Thrift Shop Book Covers: "Hardman No. 7: Working for the Man"

Hardman No. 7: Working for the Man was a paperback original published by Popular Library in 1974, which is the very edition that caught my eye. The cover art is a montage of several elements making an alluring whole. The only thing missing is an explosion, and a man tumbling through the air. It reminds me of the original Pinnacle editions of the early Mack Bolan novels. The artist: Ken Barr.

The opening paragraph:

“It was Sunday morning and I didn’t want to get out of bed. That’s not remarkable. I’m that way most Sundays, but this time there was a better reason. Beyond my bedroom window I could hear the icy wind making those old radio serial sound effects like ghosts howling in the attic. It was almost enough to convince me to put my head under covers and not come out until Monday.”