1950 Signet reissue

Signet Books (September, 1950), first publication with this title

1944 Jefferson House hardcover, Hue and Cry

1951 published in the UK by Dakers as The Murder of Marion Mason

the author’s debut novel

1st in his series with Singer Batts, Shakespearean scholar, hotel owner and armchair detective assisted by his hotel manager Joe Spinder

better image than previously posted

July 1947 issue ~ cover art by Malvin Singer

July 1947 issue

cover art by Malvin Singer

~ D.L. Champion, “Padlocked Pockets”, 23rd if 26 with Sackler, reprinted in Murder Costs Money: The Complete Black Mask Stories of Rex Sackler (Steeger, 2020), 25th of 30 stories in BM

~ Ed Edstrom, “Never Call the Cops”, author’s only appearance in BM

~ Bruno Fischer, “A Killer in the Crowd”, ‘1st-person; homicide lieutenant, NYPD’, 2nd of 5 stories in BM

~ William Campbell Gault, “The Constant Shadow”, 4th of 9 stories in BM

~ Henry Norton, “High Voltage Homicide”, ‘Lee Bassler, ‘phone company trouble-shooter’, last of 6 stories in BM

~ H.H. Stinson, “Murder’s No Libel”, last of 14 with Ken O’Hara, ‘now press agent for Hotel Diplomat’, 24th of 27 stories in BM

~ Michael Sutton, “Concerto for Guns”, ‘Johnny Dillon, LA private ‘tec, 1st person narrator‘, 2nd of 2 stories in BM

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