Category: action fiction

January 1, 1924 issue ~ cover art by Jules Erbit

January 1, 1924 issue

cover art by Jules Erbit

~ Eustace Hale Ball, “The Footprints of Doom”, 7th with ‘the Scarlet Fox, last of the series’, 11th of 13 stories in BM

~ Carroll John Daly, “Action! Action!” 2nd of 2 with Three-Gun Terry Mack, 1st-person narrator, 8th of 71 appearances in BM. The Price of a Dime: The Complete Black Mask Cases of Ben Shaley (Steeger Books, 2021).

~ Henry W. Fisher, “Executioners I Have Met”, ‘5tht of 6 ‘true’ articles with various subtitles’

~ Charles M. Green [pseud. of Erle Stanley Gardner], “The Serpent’s Coils”, ‘A Daytime Story’, 2nd of 3 stories under this name

~ Dashiell Hammett, “The Tenth Clew”, the Op [5th of 25], ‘see p. 127 for letter from DH on character in story, Creda Dexter‘, [Hammett’s first time appearing on the cover], reprinted in The Return of the Continental Op (Dell mapback, 1947), reprinted in City Sleuths and Tough Guys (Houghton Miflin, 1989), reprinted in City Sleuths and Tough Guys (Houghton Miflin, 1989), reprinted in The Big Book of the Continental Op (Vintage, 2017), reprinted in Zigzags of Treachery: The Complete Black Mask Cases of the Continental Op, Vol. 1 (Steeger, 2023), 9th of 51 stories in BM

~ Francis James, “The Sand Devil”, Prentice, Harvard-trained criminologist turned policeman with Police Chief Shannon, 3rd of 4 parts, 12th of 20 appearances in BM

~ Harold Freeman Miners, “Topango Catches a Track”, 2nd of 4 with ‘Topanga John, ancient desert rat’, 2nd of 5 stories in BM

~ Herman Petersen, “When a Wizard Woos”, ‘short-short; Wamaba, wizard in New Hebrides‘, 15th of 20 stories in BM

~ Charles Somerville, “The Mole”, 22nd of 47 articles in the ‘Manhunter’ series, 23rd of 49 total articles in BM

~ Pearce Thorne, “A Jury of His Peers”, ‘brief-brief’, author’s sole appearance in BM

~ Edward Parrish Ware, “’Gangway!’”, ‘1st-person narrator; set in Arkansas, complete with dialect; mule skinner’, 2nd of 9 stories in BM

©Seattle Mystery Bookshop

clearer image but more worn

[updated 6/2/26]

November 15, 1923 issue ~ cover art by L.L. Balcom

November 15, 1923 issue

cover art by L.L. Balcom

better image than previously posted

~ Royce Brier, “Hundred Thousand Cache”, 3rd of 5 stories in BM

~ H.B. Davenport, “Triggers of Justice”, ‘set in Kentucky mountains’, 1st of 2 stories in BM

~ Henry W. Fisher, “Executioners I Have Met”, ‘2nd of 6 ‘true’ articles with various subtitles’

~ Dashiell Hammett, “The Second-Story Angel”, reprinted in Nightmare Town (Knopf, 1999), 7th of 51 stories in BM

~ Robert Lee Heiser, “Where the Road Ends”, “A Complete Novelette”, numerous appearances but little fiction – last of 3 stories in BM

~ Clif Hill, “Water”, ‘Western’, author’s only story in BM

~ Vance Hoyt, “The Silent Law”, author’s sole appearance in BM

~ Charles T. Jordan, “Felton Celebrates Egg-Day”, 2nd of 2 stories in BM

~ Elwin J. Owens, “Lupsika of the Forest”, ‘North Woods’, author’s sole appearance in BM

~ Herman Petersen, “One Dried Head”, 2nd of 3 parts, ‘South Seas‘, 13th of 20 stories in BM

~ Charles Somerville, “The ‘Cigar Box’ Mystery”, 19th of 47 articles in the ‘Manhunter’ series, 20th of 49 total articles in BM

©Seattle Mystery Bookshop

UK edition of same issue