothers who seem trapped by the memory of Fairweather's death.
Let George Do It: LGDI - (HSG Synd.#044) - The Noose Hangs High (1951)
Editor McEwen hires private investigator George Valentine to uncover why two reclusive brothers, Jared and Tom Binks, have isolated themselves for ten years in a mansion where their former partner Ansel Fairweather committed suicide. George discovers the house contains valuable emeralds that Fairweather supposedly found in India, and someone is using mysterious nooses and shadows to frighten the brothers into revealing the stones' location.
A large, cluttered mansion at 37 Ashton Street where two brothers have lived isolated for ten years since their partner's suicide. · George Valentine, Brooksie (Angel), McEwen, Tom Binks, Jared Binks, Mr. Merton, Mabel, Mr. Fairweather (cousin)
Listen for: The mysterious shadow of a noose appearing on walls, the revelation that the brothers have been collecting rare bird specimens, and George Valentine's clever deduction that someone is orchestrating the scares to force the Binks brothers to flee with hidden emeralds.
Let George Do It: LGDI - (HSG Synd.#045) - The House that Jack Built
George Valentine is hired by Lacey Jack, a writer preparing to expose crime bosses to the DA's office, to watch over his apartment and family while he crosses town to meet an informant. After Jack leaves, George discovers that the nightclub singer Lila is Jack's sister, and the charming visitor Uncle Mar is revealed to be Duke Aversen, one of the very criminals Jack is about to inform on.
A nightclub casino and Lacey Jack's apartment · George Valentine, Miss Brooks, Lacey Jack, Lila, Mickey, Joe, Lieutenant Riley, Duke Aversen
Listen for: The ironic arrival of Duke Aversen at the apartment while Lacey Jack is away to gather evidence against him; George's growing understanding of the dangerous situation he's been drawn into.
Let George Do It: LGDI - (HSG Synd.#045) - The House that Jack Built (1950)
Private investigator George Valentine is hired by the mysterious Lacey Jack, a man who works for crime boss Duke Aversen, to provide protection for Jack's family at their apartment. Jack claims he's going to meet an informant on Commercial Street and will explain his needs when he returns. Valentine soon discovers that Jack is actually supposed to kill a young squealer named Whitey, but when Valentine intervenes, the situation spirals into violence and revelation.
A nightclub called the Club Casino, Lacey Jack's apartment building, and a rooming house on Commercial Street in an unnamed city · George Valentine, Lacey Jack, Lila Jack, Mickey Jack, Duke Aversen, Lieutenant Riley, Whitey, Brooks (Miss Brooks)
Listen for: The clever way George Valentine outmaneuvers Lacey Jack's moral collapse and the tragic irony of Lacey's loyalty to a criminal code that destroys him and his family. Pay attention to how Valentine manipulates Lacey into becoming an informant and the shocking final confrontation with Duke Aversen.
Let George Do It: LGDI - (HSG Synd.#046) - It's A Mystery to Me
George Valentine, a private investigator, is approached by Marlon King, a mystery writer who has lost his sweetheart Cynthia. She suddenly refuses to see him and won't explain why, though King suspects her roommate Mabel—a hard-edged cigarette girl at a nightclub—has something to do with it. When King shows up beaten and bruised after being warned to stay away from Cynthia, George must investigate the nightclub and its mysterious owner Tony to uncover what's really going on.
A nightclub and George Valentine's office in the city; a rainy evening. · George Valentine, Marlon King, Cynthia, Mabel, Joe, Tony
Listen for: The connection between a lost expensive locket, a mysterious nightclub owner, and threats against Marlon King; what secret Cynthia and Mabel are hiding.
Let George Do It: LGDI - (HSG Synd.#046) - It's A Mystery to Me (1950)
George Valentine investigates when a mystery writer named Marlon King seeks help with his girlfriend Cynthia, who has broken off their relationship. A cheap locket and some gold earrings set events in motion, but when Cynthia and her roommate Mabel are found murdered in their apartment, George must untangle a web of deception involving a nightclub owner named Tony and a mysterious television set to find the real killer.
A city nightclub called Joe's Oasis, a nightclub where Mabel works, and an apartment building where Cynthia and Mabel live, during a rainy night. · George Valentine, private investigator, Marlon King, mystery writer, Cynthia, Mabel, cigarette girl and Cynthia's roommate, Tony, nightclub owner, Joe, bartender at the Oasis, Lieutenant Riley, police detective, Michael, bouncer and thug
Listen for: George's deduction that gloves worn during the murder left no fingerprints on Cynthia's body, and his realization that the bartender Joe ordered the television set as an engagement gift, revealing his motive for murder.
Let George Do It: LGDI - (HSG Synd.#047) - And Hope To Die
George Valentine is hired to help the temperamental actress Flora Stewart, who is being terrorized by an unknown blackmailer. Each night for three nights, someone has broken into her study, stolen one of her private performance recordings, and smashed it to pieces, followed by a threatening phone call. George must investigate whether the intruder is truly an outsider or someone within the household.
Flora Stewart's home, a study with a window and flower beds outside, contemporary setting · George Valentine, Flora Stewart, Betty Robinson, Claire Brooke, A doctor
Listen for: The escalating mystery of the broken recordings and threatening calls; Flora's erratic behavior and vulnerability beneath her theatrical temperament; George's deduction about whether the intruder forced entry from outside or staged it from within; the significance of the specific records being destroyed.
Let George Do It: LGDI - (HSG Synd.#047) - And Hope To Die (1950)
George Valentine is hired by Flora Stewart's secretary to help the famous actress who is being blackmailed and receiving threatening phone calls. A mysterious voice demands $10,000 after breaking her master recordings night after night, threatening to expose secrets about her. As George investigates the strange household of the temperamental star, a gunshot rings out and Flora is found dead, leaving Valentine to piece together whether her death was accident, suicide, or murder.
Flora Stewart's home, a famous actress's residence where blackmail threats are being made · George Valentine, Flora Stewart, Betty Robinson, Jake, Claire Brooke, Kenneth McLaughlin, Dr.
Listen for: A complex mystery involving a legendary but troubled actress, with Valentine uncovering layers of deception and the true nature of Flora's death as he interviews the people closest to her
Let George Do It: LGDI - (HSG Synd.#048) - The Treasure of Millie's Wharf
George Valentine is hired by Millie Brooks to investigate a mysterious treasure map found by her parrot, which shows an X marking a location in the bay. When the bird is shot and wounded, George realizes someone is desperate to recover the map. He traces the map's connection to a Dr. Labor, a mysterious stranger who has just left town by bus, and discovers Labor is meeting with a ship captain and crew loading supplies offshore.
A coastal town with a bay, Millie's wharf and hotel, a beach with sand dunes, and offshore waters where a ship is anchored. · George Valentine, Millie Brooks, Dr. Labor, Captain (ship's captain)
Listen for: The mystery of who drew the map and why, what the X marks in the bay, and whether the treasure is connected to sunken Spanish galleons from the pirate era.
Let George Do It: LGDI - (HSG Synd.#048) - The Treasure of Millie's Wharf (1950)
George Valentine investigates a mysterious map stolen by a parrot at a seaside wharf, leading him to a ship conducting diving operations. He discovers that a hired captain has died under suspicious circumstances, and uncovers a scheme involving fake Spanish treasure and murder.
Millie's Wharf, a coastal bay with small islands, featuring a ship equipped with diving apparatus. · George Valentine, Millie, Cupid the parrot, Uriah Jinks, Dr. Labor, Captain, Professor Schmidt, Dr. Amy Laver
Listen for: The clever twist revealing that the Spanish coins are fakes planted to stage a murder, the underwater diving sequences with air pump communication, and George's deduction that the map was drawn to bury treasure rather than find it.
Let George Do It: LGDI - (HSG Synd.#049) - Is Everybody Happy
George Valentine arrives at the home of the wealthy Lorenzo, a man who invites talented people to live with him so they can pursue their passions without working. Among the residents are a psychologist, a poet, and a language professor. But tensions simmer when Lorenzo's brother-in-law Fred Jeffries arrives from back east, skeptical of Lorenzo's generosity and hinting at legal action. When the lights suddenly fail and a gunshot rings out, mystery descends on the household.
The mansion home of Lorenzo the Great, a wealthy man who has created a retreat for talented people to pursue their passions. · George Valentine, Lorenzo the Great, Amy Brooks, Dr. Merkel, Mr. Hansen, Fred Jeffries, Dr. Nolan
Listen for: The sudden power outage and gunshot that interrupts the evening, and the revelation of tensions between Lorenzo's generous vision and his skeptical brother-in-law's concerns.
Let George Do It: LGDI - (HSG Synd.#049) - Is Everybody Happy (1951)
George Valentine arrives at the eccentric mansion of wealthy Lorenzo, who hosts a foundation supporting people pursuing their passions. When Lorenzo is shot dead in his rose garden under mysterious circumstances, George discovers an elaborate murder method involving a photoelectric cell and mirror device—and must determine which of Lorenzo's guests had the motive and opportunity to kill him.
Lorenzo's mansion and rose garden · George Valentine, Lorenzo, Dr. Merkel, Professor Red, Amy, Mr. Hanson, Fred Jeffries, Dr. Nolan
Listen for: An ingenious murder weapon using photoelectric cells and mirrors; George's deduction of how the killer created a mechanical alibi; the irony of the murderer undone by their own perfect alibi.
Let George Do It: LGDI - (HSG Synd.#050) - See Me Once You've Seen Me Twice
George Valentine is hired by a nervous young man named Wally Brooks to investigate a mysterious heavy-set man in a green hat who has threatened him and is apparently following a woman named Lucy. George discovers that Lucy is a theatrical dancer living in an upscale apartment building, but things become complicated when he encounters what appears to be two different women with the same name and face.
A city drugstore, a fancy apartment building, and Lucy's apartment, with references to theatrical engagements and nightclubs. · George Valentine, Wally Brooks, Lucy, Audrey, The man in the green hat
Listen for: The clever twist involving identical-looking women and mistaken identity, George's encounters with two versions of the same person, and the explanation of a theatrical shadow dancing act.
Let George Do It: LGDI - (HSG Synd.#050) - See Me Once You've Seen Me Twice (1951)
George Valentine is hired by Wallace, a lovesick young man, to investigate why a mysterious man in a green hat has threatened to kill him over a girl named Lucy Lamaro, a theatrical dancer. When George visits Lucy's apartment, he discovers she has an identical-looking partner named Audrey Murphy for a shadow dancing act. The case spirals into murder when a theatrical booking agent named Franz Kling is found dead, followed by the death of Lefty Muscat, a small-time criminal with a record of blackmail and extortion.
A city with apartment buildings, drugstore, theatrical nightclubs, and a shabby hotel with an elevated track outside. · George Valentine, Wallace, Lucy Lamaro, Audrey Murphy, Lefty Muscat, Franz Kling, Miss Brooks, Lieutenant Johnson
Listen for: The clever twist that reveals Lucy's deceptive scheme involving her deceased sister, contact lenses that change eye color, and her carefully staged alibi using an identical partner to commit murders and frame the wrong person.
Let George Do It: LQ The Darkest Shadow (1952)
Lucy Randall, a young woman from a prominent family, visits her lawyer Mr. Senter to make a will, claiming she will die in three days. George Valentine is called in to investigate the mystery. As George talks to Lucy's fiancé Bill Cabell and her older sister Agnes, he discovers that Lucy has undergone a dramatic change in the past few weeks, becoming morbid and emotional, and that something troubling seems to exist between the two sisters.
The city, including a lawyer's office and the Randall family home on Seminole Boulevard · George Valentine, Lucy Randall, Agnes Randall, Mr. Senter, Bill Cabell, Miss Davis, Miss Brooks
Listen for: The mysterious explanation for Lucy's sudden conviction that she will die, the true nature of Agnes's influence over her sister, and what dark family history may be repeating itself
Let George Do It: Lady in Distress (1949)
Mitzi Raymond, a young woman desperate to help her imprisoned brother, arrives at the Peacock Lounge in an unnamed city to take a job she suspects is part of a criminal scheme. When George Valentine is away, Mitzi meets a stranger at the train station who offers to impersonate her and investigate the situation first. Mitzi then goes to the Peacock Lounge where she encounters another showgirl and meets the club's operators, Philip Gary and Glenn Cooley.
A train station and the Peacock Lounge nightclub · Mitzi Raymond, George Valentine, Philip Gary, Glenn Cooley, A stranger at the train station, A showgirl named Chicky Larson
Listen for: The mystery of why the Peacock Lounge's owners have suddenly taken interest in Mitzi and what job they have planned for her; whether the stranger's investigation will expose the scheme.
Let George Do It: Laura's House (1949)
Private detective George Valentine is called to Laura's House, a remote estate, by one of three schoolteachers who share the property and hope to sell it. Upon arrival, Valentine discovers that Miss Terence, one of the teachers, has mysteriously died in a room decorated with a carousel—a gift built years ago by a man named Laura's husband for his crippled wife. The local caretaker darkly hints that others have died in the same room under mysterious circumstances.
Laura's House, a remote estate in the country built by a wealthy man for his crippled wife, where three former schoolteachers now live while attempting to sell the property. · George Valentine, Bonnie Burke, Miss Terence, Francine Milton, Fairbanks, the coroner
Listen for: References to the mysterious deaths that have occurred in the front corner room upstairs, the carousel that once belonged to Laura, and the growing sense of dread surrounding the estate's history.
Let George Do It: Lost and Found (1948)
Martin Bettner hires private investigator George Valentine to locate his estranged brother Phil, with whom he wants to reconcile. After paying Renee Clemens for Phil's address, George and his associate Miss Brooks discover the apartment empty except for a dead man with a knife in his back—identified as Lou Henning, apparently someone Phil owed money to from gambling debts. Now George must find Phil before either the police or Henning's associates do.
A city apartment building, specifically 356 Morena Street, where Phil Bettner maintains an office; also a hotel and surrounding urban locations. · George Valentine, Miss Brooks, Martin Bettner, Renee Clemens, Phil Bettner, Lou Henning, Lieutenant Johnson
Listen for: The revelation of who actually killed Lou Henning and whether Phil is guilty or innocent; George's search to find Phil before the mob does; the outcome of the brothers' attempted reconciliation.
Let George Do It: Mayhem By Experts (1949)
George Valentine receives a frantic letter from a woman claiming she's in mortal danger and begging him to come to an apartment address. He rushes across town to help, but discovers the whole thing is an elaborate hoax. Lieutenant Williams and the police have arranged a surprise birthday party for George, complete with five famous mystery writers attending the celebration.
George Valentine's office and an apartment building at 426 Dwayne Street in the city. · George Valentine, Miss Brooks, Lieutenant Williams, Sergeant Williams, Police Woman Ferris, Steve Barry, Cornelia Williston, Ben Farris
Listen for: The humorous setup of the elaborate prank, the descriptions of the mystery writers, and the moment George arrives at his own surprise party.
Let George Do It: Mix-Up in La Cruza (1950)
George Valentine receives a mysterious letter from a diamond dealer named Pasco van Tifel asking him to steal a valuable diamond necklace. George and his assistant travel to the small town of La Cruza, where they meet a divorced countess wearing a hundred-thousand-dollar diamond necklace. The situation quickly becomes complicated when multiple people begin asking questions about George's identity and business in town.
La Cruza, a small tropical town with swimming pools and palm trees, primarily at a hotel and bar · George Valentine, Mrs. Brooks, Pasco van Tifel, Mr. Hill, the hotel manager
Listen for: The mysterious letter that sets George on this unusual job, the countess's diamond necklace and her plans to sell it, and the hotel manager's sudden turn against George when other people start inquiring about him.
Let George Do It: Mixup In La Cruza (1950)
George Valentine arrives in the small Mexican town of La Cruza after receiving a mysterious letter from Pasco van Tifel, a wealthy diamond dealer, offering him money to steal a valuable diamond necklace worth $100,000. Upon arrival, George encounters a glamorous countess named Mrs. Brooks who is throwing a farewell party and wearing the very necklace he's supposed to steal, while van Tifel himself appears at the hotel with cryptic comments about George's familiar face.
La Cruza, a small town on the border of Mexico, at a hotel during spring season · George Valentine, Brooks (George's assistant), Mrs. Brooks (the countess), Pasco van Tifel, Mr. Hill (hotel manager)
Listen for: The confusion over George's true purpose in town, the appearance of both Mrs. Brooks with the diamond necklace and van Tifel at the same hotel, and the hotel manager's mysterious questions about George's identity and background
Let George Do It: Most Likely to Die (1950)
George Valentine is summoned to a college reunion at Seever University where two middle-aged brothers, Joseph and Douglas Durphy, claim they're in a dangerous situation. At the reunion party, Valentine discovers the brothers have been playing pranks and that one of them has apparently committed suicide using a suicide note written as part of an elaborate practical joke. But as a body is discovered and the evidence unfolds, Valentine must determine whether the death is genuine suicide or murder carefully staged to look like one.
Seever University, Graduate Hall, at a class reunion party and surrounding areas on the evening of the reunion · George Valentine, Douglas Durphy, Joseph Durphy, Betty Durphy, Cynthia Chesterton, Claude, Lieutenant Riley, Stinky Bronson
Listen for: The clever twist as George unravels whether the death is suicide or murder, and how the brothers' practical joke history becomes central to the mystery
Let George Do It: Mr. Korawski - American (1948)
George Valentine receives a letter from Stepan Krowski, an immigrant desperate to become an American citizen, who is caught in a mysterious extortion scheme. A woman named Mrs. Fader collects money from Krowski each month without explaining why, and when she stops cooperating, George must follow the money trail to uncover who is really behind the racket.
A city with apartment buildings, a baker shop, and various streets; the Vendome Apartments play a key role in the investigation. · George Valentine, Stepan Krowski, Mrs. Fader, Viola Cober, Mr. Armstrong
Listen for: George's detective work as he tries to help an immigrant protect his citizenship by exposing an extortion racket; the fear and silence among those being exploited; George posing as a representative from an employment agency to get closer to the truth.
Let George Do It: Mr. Korawski - American (aka-The Racket) (1948)
George Valentine receives a desperate letter from Mr. Korawski, a Polish immigrant seeking citizenship, who has unknowingly become involved in a mysterious collection racket. A woman collects money monthly from residents in his neighborhood under vague pretenses, and when a desperate widow connected to the scheme takes her own life, Korawski fears he may be complicit in something illegal. George decides to investigate by following the collector to an elegant apartment building to uncover who is behind the operation.
New York City, primarily in a working-class neighborhood and an upscale apartment building · George Valentine, Brooks, Mr. Korawski, Mrs. Anna Frieder, Viola Cober, Mr. Armstrong
Listen for: The investigation into a mysterious money collection scheme targeting poor immigrants; George's clever impersonation of an employment agent to extract information from Mr. Armstrong about the collector Viola Cober.
Let George Do It: Murder - It's a Gift (1948)
George Valentine receives a letter from Wesley Hart, an elderly man who wants to give away a precious Wittenberg Bible valued at over $20,000 while he's still alive so he can see someone enjoy it. George and his partner Miss Brooks arrive at Hart's boarding house on Sunday morning to investigate which of his three residents—his sister Miss Purdy, nurse Cora, or young Sam Keith—is most worthy of the gift. As George gathers information about each resident's past, he uncovers troubling secrets that complicate Hart's decision.
Wesley Hart's boarding house on a Sunday morning in 1948 · George Valentine, Miss Brooks, Wesley Hart, Miss Purdy, Cora, Sam Keith
Listen for: The investigation into the three residents' pasts, including hints about a 1929 incident involving Miss Purdy and Sam Keith's prison record; Sam Keith's threatening comment to George at the end.
Let George Do It: Murder Me Twice (1948)
George Valentine is hired by theatre critic Jonathan Thorpe to investigate Mark Guilford, an unemployed actor whom Thorpe believes is a criminal hiding in the theatre world. George attends a performance of Guilford's play at the Majestic and spots Thorpe's wife Evelyn at the stage door, suggesting a complicated personal entanglement. When George returns to confront Thorpe the next morning, he discovers the critic dead with a knife in his chest.
A big city with a theatre district; Jonathan Thorpe's newspaper office, the Majestic Theatre, and Thorpe's apartment · George Valentine, Jonathan Thorpe, Miss Brooks, Mark Guilford, Evelyn Thorpe, Lieutenant Riley
Listen for: A cynical theatre critic's murder investigation that uncovers personal jealousy and betrayal behind the scenes of the performing arts world.
Let George Do It: Murder Me Twice (aka-The Man Who Was Murdered Twice) (1948)
Private investigator George Valentine is hired by theater critic Jonathan Thorpe to investigate actor Mark Guilford, who Thorpe claims was involved in an unsolved bank robbery years earlier. When Valentine arrives at Thorpe's office the next morning for a follow-up meeting, he discovers the critic has been murdered with a knife in his chest.
A city newspaper office and theater district, including the Majestic Theater and Jonathan Thorpe's office. · George Valentine, Miss Brooks, Jonathan Thorpe, Mark Guilford, Mrs. Evelyn Thorpe, Lieutenant Riley, Luke Eberhard
Listen for: The shocking revelation of who killed Jonathan Thorpe and why, involving a love triangle and the critic's cruelty toward those around him.
Let George Do It: Murder On Vacation (HSG) (1951)
George Valentine arrives at Sandy Spit for a peaceful seaside vacation, hoping to enjoy some famous fish stew and escape his usual routine of solving mysteries. But when he encounters strange behavior from the locals and discovers a mysterious gold cup hidden on the beach, his quiet getaway takes an unexpected turn.
Sandy Spit, a remote and quiet seaside town with sand dunes and beaches, late at night · George Valentine, Brooks, Miss Gallagher, Clyde Mercy, Lois
Listen for: The mysterious circumstances surrounding the gold cup George discovers on the beach, and the strange secretive behavior of the locals who seem to be hiding something
Let George Do It: Murder and One To Go (1949)
George Valentine receives a letter from Henry Crichton, an artist's representative, offering a substantial fee to find Carol Gordon, a glamorous movie star from the 1920s who disappeared from the limelight. When Crichton is found dead, George suspects the case may be connected to locating the missing actress. George devises a plan to show one of Carol Gordon's old silent films at a Skid Row movie theater to draw her out.
A city with a Skid Row district, including George Valentine's office, a police station, and Gabrennian's Cameo Theater on Skid Row. · George Valentine, Miss Brooks, Lieutenant Croix, Henry Crichton, Mr. Gibrennian, Anthony Chapman
Listen for: George's clever strategy of using a silent film revival to search for a missing actress, and the mysterious visitors drawn to the theater showing Carol Gordon's old movie.
Let George Do It: Murder and One to Go (1949)
Private investigator George Valentine is hired by Henry Creighton to find Carol Gordon, a glamorous movie star from the silent film era who disappeared nearly two decades ago. When Creighton is murdered before Valentine can begin his investigation, Valentine decides to continue the search by reviving one of Gordon's old films at a Skid Row theater, hoping to lure her out of hiding.
A city's Skid Row district in the present day, with references to events from the 1920s · George Valentine, Carol Gordon, Henry Creighton, Lieutenant, Ruth Brooks, Brennan, Mr. Gabrenny
Listen for: George's clever scheme to find the missing actress by showing her silent film at a Skid Row theater; the arrival of various suspicious patrons; George's suspicion about a woman at the box office
Let George Do It: Murder for Two (1951)
George Valentine is hired by Mrs. James to investigate the murder of her sister Ruth Jennings, who was killed in her bed sometime around midnight. Ruth's ex-husband Lou Jennings had threatened to kill her over custody of their baby, making him the prime suspect, but Lou claims he was working at Nick's all-night cafe and has an alibi.
A poor neighborhood on the wrong side of town; Ruth Jennings' home; Nick's all-night cafe on Barton Avenue; Lou Jennings' rooming house on Elizabeth Street · George Valentine, Miss Brooks, Lieutenant Johnson, Mrs. James, Ruth Jennings (deceased), Lou Jennings, Nick (cafe owner)
Listen for: George investigating his dead client's murder despite the police telling him to stay out of it; Lou Jennings' suspicious demeanor and claims of an alibi; the shotgun found at the foot of Ruth's bed with no fingerprints.
Let George Do It: Needle In The Haystack (1950)
George Valentine is hired by Ferdinand Bass, a rose grower from Mexico City, to find his dozen prized Ferdinando roses that were stolen during delivery to the Pasadena Rose Festival. The roses were sent by air express but never arrived, and when George and Bass trace the package to a local flower shop, they find it ransacked with the flowers missing and the shop owner's brother Joshua vanished with the owner's car.
Pasadena, California, during the Rose Festival weekend; includes George's office, a flower shop, and various delivery locations · George Valentine, Ferdinand Bass, Brooks, Theodore Herman, Joshua Herman, Delivery clerk
Listen for: George's investigation into the mysterious disappearance of the valuable roses and his discovery that the package was misdirected to a flower shop called 'The Flower Vase'; the appearance of a rough character hiding in the shop who escapes after threatening George
Let George Do It: Needle in a Haystack (1950)
Detective George Valentine is hired by Ferdinand Vaz, a Mexican horticulturist, to find twelve prized Ferdinando roses that were supposed to arrive in Pasadena for the Rose Festival but never reached him. When George traces the missing package to a local flower shop run by Theodore Herman, he discovers the shop has been broken into and ransacked, with no roses to be found.
Pasadena, California and a neighborhood flower shop, on New Year's weekend during the Rose Festival · George Valentine, Ferdinand Vaz, Theodore Herman, Joshua Herman, Buss
Listen for: A case of mistaken identity leads George from a disappointed rose cultivator to a burglarized flower shop, where clues point to Theodore Herman's absent brother Joshua.
Let George Do It: No Escape from the Jungle (1951)
George Valentine is approached by Peter van Rassel, a research chemist from Burma, who needs help locating Terence Hollowell, a man who has just arrived from the jungle. Hollowell sent van Rassel a cryptic cable saying their meeting would be painful and asking him not to contact him, yet the cable was sent from the city itself. The mystery deepens when George discovers that Hollowell has a wife, Mrs. Hollowell, and a business partner, Sy Kirby, living in his house, and conflicting stories emerge about whether Hollowell has actually arrived or not.
A city in America (unspecified), beginning at George Valentine's office and moving to Terence Hollowell's house; recently arrived from Burma, Rangoon. · George Valentine, Peter van Rassel, Terence Hollowell, Mrs. Hollowell, Sy Kirby, Miss Brooks, The maid
Listen for: The mystery of why Terence Hollowell is hiding despite being in the city, the significance of a valuable black pearl necklace, and the tension between Mrs. Hollowell and Sy Kirby over money and the household.
Let George Do It: No Riders (1949)
George Valentine is called to help a boy named Floyd Bronson who's in trouble after a truck carrying valuable furs crashed and burned on a mountain grade near Bakersfield. Floyd was picked up by highway patrol near the wreck, but he won't explain what he was doing there. When a wallet belonging to the truck driver Tommy Tucker is found miles down the road, suspicion falls on the boy.
A diner and a mountain highway near Bakersfield, California, during an investigation of a truck accident · George Valentine, Wanda, Floyd Bronson, Tommy Tucker, Mr. Evans, Mr. Justin, Mr. McGee
Listen for: The mysterious circumstances of the truck crash, why Floyd was at the scene, and what really happened to the truck driver and his cargo of furs.
Let George Do It: No Way Out (1951)
George Valentine receives a desperate letter from Larry Baker, a short-order cook turned cleaning shop manager who has become trapped in a criminal operation. Larry explains that he's being forced to receive and hide mysterious packages at his shop, threatened with death if he talks to anyone, yet facing arrest if he continues. George and his assistant Miss Brooks stake out the shop to identify the mysterious boss and uncover what Larry is really involved in.
Morgan Park, a cleaning shop at 119 Murray Street, and Burwick Towers apartment building in the city · George Valentine, Miss Brooks, Larry Baker, Hilton
Listen for: George and Miss Brooks pose as an engaged couple to avoid suspicion while investigating Larry's predicament, then break into Hilton's apartment to search for clues about the criminal operation
Let George Do It: Nothing but the Truth (1950)
George Valentine receives a letter from a reclusive, wealthy blind man in the desert near Cactus Junction, Texas, requesting his help regarding a stolen or missing dog—his prized possession. When Valentine arrives by train with several other mysterious passengers all heading to the same remote location, he discovers the man has suffered a serious fall and may be dying.
A train traveling to Cactus Junction and Emery's Switch in Texas, and the remote desert home of a wealthy blind man · George Valentine, Claire Brooks, Looseport, Mr. Flannery, Widow Carmichael, Henry, Tom
Listen for: The arrival of multiple suspicious characters on the train, all claiming to visit the same reclusive man on the same night, and an urgent call that the blind man has had a serious accident
Let George Do It: Off the Record (1951)
George Valentine is hired by radio commentator Dan Dana to investigate threatening letters suggesting someone wants him dead. Dana is working on exposing corruption by politician Cory Dennis and plans to broadcast his findings that evening. When a sandbag nearly kills George and Angel outside the radio station, the case turns deadly serious.
A radio station and surrounding city streets in an unspecified American city · George Valentine, Angel Brooks, Dan Dana, Emerson Craig, Cory Dennis, Lieutenant
Listen for: The mystery of who is sending threatening notes to Dana and whether the sandbag attack is connected to the politician he's investigating; Dana's planned broadcast revealing corruption.
Let George Do It: Once a Crook (1952)
George Valentine is hired by Betty Connor to find her brother Ralph before the police do. Ralph, recently released from prison after serving time for bank theft, has returned to their uncle's house in Sageville, where the safe was robbed and their uncle violently attacked during the night. Ralph fled the scene, and all evidence points to his guilt, but Betty believes he's innocent and couldn't have committed the crime.
Sageville and a train traveling from the town · George Valentine, Betty Connor, Ralph Connor, Uncle John, Al Ridley, Mr. Bowden, Marco
Listen for: George investigates whether Ralph truly robbed the safe, questioning whether a man fresh from prison with no tools could have blown it open, while dealing with rival investigator Al Ridley and mysterious figures who want him off the case.
Let George Do It: One Against a City (1949)
George Valentine arrives in Sharon Dale, a city of 70,000 controlled by three ruthless criminals who run gambling, protection rackets, and other illicit operations. Editor Sam Morgan has hired George to take on these powerful men, hoping to expose their corruption before the next election. George devises a plan to pit the three gangsters against each other and sow discord in their criminal organization.
Sharon Dale, a mid-sized American city controlled by organized crime; the train station, the Morgan home, and the streets of Sharon Dale. · George Valentine, Sam Morgan, Brooksy, Mrs. Ruth Morgan, Johnny Morgan, Big Ed Corrigan, Len Tucker, Wall-E Wallpaper
Listen for: George's clever plan to infiltrate the criminal underworld and turn the three crime bosses against each other; the tension between Sam Morgan's idealism and his family's fears for their safety; the setup for George's work as a detective for hire.
Let George Do It: One Chance at the World (1949)
Nard Evans returns home from prison to find his wife Verner dead, hit by an automobile driven by wealthy businessman Farrell Paulson a week earlier. Believing the accident was no accident and that Paulson's money bought him a quick exoneration, Nard hires detective George Valentine to investigate the case that police have already closed.
A town in the American West, present day (1949), including George Valentine's office, Paulson's home, and police headquarters. · George Valentine, Nard Evans, Farrell Paulson, Lieutenant Riley
Listen for: The revelation of what really happened to Verner Evans on that Saturday night, and whether Paulson bears any responsibility for her death.
Let George Do It: Operation - Europa (1952)
George Valentine is called to Istanbul by the Europa Insurance Company to investigate the theft of valuable Romani diamonds from a diamond dealer named Ari Tu. The stones, worth $250,000 and held on consignment from a family named Eglescue, vanished from Tu's hotel room nearly a week ago. George must go undercover as a flashy American businessman to catch the thief before Tu's deadline to return the diamonds or pay the money.
Istanbul, Turkey and Paris, France in the 1950s; primarily the Stumbul Bridge, a coffee shop in Galata, and the Hotel Metropole · George Valentine, Brooks, Maurice LeBlanc, Ari Tu, Peter Eglescue, Iaglescu
Listen for: The mysterious setup of the case, Tu's explanation of the diamond theft, and George's plan to go undercover as a wealthy American to expose the real thief
Let George Do It: Operation Europa (1952)
George Valentine, a private investigator, is hired by an insurance company to recover valuable Romani diamonds stolen from a diamond dealer named Henri Tour in Istanbul. Tour claims only another man, Peter Eglescu, knew where the diamonds were kept, and George must pose as a hotel detective to investigate the theft before Tour must pay Eglescu $250,000 or return the stones.
Paris and Istanbul, Europe, 1952. The story moves from a Paris office to Istanbul's Metropole Hotel and surrounding locations including a coffee shop in Galata. · George Valentine, Brooks, Maurice LeBlanc, Henri Tour, Peter Eglescu, A visiting prince from India
Listen for: George's plan to catch the thief by posing as a hotel detective and using imitation diamonds as bait; the mysterious arrangement between Tour and Eglescu involving the stolen Romani diamonds.
Let George Do It: Opportunity Knocks Twice (1950)
George Valentine is called to the home of young Larry Merton, who is drinking heavily and suicidal after recently returning to town. Larry's uncle Abel Merton was found dead the previous day, and police have ruled it suicide. George and Lieutenant Johnson investigate the case, examining a suicide note and the circumstances surrounding Abel's death, while Larry struggles with guilt over his troubled relationship with his uncle.
The Merton house and the Merton Styles Company office in an unnamed city · George Valentine, Larry Merton, Greta Jenkins, Lieutenant Johnson, Abel Merton, Mr. Styles, Claire Brooks
Listen for: George takes on a case involving a possible suicide that may be something more, uncovering details about Abel Merton's death and his relationship with his troubled nephew Larry.
Let George Do It: Out of Mind (1949)
George Valentine is hired to investigate a troubling situation at the Winslow family estate. A suave mentalist named Vayne Louvain has insinuated himself into the household, and his presence is stirring up destructive jealousy and conflict between two sisters who are unused to worldly intrigue. As tensions escalate between the women and their mysterious guest, George must uncover what Louvain's true intentions are before the simmering hostility boils over into tragedy.
The Winslow family home, a mansion built high on a mountainside in the suburbs of Fenton, and the surrounding area. · George Valentine, Miss Brooks, Roger Winslow, Birdie Winslow, Sybil Winslow, Vayne Louvain, Mr. Gumbel
Listen for: The verbal sparring between the jealous sisters, Louvain's eerie demonstrations of mind-reading, and the mounting tension as George investigates the mentalist's influence over the household.
Let George Do It: Partner in Panama (1949)
George Valentine is hired to deliver $50,000 to the supposedly-dead criminal Vic Ruskin in Panama, who is blackmailing a film producer over a movie based on Ruskin's crimes. George arrives in Panama and meets a guide named Delcatoni at the airport, but discovers Delcatoni has been murdered. A mysterious woman and a self-described lawyer named Pissarro Feng become entangled in the case, each with their own agendas and secrets.
Panama, including the airport and Club Cortez in the old town · George Valentine, Lieutenant Riley, Mr. Grovitch, Mr. Brooks, Vic Ruskin, Delcatoni, Pissarro Feng, A woman at Club Cortez
Listen for: George navigating the dangerous streets of Panama while trying to understand who has been murdered, who wants the ransom money, and whether Vic Ruskin is truly alive.
Let George Do It: Perfect Alibi (1949)
When George Valentine is approached by a desperate woman named Laurie Ferell, she claims her husband Nap Ferell—a notorious gangster—has been arrested for murdering a man named Chauncey at the Cedar Crest apartment house. Though Laurie despises her husband, she insists he couldn't have committed the murder because he abhors violence. George begins investigating the case despite police lieutenant Riley's warnings to stay away, uncovering conflicting evidence about Ferell's whereabouts and motives.
A city with an exclusive apartment house called the Cedar Crest; streets, police station, and various public places. · George Valentine, Brooksie, Laurie Ferell, Nap Ferell, Chauncey, Lieutenant Riley, The doorman at Cedar Crest, Mr. Jefferson
Listen for: The contradiction between Nap Ferell's reputation as a cold-blooded gangster and his alleged aversion to violence; the timeline of events at the Cedar Crest and the mystery of when Ferell actually left the building.
Let George Do It: Picture With a Black Frame (1950)
George Valentine receives a visit from Francis P. Bodge, a photographer who claims to have taken a compromising picture of a young woman named Lydia at a country club party. Bodge wants George to help him blackmail Lydia, who is about to marry into the wealthy Tonamaker family. When the photograph is destroyed during a scuffle, George decides to warn Lydia in person about the scheme.
The Tonamaker mansion and surrounding locations in the city. · George Valentine, Francis P. Bodge, Brooksie, Lydia, Whitley Tonamaker, Mrs. Tonamaker, Cousin Melvin
Listen for: The confrontation between George and Lydia takes an unexpected turn when she makes a shocking confession about her past.
Let George Do It: Picture with a Black Frame (1950)
Private investigator George Valentine is hired by a photographer named Bodge to help blackmail a woman named Lydia Tonemaker with a compromising photograph. When Valentine meets Lydia, he learns she is engaged to wealthy businessman Wick Tonemaker and feared murdered his brother Tony years ago. Valentine and Lydia go to the photographer's hotel room to confront him, only to discover they themselves have been photographed together in what appears to be a frame-up orchestrated by someone in the Tonemaker family to break up the engagement.
A wealthy coastal city with the Tonemaker mansion, hotel, and various other locations including bars and police headquarters. · George Valentine, Claire Brooks, Francis P. Bodge, Lydia Tonemaker, Wick Tonemaker, Wick's mother, Cousin Melvin, Sergeant Riley
Listen for: The plot twist where Lydia reveals herself as the mastermind who hired Bodge to create the blackmail scheme as a way to make Wick defend her against his disapproving family, ultimately strengthening their engagement.
Let George Do It: Portrait by Priscilla (1950)
George Valentine is hired by a department store owner named Simpson to impersonate him at a dinner meeting with Ben Graftus, an art supply shop owner. When George arrives at Graftus's shop beforehand, he's knocked unconscious and a portrait by an artist named Priscilla goes missing. Now George must figure out who attacked him, why the painting was stolen, and what Graftus's connection to the mysterious portrait really is.
A city art supply shop and the Romany restaurant, present day. · George Valentine, Mr. Simpson, Ben Graftus, Priscilla
Listen for: The mystery of the stolen portrait and the identity of who attacked George and why the painting was so valuable.
Let George Do It: Portrait of a Suicide (HSG Syndication) (1952)
George Valentine investigates after a concerned milk deliveryman reports seeing a woman dangerously close to a bridge railing. George discovers the woman is Mrs. Blair, whose husband claims she's away at a rest home recovering from a nervous breakdown, yet evidence suggests she's been in their home recently—including a slashed portrait of another woman.
A rural countryside area with bridges and farmland, and the Blair household · George Valentine, Mr. Stangle, Mr. Blair, Mrs. Blair, Dr. Der Fee, Angel
Listen for: The revelation that Mrs. Blair has been secretly in the house and may have destroyed a portrait in jealous rage; Dr. Der Fee's cryptic mention of poison and 'homicidal' tendencies
Let George Do It: Portuguese Cove (1950)
George Valentine arrives in the coastal town of Portuguese Cove to investigate a mysterious incident involving the respected Captain Lamego, who struck a mailman. As George probes deeper, he uncovers troubled secrets within the Lamego family—including references to a dead twin and cryptic warnings about Joe Murphy, a sailor friend who died in Manila six months ago.
Portuguese Cove, a fishing village where the Lamego family operates a tuna boat and holds considerable influence in the community. · George Valentine, Captain Lamego, Mrs. Jewell, The mailman, So Sad, Johnny, The twins
Listen for: The mystery surrounding Captain Lamego's sudden violent outburst, the significance of the dead twin, and what really happened to Joe Murphy that has the captain so distraught.
Let George Do It: Problem Child (1948)
George Valentine is hired by Barbara Eversole, a woman who stands to lose custody of her twelve-year-old daughter Penny on Friday. Barbara claims she was framed on a drunk driving charge involving a man named Dan Edwards, but Edwards tells a different story to the courts. George must uncover the truth about that night at Club 44 before the custody hearing, while navigating the interference of Jerry's overbearing mother and brother who want to take Penny away from Barbara.
California, including the Eversole home and Club 44 nightclub · George Valentine, Miss Brooks, Barbara Eversole, Penny Eversole, Dan Edwards, Mrs. Ebersole (Jerry's mother), Leonard Ebersole
Listen for: George's investigation into what really happened on the night of the alleged drunk driving incident, and whether Dan Edwards' account or Barbara's story holds up under scrutiny.
Let George Do It: Problem Child (aka-The Unfit Mother) (1948)
George Valentine is hired by Barbara Eversole, who risks losing custody of her twelve-year-old daughter Penny on Friday. Barbara was arrested for drunk driving, but she claims she was framed by Dan Edwards during a night out at Club 44. Penny blames her mother for her father Jerry's death in a car accident a year ago, and Jerry's family is pushing the court to take the girl away. George must prove Barbara's innocence before the custody hearing.
A city with nightclubs and courts; the Eversole home in Lakeside Heights; Club 44 nightclub; Denfault College (in flashbacks) · George Valentine, Barbara Eversole, Penny Eversole, Miss Brooks, Jerry Eversole's mother, Leonard Eversole, Dan Edwards
Listen for: George's investigation into what really happened the night Barbara was arrested; the revelation of Dan Edwards's true character and connection to Jerry Eversole; whether Penny will learn the truth about her father.
Let George Do It: Run Until Dead (1949)
George Valentine is hired by investigator Mr. Fenwick to look into why his old friend Mr. Atkins has suddenly cut off contact. George drives out to Atkins' house and discovers the man has died from a stroke that occurred under mysterious circumstances. A man visited Atkins' daughter Molina that afternoon, upsetting both her and her father, and Atkins was found trying to reach someone named Fierick when he collapsed on the stairs.
A California town and Mr. Atkins' house, present day in the evening and night · George Valentine, Angel Brooks, Mr. Fenwick, Molina Atkins, Mr. Atkins, Lieutenant Barkley, Mr. Sooterman, The housekeeper
Listen for: The mystery of who visited Molina Atkins and why Mr. Atkins was so desperate to call someone named Fierick before his fatal stroke
Let George Do It: Sabotage (1951)
George Valentine is hired by the Acme Mining and Smelting Company to investigate sabotage at their tin mines in Bolivia. Production has mysteriously slowed despite productive mines, and a train full of ore has vanished en route to the coast. George and his secretary Miss Brooks pose as a photographer and reporter to uncover the plot, while George prepares to fly over the railroad route with Jose, a local pilot, to search for the missing train.
Bolivia, including Acme Mining Company offices in an unnamed city and the Bolivian tin mines · George Valentine, Miss Brooks, Mr. Carter, Ed Burke, Jose
Listen for: George's investigation into the disappearance of a train carrying ore from the mines, his suspicions about Jose's convenient appearances, and the revelation that East German managers at the mines may have communist sympathies
Let George Do It: Sabotage (1952)
George Valentine is hired by ACME Mining and Smelting Company to investigate sabotage at their tin mines in Bolivia that's slowing production and threatening America's defense program. A ore train carrying hundreds of tons of tin disappeared en route from the mines to the coast, and George, posing as a news photographer, teams up with his secretary Brooksie and a local pilot named Jose to search for it from the air.
Bolivia, South America - ACME Mining Company office in town and the surrounding Bolivian landscape with mountain mines and railroad routes · George Valentine, Brooksie (Miss Brooks), Mr. Carter, Mr. Burke, Jose
Listen for: George and Jose taking to the air in Jose's plane to search for the missing ore train along the mountain railroad route
Let George Do It: Santa Claus in Glass (1950)
George Valentine receives an unexpected Christmas visitor when an elevator man named Ferdy delivers a special package to his neighbor Eric Sutch. When George and his companion Brooks investigate, they discover that Sutch is missing from his apartment, and a mysterious woman claiming to be Mrs. Sutch has arrived at the building looking for her husband.
George Valentine's apartment building on Christmas Day, with neighboring apartments in the same building. · George Valentine, Claire Brooks, Ferdy the elevator man, Eric Sutch, Leopold J. Farnham, Mrs. Sutch
Listen for: The mystery of Eric Sutch's disappearance and the arrival of his estranged wife on Christmas, plus the suspicious special delivery package.
Let George Do It: Second Degree Affection (1950)
George Valentine takes on a case from Paul Barron, a public stenographer whose brother Ricky Stevens is on trial for murder after robbing and killing a woman who owned a check-cashing service in an industrial city. Stevens is convicted in five minutes by the jury, but Paul believes his brother knows something that could help his case and hires George to talk to him before sentencing. George soon discovers that $60,000 from the robbery has disappeared, and multiple people—including an insurance investigator and Stevens' former employer—are watching Paul, apparently suspecting she may be involved with the money.
An industrial city and its jail, with scenes in a bar and police headquarters. · George Valentine, Miss Brooks, Paul Barron, Ricky Stevens, Lieutenant Riley, Gus, Fat Lindell
Listen for: A case involving a stolen $60,000, conflicting motives among those watching Paul, and George's investigation into whether Ricky Stevens truly has information that could save his life.
Let George Do It: Sedan From The City (HSG) (1950)
George Valentine is called to the small town of Broomeville to investigate the murder of Mervin Brewster, a beloved broom factory owner who was shot through his front door window by a stranger in a big black sedan from the city. The mystery deepens when George discovers that despite the sedan's visit, there are no footprints at the murder scene—only trampled rubber boot prints—and clues suggest the killer may be someone local rather than the mysterious visitor from out of town.
Broomeville, a small town, and the Brewster home where the murder occurs · George Valentine, Lieutenant Haster, Mrs. Brewster, Fred Mackenzie, Miss Brooks
Listen for: George's investigation into the apparent contradiction between the visiting sedan and the evidence suggesting a local murderer; the discovery of rubber boot prints and a tripwire alarm on the neighbor's property.
Let George Do It: See Me Once, You've Seen Me Twice (1951)
Private detective George Valentine is hired by young Wallace to investigate a mysterious man threatening to kill him over a girl named Lucy Lamaro, a dancer living in a fancy apartment building. George discovers Lucy has just hired a new partner named Audrey Murphy for a shadow dancing act, but complications arise when a theatrical booking agent is found murdered and the threatening man—a small-time criminal named Lefty Muscat—turns up dead as well, with all evidence pointing to Audrey.
A city with drugstores, apartment buildings, a theatrical booking agency, and a boarding house; present day. · George Valentine, Wallace, Lucy Lamaro, Audrey Murphy, Lefty Muscat, Franz Kling, Lieutenant Johnson, Miss Brooks
Listen for: The clever twist involving Lucy's dead sister and the use of contact lenses to change eye color; the way George uncovers that Lucy herself may be the murderer using a false double identity to frame someone for the crimes.
Let George Do It: Seed of Destruction (1952)
George Valentine is hired by Mrs. Creighton to investigate the mysterious disappearance of her husband Dan, a movie theater owner who vanished three weeks ago after receiving a phone call at one of his theaters in Ridley Plains. With only a photograph and the knowledge that a woman called him, George begins checking the facts, including questioning Mrs. Creighton's brother Stan Collins and theater manager Ralph Holder about the circumstances of Dan's disappearance.
A city with a fleet of taxi cabs and a chain of small movie theaters, particularly Ridley Plains theater · George Valentine, Mrs. Creighton, Stan Collins, Lieutenant Johnson, Ralph Holder, Paul Dor
Listen for: George Valentine's investigation into Dan Creighton's vanishing act, the details about the mysterious phone call, and the discovery of financial tensions between the partners
Let George Do It: Serenade to the Southern Star (1949)
George Valentine boards a cruise ship called the Southern Star to investigate mysterious disappearances connected to a wealthy passenger named Mrs. Devereux. A musical trio claims that Mrs. Devereux has become obsessed with their members, and two previous men associated with her—a cellist named Jose and her former husbands—have vanished without a trace. George must uncover the truth about Mrs. Devereux's deadly intentions before the ship departs.
The S.S. Southern Star, a cruise ship departing for a voyage, and the dock area before departure. · George Valentine, Paul Brooks, Stuart Madrama, Fabio, Mrs. Devereux, Jose, Captain Kelly, Gangplank attendant
Listen for: The mysterious threat letter delivered to the musicians, clues about Mrs. Devereux's past victims, and George's clever tactics as he boards the ship and begins his investigation among the crew and passengers.
Let George Do It: Snookums (1946)
George Valentine agrees to care for a dog named Snookums for a couple of days while the owner, Mr. Ralston, needs it out of his house. George soon discovers that Snookums is actually a large, valuable dog stolen from society matron Madam Charlotte Cornwall Smith, who entered him in a dog show. George must figure out how to return the dog to its rightful owner without alerting the police.
George Valentine's office and apartment in the city. · George Valentine, Claire, Mr. Ralston, Sonny, Madam Charlotte Cornwall Smith
Listen for: George's comedic struggles with the oversized dog who eats six pounds of food a day, knocks people down, and causes chaos in his home; the discovery that the dog is stolen property; and George's attempt to sneak the dog out using a baby buggy to avoid police detection.
Let George Do It: Snookums the Lap Dog (1946)
George Valentine agrees to watch Snookums, a lap dog left by his client Mr. Ralston for a couple of days. The next morning, George discovers from the newspaper that Snookums is actually Hercules, a valuable dog stolen from socialite Madam Charlotte Cornwall Smith, and now wanted by the police. George and his associates must figure out how to return the dog to its rightful owner without getting caught.
George Valentine's office and apartment in the city · George Valentine, Claire, Mr. Ralston, Sonny, Madam Charlotte Cornwall Smith
Listen for: George's efforts to secretly return the stolen dog to Madam Cornwall Smith while avoiding the police; the comical chaos of hiding a large dog in a baby buggy
Let George Do It: Snow Blind (1949)
George Valentine is hired by a wealthy married woman to keep tabs on a handsome Austrian ski instructor at a mountain resort, suspecting her husband's affection is wandering. When the woman's husband mysteriously dies in a car accident on a dangerous mountain road, George must unravel whether it was truly an accident or carefully orchestrated murder.
A ski resort at Sun Mountain Lodge during a snowstorm, including a mountain cabin and dangerous canyon roads. · George Valentine, Mrs. Morris, Hans, Dr. Morris, Dorothy Brooks, Sheriff, Stella
Listen for: The clever twist where the murder weapon becomes the murderer's escape route; George's deduction that axle grease on Hans's arm proves he tampered with the doctor's car.
Let George Do It: Solo in Whispers (1950)
Private investigator George Valentine receives a mysterious package from opera singer Pietro Saville containing a blank record and a cryptic letter about an unexplained whisper. When Valentine visits Saville's house, he discovers the man has been murdered, struck down with a golden object. The murder weapon appears connected to an opera about a golden rooster, and a hidden recording on the record contains a whispered message that may identify the killer.
The country home of opera singer Pietro Saville; George Valentine's office · George Valentine, Brooksie, Pietro Saville, Mrs. Saville, Riley
Listen for: The mysterious whispered message hidden on the record; the connection between the opera 'The Golden Cockle' and the murder weapon; Mrs. Saville's evasive answers about the record and her past scandals
Let George Do It: Solo in Whispers (aka-So Low in Whispers) (1950)
George Valentine receives a mysterious package containing a blank phonograph record and a cryptic letter from opera impresario Pietro Saville, who asks George to call him about an unexplained whisper. Before George can respond, he learns that Saville has been murdered, struck down by a golden rooster-headed cane. George must unravel the connection between the strange record and Saville's death.
An opera singer's hillside home and George Valentine's office, in the American West. · George Valentine, Miss Brooks, Pietro Saville, Inspector Riley, Lorna Saville, Gus
Listen for: The mystery of the blank phonograph records, the encoded whispered message, and the significance of Salome's dance to the murder.
Let George Do It: Stand-In for Murder (1948)
Private investigator George Valentine agrees to help Bill Moran, a man being blackmailed by eastern gamblers into committing a crime. Moran asks George to impersonate him at a rendezvous at the Hawthorne hotel, claiming he doesn't even know what the job entails. When George arrives at the appointed place, he finds a man named Charles Clayton dying from a knife wound, and the secretary Theo Brown emerges from the next room, framing George perfectly for the murder.
A city with the Hawthorne hotel, Colonial Savings Bank, and the Samba restaurant on Doris Boulevard; takes place over one day and night. · George Valentine, Bill Moran, Theo Brown, Lieutenant Riley, Hollis
Listen for: The setup of an elaborate frame with threatening letters, fingerprints, and a convenient witness; George's theory that someone else is behind the murder and is using both Moran and the secretary.
Let George Do It: Stolen Goods (1951)
When George Valentine's secretary Miss Brooks returns from shopping, she discovers a valuable diamond and emerald necklace hidden in her packages along with a mysterious note asking her to hold it as stolen goods. After learning from a pawnbroker that the necklace is worth $15,000, George rushes back to her apartment only to find it ransacked and Miss Brooks missing. Now George must track down who planted the necklace and find his kidnapped secretary before it's too late.
George Valentine's office, Miss Brooks's apartment, and the streets of the city including a pawn shop and department store. · George Valentine, Miss Brooks, Mo (pawnbroker), Lieutenant Johnson, Mysterious thief
Listen for: The tension builds as George discovers the necklace is real and valuable, then returns to find Miss Brooks gone and her apartment destroyed. Watch for George's attempts to track down the culprit through the department store where Miss Brooks shopped.
Let George Do It: Stranger Than Fiction (1949)
George Valentine is hired by Victoria Beasley, a society woman concerned that her husband Samuel's bestselling novel features a real woman from their social circle. When George arrives at the Beasley home to investigate, he finds that someone has just attempted to shoot Samuel in his study, and Lieutenant Riley arrives to take over the case, suspecting one of several people close to the family.
The Beasley home in Deer Lake Park, a wealthy community, with references to George's office in town · George Valentine, Victoria Beasley, Samuel Beasley, Michael Waldron, Peggy Wilkinson, Lieutenant Riley, Brooksie Brooks, Sally
Listen for: A lighthearted mystery that turns serious when an attempted murder interrupts George's investigation into the origins of a controversial novel's characters; watch for the revelation of the suspicious gold cigarette lighter and the tangled relationships among the suspects.
Let George Do It: Sucker Stunt (1951)
George Valentine takes on a case when Tim, a young photographer, hires him to investigate an older man named Florio who has won Tim's affections away from his estranged wife. George poses as a customer to meet Florio at his exchange shop, but the investigation takes an unexpected turn when George receives word of a highway robbery nearby and realizes Tim may not be who he claims to be.
A small town and surrounding areas, including Florio's exchange shop that buys and sells jewelry, leather goods, and musical instruments. · George Valentine, Tim, Florio, Angel, Ben Roberts, Sheriff
Listen for: George's clever undercover tactics as he attempts to gather information about Florio by selling him a camera, and the revelation that Tim may be connected to a recent armed robbery.
Let George Do It: Sudden Storm (1950)
George Valentine receives a letter from a man claiming to be the notorious "Quotation Mark Killer," a serial murderer who has been terrorizing the region for a year. The killer, who believes he is punishing sinful women, writes from an isolated cabin in Adobe Valley and hints that he may end his life. George and his assistant arrive at the desolate area to investigate and search for the fugitive before he can carry out his apparent plan.
Adobe Valley Inn and the surrounding desolate region of Adobe Valley, a remote and nearly uninhabited area during a severe storm. · George Valentine, Miss Brooks, Lieutenant Riley, The innkeeper, Ralph, The prospector
Listen for: The chilling letter from the killer confessing his crimes and expressing suicidal intent; police details about the killer's methods and profile; the questioning of the sparse inhabitants of the isolated area.
Let George Do It: Surprise, Surprise (1952)
George Valentine is summoned by Lenore to visit her mysterious Uncle Glenn at his country estate, who has promised her a surprise. Upon arrival, they discover that Uncle Glenn has just suffered a terrible car accident and is dying. As he drifts in and out of consciousness, he summons George and asks for help with a final, urgent matter.
Uncle Glenn Justor's large country house, a few hours from the city · George Valentine, Lenore, Miss Brooks, Uncle Glenn Justor, Dr. Hammer, Miss Metzen, Uncle Jason
Listen for: The shocking discovery of Uncle Glenn's accident and his dying request for George's assistance
Let George Do It: Surprise, Surprise! (1952)
George Valentine is asked by Lenore Metzen to investigate a mysterious "surprise" message from her Uncle Glenn, a wealthy but cruel and reclusive man she hasn't seen in years. When George and his friend Miss Brooks arrive at Uncle Glenn's estate, they discover he's dying from a recent car accident and has summoned them to serve as witnesses while he dictates his will.
Uncle Glenn Juster's large estate in Point Summit, a few hours from the city · George Valentine, Lenore Metzen, Miss Brooks, Uncle Glenn Juster, Dr. Hammer, Uncle Jason
Listen for: The mystery of what surprise Uncle Glenn has planned and why he suddenly wants to make a will, with hints of family secrets and tension between the relatives.
Let George Do It: Sweet Are the Uses of Publicity (1950)
George Valentine is hired by publicity agent Jacob Flannery to work as a bodyguard at a fancy party. Flannery reveals his shocking secret: his most famous client, the glamorous and romantic Caleb Romano, doesn't actually exist. Flannery created the fictional character to build his business, but now Romano has become a problem he can't control.
San Francisco Bay area, starting at an uptown venue and moving to a ship departing for Europe · George Valentine, Jacob Flannery, Pete the bartender, Miss Brooks
Listen for: The clever setup of Flannery's confidence scheme involving a non-existent celebrity client, and how George must manage the chaos when reporters show up demanding to meet the phantom Caleb Romano in person
Let George Do It: Sweet Poison (1949)
Private detective George Valentine is called to the home of painter Wentworth Jonas to investigate what Gloria Bishop claims is a murder. When Valentine arrives, he discovers the "victim" is actually Jonas's cat, Harold, who appears to have died from eating poisoned chocolate creams. The candy was sent to Jonas in a mysterious package with no return address, suggesting someone may have been trying to poison the artist himself.
Wentworth Jonas's home and studio at 603 North 72nd Street; a men's magazine office · George Valentine, Gloria Bishop, Wentworth Jonas, Melville Barn, Miss Brooks
Listen for: The mystery of who sent the poisoned chocolates to Jonas and why they wanted him dead; the revelation of what happens to Melville Barn, who received the candy box from Jonas around noon
Let George Do It: Tag! You're It! (1950)
George Valentine becomes entangled in a deadly mystery when he finds a letter in a woman's purse warning that someone is trying to murder him. The letter leads him to discover that a killer is making phony contest calls to random people, luring them to dangerous locations with promises of prizes. When a young woman named Dorothy Cheever is found shot dead after answering one of these fake calls, Valentine races to prevent more deaths and unmask the murderer.
A radio station in the city, with scenes also taking place at police headquarters, an alley in the commercial district, and a studio basement. · George Valentine, Lieutenant Riley, Mrs. Oscar Pettiman, Johnny Russell, Dorothy Cheever, F.J. Holman, Ansel, Mr. Kennedy
Listen for: The mysterious lisping voice on the phone saying 'Hello from Tag, you're it, you're wealthy' as the killer's calling card, and the climactic confrontation in the soundproof Studio B where George unmasks the murderer with a clever trick involving the on-the-air light.
Let George Do It: The Ant Hill (1950)
George Valentine takes on a case to help a dying slot machine repairman named Trailer find his girlfriend Betty, hoping the man will reveal what he knows about a criminal slot machine operation. As George investigates the mysterious
A city with an Ant Hill district containing flop houses and penthouses; a nightclub; a police hospital; an apartment building · George Valentine, Lieutenant Riley, Claire Brooks, Betty, Trailer, Louis, Mr. Wilton, Mr. Black
Listen for: A complex criminal organization structured like a pyramid; the revelation that Trailer is actually Mr. Black in disguise; Louis's desperate ambition leading to violence; the irony of a crime boss unable to trust that a girl could genuinely like him
Let George Do It: The Bad Little God (1952)
George Valentine is hired by Mr. Latham to investigate trouble surrounding an Oriental idol the collector recently acquired and publicly displayed. After anonymous threats and offers to buy it, George agrees to safeguard the idol and track down those involved, including an art dealer named Radnik who claims the piece was smuggled into the country.
A city with Oriental art dealers, a collector's apartment, Union Station, and George Valentine's apartment building. · George Valentine, Miss Brooks, Mr. Latham, Radnik, Ling, Joan Bartlett
Listen for: The mysterious idol that attracts unwanted attention from multiple parties; a street fight interrupted by unexpected help from the collector's servant; a late-night visitor with a gun demanding the idol.
Let George Do It: The Bewildered Bird Watcher (1948)
Bird watcher Dr. Wormsley contacts private investigator George Valentine after witnessing what he believes was a murder from his apartment window—a man being pushed off a roof at the River House. George investigates the exclusive apartment building to verify the doctor's story and discovers whether the crime was real or imagined.
The River House, an exclusive apartment building overlooking the river; also George Valentine's office. · George Valentine, Dr. Elliot Wormsley, Brooksie, Mrs. Paula Dunlap, Philip Dunlap, Hal Sterit, Mr. Stevens
Listen for: The mystery of whether Dr. Wormsley actually witnessed a murder or was deceived by distance and circumstances; George's investigation at the River House and interactions with its residents.
Let George Do It: The Bookworm Turns (1950)
George Valentine is hired by Paul Humber, owner of a rare bookshop, to catch a mysterious intruder who has broken in for two nights without stealing anything. When George stakes out the shop, they spot the burglar's flashlight, but he escapes down the alley. That night, a fire breaks out in the bookshop, aimed at destroying it, though the fire department arrives in time to prevent total loss.
A rare bookshop in the city, with an adjacent apartment building, during the night · George Valentine, Paul Humber, Otto Coolidge, Rosa Brooks, Fire investigator, Suspicious man in collarless shirt
Listen for: The mystery of why someone is breaking into the bookshop without stealing anything, and the connection between the burglaries and the deliberately set fire
Let George Do It: The Brookdale Orphanage (1946)
George Valentine, a private investigator, is visited by movie star Jimmy Jones, who confesses he's terrified of horses after an accident and can't appear at the annual benefit for the Brookdale Orphanage where he promised to ride his famous horse Thunderbolt. George assures Jimmy he'll handle the situation, but after meeting the orphans who idolize Jones as their "big brother," George realizes he's made a promise he may not be able to keep.
George Valentine's office and the Brookdale Orphanage · George Valentine, Jimmy Jones, Claire Brooks, Sonny Brooks, Mrs. Martin, An orphan girl
Listen for: The warmth between George and a young orphan girl who wants to play horses with him, and Jimmy Jones's confession of his deep fear despite his tough cowboy image
Let George Do It: The Brothers Mc Intosh (1950)
George Valentine receives a letter from Jasper, butler to wealthy brothers Mervin and Bill McIntosh, warning that someone intends to kill Mervin. When George arrives at their house, he finds Bill injured in a car accident and confessing that he deliberately drove off the road. Bill reveals that Fillerie, recently released from prison after losing his business when Mervin came to town, has threatened revenge and lured Mervin to a meeting that night—and Mervin has not been seen since.
Harbor Town · George Valentine, Jasper, Bill McIntosh, Mervin McIntosh, Fillerie, Lieutenant Riley, Doctor
Listen for: The mystery of Mervin's disappearance and whether Fillerie has killed him or if there is more to the story than Bill's confession reveals.
Let George Do It: The Chair of Humanities (1950)
Private investigator George Valentine is called urgently to the home of Professor Edward Cable at Dearly College, where Cable's beautiful wife Gloria initially claims nothing is wrong. However, Gloria is revealed to be packing to leave, and the Professor soon confesses to Valentine that someone is trying to murder him. As Valentine investigates the household dynamics, he uncovers secrets involving the Professor's devoted sister-in-law Jesse and a mysterious visitor named Bill Rosseter who appears to have some kind of hold over the Professor.
Faculty row at Dearly College, the home of Professor Cable · George Valentine, Mrs. Gloria Cable, Professor Edward M. Cable, Jesse, Bill Rosseter
Listen for: The revelation of who is trying to murder Professor Cable and why Bill Rosseter has such power over him
Let George Do It: The Common Denominator (1952)
George Valentine is hired by Mrs. Tommy Trask, who claims to have had premonitions of two murders before they occurred. She now fears another death may be coming and asks George to help prevent it. George must determine whether Mrs. Trask possesses genuine psychic abilities or has obtained advance knowledge of the killings through some other means.
A city with Club 52, a gambling establishment, and various residences and offices · George Valentine, Miss Brooks, Mrs. Tommy Trask, Tommy Trask, Dr. Schroeder, Hank
Listen for: The mystery of how Mrs. Trask knew about the murders in advance and whether George can uncover the true source of her knowledge before another murder occurs
Let George Do It: The Corpse That Took a Powder (1948)
George Valentine receives a desperate note from Marsha Palmer asking for help. When George and his partner arrive at her apartment, they find her apparently dead from suicide, complete with a note and a gun. However, when George steps away to call the police, the body mysteriously vanishes, leaving behind only the letter and an unused weapon.
An apartment building in the city, specifically apartment 3A where Marsha Palmer lives. · George Valentine, Brooksie, Marsha Palmer, Glenn Stratton, Riley, Lieutenant
Listen for: The mystery of the vanishing corpse and whether Marsha Palmer's death was truly a suicide or something more sinister.
Let George Do It: The Corpse on a Caper (1949)
George Valentine is hired to escort the body of Consuelo Benales, a nineteen-year-old girl from a wealthy Mexican family, back to Mexico City for burial. When he arrives at the funeral parlor, he discovers the body has been stolen and finds himself caught between a desperate man claiming to be her husband and criminals who want to keep the corpse hidden.
A funeral parlor, and the surrounding area near Cliffbriar College for wealthy young ladies · George Valentine, Miss Burdick, Mr. Adlet, Miss Purdy, Ruxine, Bo Skarback, Ginger Santos, Danny
Listen for: The investigation into the stolen corpse and the suspicious death certificate dated after the girl's death; the search for Dr. Elwood Dryden
Let George Do It: The Coward (1949)
George Valentine is called to investigate a bizarre case when Douglas French sends him an accusatory telegram claiming Valentine murdered 37 people. French himself is found shot on a bridge, and a magazine article reveals the truth: during World War II, a group of four were forced to betray the location of 37 refugees fleeing Singapore, and one of them was a coward who informed on the others. Now that the article has exposed this secret, the four survivors—scattered across the country—begin receiving mysterious telegrams, and a writer who knew the truth is found dead.
A city in the American West, involving investigations at hospitals, telegram offices, a botanical study, and various locations connected to the four survivors of the Singapore wartime incident. · George Valentine, Douglas French, Lieutenant Riley, Enzo Onslow, Nick Atkins, J.J. Farrell, Brooksie, Emil Martinez
Listen for: The revelation of the coward's identity and motivation, the connection between the mysterious telegrams and the wartime betrayal, and the tragic reason behind the attempted murder.
Let George Do It: The Dark Chain (1949)
George Valentine is called to a farm to investigate the theft of an heirloom cameo brooch. Mrs. Purcell suspects her neighbor Luke Schroeder, a paroled thief, but George finds the situation more complicated when he discovers Mrs. Purcell's mentally simple adult son Buddy and the mysterious presence of a girl named Maria on the property.
A farm in the countryside, including Mrs. Purcell's house and neighboring property · George Valentine, Mrs. Purcell, Buddy Purcell, Luke Schroeder, Simon, Maria
Listen for: George's investigation into the stolen brooch and the strange dynamics between Buddy, Maria, and the suspicious Luke Schroeder
Let George Do It: The Dead of Night (1952)
George Valentine is contacted urgently by Frank Summers in the dead of night about a terrible situation: Mr. Milburn has been murdered, and his estranged wife June has received a threatening call from the killer saying she will die for the crime. George must find the real murderer and prove Mrs. Milburn's innocence before suspicion falls entirely on her.
A beach community with scattered houses, George's office, police headquarters, and the telephone company office. · George Valentine, Frank Summers, June Milburn, Lieutenant Johnson, Mrs. Raleigh, Judge Paul Raleigh
Listen for: The mysterious dead-sounding voice on the phone, the details about the murder weapon and the clock stopped at ten, and the revelation that Mrs. Milburn was on a party line at the beach.
Let George Do It: The Deadly Pines (1952)
George Valentine receives a letter from Dave Herron, a young forest owner in the logging town of High Timber, asking for help investigating a series of deliberately set forest fires that have been destroying property. Four fires have been set in recent weeks, each carefully placed at natural fire lines, and they're threatening to ruin Herron and others in the community. Valentine arrives in town to investigate who is behind the mysterious arson.
High Timber, a small logging town surrounded by pine forests · George Valentine, Dave Herron, Artie (diner worker), Miss Brooks, C.J. Murdoch (lumber owner), Stan Kubrick (former logger), Frank Redland (sheriff)
Listen for: Valentine's investigation into who is setting the forest fires and his encounters with the townspeople who all seem to have motives and fears about the blazes destroying their timber holdings.
Let George Do It: The Discovery of Ponce, the Lion (HSG) (1951)
Private investigator George Valentine arrives in Baja Junction to investigate the return of Ponce the Lion, a man just released from jail after serving time for manslaughter. The town fears Ponce has vowed revenge against those who testified against him, but when George confronts him, Ponce claims he has changed and made some kind of important discovery that has transformed him.
Baja Junction, a small town in the Pacific region with an Oriental section and various local businesses including Toli's dance hall and a jazz house. · George Valentine, Miss Brooks, Franco, Lawrence Pinkney, Ponce the Lion, Phil Minahan, Buster
Listen for: George's investigation into whether Ponce's threats of revenge are genuine or if his claim of personal transformation is sincere; the mystery of Ponce's alleged discovery.
Let George Do It: The Eight Ball (1951)
George Valentine arrives at the Summer Springs Hotel after being hired by a mysterious group of town leaders to investigate corruption and gambling rackets in their fair city. When he discovers a dead man posing as him in his hotel room, George must figure out who the imposter is and who killed him before he can even begin his investigation.
Summer Springs Hotel in a mid-sized American town, plus a drive-in on the edge of town · George Valentine, Angel, Nielsen, Vic, Emmet, Neil, Lemuel, Harold Stark
Listen for: George's clever plan to escape suspicion by swapping wallets with the dead imposter and reporting his own death to the police so he can work freely on the case
Let George Do It: The Eight Ball (AFRS #16) (1951)
Detective George Valentine arrives in Summer Springs to secretly investigate allegations that the town is a center for organized collection rackets. When a man impersonating him is found murdered in his hotel room, Valentine must work to clear himself and figure out who is trying to stop him before he can begin his investigation.
Summer Springs, a small exclusive town; a hotel and surrounding areas · George Valentine, Angel Brooks, Nielsen, Vicki, Emmett Waller, Mayor Vickery, Harold Stark, Hotel clerk
Listen for: The mix-up of identities and the urgency of the murder mystery that puts Valentine in danger before his case even begins.
Let George Do It: The Elusive Hundred Grand (1949)
George Valentine is hired by famous entertainer Walter Haney to spend a weekend at a resort hotel in Los Rositas, California. Haney's real assignment is for George to purchase a valuable Renaissance vase from an art dealer named Durgson for $15,000, which Haney believes is the mate to another masterpiece worth $100,000 that a wealthy cattleman named Hank McCraery owns and will buy from him. The catch is that Haney owes a gambling syndicate over $100,000 and is forbidden from gambling himself, so he needs George to make the risky art deal on his behalf.
Los Rositas, California, at a fashionable resort hotel (the Pioneer Hotel with the Peacock Room) and surrounding areas of the town. · George Valentine, Angel Brooks, Walter Haney, Adele (Walter's sister), Mario, Lola, Hank McCraery, Durgson
Listen for: The scheming of entertainer Walter Haney involving a valuable art purchase, the mysterious warnings from Mario and Lola, and the complications arising from Haney's debt to a gambling syndicate.
Let George Do It: The Empress of Fish Falls (1949)
Private investigator George Valentine's fishing vacation is interrupted when he and his secretary Brooksie discover a murdered midget in the water. The dead man's watch identifies him as Merle Bender, general manager of Fargo's Circuses. George's investigation leads him to Fish Falls, a small town that has become home to retired circus performers, and to the mysterious Empress of Fish Falls, a wealthy woman who runs the community from her riverside castle.
Fish Falls, a small riverside town that has become a haven for retired circus sideshow performers, and the Empress's castle on the river. · George Valentine, Brooksie, Lieutenant Riley, Colonel Gerald P. Fargo, Merle Bender, The Empress (Mrs. Bender), Rubberface, Castle the butler
Listen for: The mystery of who killed Merle Bender and why; the connection between the dead man and the Empress; the quirky personalities of the circus folk who populate the town.
Let George Do It: The Father Who Had Nothing to Say (1948)
George Valentine takes on a case for Ralph Lochner, a young man about to be admitted to the bar who has discovered that the evidence against his adoptive father's biological father—convicted years ago for murdering a woman named Lillian Wayne—was largely circumstantial. Ralph believes his father may be innocent and asks George to help reopen the case, despite the risk that his secret parentage could become public and ruin his engagement to a society girl.
A city with a penitentiary, police department, law offices, and various locations connected to a ten-year-old murder case · George Valentine, Miss Brooks, Ralph Lochner, Mr. Lochner, Harry Peterson, Lieutenant Riley, Mike Donnelly, Mr. Jeffries
Listen for: George pursues leads on the Lillian Wayne murder case, interviewing witnesses and uncovering details that may contradict the original conviction.
Let George Do It: The Fearless Clown (HSG) (1951)
George Valentine is hired by Relita, a circus performer in strawberry-colored tights, to protect a fearless clown named Fofo from murder. Relita confesses she once wrote a letter threatening to kill Fofo, but the letter has gone missing from her dressing room, and she fears someone will use it to frame her for his murder. George must find the missing letter and discover who took it before Fofo meets a deadly end.
A circus, including the big top and performers' dressing rooms · George Valentine, Relita, Fofo the clown, Freddy, Brooksie
Listen for: A tense mystery unfolds as George investigates backstage at the circus, interviewing Relita and discovering that a threatening letter has vanished and could be used to frame her for murder.
Let George Do It: The First Client (1946)
George Valentine, a newly independent private investigator, acquires his first client when mystery writer Jonathan Winters arrives at his office claiming he is about to be murdered. Before Valentine can learn more, Winters collapses, and when Valentine and his new assistant Sonny Brooks return to the office, the body has vanished. Valentine must now solve the mystery of the disappeared client before the police arrive.
George Valentine's new private detective office in a city building, and Jonathan Winters' home study. · George Valentine, Sonny Brooks, Claire Brooks, Jonathan Winters, Mrs. Winters, Caleb
Listen for: The comical dynamic between George and his pushy young assistant Sonny; George's skepticism about Winters' murder claim; the mysterious disappearance of the body and Winters himself.
Let George Do It: The Floaters (1950)
George Valentine is called to a remote motel on the Mexican border by Bernice Hillary, a young woman from Minnesota who has stumbled into a dangerous situation. She discovers two dead bodies in an adjacent cabin—a woman named Helga who has been illegally trying to enter the country, and a sickly American man who knew her. Now George must uncover the truth behind what appears to be a murder disguised as a suicide.
A motel on the Mexican border near the American-Mexican boundary line. · George Valentine, Bernice Hillary, Helga, Fred Dexter, Janie the chambermaid
Listen for: The mystery of the two dead bodies and whether Helga's death was truly a suicide or something more sinister; George's investigation into the identity and background of the mysterious coughing man.
Let George Do It: The Flowers That Smelled of Murder (1948)
George Valentine arrives at Western State University to investigate murder threats against Professor Cobaur, a brilliant botanist who is developing a new orchid variety. The professor is surrounded by suspicious relationships: his student Louise D'Raine and her husband Michael (both ex-GIs), the professor's wife, and his department head, all with potential motives connected to his groundbreaking botanical experiments and the flower's intended name.
Western State University campus, including student housing and the university greenhouse · George Valentine, Miss Brooks, Louise D'Raine, Michael Durane, Steven, Professor Cobaur, Mrs. Cobaur, Department Head
Listen for: The conflicting accounts of whether murder attempts are real or imaginary, the rivalry over naming rights to the new orchid, and the romantic tensions surrounding the handsome professor
Let George Do It: The Forgotten Murder (1952)
Private investigator George Valentine is hired by Felicity Graham, who suspects that a man named Paulos visiting from South America is actually James Cartwright, her cousin Laura's husband who supposedly died in a murder-suicide fifteen years ago. Felicity believes Cartwright murdered Laura and faked his own death to escape with her inherited fortune, which he had secretly moved to Los Altos. Valentine agrees to investigate whether Paulos is truly Cartwright in disguise.
New York City, primarily at Felicity Graham's home at Burlington Terrace; also involves South America and Los Altos. · George Valentine, Felicity Graham, Paul Henry, Laura Cartwright, James Cartwright, Paulos, The Maid
Listen for: A tense meeting between Valentine and the mysterious Mr. Paulos; revelations about James Cartwright's cruel nature and his scheme to steal Laura's money; the mystery of whether Paulos is actually the supposedly deceased Cartwright.
Let George Do It: The Four Seasons (1952)
George Valentine is hired by the elegant Donna Lawson Nichols to deliver four priceless Rubens miniatures worth $50,000 to a gallery in Wainsville. On his way to make the delivery, George is forced off the road by a truck and knocked unconscious. When he comes to, the miniatures have vanished, but he finds a $20,000 check signed by Jason Renschler of the Renschler Galleries instead.
A small town with roads leading to Wainsville; George's office; the road where the accident occurs; a police station. · George Valentine, Donna Lawson Nichols, Brooks, Mr. Renschler, Sergeant, Charles Nichols
Listen for: George's past connection to Donna from their college days; the mysterious truck that forces him off the road; the appearance of the check from Renschler instead of the miniatures; the police investigation into the missing paintings.
Let George Do It: The Four-Sided Triangle (1949)
George Valentine is hired by Owen Marby, a Canadian novelist, to investigate whether his old friend Dr. Kenneth Sterritt's death was truly an accident or murder. Marby suspects Sterritt's beautiful wife Julia and a man named Charles Dallason of foul play, noting that Sterritt had expressed marital unhappiness before his fatal car crash on foggy Eagle Canyon Drive. George's assistant Claire infiltrates Julia and Charles's car to eavesdrop on their conversation, and their nervous behavior about Marby's arrival suggests guilt.
A city with mountain roads; Eagle Canyon Drive where Dr. Sterritt died in a car accident; Julia and Charles's haunts including restaurants and mountains. · George Valentine, Owen Marby, Julia Sterritt, Charles Dallason, Claire Brooks, Eddie
Listen for: The tense dinner party at Julia's mountain home; whether Marby will expose Julia and Charles's relationship; clues about the true nature of Dr. Sterritt's death.
Let George Do It: The Ghost of Ireland Betty (1954)
George Valentine is hired by Miss Dowdy, companion of the late Ireland Betty, to investigate Professor E.L. Gifford, who plans to purchase an old Italian villa-style house. Miss Dowdy is concerned about the sale because the house holds special significance, though she hesitates to explain why. When Valentine meets both Christine O'Casey, the young heir who wants to sell, and Professor Gifford, a psychic researcher, tensions arise over the house's future.
An enormous, rambling Italian villa-style house where Ireland Betty once lived, with Miss Dowdy still residing there. · George Valentine, Miss Dowdy, Christine O'Casey, Professor E.L. Gifford, Mr. Eustace
Listen for: Hints about why Miss Dowdy and Ireland Betty regarded the house as special, and what supernatural elements may be connected to it.
Let George Do It: The Ghost of Ireland Betty (Olan Soule) (1954)
George Valentine receives a letter from Miss Dowdy, companion to the late Ireland Betty O'Casey, asking him to investigate Professor E.L. Gifford from Denver. The professor is interested in purchasing an old Italian villa-style house that belonged to Ireland Betty and now is being sold by her niece Christine. Miss Dowdy seems determined to prevent the sale and hints that the house holds special significance, while the professor proves to be an eccentric student of psychic research.
An old Italian villa-style house, formerly owned by Ireland Betty O'Casey, now being prepared for sale by her niece Christine. · George Valentine, Miss Dowdy, Christine O'Casey, Professor E.L. Gifford, Mr. Eustace
Listen for: The mystery of why Miss Dowdy is so opposed to Professor Gifford buying the house and what secret significance the old house holds.
Let George Do It: The Ghost on Bliss Terrace (1948)
George Valentine is hired by a community group led by Mrs. Angela McCauley to investigate an allegedly haunted house on Bliss Terrace. The empty Mitchell house has spooked the neighborhood with reports of mysterious faces in windows and strange music, but George learns that the house's owner, railroad engineer Sam Mitchell, was murdered a month ago in an unsolved killing. George must determine whether the supernatural reports are genuine or something more sinister is at work.
Bliss Terrace, a residential neighborhood, centered on the empty Mitchell house where an unsolved murder occurred. · George Valentine, Mrs. Angela McCauley, Angel (George's assistant), Lieutenant, Fred Horton (milkman), Tommy (neighborhood boy), Mrs. Mitchell (Sam's widow), Paul Hart
Listen for: The details of the mysterious faces and music heard coming from the Mitchell house, and George's investigation into whether the supernatural reports are connected to Sam Mitchell's unsolved murder.
Let George Do It: The Golden Lizard (1950)
George Valentine is hired by a yacht broker to investigate the sale of a luxury vessel called the Golden Lizard and find out who currently owns it, with the expectation of competitive bidding from a South American company. When George meets the ship's owner, Señor Bolivar de Limbrofso, he discovers the elderly Argentine has no real intention of selling his beloved vessel and is instead entertaining a young Danish woodworker named Paul and a South American engineer named Enrico who recently drowned under mysterious circumstances.
The Golden Lizard, a luxury yacht anchored at a hotel, and surrounding locations in 1950. · George Valentine, Mr. Murray (yacht broker), Señor Bolivar de Limbrofso, Paul (Danish woodworker), Enrico (South American engineer), Signora (Señor's companion)
Listen for: The mystery surrounding Enrico's drowning and George's investigation into the true situation with the yacht's ownership and the suspicious activities aboard the ship.
Let George Do It: The Gray Stone Ghost (1952)
George Valentine is invited to Greystone, a moated mansion, to investigate a ghostly haunting. Mrs. Gray claims to have seen her husband's face at her bedroom window two weeks after his burial, and a portrait of him has mysteriously disappeared and reappeared with blood stains. George and his assistant Miss Brooks arrive to uncover whether a genuine ghost or something more sinister is at work.
Greystone, a moated English manor house with a drawbridge · George Valentine, Miss Brooks, Mrs. Gray, Dwight, Amanda, Stevens the butler, Ronald Gray, Sylvia Gray
Listen for: George's investigation of the ghostly occurrences at the moated mansion, including the mysterious bust, the missing portrait, and an explosion rigged with an alarm clock
Let George Do It: The Graystone Ghost (1952)
George Valentine arrives at Greystone, the isolated mansion of Mrs. Gray, to investigate a supposed ghost haunting. Mrs. Gray believes her deceased husband is somehow appearing in her home, with strange occurrences including a mysterious face in her bedroom, a missing portrait, and a sculptor's bust found on the ground. As George and his assistant Ms. Brooks begin their investigation, a dynamite explosion in the kitchen reveals someone is playing dangerous pranks.
Greystone mansion, an English-style castle with a moat and drawbridge, isolated from the outside world. · George Valentine, Ms. Brooks, Mrs. Amanda Gray, Ronald Gray, Sylvia Gray, Stevens the butler
Listen for: Who is behind the ghostly hauntings and the dangerous explosions? What is their motive for terrorizing Mrs. Gray?
Let George Do It: The Hand In The Coconut (1950)
George Valentine is called to a quarantined ship by the elderly big-game hunter Mr. Stang, who claims that the ship's second mate Lars Mickelson has stolen his prized field glasses and other items during the voyage. Stang wants George to find evidence and serve as a witness so he can take legal action against the thief. George boards the ship, which is full of wild animals awaiting delivery to zoos, and confronts Mickelson about the stolen glasses.
A quarantined ship docked at a pier, carrying a cargo of wild animals including a panther, a 33-foot constrictor, and poisonous snakes. · George Valentine, Mr. Stang, Lars Mickelson, Captain Tig, Mr. Bowling, Baba
Listen for: The opening explanation of the "hand in the coconut" trap: how a monkey reaches into a coconut to grab something inside but cannot pull its fist back out because greed overcomes fear. This concept becomes a metaphor for Mickelson's own predicament with the stolen goods.
Let George Do It: The Hearse That Was Painted Pink (1948)
George Valentine is hired to romance a woman named Lila Parker in order to flush out a fugitive criminal named Frank Granby, who is hiding somewhere in town and competing with a powerful businessman named Gorman. George is coerced into the job when Gorman's men threaten to harm his secretary Brooksie if he refuses, and George begins attempting to win over the reluctant and dismissive Lila.
A hotel and surrounding locations in an unnamed town, including a nightclub or entertainment venue where Lila performs. · George Valentine, Brooksie, Lieutenant Raleigh, Gorman, Raymond, Ernie, Lila Parker, Frank Granby
Listen for: George's forced attempts to charm the uninterested Lila, the threats posed by Gorman's criminal organization, and the tension between George's secretary Brooksie and Lieutenant Raleigh who suspect George is in trouble.
Let George Do It: The High Price of a Penny (1950)
George Valentine arrives at Fish Lake country to investigate a potential swindle targeting an elderly couple named the Mooms. A mysterious lawyer named Mr. Fowl has hired George to stop Clifford, a worthless nephew, from bilking the wealthy Mooms out of a fortune using a diamond bracelet scheme. However, George arrives to find the situation far more complicated than anticipated.
Fish Lake country, including a rural road, cabins, and Mr. Fowl's home · George Valentine, Mr. Fowl, Clifford, The Mooms, Detective
Listen for: A suspicious car accident on a dark road, cryptic warnings about a bad penny, and revelations about who stands to inherit the Mooms' million-dollar estate
Let George Do It: The Host of Casa Diablo (1949)
George Valentine is hired to bring back Earl Bixby, a fugitive witness willing to testify against corrupt officials, from Mexico to the city. Valentine and his assistant Miss Brooks travel by bus to San Salvador to find Bixby, but they discover that others are determined to prevent his return, by any means necessary.
A small bus traveling through Mexico to the village of San Salvador, and the surrounding mountainous terrain · George Valentine, Miss Brooks, Leafy Lake Soper, Earl Bixby, Emilio, McLean, Christine Craig, Red
Listen for: The tense cat-and-mouse game aboard the bus as Valentine tries to outwit McLean and the other antagonists who want to stop him from reaching Bixby; a physical confrontation that nearly forces the bus off a mountain road.
Let George Do It: The House That Jack Built (1950)
Private investigator George Valentine is hired by Lacey Jack at a nightclub to provide protection during a dangerous night. Jack reveals he is a crime writer who works as a special deputy for the DA's office and plans to meet an informant with damaging facts about powerful criminals in the city. Valentine agrees to stay at Jack's apartment with his assistant Miss Brooks to guard Jack's family while he ventures out into the night.
A nightclub called the Casino, and Lacey Jack's apartment in the city · George Valentine, Miss Brooks, Lacey Jack, Lila, Mickey, Joe, Duke Avis, Lieutenant Riley
Listen for: The mysterious appearance of a man named Uncle Marmaduke at Jack's apartment and hints that Lacey Jack may not be who he claims to be
Let George Do It: The Impatient Redhead (1948)
George Valentine, a private investigator, is hired by Blanche Leggler, a wealthy brewery heiress, to discover why the man she loves—Vicente Montoya, a polished Spanish nobleman—has been hesitant to commit to her despite their year-long relationship. Blanche has noticed Vicente has a peculiar pattern of only pursuing women with red hair, and she wants George to uncover what stands in the way of their marriage.
The city, including Blanche's apartment at the Raleigh Towers, the Oval Room at the Stapas Hotel, and various other locations · George Valentine, Blanche Leggler, Vicente Montoya, Carl, Thomas Sloan, Miss Brooks
Listen for: George's investigation into Vicente's past and his mysterious attachment to red-haired women; the revelation of Thomas Sloan's unrequited feelings for Blanche; and Vicente's cryptic confession about the woman he truly loves.
Let George Do It: The Investment (1946)
George Valentine's lawyer neighbor Spencer hires him to buy 100 shares of Mizzouma Limited stock using a $5,000 check from an anonymous client before the market closes at three o'clock. George sends his office boy Sonny to deliver the check to a brokerage firm, but Sonny forgets the firm's name and leaves the check with the wrong company, forcing George and his staff to frantically search the security exchange building to retrieve it.
George Valentine's detective office building in the city; later the security exchange building · George Valentine, Spencer, Sonny, Claire, Al Meltzer, Mr. Bellin
Listen for: The comedic confusion over Sonny mishearing the firm name as 'Jelly-Cohen Bean' (which sounds like jelly bean candy) and then forgetting it entirely; George's frustration over the nail in his shoe delaying him; the race against the three o'clock market closing deadline.
Let George Do It: The Iron Cat (1950)
George Valentine is hired by a desperate man named Ramsey who fears he might harm himself or others. Through a hidden tape recorder, Ramsey discovers his wife Martha, his best friend Edward Dill, and a doctor named Dr. Baldwin are conspiring against him—possibly to have him committed so they can steal his share of a valuable business deal worth a million dollars. George begins investigating the scheme while Ramsey reveals evidence of the deception.
Ramsey's office and home, a decorator's office, and Edward Dill's apartment · George Valentine, Ramsey, Martha, Edward Dill, Dr. Baldwin, Robert
Listen for: The revelation on the tape recorder of Martha's conversation with Edward Dill; George discovering Robert beaten in Ramsey's house; the exposure of the plot to commit Ramsey and steal his business.
Let George Do It: The Iron Hat (1952)
George Valentine receives a letter from Robert Cornelius, owner of the Iron Hat restaurant, asking for help recovering stolen evidence of corruption that was taken from his safe. When one of gangster Hager's hoodlums tries to intimidate George into dropping the case, George suspects Hager is behind the theft and confronts him directly.
The city, including George's office and the Iron Hat restaurant · George Valentine, Miss Brooks, Hager, Robert Cornelius, Miss Madill, Alan Dolan
Listen for: George's encounter with the intimidating hoodlum at his office, his first meeting with restaurant owner Cornelius who reveals the stolen evidence, and his bold confrontation with the gangster Hager about the break-in
Let George Do It: The Last Payoff (1951)
George Valentine is hired by Buster Bartone, an ex-convict, to investigate who ransacked his room while he was knocked unconscious. The only clue is that the intruder was searching for something specific but left behind Buster's valuable wristwatch. As George digs deeper, he uncovers connections to John Logan, a man from Buster's past, and discovers a murder has been committed at the local clay pits.
A small town during a rainstorm, involving Buster's room, John Logan's office and house, and clay pits outside town. · George Valentine, Buster Bartone, John Logan, Mrs. Logan, Mr. Reese, Ms. Brooks, Sheriff
Listen for: The developing mystery of who ransacked Buster's room and what they were searching for, the appearance of Mr. Reese with a threatening message, the murder at the clay pits, and George's discovery that a large man in a dark blue raincoat was seen fleeing the scene.
Let George Do It: The Lie That Came True (1948)
Magazine editor Arnold Loomis writes to private investigator George Valentine with a disturbing confession: he lied to police about being robbed at gunpoint, claiming a man took $1,000 he'd lost at the racetrack. Now an innocent man named Neil Denquist has been arrested for the crime, found with the exact bills Loomis described. Loomis is tormented by his fabrication but fears the truth will destroy his marriage and land him in jail.
A city with a racetrack, police headquarters, and jail cells; George Valentine's office. · George Valentine, Arnold Loomis, Brooksie, Neil Denquist, Francine Denquist, Mrs. Denquist, Lieutenant
Listen for: The ingenious twist that Denquist's false confession was actually meant to provide him an alibi for a far more serious crime—a murder that took place at the exact time he claimed the robbery occurred.
Let George Do It: The Little Man Who Was Everywhere (1948)
George Valentine is hired by Vivian Newcomer, who claims a mysterious little man with thick glasses is stalking her, appearing everywhere she goes and sending threatening notes. George discovers the man is Harry Stearner, whose wife died in a fire at one of Newcomer's apartment buildings in the River Flats, and that several more fires have since broken out in the same dilapidated buildings. As George investigates whether Stearner is responsible for both the harassment and the arsons, he begins to suspect a darker purpose behind the fires than simple revenge.
A city with an old River Flats section containing aging apartment buildings and tenement houses; George's office and various locations around the city · George Valentine, Vivian Newcomer, Harry Stearner, Angel, Mr. Whelton, Lieutenant
Listen for: The unfolding mystery of who is really setting the fires in Newcomer's buildings and whether Stearner's strange behavior masks a more complex scheme
Let George Do It: The Malignant Heart (1948)
George Valentine receives a letter from Edna Pallas, a woman concerned about her millionaire husband Walter's bizarre behavior. Once retired and respectable, Walter has begun stealing from stores, mocking religion, ruining his business partner, and generally acting cruel and obnoxious. Edna asks George to investigate what has caused this dramatic change in her husband's character. George agrees to take the case and travels to the Pallas estate to meet Walter in person.
The Pallas estate and surrounding town, 1948 · George Valentine, Bruxy, Mrs. Edna Pallas, Walter Pallas, Lucy, Chief Hagotty, Lieutenant Riley
Listen for: George's witty banter with his partner Bruxy, Walter Pallas's mockingly cruel behavior, and the mystery of what has caused Walter's dramatic personality change since his retirement
Let George Do It: The Man Behind the Frame (1951)
George Valentine is called to the county jail by a man named Vic Burnett to help a young office clerk named Lawrence Ferguson who has been arrested for the murder of Sally Fife, a woman he met at a bar the night before. Ferguson was found fleeing the scene and has confessed, but Valentine decides to investigate the circumstances surrounding the case.
A county jail and surrounding areas of an unnamed city, where a murder investigation is taking place. · George Valentine, Lawrence Ferguson, Vic Burnett, Lieutenant Johnson, Sally Fife
Listen for: George Valentine's investigation into whether the young clerk actually committed the murder or has been framed, and his questioning of Ferguson's confession.
Let George Do It: The Man From Jaune Cache (HSG) (1951)
George Valentine is hired by Franklin Scott to identify a mysterious man in a white linen suit watching his house. The man claims amnesia and carries a calling card for Jack McDonald, a suicide victim from South America. When Scott's sister Mary arrives to meet her husband Sid Forrest, who was supposedly returning from mining in French Guiana, complications multiply—the ship Forrest traveled on reports he went overboard, but a man matching Forrest's description is already present in the household.
A city with a waterfront, aboard the Golden Drake ship, and Scott's home; the story involves connections to French Guiana and the town of Jaune Cache. · George Valentine, Franklin Jay Scott, Miss Brooks, Mary Forrest, Sidney Forrest, Mr. Amblar, Lieutenant Johnson, Captain Task
Listen for: The clever revelation that Forrest faked his own death by going overboard to escape McDonald's pursuit, and that the suicide note was written after the supposed death—a key detail that unravels the entire mystery.
Let George Do It: The Man Under the Elm Trees (1949)
George Valentine arrives at Mayville College in response to a letter from Del Hankham, who is worried that his sister Tisha, recently widowed and in possession of forty thousand dollars in life insurance money, is being targeted by Rick Stevenson, a smooth-talking jewelry salesman who has recently arrived in town. When George questions the eccentric boarder Skinny Adams about a mysterious man under the elm trees, Adams becomes evasive and paranoid.
Mayville College, a small college town, at Mrs. Packlett's boarding house and its grounds during a holiday weekend. · George Valentine, Del Hankham, Tisha, Rick Stevenson, Mrs. Packlett, Skinny Adams, Miss Brooke
Listen for: The mysterious reference to a man under the elm trees, Skinny Adams' strange behavior and warnings, and the setup of Rick Stevenson's scheme to gain access to Tisha's money.
Let George Do It: The Man Under the Elm Trees (Olan Soule) (1954)
George Valentine arrives in the small college town of Mayville at the request of Del Hannigan, who fears his sister Tisha—a widow with a substantial life insurance settlement—is being manipulated by a smooth-talking boarder named Stevenson who claims to sell jewelry. George poses as a friend visiting the Packler boarding house, where he encounters the eccentric Skinny Adams and begins to investigate Stevenson's true intentions.
Mayville, a small college town during a faculty welcoming picnic at a boarding house. · George Valentine, Del Hannigan, Tisha Packler, Skinny Adams, Stevenson, Mrs. Packler
Listen for: The mysterious boarder Stevenson's background and his relationship with Tisha Packler; the significance of Skinny Adams and his unusual behavior; what Hannigan suspects Stevenson is really after beyond flattery.
Let George Do It: The Marauder (HSG) (1951)
George Valentine arrives at a remote, snowed-in resort owned by the increasingly unhinged Hans Bjorkman, who has become obsessed with hunting a large cat that has been prowling the property. George must figure out what is really happening at this isolated location where tension and fear run high, and everyone seems caught up in Bjorkman's mounting hysteria over the mysterious creature he calls the Marauder.
A small, deserted resort in a mountainous area during a harsh winter with ice and hailstones; the property is isolated and snow-bound. · George Valentine, Hans Bjorkman, Pennock, Olga, Rafe Saxon, Miss Brooks
Listen for: The mysterious cries of the prowling cat that has everyone on edge, and Hans Bjorkman's escalating paranoia and erratic behavior as he obsessively hunts the creature.
Let George Do It: The Meddler (1951)
Sally Riker, a college freshman, visits private investigator George Valentine in distress. She reveals that a mysterious gunshot was fired in Henry Mayhew's home where her mother works as a secretary, followed by a broken window and suspicious behavior from the household members. George agrees to investigate the incident by posing as a handyman to repair the damage and uncover what really happened.
George Valentine's office and the Mayhew home on Fairway Terrace · George Valentine, Sally Riker, Angel, Claire Brooks, Mrs. Riker, Henry Mayhew, Mr. Dwight
Listen for: A mysterious gunshot at a wealthy man's home, a burned chair, a suspicious key found in the garden, and hints of hidden secrets among the household members.
Let George Do It: The Meek Mr. Murch (1948)
Actor Peter Murch, known for playing meek comedic roles, hires private investigator George Valentine to help him overcome his psychological split personality by exposing him to excitement and danger. Murch believes that experiencing real thrills will help him resolve his internal conflict so he can take on a starring role in his next film.
A city with various locations including a vegetarian restaurant, Mark Logan's pool hall and grill, and an amusement park with a tunnel of love ride · George Valentine, Peter Murch, Booksy (George's secretary), Mark Logan, Len Dimick, Jimmy (tunnel operator)
Listen for: The contrast between Murch's mild public persona and his claim to have a violent alter ego; George's attempts to provide him with exciting situations at a pool hall and then at the tunnel of love attraction; mysterious murder references within the tunnel of love
Let George Do It: The Money Maker (1948)
A foreign government's special paper for printing counterfeit currency has been stolen from the Bonded Paper Corporation, and George Valentine is hired to recover it before the thieves can use it. With the help of the police and a reformed informant named Jigger Collins, George must track down Fred Bigelow, a master counterfeiter believed to be behind the theft.
A city with the Bonded Paper Corporation, police headquarters, and the Clam Shell Hotel · George Valentine, Angel Brooks, Martin Kirsch, Lieutenant, Jigger Collins, Fred Bigelow
Listen for: George going undercover as a recently released convict named Arch Sundit to meet the master counterfeiter Fred Bigelow
Let George Do It: The Motif Is Murder (1949)
Private investigator George Valentine receives a letter from someone claiming to have murdered three seemingly unconnected people—a surgeon, a fortune teller, and a diamond cutter—bound together by a mysterious motif. George and Lieutenant Riley set up a phone trace to catch the killer, but when a beautiful model named Honey Evans becomes the next target, events spiral dangerously out of control.
A city with George Valentine's detective office, police headquarters, and apartment buildings; St. Mary's Hospital is mentioned. · George Valentine, Lieutenant Riley, Miss Brooks, Honey Evans, The Killer
Listen for: The mysterious caller's increasingly chilling remarks about the murders and his obsession with a hidden motif connecting the victims; the tense phone conversation setup and Honey Evans' urgent modeling appointment that puts her in danger.
Let George Do It: The Murder of a Mind (1948)
George Valentine receives a desperate letter from Laura Burke, asking him to visit her husband Joe, an old army friend now confined to a sanitarium. Joe returned from an overseas job with an export company in a confused mental state following an explosion, unable to speak or move properly. George and his companion visit Joe at the sanitarium run by the mysterious Dr. Taruk, where something about the situation feels wrong to George.
A sanitarium in a remote valley, and the surrounding area; flashbacks to George's army days and Joe's recent work abroad. · George Valentine, Laura Burke, Joe Burke, Dr. Taruk, Rodney, Dr. Hunter, Brooks
Listen for: George's instincts about the sanitarium and Dr. Taruk; the mystery of Joe's true condition; the suspicious circumstances around the explosion; the significance of the face powder Joe gave to Laura.
Let George Do It: The Mystic (1952)
Rita Morton hires detective George Valentine to investigate Calma the Mystic, a spiritualist who has gained influence over Rita's wealthy aunt Emma Breckenridge through séances. Rita believes Calma is a charlatan preying on her aunt's grief over her deceased husband. George and his assistant Miss Brooks attend a séance at the aunt's home where Calma attempts to prove his supernatural powers by revealing a secret message the late Mr. Breckenridge wrote to his wife.
The séance takes place at Mrs. Emma Breckenridge's home in River Park in the present day, with an earlier scene at George Valentine's office. · George Valentine, Miss Brooks, Rita Morton, Pat Breckenridge, Mrs. Emma Breckenridge, John Chadwick, Martha Hadley, Calma the Mystic
Listen for: The séance conducted by Calma the Mystic and his supposed communication with the deceased Mr. Breckenridge; George Valentine's skeptical observations of the spiritualist's methods.
Let George Do It: The Next to the Last Guest (1949)
George Bellentine, a lawyer, is called to the hotel room of an elderly man named Sternman who is running out of time as his hotel is being torn down. Sternman wants George to help distribute his substantial estate to three worthy recipients: an honest accountant named Henry Freeholder, a proud young boxer called Kid McClint, and his niece Francis O'Neill. George begins visiting these potential beneficiaries to explain Sternman's intentions, but his visit to Kid McClint at a local bar ends violently when the young man attacks him.
A condemned hotel being torn down to make room for a drugstore, and a neighborhood bar · George Bellentine, Sternman, Angel, Francis O'Neill, Henry Freeholder, Kid McClint, Louis the bartender
Listen for: The revelation of why Sternman has chosen these three people and what happens when George tries to inform them of their potential inheritance.
Let George Do It: The Noose Hangs High (1951)
George Valentine is hired by a magazine editor to investigate why two brothers, Jared and Tom Binks, have remained isolated in their house for ten years since an ornithologist named Ansel Fairweather hanged himself there. When George gains entry by posing as a fire inspector, he discovers mysterious nooses tied throughout the house and strange shadows appearing on the walls, suggesting something sinister is occurring behind the locked doors.
The Binks brothers' house at 37 Ashton Street, where an ornithologist named Ansel Fairweather committed suicide ten years earlier. · George Valentine, Tom Binks, Jared Binks, Magazine Editor, Janet
Listen for: The mysterious nooses appearing throughout the house and the shadow of a noose on the stairway wall that the brothers claim they did not tie.
Let George Do It: The Old Style (1950)
Private detective George Valentine is contacted by Jeremiah Stark, an antiquarian who runs a curio shop specializing in artifacts from famous murders. Stark receives an anonymous music box in the mail with a love poem printed on it and a tag bearing tomorrow's date on the bottom—suggesting a murder is planned. Valentine investigates the mysterious sender, a tall graying man Stark saw two days ago, tracing him to Mr. Elmington, a wealthy retired barrel hoop manufacturer.
A curio shop on South Lane, a barber shop, and an apartment building in the city · George Valentine, Jeremiah Stark, Angel, Mr. Elmington, Joe Murphy, Emily Castell, Manicurist
Listen for: The mysterious music box with its sentimental poem, the cryptic date tag predicting murder, and the discovery that links the music box to a young manicurist named Emily Castell
Let George Do It: The Pay-Off Is Murder (1949)
George Valentine is hired by Dara Wyatt to prevent her husband Johnny, a boxer, from throwing Friday's fight against Pat Driscoll. Johnny has been pressured into taking a dive by gangster Douglas Hager, who has taken over the fight rackets. Dara wants her husband to fight honestly instead, even though it means defying powerful criminals who have bet a quarter million dollars on the fix.
A boxing arena and training facilities in an unnamed city; the story centers around a scheduled fight at the Christopher Arena. · George Valentine, Dara Wyatt, Johnny Wyatt, Douglas Hager, Pat Driscoll, Steve Helianis, Brooksie
Listen for: George's attempts to free Johnny from his contract with corrupt manager Helianis and to stand up to gangster Hager's threats; the growing tension as Friday's fight approaches with competing forces trying to control the outcome.
Let George Do It: The Payoff is Murder (1949)
George Valentine receives a letter from Doris Wyatt, whose husband Johnny is a boxer scheduled to fight Pat Driscoll Friday night at Christopher Arena. She wants George to stop Johnny from throwing the fight as arranged by gangster Douglas Hager, fearing her husband will be hurt and trapped in the racket. George agrees to help Johnny win honestly instead, confronting both Hager and Johnny's manager Halianis to free him from their control.
Christopher Arena and surrounding locations including a gymnasium and sanatorium; a boxing world controlled by racketeers · George Valentine, Doris Wyatt, Johnny Wyatt, Douglas Hager, Pat Driscoll, Steve Halianis
Listen for: George's clever maneuvering to break Johnny free from the fixed fight; the tension between Doris's love for her husband and her desperation to escape the criminal underworld; confrontations between George and the gangsters threatening violence.
Let George Do It: The Perfect Alibi (1949)
When a woman claiming to hate her husband asks George Valentine for help, he discovers the man has been arrested for murdering a business associate named Chauncey at the Cedar Crest apartment house. The husband, Pharrell, has no alibi for the shooting, though his wife insists his character proves his innocence. George begins investigating the case with Lieutenant Riley while questions arise about who really killed Chauncey.
A city with the Cedar Crest apartment house; various locations including street corners and a newspaper office · George Valentine, Laurie Farr, Pharrell, Lieutenant Riley, Chauncey, Brooks, Jefferson
Listen for: A murder mystery involving a business dispute, an alibi investigation, and questions about whether the accused man is truly guilty
Let George Do It: The Perfect Specimen (1948)
Dr. Norman Penford receives an anonymous death threat predicting his murder on Tuesday night by shooting. He hires private investigator George Valentine to prevent it. Valentine discovers the doctor has a complicated past: a first wife Jane from whom he's divorced and still paying alimony, and a son Wesley from that marriage who wants nothing to do with him, while his current son Eric seems unaware of his half-brother's existence.
A city with Dr. Penford's home and office in a brownstone house; the story begins when Valentine is hired to protect the doctor from the threatened murder. · George Valentine, Claire Brooks, Dr. Norman Penford, Eric Penford, Jane Penford, Wesley Penford, Lieutenant Riley
Listen for: The mystery of who wrote the death threat and why, the revelation of Dr. Penford's hidden past and estranged son, and what Valentine and the police discover through surveillance of the doctor's activities.
Let George Do It: The Picnic (1946)
George Valentine and his secretary Claire decide to have a picnic in the country with Claire's brother Sonny. They stop at a deserted, boarded-up house and discover a slipper with a note written in orange lipstick claiming someone is being held prisoner inside. Despite Claire's objections, George decides to investigate the mysterious message.
A boarded-up house in the country and its surrounding grounds · George Valentine, Claire, Sonny, An old woman
Listen for: The discovery of the mysterious slipper and note, George's decision to break into the house at nightfall, and the team's exploration of the upper floors
Let George Do It: The Prairie Dog (1951)
George Valentine is called in by Lieutenant Dancing to investigate the murder of Jerry Mace, a private investigator who worked for an independent insurance company. The case connects to a serial criminal known as the Prairie Dog, responsible for multiple robberies and murders across the city. George's investigation leads him to a pawn shop in the seediest part of town, where suspicious activity and a peculiar black safety match suggest a connection to his quarry.
A city with a rough industrial district known as the Prairie, including police headquarters, the streets, and a pawn shop in the seedier section of town. · George Valentine, Lieutenant Dancing, Jerry Mace, Felix, Angel
Listen for: References to the Prairie Dog criminal, clues involving black safety matches and greasy gloves, and the connection between Jerry Mace's insurance investigation and the pawn shop.
Let George Do It: The Problem of Joe Martin (1949)
George Valentine is hired by Señor Stoso to track down Joe Martin, a man who survived a plane crash in South America and refuses to answer letters about a $10,000 settlement from the aircraft company. Valentine travels to Martin's isolated coastal home to deliver the money, but finds the household tense and evasive, with Martin himself mysteriously absent on constant walks.
A house on the coast near a foggy, isolated area; Joe Martin's home · George Valentine, Señor Stoso, Joe Martin, Mrs. Martin, Lawrence Kegley, Douglas Dole, Rick Wind, Brooks
Listen for: The mystery of why Joe Martin avoids contact and refuses the settlement money; the tension in his household and the suspicious behavior of those around him.
Let George Do It: The Public Eye (1951)
George Valentine receives an urgent call from Mrs. Pearson asking him to protect her husband, a prominent public figure, from blackmail. A man named Baines is demanding fifty thousand dollars and threatening to reveal compromising information about an indiscretion involving a woman named Estelle. George agrees to meet the blackmailer, but the situation quickly becomes complicated when he encounters violence.
A city politician's office, a country resort area, and a park bench · George Valentine, Mr. Pearson, Mrs. Pearson, Baines, Chester, Estelle
Listen for: The details of what Pearson did that's being used against him, and what happens when George confronts the blackmailer Baines
Let George Do It: The Robber (1946)
Private investigator George Valentine is called to the Harding bookshop by the widow of an eccentric book dealer who died in his sleep. Mrs. Harding suspects her husband hid money in the shop and believes someone broke in to search for it, possibly her late husband's nephew Frank. Valentine and his assistants begin investigating the mysterious death and the missing money.
The Harding bookshop and surrounding areas in an unnamed city · George Valentine, Claire, Sonny, Mrs. Harriet Harding, Frank, Alice Barry the nurse, Dr. Mark
Listen for: A cryptic clue about Mary and her little lamb that emerges during Valentine's interview with the nurse, setting the stage for a search through the children's book section of the shop.
Let George Do It: The Rose Petal Staircase (1949)
George Valentine receives a cryptic letter from Professor Fulton, a genealogist searching for something in the old Senator Culliver house in the town of Culliver. The house is now inhabited by the senator's two surviving daughters, Claudine and another sister, who have kept a mysterious vigil there for fifteen years since their youngest sister Esther's death. When George arrives at the decaying mansion with its famous rose petal-colored marble staircase, he discovers a disturbing secret hidden within its walls.
The Senator Culliver house in the town of Culliver, a decaying mansion dominated by a marble staircase the color of faded rose petals · George Valentine, Professor Fulton, Claudine, Esther (deceased), Johnny (cab driver), Hubert
Listen for: The mystery of what Professor Fulton was searching for in the house, the secret surrounding Esther's death fifteen years ago, and the dark truth the two sisters have been guarding
Let George Do It: The Roundabout Murder (1949)
George Valentine receives a letter from Arnold Kyle, who admits to giving poisoned whiskey to Cleo Dawson but claims he didn't murder her. When Valentine investigates, Kyle's story centers on a mysterious stranger named Walt at Donovan's tavern who gave him the bottle. As Valentine digs deeper, he encounters radio commentator Wayne Medford, who offers to finance the investigation in exchange for dramatizing the case on his program.
A city with Donovan's tavern, a cheap hotel, a police office, and George Valentine's office. · George Valentine, Arnold Kyle, Lieutenant, Miss Brooks, Cleo Dawson, Walt, Charlie Drake, Wayne Medford
Listen for: The mysterious stranger Walt in the leather jacket with the studded belt, and what connection Wayne Medford's interest in the case might reveal.
Let George Do It: The Scream of the Eagle (1950)
George Valentine is hired to protect an heiress named Matilda Jonathan from a ruthless lawyer named McNeil who plans to swindle her out of a five-million-dollar inheritance. However, George discovers that Matilda drowned over a year and a half ago, and her body was never found. Now a young woman named Irma has appeared claiming to be Matilda, recovered from amnesia, but multiple imposters are also staking claims to the fortune.
A lawyer's office in the city, with references to a mountain town and a lake where Matilda supposedly drowned. · George Valentine, Jameson, Mr. McNeil, Irma, Johnny, Fernandez, Broxton, James P. O'Meara
Listen for: George investigates whether Irma is the real Matilda Jonathan by checking for identifying marks and evidence. A sailor named Fernandez is brought in to identify her, but he's killed by a hit-and-run truck before he can do so. George discovers scratches on Fernandez's arms from handling birds, connecting him to falconry and Matilda's past.
Let George Do It: The Seven Dead Years (1948)
George Valentine takes on a case for investigator Samuels, who believes a man named McLean murdered his wife seven years ago, though the body was never found. With the seven-year legal period for declaring someone dead approaching, Samuels wants George to pose as a model for McLean, a sculptor, to get close to him and uncover the truth. George begins to suspect that McLean's wife may still be alive, waiting out the seven years so they can collect insurance and disappear together.
A sculptor's studio in a town called Portister, and George's office. · George Valentine, Miss Brooks, Samuels, McLean, Nana Kenyon
Listen for: The clever setup of George going undercover as a model while suspecting the wife might be alive; the discussion of how difficult it is to dispose of a body; George's plan to use a newspaper gossip column to flush out Mrs. McLean.
Let George Do It: The Seven Murder (1948)
George Valentine investigates a puzzling case when a man named Neil Denquist confesses to robbing banker Lomas, despite Lomas later admitting he fabricated the entire robbery story. As George digs deeper, he discovers that Denquist may be taking the blame for a crime to create an alibi for something far more sinister that occurred at the same time.
A city police station, Lomas's home, the county jail, and the streets of the city · George Valentine, Lomas, Neil Denquist, Mrs. Francine Denquist, Miss Brooks, Lieutenant Riley, John Hafie
Listen for: The clever revelation that Denquist's false confession masks a connection to a murder investigation; the irony of Lomas's fabricated robbery story exposing a real crime.
Let George Do It: The Silent Waterfall (1950)
George Valentine receives an urgent summons from a mysterious woman named Dora Duncan to visit her home at Waterfall House on South River Road. When George and his assistant arrive that evening, they discover that Dora, a recently returned traveler from India, has disappeared under puzzling circumstances, last seen in a small dollhouse by the river near a waterfall.
Waterfall House on South River Road, a country estate with a fireplace, hunting trophies, and a small dollhouse by a river with a waterfall nearby. · George Valentine, Booksy, Dora Duncan, Cynthia, Jake Mannering, Everett Stone
Listen for: The mysterious circumstances of Dora's disappearance and why she summoned George to her home in the first place.
Let George Do It: The Smugglers (1948)
George Valentine is contacted by Laura Burke, the wife of an old army friend, to help her husband Joe who has returned from working in Egypt in a catatonic state following an industrial accident. George and his assistant Brooks visit Joe at a sanitarium run by Dr. Taruk, where something seems increasingly suspicious about Joe's condition and the circumstances surrounding his deterioration.
A sanitarium in a valley, run by an export company called Kesting Limited; California · George Valentine, Brooks, Laura Burke, Joe Burke, Dr. Taruk, Rodney, Mr. Kesting
Listen for: George's growing suspicions about Dr. Taruk's motives and Joe's true condition; a mysterious car accident on the way from the sanitarium; Laura's desperation and the strange details of Joe's breakdown
Let George Do It: The Spider and the Fly (1950)
George Valentine receives a letter from Mrs. Ponsonby, an upset newcomer to Oakview County, asking for his help investigating her mysterious neighbors at the Barker estate. She claims they've nearly caused her death by tearing up a road and behaving strangely. When George and his partner visit the property, they discover the truth behind the family's seclusion: Emmy Lunsford, now living there with Frederick, was once in love with Frederick when he was married to her best friend Francis, and she's now reclaimed both the house and the man after Francis's death.
The Barker estate in Oakview County, a secluded honeymoon cottage surrounded by high walls and fences. · George Valentine, Mrs. Ponsonby, Mary, Emmy Lunsford, Jeffrey Barker, Frederick Lunsford
Listen for: The revelation of Emmy's long-held secret love and her reunion with Frederick after his first wife's death; Mrs. Ponsonby's gossipy concerns being exposed as meddling.
Let George Do It: The Spirit World (1948)
Private investigator George Valentine is hired by Gilbert Dressler, a desperate man recently returned from ten years in the desert, to investigate the influence of Madam Margot, a spiritualist medium who claims to contact the dead. Dressler fears that Margot's séances are draining his fiancée Gabrielle of her money and sanity following the death of Gabrielle's mother, Mrs. Turner. George and his partner Brooksie visit Margot's parlor to assess whether she is a genuine medium or a clever fraud operating an elaborate con.
A spiritualist medium's parlor in the city, filled with exotic furnishings, crystal balls, and occult paraphernalia; also flashbacks to George's past in North Africa. · George Valentine, Brooksie, Gilbert Dressler, Madam Margot, Haseem, Margot's assistant, Gabrielle Turner, Vida Paterson, Gabrielle's aunt
Listen for: George's skeptical investigation into Margot's methods, Margot's attempts to impress with her supposed psychic knowledge, and the growing tension between the séance participants.
Let George Do It: The Stand-In (1952)
George Valentine is knocked unconscious in an alley while following a mysterious man who has been watching him and his secretary Miss Brooks. He wakes in a wealthy household where he discovers he's been mistaken for Paul Gibson, a man recently arrived from Australia. Paul's stepsister Gloria has decided to marry him for his inheritance, and she's enlisted his lookalike to help with some unknown scheme.
George's office, a restaurant, city streets and alley, and the Gibson family home · George Valentine, Miss Brooks, Gloria Bradley, Paul Gibson, Emily, Henry
Listen for: George's confusion upon waking and his discovery that someone has arranged for him to pose as Paul Gibson; the revelation of Gloria's plan to marry Paul for his fortune
Let George Do It: The Starlight Pier (1952)
Private investigator George Valentine is hired by Ike Mannis, owner of the Starlight Pier amusement zone, to investigate a series of sabotage incidents. Two accidents involving the Ferris wheel and tunnel of love ride have occurred on consecutive Fridays, each carefully tampered with by someone knowledgeable about carnival machinery, threatening to ruin Mannis's business as customers stay away in fear.
Starlight Pier amusement zone, featuring various rides including a Ferris wheel, tunnel of love, and carousel. · George Valentine, Ike Mannis, Miss Brooks, Ned Parker, Wheels, Zelda
Listen for: George investigates the sabotaged rides and questions the pier's workers, while a fortune teller named Zelda warns him of danger ahead.
Let George Do It: The Symbol Three (1952)
George Valentine receives a desperate call from Mrs. Laswell, whose husband has been plagued by mysterious accidents ever since a sinister voice telephoned her two weeks ago, whispering cryptically about "Symbol Three, the key to destiny." Two accidents have already occurred—the death of her husband's dog and a car crash involving their chauffeur—with the voice promising a third and final accident. George agrees to investigate and uncover the truth behind these seemingly impossible incidents.
The Laswell home and surrounding areas in an unnamed city. · George Valentine, Mrs. Laswell, Martin Laswell, Johnny Givens
Listen for: The mysterious telephone voice predicting accidents; George's investigation into the chauffeur's unexplainable car crash; the revelation of what Symbol Three truly means.
Let George Do It: The Tears of Sorrow (1950)
George Valentine arrives at Stillman's Last Chance, a remote desert motel, to help a traveling salesman who was mysteriously beaten and warned to stop asking questions. Upon investigation, George discovers that Charlie, a cook at the motel, has died under suspicious circumstances, and a valuable silver casket lies hidden in his locked room. As George questions the motel's inhabitants about Charlie's death and the casket's contents, he uncovers motives rooted in greed and jealousy among those at the establishment.
Stillman's Last Chance, a remote motel and bar in the desert near the California-Arizona-New Mexico border. · George Valentine, Guthrie, Max Stillman, Lucy, Charlie, Doctor, The Cook
Listen for: The mystery of what killed Charlie and who knew about the valuable silver casket hidden in his room.
Let George Do It: The Treasure Of Millie's Wharf (1950)
George Valentine receives a letter from Millie, a woman living in a quiet coastal town, who claims her parrot found a mysterious map marked with an X pointing to an underwater location. When George arrives to investigate, he discovers that a stranger named Dr. Labor recently visited the town, obtained a boat, and mysteriously departed by ship. George pursues Labor to uncover what treasure or secret lies beneath the waters near Millie's Wharf.
Millie's Wharf, a quiet coastal town with shallow bay waters, islands, and sandy shores where Spanish ships once sailed. · George Valentine, Millie, Cupid (parrot), Uriah James, Dr. Labor, Captain (ship captain), Mac
Listen for: A mysterious map with an X marking an underwater location, a parrot who steals secrets, and a stranger who vanishes by sea.
Let George Do It: The Treasure of Millie's Wharf (1950)
George Valentine arrives at Millie's Wharf after Millie writes to him about a mysterious map her parrot found, marked with an X that points to a location underwater near the historical islands. When someone shoots at the bird, George realizes others are after the same treasure and must track down a mysterious stranger named Dr. Labor who rented a boat the night before and is now heading out to sea.
Millie's Wharf, a small coastal town on the Bay of Islands with a history of Spanish galleons and buried treasure legends. · George Valentine, Millie, Cupid (Millie's parrot), Uriah James, Dr. Labor, A large man on the beach
Listen for: The mystery deepens as George pursues Dr. Labor across the sand dunes and discovers a ship waiting offshore with a crew loading water tanks, suggesting a larger operation at work.
Let George Do It: The Ugly Duckling (1950)
George Valentine is hired by music patron Yasha Hardwick to investigate the troubled marriage of composer Edmund Salter and his wife Mary. Mary devoted her career to supporting Edmund, a wealthy but cold and self-absorbed composer, only to find herself exhausted and unhappy. When Edmund suddenly dies, George begins to uncover suspicious details about his death and the various people who stood to gain from it.
The Salter home and surrounding town, 1950. · George Valentine, Miss Brooks, Yasha Hardwick, Mary Salter, Edmund Salter, Dr. Robinson, Diane Luskin, Mrs. Rapple
Listen for: A mystery surrounding the death of a famous but unlikeable composer, with questions about whether Edmund Salter's death was natural or caused by an overdose of medicine.
Let George Do It: The Violent Van Pattens (1952)
Private investigator George Valentine and his secretary Miss Brooks are summoned to Foghorn Island by a woman named Leader Van Patten, who mentions a family curse of violence born from the sea and the island's isolation. Valentine arrives to find that Leader's niece Lita has secretly married a man named Jim Simmons against her wealthy uncle Captain Van Patten's wishes, and Valentine has been hired to deliver this difficult news to the temperamental patriarch.
Foghorn Island, a remote private island that was once home to a lighthouse, now inhabited by the Van Patten family in an old lighthouse building · George Valentine, Miss Brooks, Leader Van Patten, Max, Rachel, Lita Simmons, Jim Simmons, Lloyd Rankin
Listen for: The sabotaged boat that prevents Valentine's escape from the island, and Captain Van Patten's surprisingly pleasant reaction to learning of his niece's secret marriage
Let George Do It: The Violent Van Pattons (1952)
George Valentine and his associate Miss Brooks arrive at Foghorn Island to help Lita Van Patten announce her secret marriage to Jim Simmons to her uncle, the Captain. What seemed like a simple errand becomes complicated when the Captain's volatile temper and family tensions threaten to derail the happy news, and someone sabotages the boat's engine, stranding everyone on the island.
Foghorn Island, a remote island with an old lighthouse, home to the Van Patten family. · George Valentine, Miss Brooks, Captain Van Patten, Lita Van Patten Simmons, Jim Simmons, Rachel Van Patten, Max, Lloyd Rankin
Listen for: The mystery of who sabotaged the boat engine and what dangerous secrets the volatile Van Patten family harbors.
Let George Do It: The Voice of the Giant (1950)
George Valentine is hired to investigate the mysterious situation at an old manor house where a young woman named Charlotte has suddenly demanded an annulment from her new husband Walter Stanton just two weeks after a hastily arranged wedding. When George arrives, he finds Charlotte withdrawn and her father recently deceased, while an enormous nine-foot-tall clock—the titular Giant—dominates the household and hasn't stopped running for three centuries.
A country manor house with a collection of clocks, including a massive nine-foot-tall clock called the Giant; a small train station and neighboring farm in the countryside. · George Valentine, Charlotte, Walter Stanton, Uncle Kyle, Charlotte's father
Listen for: The explanation for Charlotte's sudden annulment demand and the mysterious circumstances surrounding her father's death and the family's obsession with time and clocks.
Let George Do It: The White Elephant (1950)
George Valentine receives a mysterious letter from Alice May Edmond, a reclusive woman living in a sprawling 42-room mansion called the White Elephant. She offers him $1,000 to catch her murderer, and when George visits her home to investigate, someone poisons her milk right before his eyes. Now George must uncover who among her scheming relatives wants her dead and out of the valuable property.
The White Elephant, a large old-fashioned 42-room mansion in the commercial district, number one bar Salamu Square. · George Valentine, Alice May Edmond, Doctor, Steve (Alice's brother), Cousin Yule, Jensen (servant), Molly (Irish servant girl from the past)
Listen for: The mystery of who tried to poison Alice Edmond and why her relatives are so eager to get her out of the house; the significance of the song 'Molly Brannigan' and the Irish servant girl from twenty years ago.
Let George Do It: The Witch of Mill Hollow (1950)
When a fire destroys the old mill in Mill Hollow, a woman's body is found in the ruins—Miss Abby, the town's piano teacher who has recently acquired a sinister reputation. George Valentine arrives to investigate whether her death was accidental or something more deliberate, as he discovers that Miss Abby's behavior changed dramatically about a year ago, leading townspeople to whisper about witchcraft and curse her with suspicion.
Mill Hollow, a small town in 1950, centered around the local fire department, Miss Abby's home, and the burnt remains of the old mill. · George Valentine, Salas Oric, Mr. Stern, Mr. Brooks, Doc Ransom, Miss Abby
Listen for: The mystery of how Miss Abby's reputation transformed from beloved piano teacher to feared figure, and whether her strange behavior and cryptic pronouncements made her a target for revenge or merely mark her death as tragic accident.
Let George Do It: The Wolf Pack (1948)
George Valentine receives a letter from Emily asking him to help her friend Eddie Prokosh, a sixteen-year-old boy being released from a work camp after serving time for being caught in a stolen car. Emily fears Eddie will turn to crime to prove everyone's low expectations of him correct. George investigates Eddie's case, talking to Emily, Eddie's estranged father, and a local political organizer, while also learning of a neighborhood troublemaker named Stan Lucas who may have played a role in Eddie's troubles.
Chelsea Square Park and neighborhood in the city · George Valentine, Ruxie, Emily, Eddie Prokosh, Mr. Prokosh, Mr. Morris, Stan Lucas
Listen for: George's investigation into Eddie's past and the mysterious role of Stan Lucas in the stolen car incident; Eddie's pride and resistance to help after his father disowned him.
Let George Do It: The Woman in Black (1951)
George Valentine is hired by Gladys Jenkins, a press agent who resurrected the career of a mysterious charlatan called Gregory. Now Gladys fears she has made a terrible mistake, as Gregory has returned to his old temple and begun taking on clients again. She is terrified of him and wants to quit her job, but Gregory refuses to let her leave. George investigates the situation at Gregory's deserted mansion to uncover what Gregory is truly up to.
A deserted mansion converted into a temple, a city neighborhood, and various indoor locations · George Valentine, Gladys Jenkins, JJ Cleary, Gregory, Brooks, A woman in black
Listen for: The mysterious atmosphere surrounding Gregory's return to his fraudulent spiritual business, Gladys's escalating fear of her former client, and hints of Gregory's sinister intentions toward those around him.
Let George Do It: The Woman in Black (aka-Lady In Black) (1951)
Press agent Gladys Jenkins resurrects the reputation of Gregory, a once-famous but washed-up crystal ball reader, to make money from his comeback. Now a mysterious Woman in Black visits Gregory repeatedly, a skeptical writer who threatened to expose the fraud lies hospitalized with claw wounds, and Gladys finds herself unable to quit despite her growing fear of what Gregory may actually be capable of doing.
Gregory's old deserted castle-like house, recently reopened as a spiritual temple in California · George Valentine, Gladys Jenkins, Gregory, The Woman in Black, Joe Brady
Listen for: The mystery of the Woman in Black and what Gregory's true powers might be; the explanation for Joe Brady's mysterious injuries; whether George can help Gladys escape her situation.
Let George Do It: There Ain't No Justice
George Valentine is called to the small town of Melody by Abner, who's locked in the sheriff's office after a jail fire. A prisoner died in the fire under mysterious circumstances, and Abner fears he'll be killed if he reveals what he knows. George investigates the dead man's identity and the circumstances surrounding his death, suspecting foul play by the corrupt police chief McNabb.
Melody, a small town in the Valley, primarily at the sheriff's office and jail · George Valentine, Abner, Hank, Police Chief McNabb, Brooks
Listen for: The mystery of why a prisoner died before the jail fire, the corrupt practices of Police Chief McNabb, and whether the fire was deliberately set to cover up evidence of a crime
Let George Do It: There Ain't No Justice (HSG Syndication) (1952)
George Valentine receives a desperate call from a man named Abner, who is locked in the sheriff's office in the small town of Melody after a jail fire. Abner claims a prisoner died before the fire started, not in it, and hints that the local police chief is involved in covering up the death. George and his secretary Brooksy drive to investigate the mysterious death of an unknown man.
Melody, a small town in the valley with a jail that recently burned down; the Sheriff's office. · George Valentine, Brooksy, Abner, Hank, Chief McNabb, Sergeant
Listen for: A man's cryptic phone call reporting a prisoner's death before a jail fire; accusations of police corruption; George's investigation into whether the death was murder covered up by arson.
Let George Do It: Three Times and Out (1952)
George Valentine is hired by Lawrence Sage, a wealthy businessman who has survived two murder attempts: a bomb planted in his car and poison added to his milk. As George investigates the household staff, he uncovers secrets about both Frederick, the chauffeur who is on parole through Sage's custody, and Mrs. Hastings, the longtime housekeeper who stands to lose her inheritance when Sage revises his will.
Lawrence Sage's home and office in the city · George Valentine, Lawrence Sage, Mrs. Sage, Frederick, Mrs. Hastings, Dr. Van
Listen for: George's investigation into who is trying to kill his client and what motives the household staff might have for the murder attempts
Let George Do It: Till Death Do Us Part (1949)
George Valentine is hired by Lydia Tarbell to investigate her sister Edie's new husband, Cliff LeVire, a charming younger man and former dancer whom Lydia suspects married Edie only for her money. George travels to the beach to confront LeVire, and shortly after arriving at the Tarbell house, a flower box nearly kills George on the balcony, leading Lydia to accuse Cliff of attempted murder.
The Tarbell house on a hill overlooking the bay, near the beach; a foggy evening. · George Valentine, Miss Brooks, Max, Lydia Tarbell, Cliff LeVire, Edie LeVire, Damien
Listen for: The tension between Lydia's suspicions about Cliff's motives and Edie's defense of her new husband; the mysterious falling flower box that nearly kills George.
Let George Do It: Too Near the Sky (1949)
George Valentine receives a mysterious letter from Sonia Belsing asking him and his sister Claire to pose as relatives at a penthouse party on the 32nd floor of the Hargrove building. Once they arrive, they discover the party is actually much smaller than expected, with only a few guests gathered in this high-rise location. Sonia hints that murder is involved in her request for George's help, but refuses to explain the details until they meet in person.
The Hargrove building in the city, particularly the 31st and 32nd floors (executive offices and penthouse), late at night. · George Valentine, Claire (his sister), Sonia Belsing, Vivian Hargrove, Eric Sims, Rob Munningo, Peter Cannon
Listen for: The mysterious circumstances surrounding Sonia's cryptic warning about murder; the tension between the guests at the penthouse party; hints about why George and Claire were really summoned to this isolated location high above the city.
Let George Do It: Tune on a Triangle (1951)
George Valentine is tricked into a publicity stunt by press agent Jerry Briskin involving circus aerialist Estella Tigris. When George rescues the woman from a ledge, he gets caught up in a dangerous love triangle involving Estella, her jealous husband Fador, and her current partner Ferelli. Before George can untangle himself from the mess, Estella is murdered in her dressing trailer, and both men become suspects.
A circus with big top, trailers, and animal enclosures in an unnamed city. · George Valentine, Briskin, Estella Tigris, Fador, Ferelli, Lieutenant Johnson, Brooks
Listen for: The rescue scene from a ledge with George talking down a woman in danger, and the investigation that follows as George pieces together a murder plot involving a love triangle and stolen jewelry.
Let George Do It: Uncle Harry's Bones (1951)
Private investigator George Valentine is called to a remote rural area by Sophie Strudivant, who fears that an uncle may not be who he claims to be. When a skeleton is discovered in the lake, George must determine whether the bones belong to the real Uncle Harry, who disappeared five years ago, or someone else entirely.
A rural area near Looney Bend, around the Strudivant property and surrounding farms · George Valentine, Miss Brooks, Sophie Strudivant, Doc Sellers, Ham Lincoln, Douglas Kent, Sheriff
Listen for: A mystery involving mistaken identity and a skeleton pulled from a lake, with questions about whether the bones belong to the missing Uncle Harry or an imposter.
Let George Do It: Under the River (1948)
George Valentine, a private investigator, is hired by William Kane, president of Kane and Bauer's tunnel construction company, to investigate mysterious accidents plaguing their tunnel project beneath a river. Kane suspects his partner Jim Bowers may be sabotaging the work to force the company to lose the job to a rival firm, Cameron Construction, which has made Bowers a lucrative offer. George and his secretary Brooksie go undercover as a reporter and photographer to investigate the tunnel operation.
A tunnel construction site beneath a river, with offices above ground and the tunnel operation below. · George Valentine, Brooksie (George's secretary), William Kane, Jim Bowers, Sanders, Charlie, Hagen, Young Davis
Listen for: The clash between the two partners as accidents continue to plague the tunnel project; George's investigation into whether Bowers is deliberately causing the mishaps.
Let George Do It: Under the River (aka Tunnel Project) (1948)
George Valentine is hired by William Kane, president of Kane and Bauer's tunnel construction company, to investigate mysterious accidents plaguing their tunnel project under a river. Kane suspects his partner Jim Bowers is sabotaging the work to force the company to lose the contract to the rival Cameron Construction Company, who has made Bowers an attractive job offer. George and his secretary Brooks pose as a reporter and photographer to gain access to the tunnel and investigate.
A tunnel construction site beneath a river, with the main action taking place in the tunnel itself and at the construction company offices above. · George Valentine, Brooks, William Kane, Jim Bowers, Sanders, Charlie, Hagen, Davis
Listen for: The pressure of working deep underwater, the camaraderie and tension between the two partners, and mounting evidence of deliberate sabotage on the job site.
Let George Do It: Valley Sunset (1949)
Private investigator George Valentine arrives at Valley Sunset Winery in California after receiving a mysterious letter from fourteen-year-old Rachel Agagenic, who fears her uncle Joseph and brother Demetro may kill each other. George discovers the family is torn by secrets: Joseph has taken the blame for a hit-and-run accident involving a man named Sudsy and paid $20,000 to a racketeer named Ty Wendell for blackmail. When Wendell is murdered that afternoon, suspicion falls on young Silvio, whose letter confessing to theft was meant to control his movements.
Valley Sunset Winery near Fresno, California, in September · George Valentine, Rachel Agagenic, Joseph Agagenic, Silvio Agagenic, Demetro Agagenic, Ty Wendell, Sudsy, Sheriff Simpson
Listen for: The poetic, old-world Eastern European patriarch Joseph wrestling with family loyalty and honor; George untangling blackmail, hit-and-run accidents, and murder; the revelation that Joseph tore up the incriminating letter before his fatal stroke.
Let George Do It: Vultures on the Wing (1949)
George Valentine is hired to retrieve a briefcase containing priceless paintings by Sebastian Zundud that were lost during the Nazi occupation. The plan involves a woman swapping the briefcase in a powder room while George waits in the lobby, but multiple dangerous parties—including the mysterious Jim Fowler and other interested collectors—are also after the paintings.
A hotel lobby and powder room in what appears to be a contemporary American city. · George Valentine, Mrs. Burnett, Mick, Jim Fowler, Van Brokeland
Listen for: The tense negotiations over the valuable paintings, George's confrontations with multiple rivals seeking the briefcase, and the escalating danger as various parties close in on the exchange.
Let George Do It: War Maneuver (1952)
George Valentine investigates when a young woman named Laura Gillespie is killed and her body is found under a car belonging to Simon Palcheck, a gentle man who works at Thornton's toy factory. The evidence suggests Palcheck has been framed for the murder, and George must uncover the real culprit before the innocent man is convicted.
A city with a police station, toy factory, import-export business, and various streets including Manson Street · George Valentine, Mrs. Fenton, Miss Brooks, Simon Palcheck, Lieutenant Johnson, Sergeant, Laura Gillespie, Mr. Gillespie
Listen for: George's investigation reveals that Laura Gillespie's death was a deliberate frame-up rather than an accident, with clues pointing to her workplace and connections to the toy factory and import business.
Let George Do It: What's Become of Terry Cable (HSG) (1951)
When Shorty McGowan finds his friend Terry Cable's watch in a pawn shop, he becomes worried about what has happened to the man. George Valentine takes on the case to discover why Cable disappeared from the neighborhood, working through Cable's former employer, local business owners, and eventually uncovering Cable's true occupation.
A city with warehouses, a pub on the east side, and various businesses including a gambling establishment run by Loose Sprinkle. · George Valentine, Shorty McGowan, Fat Williams, Mr. Manx, Mr. Everett
Listen for: The gradual revelation that Terry Cable is not the person everyone assumes him to be, and George's realization that Cable's mysterious behavior and disappearance have an innocent explanation.
Let George Do It: Who Is Sylvia (1948)
George Valentine receives a desperate letter from Leslie Graham, asking him to discover whether Graham's beautiful wife Sylvia loves him or is involved with another man. When George visits the Graham household, he finds a tense domestic situation with the arrival of a handsome visitor named Tom Vickers. George's investigation into Sylvia's past reveals a troubling pattern that raises dark questions about her character and intentions.
The Graham household and George Valentine's office, 1948 · George Valentine, Miss Brooks, Leslie Graham, Sylvia Graham, Tom Vickers, Lieutenant Riley
Listen for: The revelation of Sylvia's mysterious past, the tense confrontation between Leslie and Sylvia, and the surprising turn of events that ends the case
Let George Do It: Your Money or Your Life (1949)
George Valentine receives a desperate letter from Fred Dundee, who admits to stealing money to pay off a debt to Phil Pagano, a loan shark working for Douglas Harger. Fred wants George to expose Harger's criminal racket. George takes the case for free and confronts Harger at his Melody Club, extracting $350 from him. When the police prove unhelpful, George and his assistant Miss Brooks devise a plan to get closer to Pagano by having Brooks pose as a woman in need of money.
A city with the Melody Club, Molly's Cafe on Pierpont Street, and various other locations including a police station and Pagano's apartment. · George Valentine, Fred Dundee, Miss Brooks, Douglas Harger, Phil Pagano, Lieutenant Riley
Listen for: The clever confrontation between George and Harger at the club, and the developing scheme to trap Pagano through Miss Brooks's impersonation.