Hot Music by Vic Whitman
Hot Music by Vic Whitman is a pulp detective short story written in the early 20th century. It follows a radio police announcer who tackles a pair of linked jewel thefts tied to a hot dance band, using musical clues, keen observation, and a clever on-air signal to spring a trap. The story centers on Officer Dave Cates, whose broadcast shift is interrupted by Miriam Meusel reporting a robbery that echoes an
earlier theft from the widow Mrs. Van Goss. Suspects circle: wealthy idler Arthur Hughes (who lingered in Meusel’s apartment), suave band manager Gerald Terhune (secretly Meusel’s husband with a key), and temperamental bandleader Leo Archer. Small details—dust on the fire escape, resin on the floor by Meusel’s prized violin, Archer’s need for “strong excitement” to compose—steer Cates toward Archer, who had learned of key access via Terhune and used a bellhop to borrow the key book. Believing the jewels are stashed in Archer’s office safe, Cates rigs a trap at the Charity Ball: from a hidden balcony microphone he sends a prearranged cue while a plant spreads a rumor that the loot’s been found. Archer bolts mid-performance of his new number, “Hot Music,” and is caught at his office with all the jewels. With the case closed, Cates claims the reward and turns to a future with dancer Anabelle Talbot, the bungalow dream finally within reach. (This is an automatically generated summary.)
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About this eBook
| Author | Whitman, Vic (Victor Sargent), 1901-1981 |
|---|---|
| Illustrator | Hutchison, D. C. (David Chapel), 1869-1954 |
| Illustrator | Soto, Rafael M. de, 1904-1992 |
| Title | Hot Music |
| Original Publication | New York: Street & Smith Corporation, 1929. |
| Note | Produced from the First September Number of Top-Notch magazine. |
| Credits | Prepared by volunteers at BookCove (bookcove.net) |
| Language | English |
| LoC Class | PS: Language and Literatures: American and Canadian literature |
| Subject | Short stories |
| Subject | Detective and mystery stories |
| Subject | Jewelry theft -- Fiction |
| Subject | Police -- Fiction |
| Subject | Radio broadcasting -- Fiction |
| Category | Text |
| EBook-No. | 77893 |
| Release Date | Feb 9, 2026 |
| Copyright Status | Public domain in the USA. |
| Downloads | 199 downloads in the last 30 days. |
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