bruno fischer – SMB Noir

May 1947 issue ~ cover art by Peter Stevens

November 1947 issue

cover art by Peter Stevens

~ D.L. Champion, “Down Payment on Death”, 24^th of 26 stories with Rex Sackler, reprinted in Murder Costs Money: The Complete Black Mask Stories of Rex Sackler (Steeger, 2020), 26^th of 30 stories in BM

~ Bruno Fischer, “Middleman for Murder”, ‘Willie, narrator, is blackmailer, etc.’, reprinted in The Black Lizard Big Book of Black Mask Stories (Vintage, 2010), 3^rd of 5 stories in BM

~ William Campbell Gault, “The Case of the Sleeping Beauty”, 4^th of 5 with PI Mortimer Jones, reprinted in Hot-House Homicide: The Complete Black Mask Cases of Mortimer Jones (Steeger, 2925), 5^th of 9 stories in BM

~ R.M.F. Joses, “Red Pearls”, 2nd of 3 with ‘Hollywood private snoop Duane, 1^st person narrator’, 2^nd of 4 stories in BM

~ Julius Long, “Call in the Coroner”, last of 17 stories with ‘Ben Corbett, D.A.’s chief investigator, 1^st -person narrator’, 22nd of 23 stories in BM

~ H.H. Stinson, “Please Kill Me Carefully”, “Ned Healey, L.A. private eye’, 25th of 27 stories in BM

©Seattle Mystery Bookshop

June 1948 British issue

same cover art but different content

1957 Signet reissue – cover art by Robert Maguire

Robert Maguire (American, 1921-2005)
The Flesh Was Cold paperback cover, 1957 Signet reissue
oil on Masonite, 24 x 16 inches (61.0 x 40.6 cm), not signed

July 1947 issue ~ cover art by Malvin Singer

July 1947 issue

cover art by Malvin Singer

~ D.L. Champion, “Padlocked Pockets”, 23^rd 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”, ‘1^st-person; homicide lieutenant, NYPD’, 2^nd 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, 1^st person narrator‘, 2nd of 2 stories in BM

©Seattle Mystery Bookshop