
a version of Rafael DeSoto’s January 1944 US issue


December 1945 issue
cover art by Milton Luros
better image than previously posted
Frederick C. Davis, âDeath Can Waitâ (Bill Brent)
Dale Clark, âStay Close to Meâ
Merle Constiner, âThe Kitchen of Master Lefevreâ (The Dean)
Julius Long, âMostly for Murderâ (C.D. Mort)
Robert C. Dennis, âRear View of Hellâ

cover art by Fred Craft
better image than previously posted
~ Tom Curry, âSupercrookâ, 14th of 23 with Macnamara (Mac), NYPD 1st grade dick, 28th of 39 stories in BM
~ Carroll John Daly, âThe Last Shotâ, 27th of 53,âRace Williams vs. The Hidden Hand; last of 5 loosely organized 5-pt. serialâ, reprinted in The Snarl of the Beast: The Collected Hard-boiled Stories of Race Williams, v.2 (Altus, 2016), 39th of 71 appearances in BM
~ Nels Leroy Jorgensen, âBlack Sheepâs Returnâ, âFlash Powell; Westernâ, 12th of 39 stories in BM
~ John W. McCardell, âWarren of Granite Canyonâ, ‘Western’, 2nd of 2 stories in BM
~ Frederick L. Nebel, âDog Eat Dogâ, 2nd of 37 with Captain Steve MacBride and local reporter Kennedy, ‘2nd of the âCrimes of Richmond Cityâ sub-series, reprinted in The Black Lizard Big Book of Pulps (Vintage, 2007), reprinted in Raw Law: Complete Cases of MacBride & Kennedy, v.1 (Altus, 2013), 14 of 67 stories in BM
~ Everett H. Tipton, âA Song in the Nightâ, âBorder tale; JuĂĄrezâ, 1st of 7 stories in BM
~ Raoul [Fauconnier] Whitfield, âGhost Gunsâ, âMac, Ben Greed; 5th of 6 in Border Brand seriesâ, reprinted in Border Brand (Steeger, 2024), 25th of 68 stories in BM [see also 24 stories as Ramon Decolta]
©Seattle Mystery Bookshop
[cover updated 1/22/26]

cover art by H. C. Murphy
better image than previously posted
~ Tom Curry, âThe Starâ, 17th of 23 with Macnamara (Mac), NYPD 1st grade dick, 31st of 39 stories in BM
~ Carroll John Daly, âA Pretty Bit of Shootingâ, 29th of 53 with Race Williams, âThe Flameâ aka Florence Drummond, âThe Girl with the Criminal Mindâ, 2nd of a loosely organized 4-pt. serial; pub. as The Tag Murders (1930)â, reprinted in The Snarl of the Beast: The Collected Hard-boiled Stories of Race Williams, v.2 (Altus, 2016), 41st of 71 appearances in BM
~ Erle Stanley Gardner, âNo Questions Askedâ, 27th of 73 Ed Jenkins stories, with Helen Chadwick, 40th of 99 stories in BM
~ Nels Leroy Jorgensen, âCrooks Assortedâ, 9th of 32 with Stuart âBlackâ Burton, âsquare-shooting gambler from the Southwest, often entangled with the lawâ, 13th of 39 stories in BM
~ Frederick L. Nebel, âLaw without Lawâ, 4th of 37 with Captain Steve MacBride and local reporter Kennedy, 4th of the âCrimes of Richmond Cityâ sub-series, reprinted in Raw Law: Complete Cases of MacBride & Kennedy, v.1 (Altus, 2013), 16 of 67 stories in BM
~ Edward Parrish Ware, âThe Six-Gun Showdownâ, âWestern noveletteâ, last of 9 stories in BM
~ Raoul [Fauconnier] Whitfield, âThe Pay-Offâ, Gary Greer, 3rd (of 9) in the Laughing Dead series, âpresented as separate stories rather than conventional serial; pub. As Five (1931) under the pseudonym of Temple Fieldâ, 29th of 68 stories in BM [see also 24 stories as Ramon Decolta]. Reprinted in Laughing Death (Steeger Books, 2021).

June 1925 issue
cover art by A.T. Stewart
~ Charles G. Booth, âOne Shotâ, âAn Impossible Crimeâ, reprinted in The Black Lizard Big Book of Black Mask Stories (Vintage, 2010), 4th of 7 stories in BM
~ Carroll John Daly, âSay It with Leadâ, 8th of 53 with Race Williams, reprinted in Them That Lives By Their Guns: The Collected Hard-Boiled Stories of Race Williams, Vol. 1 (Altus Press, 2015), 16th of 71 appearances in BM
~ J.S. (Joseph Smith) Fletcher, âThe Skene-Dhu of Inverikieâ, âA Family Mysteryâ, last of 6 appearances in BM
~ S.S. Gannett, âInvisible Fingersâ, authorâs sole story in BM
~ Erle Stanley Gardner, âNo So Darned Badâ, 3rd of 73 Ed Jenkins, âthe Phantom Crook againâ, 7th of 99 stories in BM
~ Richard Frank Hagar, âIn Sea Batsâ Crawsâ, âMystery of the Seaâ, authorâs sole appearance in BM
~ Dashiell Hammett, âFinger-Printsâ, letter to ed, relating to article by Beffel in previous issue [not counted as a âstoryâ]
~ Arthur Kearns, âThat Grahame Gem Robberyâ, ‘touted as âA Compressed Noveletteâ‘, 2nd of 2 stories in BM
~ Charles Somerville, âSwift Workâ, 41st of 47 articles in the âManhunterâ series, 42nd of 49 total articles in BM
~ L. King Tichenor, âThe Law Steps Inâ, âa confidence yarnâ, 2nd of 5 stories in BM
©Seattle Mystery Bookshop