bill lennox – SMB Noir

July 1934 issue

July 1934 issue

cover art by J. W. Schlaikjer

~ W.T. Ballard, “Whatta Guy”, 7th of 27 stories with ‘Bill Lennox, troubleshooter for Consolidated Films’, reprinted in That’s Hollywood: The Complete Black Mask Cases of Bill Lennox, Vol.1 (2023 Steeger Books), 7th of 43 stories in BM

~ Raymond Chandler, “Smart-Aleck Kill”, 2^nd Mallory, first book appearance in the collection The Simple Art of Murder (Houghton Mifflin hardcover, 1950), first paperback appearance Pickup on Noon Street (Pocket, 1/52), various paperback editions, 2^nd of 11 stories in BM

~ George Harmon Coxe, “Hot Delivery”, 5^th of 27 with Flashgun Casey, 5^th of 31 stories in BM

~ Eugene Cunningham, “If Murder Can Be Funny”, 3^rd of 5 with undercover Texas Ranger Cleve Corby, 9^th of 14 stories in BM

~ John Graham, “Murder Crate”, ‘ambulance crew; NYC setting’, 1^st of 2 stories in BM

~ Raymond Jae Moffatt, “Death in the Dark”, ‘Patrolman tries to avenge murdered father’, 1^st of 2 stories in BM

©Seattle Mystery Bookshop

Dealing out Death x 4

1948 McKay hardcover

3rd novel with Hollywood trouble-shooter Bill Lennox who works for the General Consolidated Studios

1950 Graphic reissue

better image than previously posted

1954 Graphic reissue – cover art by Walter Popp

1958 Banner reissue in the UK – cover art by Stanley Borack

November 1934 issue ~ cover art by Fred Craft

November 1934 issue

cover art by Fred Craft

better image than previously posted

~ W.T. Ballard, “In Dead Man’s Alley”, 10th of 27 stories with ‘Bill Lennox, troubleshooter for Consolidated Films’, 10th of 43 stories in BM

~ Eugene Cunningham, “Room Service”, last of 5 with Cleve Corby, 11^th of 14 stories in BM

~ Carroll John Daly, “The Eyes Have It”, ‘last William’s caper [of 53 though Hagemann lists 54] in BM (wherein he had appeared ‘exclusively’), CJD not to pub. in BM until Mar 1938’, reprinted in If Death is Respectable: The Collected Hard-boiled Stories of Race Williams, v.4 (Altus, 2018), 66th of 71 appearances in BM

~ Erle Stanley Gardner, “Hot Cash”, 59th of 73 Ed Jenkins, as Bob Sabin, 83rd of 99 stories in BM

~ Herbert Koehl, “See See Drops In”, ‘C.C. Cane, private eye, 1^st person narrator‘, author’s only appearance in BM

~ Roger Torrey, “Law and Disorder”, 10th of 11 with Dal Prentice, Magna City police dick, ‘one tough guy’, title used again in April 1941 issue, not the same story, 13th of 50 appearances in BM

©Seattle Mystery Bookshop

February 1939 issue ~ cover art by James Lunnon

February 1939 issue

cover art by James Lunnon

~ W.T. Ballard, “No Parole from Death”, 20th of 27 stories with ‘Bill Lennox, troubleshooter for Consolidated Films’, 31st of 43 stories in BM

~ Dale Clark, “Death Watch”, Scotland Yard undercover man Carr, politics and murder, 2^nd of 32 stories in BM

~ Frederick C. Davis, “Tonight I Must Die”, 7th of 16 stories in BM

~ Steve Fisher, “Flight to Paris”, 8^th of 9 stories in BM

~ Frank Gruber, “State Fair Murder”, 7th of 10 with‘Oliver Quade, The Human Encyclopedia’, 10th of 14 stories in BM

~ K. Webster, “Underwater Kill”, ‘cop goes under sea-surface to nab his man’, 1^st of 3 stories in BM

~ Edward S. Williams, “Deadly Secret”, ‘Rex Flynn, private dick’, 4^th of 8 appearances in BM

©Seattle Mystery Bookshop

March 1937 issue ~ cover art by Harry Stoner

March 1937 issue

cover art by Harry Stoner

better image than previously posted

~ W.T. Ballard, “This is Murder”, 18th of 27 stories with ‘Bill Lennox, troubleshooter for Consolidated Films’, 24th of 43 stories in BM

~ Hugh B. Cave, “Dead Dog”, ‘Pooch Hanley a cop who likes dogs’, 2^nd of 9 stories in BM

~ James Duncan, “Double Trouble”, 1st of 5 stories with ‘The Parson, who lives on a ‘mythical’ (fictional?) isle, Cariba’, set in Havana, reprinted in Murder for Pennies: The Complete Black Mask Cases of the Parson (Steeger, 2024), 6^th of 10 stories in BM

~ Erle Stanley Gardner, “This Way Out”, 64^th Ed Jenkins ‘as Bob Sabin; with Ngat T’oy’, same title as 3/1927 but different story, 89th of 99 stories in BM

~ Eric Howard, “The Mugg from Frisco”, ‘Kelly, 1^st person narrator & some shady politics’, 1^st of 6 stories in BM

~ H. Randolph Peacock, “Dead Alibi”, 1^st of 3 with Otto, department store dick, making ‘$40 a week at Klineman’s‘, ‘see p. 127 for word on HRP‘, 1^st of 4 stories in BM

~ Cole Richards, “No Reprieve”, ‘short-short’, author’s sole appearance in BM

~ Roger Torrey, “Always a Lady”, ‘Lieutenant Delehanty, a cop’, 26th of 50 appearances in BM

©Seattle Mystery Bookshop

September 1940 issue ~ cover art by Rafael DeSoto

September 1940 issue

cover art by Rafael DeSoto

~ Cleve Adams, “That Certain Feeling”, ‘Engelhardt & Dewey, Car 97, LA setting’, 2^nd of 6 stories in BM

~ W.T. Ballard, “Pictures for Murder”, 22nd of 27 stories with ‘Bill Lennox, troubleshooter for Consolidated Films’, 34th of 43 stories in BM

~ William E. Brandon, “Danny, Once the Rat”, ‘police-stoolie & Nazi spies’, 3^rd of 7 stories in BM

~ Dale Clark, “Killer in the Wind”, 2^nd of 28 with house dick Mike O’Hanna story, at San Alpa Resort hotel, 4^th of 32 stories in BM

~ John Lawrence, “Death in the Pluperfect”, 1^st of 2 stories with ‘Ace McGuire, Broadway squad, 1^st-person narrator’, 7^th of 14 stories in BM

~ Robert Reeves, “Dog Eat Dog”, Cellini Smith and RR’s debut, 1^st of 3 parts that will be published as the novel No Love Lost in 1941, reprinted in Dead and Done For: The Complete Black Mask Cases of Cellini Smith (Steeger, 2020), 1^st of 12 appearances in BM

©Seattle Mystery Bookshop

May 1942 issue ~ cover art by Rafael DeSoto

May 1942 issue

cover art by Rafael DeSoto

~ W.T. Ballard, “Lights, Action – Killer!”, 27^th and last Lennox story in BM, 40^th of 43 stories in BM

~ D.L. Champion, “Blood from a Turnip”, 8^th of 26 with Sackler, reprinted in Murder Costs Money: The Complete Black Mask Stories of Rex Sackler (Steeger, 2020), 9^th of 30 stories in BM.

~ Dale Clark, “Murder is No Joke”, 9th of 28 with house dick Mike O’Hanna story, at San Alpa Resort hotel, 11^th of 32 stories in BM

~ Norbert Davis, “Don’t Cry for Me”, 1^st of 3 with Hollywood piano man John Collins, 10^th of 13 stories in BM

~ C.P. Donnell, Jr., “Death of the Party ”, 9th of 16 with Colonel Walter (Doc) Rennie, USA Medical Corps psychiatrist, 9th of 20 stories in BM

~ Cornell Woolrich, “Dormant Account”, 19th of 24 (22 original) stories to appear in BM

©Seattle Mystery Bookshop

October 1934 issue ~ cover art by Fred Craft

October 1934 issue

better image than previously posted

cover art by Fred Craft

~ W.T. Ballard, “Snatching Is Dynamite”, ‘Lennox & ‘The Secret Five’ of Hollywood’, 9th of 27 BM stories with ‘Bill Lennox, troubleshooter for Consolidated Films’, 9th of 43 stories in BM

~ Raymond Chandler, “Finger Man”, “Finger Man”, unnamed LA PI, first person narrator, first book appearance in the collection The Simple Art of Murder (Houghton Mifflin hardcover, 1950), first paperback, Trouble is My Business (Pocket, 10/51), various paperback editions, reprinted in The Black Lizard Big Book of Pulps (Vintage, 2007), 3^rd of 11 stories in BM

~ Nels Leroy Jorgensen, “Immunity Murders”, 21^th of 32 with Stuart “Black” Burton, ‘square-shooting gambler from the Southwest, often entangled with the law’, with his wife Vivian, 28^th of 39 stories in BM

~ Horace McCoy, “Somebody Must Die”, last of 14 Frost stories with ‘Capt. Jerry Frost, Texas (Air) Ranger, last of 17 appearances in BM

~ Thomas Walsh, “Best Man”, ‘Carver, plain-clothesman, Homicide; reprinted in The Hard-Boiled Omnibus (1946)’, 4th of 6 stories in BM

different cover –

[updated 1/25/26]

November 1938 issue ~ cover art by James Lunnon

November 1938 issue

cover art by James Lunnon

better image than previously posted

~ W.T. Ballard, “Mobster Guns”, 20th of 27 stories with ‘Bill Lennox, troubleshooter for Consolidated Films’, 30th of 43 stories in BM

~ Hugh B. Cave, “Curtain Call”, 4th of 9 stories in BM

~ Eric Howard, “Fifty Grand Frail”, ‘Tim Ryan, private snoop, 1st person narrator’, 5th of 6 stories in BM

~ Edgar Pangborn, “Bullet Song”, ‘Tom Paradine, music critic’, author’s sole appearance in BM

~ Theodore A. Tinsley, “Station K-I-L-L”, ‘23rd (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’, 24th of 26 stories in BM

~ Donald Wandrei, “Tick, Tock”, ‘time bomb’, 5th of 6 stories in BM

[cover updated 1/28/26]

February 1942 issue ~ cover art by Rafael DeSoto

February 1942 issue

cover art by Rafael DeSoto

better image than previously posted

~ W.T. Ballard, “The Colt and the Killer”, 26th of 27 stories with ‘Bill Lennox, troubleshooter for Consolidated Films’, 39th of 43 stories in BM

~ William E. Brandon, “Wake Up and Give!”, ‘skullduggery & a college bequest’, 4^th of 7 stories in BM

~ John Lawrence, “Murder, Maestro, Please”, ‘Jamie Harrod, ‘Maestro of Swing’, 1^st -person narrator, framed for murder; set in Detroit’, 11^th of 14 stories in BM

~ Peter Paige, “The Night You Shot Hitler”, ’Murder of an RAF pilot in NYC’, 10th of 12 stories in BM

~ C.G. Tahney, [pseud of Charles Green, not to be confused with Charles M. Green], “And a Little Child Shall Bleed Them”, Nickie and Uncle Pat, 3rd of 5 stories in BM

©Seattle Mystery Bookshop

©Seattle Mystery Bookshop

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