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Box 13

Presented by OTR.FM Network

Welcome to Box 13, a podcast that brings you classic mystery and adventure stories from the golden age of radio. Rediscover the thrilling world of Dan Holliday through these re-broadcasts of the beloved radio program.

First airing in 1948, Box 13 follows mystery novelist Dan Holliday, played by Alan Ladd, who places a newspaper ad reading "Adventure wanted. Will go anywhere, do anything. Write Box 13, Star Times." Each episode brings a new letter to Box 13, leading Holliday into danger, intrigue, and unexpected twists as he gathers material for his next book.

What sets Box 13 apart is its unique premise, sharp dialogue, and the perfect blend of mystery, adventure, and noir atmosphere. Each episode delivers a complete story filled with memorable characters, dangerous situations, and clever plot twists that keep you guessing until the very end.

Whether you're a longtime fan of old-time radio or discovering these classic mysteries for the first time, Box 13 promises to deliver suspenseful entertainment and a nostalgic journey through one of radio's most inventive detective series. Tune in and let the adventures of Dan Holliday captivate your imagination.

52 episodes

Hare and Hounds

Jul 28, 2025 · 29 min

Dan Holliday finds himself the quarry in a deadly game when a mysterious invitation turns into a hunt with Holliday as the target. Pursued across the countryside by hunters who know his every move, he must turn the tables on his pursuers while figuring out why he was chosen for this lethal sport. As the game progresses, Holliday discovers that the stakes are far higher than mere survival, and the real prize has nothing to do with the chase.
Flash of Light

Jul 27, 2025 · 28 min

Dan Holliday investigates when a photographer's flash captures something that was never meant to be seen, turning an innocent picture into a death sentence. As Holliday traces the photograph's journey from darkroom to danger, he uncovers a conspiracy that powerful people will do anything to keep hidden. The closer he gets to the truth behind the image, the more he realizes that what the camera caught was only the beginning of a much darker picture.
Delinquent's Dilemma

Jul 26, 2025 · 28 min

Dan Holliday answers a desperate letter from a troubled youth caught between going straight and being pulled back into a life of crime by former associates who will not let him go. When the young man is framed for a robbery he did not commit, Holliday must find the real culprits while convincing both the police and the underworld that his client deserves a second chance. It becomes a race against time as the evidence mounts and the true criminals work to ensure their patsy takes the fall.
Last Will and Nursery Rhyme

Jul 25, 2025 · 28 min

Dan Holliday receives a strange inheritance case wrapped in childhood verses when a dying man's last will is encoded in nursery rhymes that only certain heirs can decode. As family members scramble to interpret the cryptic clues, old rivalries resurface and someone proves willing to kill rather than share the fortune. Holliday must solve the rhyming riddles while keeping the rightful heirs alive long enough to claim what is theirs.
The Philanthropist

Jul 24, 2025 · 29 min

Dan Holliday is drawn into a puzzling case when a generous philanthropist's seemingly noble work hides something far more sinister beneath the surface. What begins as a simple investigation into charitable giving reveals a scheme of manipulation and exploitation targeting those least able to protect themselves. As Holliday follows the money and the motives, he discovers that the greatest danger lies in trusting those who appear most trustworthy.
Three to Die

Jul 23, 2025 · 27 min

Dan Holliday answers an urgent plea from a man who believes he and two others are marked for death by someone seeking revenge for a long-ago tragedy. As Holliday investigates the connection between the three potential victims, he uncovers a web of guilt, silence, and a terrible secret that has festered for years. With time running out and the killer drawing closer, Holliday must untangle the past before the last name on the list is crossed off forever.
The Dowager and Dan Holiday

Jul 22, 2025 · 28 min

Dan Holliday receives an invitation from a wealthy dowager who claims someone in her own household is trying to kill her. Surrounded by servants with secrets and family members with motives, Holliday must navigate a maze of old money, older grudges, and carefully maintained appearances. As he digs into the household's hidden tensions, he discovers that the danger is far more personal than anyone wants to admit, and the would-be killer may be closer than the dowager fears.
The Professor and the Puzzle

Jul 21, 2025 · 28 min

Dan Holliday answers a cryptic letter that leads him to Professor Donahue, an eccentric academic who insists Holliday help him solve an ancient Chinese puzzle box containing a mysterious message. When someone breaks into the professor's home and the puzzle reveals a shocking secret about hidden treasure, Holliday finds himself caught between scholarly obsession and dangerous greed. As competing interests close in, he must piece together the truth behind the puzzle before its deadly history claims another victim.
The Better Man

Jul 20, 2025 · 28 min

Dan Holliday is invited to dinner by eccentric millionaire Charles Winthrop, who promises a hundred thousand dollar adventure and delivers a bizarre treasure hunt built on riddles, rivalry, and danger. Winthrop pits four strangers against one another in a race for hidden money, fully expecting greed and violence to shape the outcome while he watches from the sidelines. As Holliday follows a trail of cryptic clues, he realizes that one of the competitors is willing to kill to win, and Winthrop is enjoying every moment of the deadly game. What begins as a puzzling challenge becomes a tense contest of wits and survival as Holliday fights to protect both the prize and his own life from a ruthless opponent.
Hot Box

Jul 19, 2025 · 28 min

Dan Holliday follows a mysterious request to buy an old Chinese teakwood box, only to watch the man who purchased it flee in fear and fall victim to a sudden accident. When the box disappears into the hands of a red haired stranger, Holliday is swept into a dangerous chase involving a ruthless racketeer, a vanished prison inmate, and a secret someone is desperate to recover. As he digs deeper, he uncovers a trail of fear, deception, and long buried family ties that refuse to stay hidden. What begins as a simple auction errand quickly becomes a tense hunt for a truth worth killing for, and Holliday must decide who to trust before the trap closes on him.
The Sad Night

Jul 18, 2025 · 28 min

Dan Holliday receives a worn child's copybook in the mail, a harmless little thing that turns out to be the key to a dangerous mystery reaching back to an archaeologist who vanished years earlier. When two strangers posing as grieving parents demand the book, Holliday realizes someone wants it badly enough to break in, threaten, and even kill. As he digs deeper with the help of a young woman connected to the case, he uncovers a trail of deception tied to Aztec history, a vanished expedition, and a secret someone is desperate to claim. What begins as a puzzled look at a schoolchild's scribbles becomes a tense chase for the truth hidden behind the words The Sad Night.
The Haunted Artist

Jul 17, 2025 · 28 min

Dan Holliday visits an anxious young artist who swears his nearly finished masterpiece is being mysteriously altered each night while he sleeps. Locked doors, sealed windows, and fresh paint that appears out of nowhere all point to something impossible, yet the changes grow more disturbing with each passing day. As Holliday digs deeper into the puzzle, he finds himself caught between a frightened fiancee, a shadowy warning, and a haunting secret from the artist's past that refuses to stay buried. What begins as a simple call for help soon becomes a tense and emotional mystery where the truth hides in the mind rather than in the studio.
Look Pleasant, Please

Jul 16, 2025 · 28 min

Dan Holliday answers a simple request to meet a well dressed young woman for a harmless photograph, but the next morning he wakes to find himself splashed across the newspapers as the newly announced fiance of a wealthy heiress he barely knows. Determined to get to the bottom of the strange engagement, Holliday is pulled into a maze of family tensions, hidden motives, and a fortune that must be claimed before an approaching deadline. As he digs into missing money, mysterious accidents, and a pair of lovers playing a dangerous game, Holliday soon finds that someone is willing to kill to protect a secret. What begins as an awkward mix up turns into a high stakes fight for the truth aboard a storm tossed yacht.
Double Right Cross

Jul 15, 2025 · 28 min

Dan Holliday heads to a championship boxing match to cheer on his old war buddy Johnny Capelli, only to arrive moments after the crowd has turned on the fighter for a shocking and suspicious loss. When Johnny disappears and refuses to explain what happened in the ring, Holliday digs into a trail of fear, pride, and betrayal that leads from smoky gyms to pawn shops and backroom bookmakers. As he pieces together the truth, he uncovers a hidden scheme that nearly ruined a fighter who never quit on anything in his life. To save Johnny's future, Holliday must expose the real culprit behind a double right cross that had nothing to do with boxing.
Diamond in the Sky

Jul 14, 2025 · 28 min

Dan Holliday answers a tempting letter promising a trip to Paris and a brush with high stakes adventure, only to find himself swept into a dangerous game involving a priceless diamond and a man who may not be what he claims. What begins as a simple pickup job soon turns into a deadly chase across Parisian streets, shadowed alleys, and crowded airports as Holliday pieces together a scheme built on deception, greed, and cold precision. Forced to stay one step ahead of thieves and liars alike, he must untangle the truth before he is left holding the blame for a million dollar disappearance. It is a glittering mystery where every move could be the one that brings it all crashing down.
Damsel in Distress

Jul 13, 2025 · 28 min

Dan Holliday answers a frightened plea from a young girl who insists she is in danger and cannot turn to the police. When he meets her, he discovers a troubled student whose mysterious notes and panicked behavior hint at something much deeper than a simple prank. As Holliday follows the trail from a quiet neighborhood to a lakeside cabin and back again, he uncovers a delicate situation shaped by loneliness, fear, and a desperate attempt to be seen. What begins as a routine call for help becomes a thoughtful and emotional puzzle that challenges Holliday to protect the truth while sparing a young girl from the consequences of her own misguided plan.
Triple Cross

Jul 12, 2025 · 28 min

Dan Holliday answers an unsigned invitation that sends him to a glittering Nevada resort, where a mysterious benefactor hands him money, instructions, and a promise of adventure. But when a simple roulette bet turns into a suspiciously perfect winning streak, Holliday realizes he has stepped into a dangerous setup involving rigged games, disappearing money, and people who seem to know his every move. As he follows a trail of deception through casinos, back rooms, and the desert night, Holliday must stay one step ahead of crooks who plan to use him as the perfect fall guy. What begins as an easy trip to a luxury hotel becomes a twisting puzzle of greed, betrayal, and a deadly triple cross.
Suicide or Murder

Jul 11, 2025 · 28 min

Dan Holliday answers a heartbreaking letter from a grieving mother who is convinced her son did not die in a drunken brawl, but was murdered for reasons no one will explain. When Holliday starts asking questions, he discovers too many people eager to hide the truth and too many details that refuse to line up. His search leads him through crooked bars, frightened witnesses, and a trail of clues pointing to something far bigger than a simple street fight. As the danger closes in, Holliday must untangle a shadowy scheme and bring justice to a young reporter whose last story may have cost him his life.
The Great Torino

Jul 10, 2025 · 28 min

Dan Holliday is drawn into danger when a frightened young magician's assistant begs him to attend her show and protect her from the Great Torino, a master illusionist whose signature rifle act could be the perfect cover for murder. What begins as a simple request to watch for a secret signal soon pulls Holliday deep into the shadows backstage, where jealousy, deception, and hidden identities twist through every trick in the act. As the tension builds and a deadly performance unfolds, Holliday must untangle the truth behind the illusions before the final curtain brings more than applause.
Book of Poems

Jul 9, 2025 · 28 min

Dan Holliday receives a worn book of poetry addressed to Box 13, its pages falling open to a poem about a ruined estate called Fair Melrose. Curious and uneasy, he follows the clue to a once prominent family whose past burned down in a tragic fire that destroyed their home and left one surviving heir trapped in silence. As Holliday digs deeper into the mystery behind the book and the night of the blaze, he uncovers long buried secrets, bitter memories, and motives that someone would rather keep hidden forever. What begins as a quiet puzzle soon leads him into a dark tangle of guilt and obsession where every answer only raises the stakes.
Double Mothers

Jul 8, 2025 · 28 min

Dan Holliday answers a mysterious note that sends him to a quiet park at night, only to find a small girl waiting for him with a fairy tale book and no sign of the mother who promised to meet him. When he takes the child home for her safety, the situation quickly spirals into a maze of confusing identities, missing parents, and people claiming very different rights to the same little girl. As Holliday tries to untangle who is telling the truth and who is using the child for their own purposes, he finds himself pulled into a delicate and emotional puzzle where trust is scarce and danger is closer than expected.
Short Assignment

Jul 7, 2025 · 28 min

Dan Holliday answers a strange message that leads him to a lavish party where a nervous young man seems to be teetering on the edge of real trouble. Surrounded by glamorous guests, shifting stories, and a host who is far too polite for comfort, Holliday soon senses that the evening is not meant to be the carefree celebration it pretends to be. As he tries to keep watch over the troubled nephew he was hired to protect, Holliday discovers a web of fear, manipulation, and hidden motives beneath the glittering surface. What begins as a simple assignment quickly becomes a tense race to uncover the truth before the night ends in tragedy.
Shanghaied

Jul 6, 2025 · 28 min

Dan Holliday answers a mysterious dare that sends him to a shabby fishing boat called the Ruthie J, only to be knocked out and carried off to sea before he can ask why. A beautiful stranger claims the trip is for his own good, but her guarded behavior and the rough characters connected to her hint that something far more serious is unfolding beneath the surface. As Holliday works to get back to shore, he finds himself caught in the middle of a dangerous struggle involving missing cargo, double crossing partners, and people who will stop at nothing to get what they want. What starts as an unexpected voyage quickly becomes a tense puzzle that Holliday must solve before he is dragged under with the rest of the trouble.
Extra! Extra!

Jul 5, 2025 · 28 min

Dan Holliday receives a surprising postcard from a young newspaper boy named Johnny Moran, who insists his jailed father has been wrongly accused of helping pull off a jewelry store robbery. When Holliday starts asking questions, he finds himself tangled in a scheme that someone is very determined to keep hidden, even if it means silencing a small boy who knows too much. As Holliday follows the faint trail of clues, he must uncover who is framing Johnny's father and why the real criminals keep slipping just out of reach. What begins as a simple plea from a kid on a street corner grows into a tense chase that pushes Holliday to act fast before things take an even darker turn.
Actor's Alibi

Jul 4, 2025 · 27 min

Dan Holliday is drawn into danger when an urgent, lipstick scribbled invitation sends him to a live radio drama where a rising actress hints that someone intends to kill her. Moments later a chilling phone threat proves the danger is real, and Holliday must decide whether to walk away or step into a world of jealous performers, fading stars, and hidden motives. What begins as a strange request after a broadcast quickly turns into a tense mystery filled with mixed signals, misleading clues, and a desperate attempt to uncover the truth before it is too late.