Dead, She Was Beautiful is a terrific story. It is written with such a smooth and easygoing style that the pages just seem to turn themselves. It is not heavy on pulpy phrases, but it's filled with a classic pulp situation of a guy being played for a patsy as he is conveniently present when someone is murdered and, since the someone murdered is his ex-wife who had cheated on him and made a fool out of him, he's got a real neat motive. Might as well gift wrap this guy and plop him at the door to the nearest police station. Of course, Hagen claims he is innocent and no one believes him. Naturally, on his own, he goes out and tries to solve the thing on his own. Filled with bodies plummeting, femme fatales, vengeful relatives, and a pile of evidence that just keeps pointing to Hagen's guilt, this story is perfectly told all the way through. If you like to read classic pulp fiction from the fifties, don't pass this one up. ( )