July 1932 issue ~ cover by J.W. Schlaikjer

July 1932 issue

better image than previously posted

cover art by J.W. Schlaikjer

~ Guthrie Brown,“Touchstone”, Western, 2nd of 2 BM stories

~ Paul Cain, “Parlor Trick”, ‘criminal narrator’, later released as one of the Seven Slayers (1950 Avon), reprinted in The Arbor House Treasury of Detective & Mystery Stories from the Great Pulps (1983), reprinted in The Complete Slayers (2011 Centipede Press), 5th of 17 stories in BM

~ Carroll John Daly, “The Amateur Murderer”, 46th of 53 with Race Williams, part 4 of 4, published as a novel in 1933, 58th of 71 appearances in BM

~ Ramon Decolta (Raoul Whitfield), “Climbing Death”, aviation plays a roll, 21st of 24 Jo Gar stories in BM, reprinted in West of Guam: The Complete Cases of Jo Bar (Altus Press, 2013)

~ Nels Leroy Jorgensen, “New Boss”, 18th of 32 with Stuart “Black” Burton, ‘square-shooting gambler from the Southwest, often entangled with the law’, 25th of 39 stories in BM, reprinted Sept ’50 with different title, “Patsy in Slaughterland”]

~ J.J. Des Ormeaux, “The Devil Suit”, 2nd and last ‘Jack McGuire, Federal dick, 1st-person narrator, reprinted in The Hard-Boiled Omnibus (1946)’, 4th of 5 stories in BM (pseudonym of Forrest Rosaire)

~ Erle Stanley Gardner, “Rough Stuff”, 45th of 73 Ed Jenkins stories, 62nd of 99 stories in BM

©Seattle Mystery Bookshop

[image updated 10/27/25]

July 30, 1938 issue ~ cover art by George J. Rozen

July 30, 1938

cover art by George J. Rozen

better image than previously posted

David Dresser was the real name of “Brett Halliday”

October 1929 issue ~ cover art by J.W. Schlaikjer

October 1929 issue

cover art by J. W. Schlaikjer

~ Tom Curry, “The Web”, John Flahertie, the lone wolf, Macnamara (Mac), NYPD 1st grade dick, a secondary character. 34th of 39 stories in BM

~ Carroll John Daly, “The Silver Eagle”, 32nd of 53,‘Pt. 1, Race Williams & The Flame; serial dropped after Pt.2’, 44th of 71 appearances in BM

~ Erle Stanley Gardner, “Straight from the Shoulder”, 28th of 73 with Ed Jenkins, with Helen Chadwick and Arthur Hemington, “here & elsewhere; cf. ‘Triple Treachery’” [12/1929 issue], 45th of 99 stories in BM

~ Dashiell Hammett, “The Maltese Falcon”, part 2 of 5 serialized parts before hardcover publication (1931), reprinted in The Black Lizard Big Book of Black Mask Stories (Vintage, 2010), 36th of 45 stories in BM

~ Horace McCoy, “Hell’s Stepsons”, 2nd of 14 Frost stories with ‘Capt. Jerry Frost, Texas (Air) Ranger’, 3rd of 17 stories in BM

~ Raoul [Fauconnier] Whitfield, “Sal the Dude”, Gary Greer, last (9th) in the Laughing Dead series, ‘presented as separate stories rather than conventional serial; pub. As Five (1931) under the pseudonym of Temple Field’, 34th of 67 stories in BM [see also 24 stories as Ramon Decolta], reprinted in The Black Mask Boys (1985, Morrow)

©Seattle Mystery Bookshop

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December 1926 issue ~ cover art by H.C. Murphy

December 1926 issue

better image than previously posted

cover art by Henry C. Murphy

~ Tom Curry, “The Dick-Killer”, 5th of 23 with Macnamara (Mac), NYPD 1st grade dick, ‘on the NY docks’, 9th of 39 stories in BM

~ Erle Stanley Gardner, “Dead Men’s Letters”, 12th of 73 Ed Jenkins stories, this one with ‘Lois Lambert, a young and rich flapper’, reprinted in Dead Men’s Letters (1990, Carroll & Graf anthology of Jenkins stories), 20th of 99 stories in BM

~ (Charles John) Cutcliffe Hyne, “The War-Steamer of Donna Clotilde”, 2nd of 8 yarns with Captain Kettle

~ Nels Leroy Jorgensen, “I.O.U. – One Life”, 3rd of 32 with Stuart “Black” Burton, ‘square-shooting gambler from the Southwest, often entangled with the law’, 3rd of 39 stories in BM

~ Lt. Col. J.H. [John Henry] Patterson, D.S.O., “The Man-Eaters of Tsavo”, 3rd of 7 serialized parts of this ex-British Army officer’s account of building a railway in Kenya, 1898-1899; book published in 1927

~ Joseph T. Shaw, “Makings”, “Western; Alexis Gregory, nom de querre of Prince Dimitri Gregorejovich Alexandrov’, first fiction by the future editor, 1st of 7 fiction appearances

~ Raoul [Fauconnier] Whitfield, “Ten Hours”, 1st of 7 ‘Chuck Reddington & Jake Bailey; aviation stories’, 8th of 67 stories in BM [see also 24 stories as Ramon Decolta]

© Seattle Mystery Bookshop

January 1943 issue ~ cover art by Norman Saunders

January 1943

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cover art by Norman Saunders taken from the May 1936 issue of Clues Detective Stories