charles somerville

May 1925 issue ~ cover art by O.K. Uzzell

May 1925 issue

cover art by O.K. Uzzell

~ John Nicholas Beffel, “Finger-Prints”, ‘article – can fingerprints be forged?; this prompts answer from Dashiell Hammett’, June 1925 issue, author’s sole appearance in BM

~ Erle Stanley Gardner, “Painless Extraction”, 3^rd of 10, ‘Bob Larkin in Mexico’, 6^th of 99 stories in BM

~ Dashiell Hammett, “The Scorched Face”, ‘the Op, called here ‘The Continental Sleuth’ by ed.’, [11^th of 22], 16^th of 45 stories in BM

~ Lillian W. Keenan, “The Lost Glove Needle”, ‘described as ‘shrewd detective work’”, author’s sole appearance in BM

~ C.S. Montanye (Carleton Stevens), “An Adventure in Diamonds”, 9^th of 10 with ‘Captain Valentine, that ‘attractive European scalawag’, adventurer and rascal’, 25th of 29 stories in BM

~ Charles Somerville, “The Tracking of a Fiend”, 40th of 47 articles in the ‘Manhunter’ series, 41st of 49 total articles in BM

~ J. Paul Suter, “The Uncomfortable Buddha”, 5th of 15 stories with The Reverend McGregor Daunt, ‘clergyman by profession and detective by choice’, 8th of 19 appearances in BM

~ L. King Tichenor, “A Thousand Dollar Bill”, 1^st of 5 stories in BM

©Seattle Mystery Bookshop

May 1, 1923 issue ~ cover art by L.L. Balcom

May 1, 1923 issue

cover art by L.L. Balcom

better image than previously posted

~ John Ayotte, “A Pillar of Flame”, 2^nd of 10 stories in BM

~ Raymond J. Brown, “Phantom Bullets”, part 3 of 5, only work in BM

~ Randal J. Carnes, “Civilized”, only story in BM

~ Ralph Cummins, “The Gas Heater Mystery”, 2^nd of 3 stories in BM

~ Frederick C. Davis, “All Things Considered”, 3rd of 16 stories in BM (Davis won’t appear again in BM until 8/38)

~ Fairfax Downey, “Blood or Wine”, 1^st of 2 stories in BM

~ John B. Hyde, “The Black Fin”, author’s sole appearance in BM

~ Harford Powel, Jr., “Mystery Ship” and “How Two Men Died”, a ‘brief-brief’, 2^nd and 3^rd pieces in BM

~ J. Fortune Reade, “The End of the Measure”, 1^st of 3 stories in BM

~ Charles Somerville, “A Crook Deluxe”, 7th of 47 articles in the articles in the ‘Manhunter’ series, reprinted in 5 parts through consecutive issues of Flynn’s Weekly Detective Fiction, July 23 – August 20, 1927 issue, 7^th of 49 total articles in BM

~ Joe Taylor, “Alias Claire”, 7th of 12 tales in ‘My Underworld’ series, 8^th of 13^th appearances in BM

©Seattle Mystery Bookshop

April 15, 1924 issue

April 15, 1924 issue

better image than previously posted

~ Carroll John Daly, “One Night of Frenzy”, 10th of 71 appearances in BM

~ Harold De Polo, “Mr. Dugan’s Vocation”, 5th of 6 stories in BM

~ Marjory Stoneman Douglas, “White Midnight”, last of 4 parts, ‘South Seas setting’, author’s only story in BM

~ Edward Ettinger, “The Mystery of Perkins Farm”, 2^nd and last story in BM

~ Arthur S. Garbett, “The Times Speeder”, ‘amateur sleuth, 1^st-person narrator, novelette’, last of 4 stories in BM

~ Dashiell Hammett, “The House in Turk Street”, the Op [9^th of 25], see sequel “The Girl with the Silver Eyes”, (6/1924), reprinted in The Big Book of the Continental Op (Vintage, 2017), reprinted in Zigzags of Treachery: The Complete Black Mask Cases of the Continental Op, Vol. 1 (Steeger, 2023), 15th of 51 stories in BM

~ L.M. Lish, “Poker”, ‘short-short’, author’s sole appearance in BM

~ C.S. Montanye (Carleton Stevens), “The Seven Gold Figures”, 7^th of 10 with ‘Captain Valentine, that ‘attractive European scalawag’, adventurer and rascal’, ‘see p.127 for letter from CSM‘, 23rd of 29 stories in BM

~ Charles Somerville, “A Reporter’s Clue”, 28th of 47 articles in the ‘Manhunter’ series, 29^th of 49 total articles in BM

©Seattle Mystery Bookshop

April 1, 1924 issue ~ cover art by H.C. Murphy

April 1, 1924 issue

cover art by H.C. Murphy

better image than previously posted

~ Charles G. Booth, “The Malevolent Bequest”, 3^rd of 7 stories in BM

~ Marjory Stoneman Douglas, “White Midnight”, 3rd of 4 parts, ‘South Seas setting’, author’s only story in BM

~ Dashiell Hammett, “One Hour”, the Op [8^th of 25], reprinted in The Return of the Continental Op (Dell mapback, 1947), reprinted in Nightmare Town (Knopf, 1999), reprinted in The Big Book of the Continental Op (Vintage, 2017), reprinted in Zigzags of Treachery: The Complete Black Mask Cases of the Continental Op, Vol. 1 (Steeger, 2023), 14^th of 45 stories in BM

~ Harold Freeman Miners, “Twisted Trails”, ‘Western’, 3^rd of 5 stories in BM

~ Frederick Moore, “Jerauld of Beranda Island”, “called ‘A detective story of the sea’”, author’s sole appearance in BM

~ William Rollins, Jr., “The Ring of the Hand of the Dead”, see “Footsteps of the Dead” (May 1934), for sequel, 6th of 23 stories in BM

~ Charles Somerville, “Numbers and Threads”, ‘Detective James McCoy, NYPD’, 27th of 47 articles in the ‘Manhunter’ series, 28^th of 49 total articles in BM

~ Merlin Moore Taylor, “Ivywild”, part 2 of 2, ‘family secret in ancient English castle’, 7th of 8 appearances in BM

©Seattle Mystery Bookshop

April 1, 1923 issue

April 1, 1923 issue

~ Eustace Hale Ball, “The Trail of the Scarlet Fox”, last of 6 parts with various subtitles, 6th of 13 appearances in BM

~ Raymond J. Brown, “Phantom Bullets”, part 1 of 5, only work in BM

~ Robert Clay, “The Man Who Hated Worms”, author’ only appearance in BM

~ David Dart, “The Held Up Hold-Up”, 2^nd and last story in BM

~ Arthur Floyd Henderson, “A Matter of Gallantry”, author’s only appearance in BM

~ Francis James, “Spark of Death”, Prentice [(?) Hagemann includes question mark], 7th of 20 appearances in BM

~ William Rollins, Jr., “Schuydenehome”, 1st of 23 stories in BM

~ Charles Somerville, “By Wire”, 5th of 47 articles in the ‘Manhunter’ series, 5^th of 49 total articles in BM

~ Joe Taylor and G[eorge] W. Sutton, Jr., “Burnt Hands”, part 1 of 2, ‘GWS was then editor of BM’, 1^st of 2 appearances by this team in BM

©Seattle Mystery Bookshop

April 15, 1923 issue ~ cover art by John Decker

April 15, 1923 issue

cover art by John Decker

better image than previously posted

~ Raymond J. Brown, “Phantom Bullets”, part 2 of 5, only work in BM

~ Ray Cummings and Gabrielle [2^nd wife], “Haunted”, only story by this pair in BM

~ Carroll John Daly, “It’s All in the Game”, ‘1^st-person narrator, preying on “leading lights of the underworld” e.g., Ed, The Killer’, 3rd of 71 appearances in BM

~ Drayton Dunster, “The Fruit of the Tomb”, ‘A Cemetery Tale’, 5^th of 9 stories in BM

~ H.M. Hamilton, “Vanishing Gold”, 2nd of 2 stories in BM

~ Charles Somerville, “The Vengeance of the Dead”, 6th of 47 articles in the ‘Manhunter’ series, 6^th of 49 total articles in BM

~ Joe Taylor, “The Meanest Thief”, ‘brief-brief’, 7^th piece of 13 tales in BM

~ Joe Taylor and G[eorge] W. Sutton, Jr., “Burnt Hands”, part 2 of 2 (subtitled, “A Splinter of Steel”), ‘GWS was then editor of BM’, 2nd of 2 appearances by this team in BM

~ Juliette Van, “At the Dragon’s Dip”, ‘Billed as “A Complete Double-Length Detective Mystery Novelette”’, author’s sole appearance in BM

~ Harold Ward, “The Turning of the Worm”, last of 29 stories under this name in BM [last of 46 stories in BM under three different names – Ward Sterling and H.W. Starr]

~ J.A. Young, “The Meanest Thief”, ‘brief-brief’, author’s sole appearance in BM

September 1924 UK issue ~ cover art by L.L. Balcom

September 1924 UK issue

cover art by L.L. Balcom

most contents the same as US Sept. 1924

~ C.S. Montanye (Carleton Stevens), “The Dragon Fly”, 14th of 29 stories in BM [US Jan.’23]

~ Royce Brier, “Black and Blue”, ‘set in Mexico’, last of 5 stories in BM

~ Erle Stanley Gardner, “Accommodatin’ a Lady”, 1^st of 10 Bob Larkin stories, 1^st person narrator, author’s first appearance in BM under this name (see June, 1924), 2^nd of 99 stories in BM

~ Dashiell Hammett, “Women, Politics and Murder”, the Op [11^th of 25], reprinted in The Big Book of the Continental Op (Vintage, 2017), in The Girl with the Silver Eyes: The Complete Black Mask Cases of the Continental Op, vol.2 (Steeger, 2023), 18^th of 51 stories in BM

~ Francis James, “The Long Hand of Middleton”, Prentice, Harvard-trained criminologist turned policeman, 16th of 20 appearances in BM

~ Jud Pierce, “Sunrise”, ‘short-short’, author’s only appearance in BM

~ Ray Raymond, “The Curse of the Long Tooth”, ‘South Seas mystery’, author’s sole appearance in BM

~ Charles Somerville, “The Rough Diamond”, 33rd of 47 articles in the ‘Manhunter’ series, 34th of 49 total articles in BM

~ George A. Wright, “The Mountain Comes to Mohammad”, author’s only appearance in BM

June 1925 issue ~ cover art by A.T. Stewart

June 1925 issue

cover art by A.T. Stewart

~ Charles G. Booth, “One Shot”, ‘An Impossible Crime’, reprinted in The Black Lizard Big Book of Black Mask Stories (Vintage, 2010), 4^th of 7 stories in BM

~ Carroll John Daly, “Say It with Lead”, 8^th of 53 with Race Williams, reprinted in Them That Lives By Their Guns: The Collected Hard-Boiled Stories of Race Williams, Vol. 1 (Altus Press, 2015), 16th of 71 appearances in BM

~ J.S. (Joseph Smith) Fletcher, “The Skene-Dhu of Inverikie”, ‘A Family Mystery’, last of 6 appearances in BM

~ S.S. Gannett, “Invisible Fingers”, author’s sole story in BM

~ Erle Stanley Gardner, “No So Darned Bad”, 3rd of 73 Ed Jenkins, ‘the Phantom Crook again’, 7^th of 99 stories in BM

~ Richard Frank Hagar, “In Sea Bats’ Craws”, ‘Mystery of the Sea’, author’s sole appearance in BM

~ Dashiell Hammett, “Finger-Prints”, letter to ed, relating to article by Beffel in previous issue [not counted as a ‘story’]

~ Arthur Kearns, “That Grahame Gem Robbery”, ‘touted as ‘A Compressed Novelette’‘, 2nd of 2 stories in BM

~ Charles Somerville, “Swift Work”, 41st of 47 articles in the ‘Manhunter’ series, 42nd of 49 total articles in BM

~ L. King Tichenor, “The Law Steps In”, ‘a confidence yarn’, 2nd of 5 stories in BM

April 1925 issue ~ cover art by A.T. Stewart

April 1925 issue

cover art by A.T. Stewart

~ Frank L. Benscoter, “Shola Al”, ‘a detective story’, 3rd of 5 stories in BM

~ C. Chapin, “Room Rent”, author’s only appearance in BM

~ Valma Clark, “A Little Matter of Chivalry”, “A Mystery of Real Life”, only appearance in BM

~ Ray(mond King) Cummings, “The System of T. McGuirk”, ‘11th of 14 McGuirk stories, billed as “the quaintest character in the Underworld” & honest, more of less’, 11^th of 15 stories in BM

~ Carroll John Daly, “Conceited, Maybe”, 7^th of 53 with Race Williams, reprinted in Them That Lives By Their Guns: The Collected Hard-Boiled Stories of Race Williams, Vol. 1 (Altus Press, 2015) 15th of 71 appearances in BM

~ Arthur Kearns, “A Born Thief”, 1^st of 2 stories in BM

~ Genevieve Neegard, “The Sandalwood Casket”, advertised as ‘a meek man drunk with blood’, author’s sole appearance in BM

~ William Rollins, Jr., “Treasures That Dead Men Guard”, part 3 of 3, last of 3 stories with Jack Darrow, 12th of 23 stories in BM

~ Charles Somerville, “The Grey-Green House”, 39th of 47 articles in the ‘Manhunter’ series, 40^th of 49 total articles in BM

May 1926 issue ~ cover art by C.W. Svensson

May 1926 issue

better image than previously posted

cover art by C.W. Svensson

~ Frank Bisson, “The Betel”, ‘South Seas’, only story in BM

~ Ben Lucien Burman, “The Needle of Osiris”, 2^nd and last story in BM

~ Tom Curry, “Buck”, 4^th of 23 with Macnamara (Mac), NYPD 1^st grade dick, with ‘Buck, safecracker’, 7^th of 39 stories in BM

~ Carroll John Daly, “South Sea Steel”, 13^th of 53 with Race ‘Williams in the South Seas’, reprinted in Them That Lives By Their Guns: The Collected Hard-Boiled Stories of Race Williams, Vol. 1 (Altus Press, 2015), 21st of 71 appearances in BM

~ Erle Stanley Gardner, “Thisissosudden!”, 8th of 73 with Ed Jenkins, 15^th of 99 stories in BM

~ Charles Somerville, “Walls Have Ears”, ‘Manhunters; 47^th & last piece by CS in series which began in Feb 1923 issue’ [Haggeman notes this is the last of 47 but lists 49 total by CS, 2 of which are not Manhunters], last of 49 pieces in Haggeman and in BM

~ John Stanton, “A Fortune at Stake”, author’s sole appearance in BM

~ J. Paul Suter, “The Terror by Night”, pt. 2 of 2, 9th of 15 stories with The Reverend McGregor Daunt, ‘clergyman by profession and detective by choice’, 13th of 19 appearances in BM