January 1948 issue ~ cover art by Paul Stevens

January 1948 issue

better image than previously posted

cover art by Paul Stevens

~ Curtis Cluff, “Snow at Waikiki”, 1st of 3 with Honolulu PI Johnny Ford, ‘1st-person narrator, ‘snow=heroin’, 1st of 4 stories in BM

~ Merle Constiner, “Bury Me Not”, ‘Luther McGavock, private detective; he works for Atherton Browne who heads a Memphis-based agency, last of 11 of the McG stories; usually rural setting’, reprinted in Let the Dead Alone: The Complete Black Mask Cases of Luther McGavock (Steeger, 2020), last of 12 stories in BM

~ Norman A. Daniels, “Death is No Stranger”, Rick Trent, ex-PI, ex-con, 1st person narrator, 3rd of 4 stories in BM

~ Robert C. Dennis, “Murder Tops the Cast”, 4th of 6 with ‘William (Willie) Carmody, Confidential Investigations & Margaret O’Leary, writer, Hollywood, WC is first-person narrator’, 4th of 10 stories in BM

~ C.P. Donnel, Jr., “Keep the Killing Quiet”, ‘1st-person narrator’, last of 20 stories in BM

~ George F. Kull, “Red Christmas”, ‘in Reno‘, 1st of 2 stories in BM

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May 1942 issue ~ cover art by Rafael DeSoto

May 1942 issue

cover art by Rafael DeSoto

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

~ D.L. Champion, “Blood from a Turnip”, 8th of 26 with Sackler, reprinted in Murder Costs Money: The Complete Black Mask Stories of Rex Sackler (Steeger, 2020), 9th 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, 11th of 32 stories in BM

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

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November 1943 issue ~ cover art by Rafael DeSoto

November 1943 issue

cover art by Rafael DeSoto

~ William E. Brandon, “It’s So Peaceful in the Country”, ‘Horse Luvnik, ex-con goes to work for academic types, reprinted in The Hard-Boiled Detective (1977)’, last of 7 stories in BM

~ Merle Constiner, “Kill One, Skip One” ‘Luther McGavock, private detective; he works Atherton Browne who heads a Memphis-based agency, 5th of 11 of the McG stories; usually rural setting’, reprinted in Let the Dead Alone: The Complete Black Mask Cases of Luther McGavock (Steeger, 2020), 5th of 12 stories in BM

~ C.P. Donnel, Jr., “So Red the Ruby”, ‘Privates Maguire & Caldwell on a 3-day leave in NYC’, 16th of 20 stories in BM

~ Julius Long, “The Devil’s Jack-Pot”, ‘Addison Secore, criminal lawyer, is villain‘, 4th of 23 stories in BM

~ H.H. Stinson, “Two Rings for Murder”, ‘Sam South, loan company proprietor, & Nazi spies’, 18th of 27 stories in BM

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August 1942 issue ~ cover art by Rafael DeSoto

August 1942 issue

cover art by Rafael DeSoto

better image than previously posted

~ D.L. Champion, “Killer, Can You Spare a Dime?”, 9th of 26 with Rex Sackler, 10th of 30 stories in BM

~ Norbert Davis, “Bullets Don’t’ Bother Me”, ‘Sam Carey & Japanese agents in wartime San Francisco’, 11th of 13 stories in BM

~ C.P. Donnell, Jr., “Dead Ahead Lies Yesterday”, 10th of 16 with Colonel Walter (Doc) Rennie, USA Medical Corps [perhaps a prequel as Hagemann notes ‘psychiatrist-detective’ enters US Medical Corps], 10th of 20 stories in BM

~ John Lawrence, “Treasonable Facsimile”, 2nd of 2 stories with disbarred attorney, Larssen T. (Larceny) Kyne, 13th of 14 stories in BM

~ Peter Paige, “Death Is a Souvenir”, ’Captain Hammer (private eye), “one-man war department’” 11th of 12 stories in BM

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February 1943 Canadian issue

March 1942 issue ~ cover art by Rafael DeSoto

better image than previously posted

cover art by Rafael DeSoto

Robert Reeves, “Over a Barrel” (Bookie Barnes)

John K. Butler, “The Corpse That Couldn’t Keep Cool” (Steve Midnight)

Norbert Davis, “Have One on the House ” (Bail Bond Dodd)

C.P. Donnel, Jr., “Pressure Island” (Colonel Kaspir)

Jan Dana, “Corpse of a Different Killer” (Acme Indemnity Op)

March 1944 issue ~ cover art by Rafael DeSoto

better image than previously posted

cover art by Rafael DeSoto

~ D.L. Champion, “Death for a Dollar”, 13th of 26 with Sackler, reprinted in Murder Costs Money: The Complete Black Mask Stories of Rex Sackler (Steeger, 2020), 15th of 30 stories in BM

~ Leslie Charteris, “Murder Goes to Market”, 2nd of 2 Saint stories, last appearance in BM

~ Dale Clark, “Hands Down”, 16th of 28 with house dick Mike O’Hanna story, at San Alpa Resort hotel, 18th of 32 stories in BM

~ C.P. Donnel, Jr., “Clues in the Night”, 14th of 16 with Colonel Walter (Doc) Rennie, USA Medical Corps, 17th of 20 stories in BM

~ Clyde Morehead, “Tears for Little Willie”, ‘short-short’, 1st of 2 stories in BM

~ Ted Stratton, “Call the Undertaker”, ‘Trigg’, 1st of 2 stories in BM

©Seattle Mystery Bookshop