Patricia Mcgerr

Pick Your Victim (1946),tells the story of a small group of American soldiers in an isolated Arctic base who are desperate for reading material and diversion. They find a torn scrap of newspaper which has arrived as the cushioning for a parcel. The torn scrap tells part of the story of a man who has been convicted of a murder, and who is known personally by one of the GIs—the murderer is identified, but the name of the victim has been torn away. The GIs form a betting pool and pump their informant for every bit of information about any potential victim to enable them to better place their bets, and the story told by the informant is the body of the novel. At the end, the name of the victim is revealed. (From article on Wikipedia about Patricia McGerr)

The Case of the Horrified Heirs: What is it about Perry Mason's new client that lures trouble -- and terror? It's been ten years since Virginia Baxter, an attractive divorcee, met wealthy Mrs. Trent and signed her new will. Now there's all this new talk about "Mrs. Trent's heirs." Virginia can't remember: what were the terms of that will? Who are her beneficiaries? Who would gain the most by her death? And what, cries Virginia, does that have to do with me? Is There A Traitor In The House: Secret agent Selena Mead -- smash-hit favorite with newspaper readers -- is about to be killed as brutally as her husband was last year, as Washington party girl Gilly Conroy was last week, as another victim was, just minutes ago! Can she possibly escape her own particularly horrible finish right in the floodlit glare of the most incredible spot in all Washington? She has only five minutes left! The Shape Of Fear: Murray Cardew has everything it would take to make the world's greatest blackmailer. He could tell you things about internationally famous celebrities that would make your hair curl. But one day he learns something about the French Secret Army of Assassins, something the terrorists don't want disclosed! Because on that secret hinges political control of France itself. And secrets that precious can make human lives dangerously cheap!

Selena Mead, while in Europe, falls in love with and marries an up-and-coming reporter. When she learns that her husband had been killed, she also learns that he had for many years been a top operative of Section Q. Now she decides to find and bring to justice her husband's killer, becoming an agent herself.