Who were Messrs. Crippen & Landru?

Our name immortalizes the memory of two gentlemen who, for reasons definitely within their control, are no longer with us.

Dr. H. H. Crippen (1862-1910) was born in Michigan, but became famous for his activities in England. A patent medicine salesman married to Cora Turner, who used the stage name of "Belle Elmore," he took a mistress named Ethel Le Neve. Cora/Belle disappeared, and when Ethel began wearing her jewelry and furs, Scotland Yard's Inspector Dew was called in. Crippen and Le Neve fled on ship toward America, and Belle's body was soon found in the cellar. Dew took a faster ship, and captured the suspects. Crippen was found guilty of murder and hanged at Pentonville Prison on November 23, 1910. Le Neve was acquitted.


Henri Landru (1870-1922) was the Frenchman who placed seven advertisements about "widower with comfortable income ... desires to meet widow with a view to matrimony." His view was rather different than he let on. He received nearly 300 replies, and between 1915 and 1919 murdered 10 of his "wives." He kept a notebook detailing the wealth of the missing women, whose bodies he had burned in his stove. He was guillotined on February 25, 1922.

Location of the Gallows/Noose

Our logo, paying tribute to the hanged Crippen but not to the guillotined Landru, is not the only gallows or noose on our books. Each front cover has such a device worked into the design. Some are obvious, some not. We trust your sense of honor not to read further until you have taken a magnifying glass to your copies of the following books:

Speak of the Devil. The gallows is one of the four objects surrounding the young woman.
The McCone Files. Two gallows, both in the stitching of the pockets of the jeans.
Diagnosis: Impossible. The noose is hanging from the shoulders of the hooded man.
The Darings of the Red Rose. Two gallows, both in the grill on the automobile.
Spadework. Probably the hardest to find of all. A noose extends as a shadow from the right hand of the corpse.
Who Killed Father Christmas? The gallows is in the window behind the expired Santa.
My Mother, The Detective. It seems that the knife has been used for more than just carving the chicken. The blood trailing from it forms the noose.
In Kensington Gardens Once... Since the drawing was commissioned by the British co-publishers, we couldn't add the gallows or a noose, but the lines on the pediment above the central arch resemble a gallows. Don't they? Please say yes.
Shoveling Smoke. The noose is hanging from the sword.
The Man Who Hated Banks. If you miss this one, you need to hone your sleuthing skills. The noose covers the right hand side of the cover.
The Ripper of Storyville. The noose is hanging from the steamboat.
Do Not Exceed the Stated Dose. The gallows is in the vapor beneath the butler's gloved hand. (There is also a skull and crossbones in the vapor.)
Renowned Be Thy Grave. The gallows is on Bridget’s handkerchief.
Carpenter and Quincannon. The gallows is on the skull cap of the corpse of the Tong leader.
Not Safe After Dark. The gallows is on the lower right hand corner.
The Concise Cuddy. The gallows is on one of the tombstones.
One Night Stands. The gallows is on one of the woman's shoes.
All Creatures Dark and Dangerous. The gallows is above Franken Kat's nose.
Famous Blue Raincoat. The gallows is in the painting on the wall.
The Tragedy of Errors. The gallows is the victim's earring.
McCone and Friends. Several gallows appear on the grill of the jukebox.
Challenge The Widow-Maker. The gallows is on the shirt of the trumpet-player.
The Velvet Touch. The tip of the snake's tail forms the noose.
Fortune's World. The gallows forms a rainy reflection in the street.
Tales Out of School. The gallows is in a window.
Long Live the Dead. The gallows is in the carpet.
Stakeout on Page Street. The end of the gypsy's belt forms a noose.
Strangers in Town. The noose is in a window on the left.
The Celestial Buffet. The noose hangs from the grapes.
Kisses of Death.. The gallows is on the handle of the gun.
The Old Spies Club. The noose hangs from the fez.
The Sedgemoor Strangler. The noose forms an anklet on the corpse.
The Curious Conspiracy. The noose hangs from a wine bottle.
Adam and Eve on a Raft. The gallows is on the raft.
The Reluctant Detective. The noose hangs from the CID man's walkie talkie.
The Lost Cases of Ed London. The noose hangs from the window shade.
Nine Sons. The gallows is on the cover of the book carried by one of the two women.
The Newtonian Egg. The noose hangs from the author’s name.
Murder, Mystery and Malone. The noose is in the smoke.
The 13 Culprits. The noose hangs from “p” in “Coupables.”
The Sleuth of Baghdad. The noose hangs from the wall.
Hildegarde Withers. The noose hangs from the edge of the desk.
The Dark Snow. The noose decorates the front of the snowmobile.
The Spotted Cat. The noose hangs in front of the 3 people to the right.
Jo Gar's Casebook. The gallows is on the right–hand picture on the wall.
Come Into My Parlor. There are several nooses on the base of the post and bannisters.
The Iron Angel. The noose hangs from the iron angels hand.
Marksman. The noose hangs from the lampshade.
Karmesin. The gallows is on the shore of the Thames in front of the Tower of London.
Cuddy - Plus One. The gallows is picked out in the lights of the building.
Problems Solved. A telephone pole on the bottom left is actually a gallows.
The Complete Curious Mr. Tarrant. The noose is in the grill of the radio.
A Killing Climate. The noose hangs from the truck’s grill.
The Pleasant Assassin. The noose is on the front of the church.
Lucky Dip. The gallows is in the woman’s hair.
Murder All Kinds. The gallows is a shadow on the red jacket.
Kill the Umpire. The bloody noose is dripping from the bat on the upper right.
Suitable for Hanging. The gallows is on the dog tag.
The Avenging Chance. The noose is in the leaves above the dagger.
Murders and Other Confusions. The noose is in the architectural border on the right.
Banner Deadlines. The noose is on the "capital" of the pillar on the left, above the woman's head.
The Danger Zone. The noose is in the window of the car in the background.
Dr. Poggioli: Criminologist. The gallows is on a shelf to the right.
Byline Mickey Spillane. The gallows is a shadow against the file cabinet.
The Couple Next Door. The noose hangs from the window in the cupola to the right.
Sleuth’s Alchemy. Gail Cross included 2 nooses: the corn dolly is hanging from a gallows, and there is a noose on the post on the left.
Who Was Guilty?. The noose is hanging from the “W” in “Who”.
Sleuth’s Alchemy. The noose is hanging from the pier.
The Adventure of the Murdered Moths. The noose is part of the design on the moth’s wing.
Slot-Machine Kelly. The noose is on the collar of Slot-Machine’s jacket.
Murder, Ancient and Modern. The noose hangs from the “R” in one of the words “Murder” in the background.
The Detections of Francis Quarles. The noose hangs from Quarles' clasped hands.
The Evidence of the Sword. The noose is on a wine flagon.
The Casebook of Sidney Zoom. The gallows is on the boat deck.
More Things Impossible. The noose is in the clouds.
Murder, ’Orrible Murder. The gallows is on Didier’s napkin over his arm.
The Trinity Cat. The gallows is on the wall.
The Verdict of Us All. The noose is hanging from the glasses.
The Grandfather Rastin Mysteries. The gallows is on the twenty dollar bill.
The Archer Files. The gallows is on the bottom of the front cover, surrounded by the people -- near the miniature cameraman.
Masquerade. The noose is on the sheriff's badge.