
cover art by Emery Clarke

March 1, 1924 issue
cover art by Henry C. Murphy
~ H.G. Addison, “The Pain Thermometer”, ‘Daytime story’, 2nd of 2 stories in BM
~ Harry Adler, “The Impossible Murder”, ‘A Complete Novelette’, author’s only appearance in BM
~ Marjory Stoneman Douglas, “White Midnight”, 1st of 4 parts, ‘South Seas setting’, author’s only story in BM
~ Dashiell Hammett, “Afraid of a Gun”, ‘Set in Kootenai River country (Montana)‘, 1st of 2 stories in this same issue, which also includes 2 letters from the author, reprinted in Nightmare Town (Knopf, 1999)
~ Dashiell Hammett, “Zigzags of Treachery”, the Op [7th of 25], 2nd of 2 stories in this same issue, reprinted in Nightmare Town (Knopf, 1999), 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), 12th and 13th of 51 stories in BM
~ Harford Powel, Jr., “What Did She See?”, ‘billed as ‘A Real Black Mask Mystery’, author’s 6th and final appearance in BM, ‘for HP, see also under Albert LEE”
~ Charles Somerville, “The False Clue”, 26th of 47 articles in the ‘Manhunter’ series, 27th of 49 total articles in BM
~ Richard Hoadley Tingley, “The Sultan’s Diamond”, author’s sole appearance in BM
~ Edward Parrish Ware, “The Hay-Bag”, ‘Headnote: “Another mule skinner story, written in breezy slang.”’, 4th of 9 stories in BM
©Seattle Mystery Bookshop

December 30, 1925
cover art by H.C. Murphy



cover art by H.C. Murphy
~ Katherine Brocklebank, “Silver Horseshoe”, last of 4 with ‘Tex of Border Service in Tia Juana; Tex is a woman!’, reprinted in White Talons: The Complete Black Mask Cases of Tex of the Border Service (Steeger, 2023), last of 7 stories in BM
~ Tom Curry, “The Water Rats”, 19th of 23 with Macnamara (Mac), NYPD 1st grade dick, 33rd of 39 stories in BM
~ Erle Stanley Gardner, “All the Way”, 7th of 10 Bob Larkin stories, 42nd of 99 stories in BM
~ Heydorn Schleh, “The Whitest Man That Ever Lived”, author’s only appearance in BM
~ Earl and Marion Scott, “Regards to the Chief”, 2nd of 6 stories with ‘Cameo Kirby, reformed jewel thief’, 7th of 17 stories in BM as a couple
~ Oliver Swett, “Crossed Lead”, ‘Western’, sole appearance in BM
~ Raoul [Fauconnier] Whitfield, “The Carnival Kill”, Gary Greer, 6th (of 9) in the Laughing Dead series, ‘presented as separate stories rather than conventional serial; pub. As Five (1931) under the pseudonym of Temple Field’, 32nd of 68 stories in BM [see also 24 stories as Ramon Decolta]. Reprinted in Laughing Death (Steeger Books, 2021).
©Seattle Mystery Bookshop