Aaron Marc Stein, who wrote under the name George Bagby, wrote ~100 mystery novels, and was the winner of the Grand Master Edgar award in 1979 from the Mystery Writers of America. Written in the first person, his stories often feature Bagby (as a mystery writer) who follows Inspector Schmidt of the New York police department, documenting his cases and serving as his biographer.

In The Golden Creep, Bagby himself is implicated in a murder, and works with Inspector Schmidt to find the real killer. The "Golden Creep" of this story is the victim, a physically powerful and dangerous individual with a penchant for beating up his female conquests. The Creep is murdered at a club called The Topless Towers, and Bagby is found with the body, drugged, and covered in blood. Although the story involves a real mystery, its tone is amusing, bordering on the facetious. For example, The Topless Towers gets its name from the statuesque (semi- clothed) women who work there and draw in customers. A mildly entertaining story, The Golden Creep was selected for inclusion in the Detective Book Club series, a place where I found it. ( )