Vidal took the pseudonym "Edgar Box" and wrote the mystery novels Death in the Fifth Position (1952), Death before Bedtime (1953) and Death Likes it Hot (1954) featuring Peter Cutler Sargeant II, a publicist-turned-private-eye. His satirical novel Messiah, detailing the rise of a new nontheistic religion that comes to largely replace the Abrahamic faiths, was also published in 1954. The Edgar Box genre novels sold well and earned the blacklisted Vidal a secret living.The Boston Globe: Diane White, "Murder, He Wrote, Before Becoming a Man of Letters", 25 March 2011. Retrieved July 11, 2011 Vidal, Gore. "Introduction to Death in the Fifth Position, in Edgar Box, Death in the Fifth Position (Vintage, 2011), pp. 5–6. That mystery-novel success led Vidal to write in other genres, where he produced the stage play The Best Man: A Play about Politics (1960) and the television play Visit to a Small Planet (1957). Two early teleplays were A Sense of Justice (1955) and Honor. He also wrote the pulp novel Thieves Fall Out under the pseudonym Cameron Kay but refused to have it reprinted under his real name during his life.
vidal took the pseudonym "edgar box" and wrote the mystery novels death in the fifth position (1952) death before bedtime (1953) and death likes it hot (1954) featuring peter cutler sargeant ii a publicist-turned-private-eye his satirical novel messiah detailing the rise of a new nontheistic religion that comes to largely replace the abrahamic faiths was also published in 1954 the edgar box genre novels sold well and earned the blacklisted vidal a secret livingthe boston globe diane white "murder he wrote before becoming a man of letters" 25 march 2011 retrieved july 11 2011 vidal gore "introduction to death in the fifth position in edgar box death in the fifth position (vintage 2011) pp 5–6 that mystery-novel success led vidal to write in other genres where he produced the stage play the best man a play about politics (1960) and the television play visit to a small planet (1957) two early teleplays were a sense of justice (1955) and honor he also wrote the pulp novel thieves fall out under the pseudonym cameron kay but refused to have it reprinted under his real name during his life