Crime Insured offers some solid thrills as the Shadow feels some heat close to home with an invasion of his Inner Sanctum in one of the highlights of the story. As per the usual set-up, the plot is filled with many complex twists and turns. The scheme involving the crime insurance is very interesting and brings to light how menacing urban crime was to the common man.

The Gold Vulture squares off the Shadow with a criminal organization as complex as his. The story showcases several hallmarks of what would become standard in James Bond adventures. The mystery of the Golden Vulture calls to mind various later creations such as Blofeld and SPECTRE and the Supreme Hydra and Hydra. There is genuine suspense in some of the cliffhangers for the Shadow and its great fun to see how he escapes the near-death traps. Most interesting is the structure of the story, how so much of the hero action is split among the Shadow's men, while the titular hero stays...well, in the shadow. ( )