(Thanks to Philippe Aurousseau)
Stick is a series of Crime Fiction booklets published in France during WWII. It was published by Agence Parisienne de Distribution, under the aegis of the Ventillard group, an influential name in the history of French noir. Published from December 1940 until 1942, these “grands romans policiers inédits” consisted in fact of 32 pages booklets. But they had an unusual in-4, 17×24 cm size. The war and paper shortage put an end to the series after only twenty titles. Among them are several titles by Marcel Allain (1885-1969), creator of Fantômas, as well as by award-winning popular author Maurice Limat (1914-2002) and by famous illustrator Robert Dansler (1900-1972). Other authors such as Jean Stelli (1894-1975), Jean-Pierre Besson or Herbert Michaël, aka Michel Herbert are less well known. They also include Charles Ronze, and Marie-Louise Beucké.
| Marcel Allain. L’Escalier de la mort, grand roman policier inédit | 1940 |
| Robert Dansler. Une lettre… 3 morts, grand roman policier inédit | 1940 |
| Jean Stelli. Du Sang sur un manège, grand roman policier inédit | 1941 |
| Jack River. Le Crime de la villa des roses, grand roman policier inédit | 1942 |
| Marcel Allain. L’Assassin ?… C’est…Grand roman policier inédit | 1941 |
| Marcel Allain. Le Pyjama violet, grand roman policier inédit | 1941 |
| Marcel Allain. Un en trop… et deux en moins, grand roman policier inédit | 1941 |
| J.-P. Besson. Le Lit de l’épouvante, grand roman policier inédit | 1941 |
| J.-P. Besson. Le Monstre de Saint-Basile, grand roman policier inédit | 1941 |
| Robert Dansler. Mazoglou et Cie, grand roman policier inédit | 1941 |
| Robert Dansler. Un mort au micro, grand roman policier inédit | 1941 |
| Herbert Michaël. L’Énigme de la maison noire, grand roman policier inédit | 1941 |
| Charles Ronze. Meurtres en série, grand roman policier inédit | 1941 |
| Charles Ronze. Un mort sous clef, grand roman policier inédit | 1941 |
| Charles Ronze. Le Rendez-vous de la mort, grand roman policier inédit | 1941 |
| Marcel Allain. Le Mort n’est pas mort, grand roman policier inédit | 1942 |
| J.-P. Besson. Le Speaker de la mort, grand roman policier inédit | 1942 |
| M.-L. Beucké. La Mort frappe en montagne, grand roman policier inédit | 1942 |
| Robert Dansler. La Poutre creuse, grand roman policier inédit | 1942 |
| Maurice Limat. Le Moulin maudit, grand roman policier inédit | 1942 |
International Crime Fiction Research Group 