December 1930 issue ~ cover art by J.W. Schlaikjer

December 1930 issue

cover art by J.W. Schlaikjer

~ Ramon Decolta (Raoul Whitfield), “The Caleso Murders”, 1st story by RFW in this issue, 8th of 24 Jo Gar stories in BM, reprinted in West of Guam: The Complete Cases of Jo Bar (Altus Press, 2013)

~ Nels Leroy Jorgensen, “Racketeers’ Reef”, last of 3 with Rio Kennedy of the Customs Service in Santo Domingo, 20th of 39 stories in BM

~ Horace McCoy, “The Mailed Fist”, 8th of 14 Frost stories ’Capt. Jerry Frost, Texas (Air) Ranger & Stepsons have a go at ‘The Big Shot’, 9th of 17 stories in BM

~ Frederick L. Nebel, “The Red-Hots”, 2nd of 15 stories with ‘tough dick Donahue of Interstate’, reprinted in Tough as Nails (2012, Altus), 27 of 67 stories in BM

~ James P. Olsen, “Honor of the Show”, ‘deformed sideshow owner, Price Eco, and murder’, 3rd of 6 Western stories in BM

~ Bertrand W(illiam) Sinclair, “Rope’s End”, ‘Western; Bill Stokes’, 1st of 3 stories in BM

~ Raoul [Fauconnier] Whitfield, “Murder in the Ring”, ‘boxing, gamblers, racketeers, with Primo-Carnera-like boxer’; reprinted in May ’51 issue, 2nd story in this issue, 44th of 67 stories in BM [see also 24 stories as Ramon Decolta]

©Seattle Mystery Bookshop

September 1937 issue ~ cover art by Malvin Singer

September 1937 issue

cover art by Malvin Singer

better image than previously posted

John K. Butler, “The Secret of the Wax Lady” (Tricky Enright)

Edward S. Williams, “Money in the Trees” (Paul Dana)

J.A.L. Chambliss, “A Corpse in the Rough” (Sid Harrison)

William Edward Hayes, “The Strip-Tease Murders” (Pete Niles)

Thorp McClusky, “Phantom Fingerprint”

O.B. Myers, “Death Takes the Winner”

July 1940 issue ~ cover art by Rafael DeSoto

July 1940 issue 

cover art by Rafael DeSoto

Ralph Oppenheim, “Beauty Treatments for Corpses”  [Daniel Craig (The Bystander)]

Wyatt Blassingame, “The Doctor Says—Die!” (Joe Gee)

Stewart Sterling, “Bodies to Burn”

Costa Carousso, “Satan’s Broiler”

Russell Gray, “Death’s Gray Sisters”

W. Wayne Robbins, “Asylum for Murder”

August 21, 2015

Nightmare Alley x 4

Nightmare Alley. William Lindsay Gresham. New York: Rinehart and Company, Inc. 1946. First edition. Original dust jacket; art by A. F. Arnold.

Scarce macabre carnival themed thriller. “Loneliness came over him, like an avalanche of snow. He was alone. Where he had always wanted to be. You can only trust yourself. There’s a rat buried deep in everybody and they’ll rat on you if they get pushed far enough.”

1949 Signet reissue

cover art by James Avati

first film adaptation in 1947

second in 2021

February 1936 issue ~ cover art by Tom Lovell

February 1936 issue

cover art by Tom Lovell

Carroll John Daly, “Corpse & Co.” (Race Williams)

William E. Barrett, “The Tattooed Cop” (Needle Mike)

T.T. Flynn, “The Bride of the Beast” (Steve Waring)

Donald S. Aitken, “Postlude to Murder”

Robert Sidney Bowen, “The Flying Coffin” (Kip Lacey of Central Airways)

better image than previously posted

February 1948 issue ~ cover art by Norman Saunders

February 1948 issue

cover art by Norman Saunders

better image than previously posted

Peter Paige, “Cash Wale’s Brazen Ghost”

Frederick C. Davis, “Tall, Dark, and Deadly”

Robert Turner, “Murder on My Mitts”

John D. MacDonald, “High Walls of Hate”

Johanas L. Bouma, “Homicidal Harmony”

Fenton W. Earnshaw, “Murchison Got a Gun”

L.S. Goldsmith, “Black Spots of Doom”