December 1932 issue ~ cover art by J.W. Schlaikjer

December 1932 issue

cover art by J. W. Schlaikjer

better image than previously posted

~ Paul Cain, “Red 71”, ‘Dick Shane on the fringes of the Underworld; “71” is NYPD code for gambling-joint’, reprinted in, The Hard-Boiled Omnibus (1946), and later released as one of the Seven Slayers (1950 Avon), reprinted in The Complete Slayers (2011 Centipede Press), 8th of 17 stories in BM

~ L.W. Claflin, “Thunder in the Darkness”, ‘Joe Stannard & road construction gang’, only appearance in BM

~ Eugene Cunningham, “Passing Through”, 1st of 2 Westerns with Pony Kerr, 6th of 14 stories in BM

~ Carroll John Daly, “Merger with Death”, 47th of 53 with Race Williams, 59th of 71 appearances in BM

~ Erle Stanley Gardner, “The Top Comes Off”, 2nd of 6 stories with attorney Ken Corning, ‘fighting young lawyer’, 66th of 99 stories in BM

~ Frederick L. Nebel, “Red Pavement”, 11th of 15 stories with ‘tough dick Donahue of Interstate’, reprinted in The Arbor House Treasury of Detective & Mystery Stories from the Great Pulps (1983), reprinted in Tough as Nails (2012, Altus), 43 of 67 stories in BM

~ Joseph T. Shaw, “Fugitive”, last of 4 parts, “Jack Henderson, set in Far East, e.g., Rangoon”, Shaw’s last appearance of fiction in BM

~ Theodore A. Tinsley, “Park Avenue Item”, ‘3rd (of 25) Jerry Tracy capers, columnist on the (NYC) Planet, ‘mixer with poor and rich, the crooked and the straight, trailer of trouble and happiness’, 3rd of 26 stories in BM

©Seattle Mystery Bookshop

[image updated 12/27/25]

January 1950 issue ~ cover art by Norman Saunders

January 1950 issue

cover art by Norman Saunders

better image than previously posted

~ D.L. Champion, “Death for a Dollar”, last of 26 Rex Sackler stories, same title as 3/44, also a Sackler, reprinted in Murder Costs Money: The Complete Black Mask Stories of Rex Sackler (Steeger, 2020), last of 30 stories in BM

~ Robert C. Dennis, “Stop, You’re Killing Me!”, ‘Rhodes, shamus’, 6th of 10 stories in BM

~ Bruno Fischer, “The Lady Grooms a Corpse”, last of 5 stories in BM

~ Philip Ketchum, “One Sunk Punk”, last of 3 stories in BM

~ Roy Lopez, “The Murder’s All Mine”, author’s sole appearance in BM

~ Robert Martin, “Dirge in Bolero Time”, 4th of 6 stories with ‘Dr. Clint Colby, medical detective, 6th of 8 stories in BM

~ Marian O’Hearn, “Swansong for an Ugly Duckling”, 2nd of 2 stories in BM

~ Herb Schneiderman, “Homicide – According to Hoyle”, author’s sole appearance in BM

~ Tedd Thomey, “Come Hell or Hot Water”, 1st of 2 stories in BM

©Seattle Mystery Bookshop