continental op – SMB Noir

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

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

August 1929 issue ~ cover art by Fred Craft

August 1929 issue

cover art by Fred Craft

~ Peter Ames Cressey, “Do Your Stuff, Ranger”, ‘Western with Carnes’, author’s sole appearance in BM

~ Erle Stanley Gardner, “Spawn of the Night”, 8th of 10 Bob Larkin stories, listed incorrectly in the Table of Contents as ‘Hanging Friday’, 43rd of 99 stories in BM

~ Dashiell Hammett, “Fly Paper”, ‘the Op [23rd of 25] & arsenical fly paper, reprinted The Hard-Boiled Omnibus (1946)’, reprinted in The Big Book of the Continental Op (Vintage, 2017), 40th of 51 stories of BM

~ Earl and Marion Scott, “The Other Cameo”, 3rd of 6 stories with ‘Cameo Kirby, reformed jewel thief’, 8th of 17 stories in BM as a couple

~ Victor Shaw, “Birds of Prey”, ‘getaway from a road gang’, last of 5 stories in BM

~ Raoul [Fauconnier] Whitfield, “River Street Death”, Gary Greer, 7th (of 9) in the Laughing Dead series, ‘presented as separate stories rather than conventional serial; pub. As Five (1931) under the pseudonym of Temple Field’, 33rd of 68 stories in BM [see also 24 stories as Ramon Decolta]. Reprinted in Laughing Death (Steeger Books, 2021).

©Seattle Mystery Bookshop

November 1927 issue ~ cover art by Fred Craft

November 1927 issue

better image than previously posted

cover art by Fred Craft

~ Tom Curry, “The Raiders”, 11^th of 23 with Macnamara (Mac), NYPD 1^st grade dick, 18^th of 39 stories in BM

~ Erle Stanley Gardner, “The Wax Wagon”, 17th of 73 Ed Jenkins stories, with Helen Chadwick & Soo Hoo Duck, 27th of 99 stories in BM

~ Dashiell Hammett, “The Cleansing of Poisonville”, 1^st of 4 Continental Op stories that will go together to make up Red Harvest (published 1929), 26^th of 45 stories in BM

~ Nels Leroy Jorgensen, “Get Burton”, 8^th of 32 with Stuart “Black” Burton, ‘square-shooting gambler from the Southwest, often entangled with the law’, 10th of 39 stories in BM

~ Raymond Emery Lawrence, “Riker Accomodates” [spelling in Hagemann], ‘aviator’, 1^st of 2 stories in BM

~ John W. McCardell, “The Return of Gun Eagen”, ‘Western’, 1^st of 2 stories in BM

~ Frederick L. Nebel, “With Benefit of Law”, ’boxing & crooks’, reprinted in Street Wolf (Altus Press, 2014), 9 of 67 stories in BM

~ Everett H. Tipton, “One Bad Man”, ‘Western’, 1^st of 7 stories in BM

~ Raoul [Fauconnier] Whitfield, “Red Pearls”, ‘police dick, Lou Kyle’, 16th of 67 stories in BM [see also 24 stories as Ramon Decolta]

©Seattle Mystery Bookshop

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

©Seattle Mystery Bookshop

February 1928 issue ~ cover art by Fred Craft

February 1928 issue

cover art by Fred Craft

~ Tom Curry, “Under Cover”, ‘DeVrite, NYPD undercover ‘secret agent’, 1^st of 7, subtitled ‘The Receiver’, 20^th of 39 stories in BM

~ Erle Stanley Gardner, “Yellow Shadows, 19th of 73 Ed Jenkins stories, in Chinatown with Helen Chadwick and Ngat T’oy; “headnote to story provides valuable data (background)”, 29th of 99 stories in BM

~ Dashiell Hammett, “The 19^th Murder”, last of 4 Continental Op stories that will go together to make up Red Harvest (Knopf hc, 1929), reprinted in The Big Book of the Continental Op (Vintage, 2017), 35th of 51 stories in BM

~ Charles T. Hickey, “Left Helps the Cops”, ‘Lefty McRae, crook’, author’s only story in BM

~ Victor Shaw, “The Tommy-Knocker”, Dan Craig & hard rock mining, 2^nd with Craig, 3rd of 5 stories in BM

~ David Thibault, “The Contract”, ‘Louisiana lumber swamps in Mississippi Delta, Irish dialect’, 1^st of 2 stories in BM

~ Everett H. Tipton, “Leather Mask and Cowhide Vest”, ‘Western’, 2nd of 7 stories in BM

~ Raoul [Fauconnier] Whitfield, “Soft Goods”, ‘Little Bennie, a hood, & Charlie Harmer, detective, in Center City’, 18th of 68 stories in BM [see also 24 stories as Ramon Decolta]

1944 Dell mapback

1944 Dell mapback reissue

better image than previously posted

cover art by Gerald Gregg

selection of two connected Continental Op stories, “The Big Knockover” and “$106,000 Blood Money”:

“The Big Knock-over”, Black Mask Magazine, February 1927

“$106,000 Blood Money”, Black Mask Magazine, March 1927

September 1925 issue ~ cover art by H.C. Murphy

September 1925 issue

better image (by a little) than previously posted

cover art by H.C. Murphy

~ Ray(mond) King, “T. McGuirk Lends a Helping Hand”, ‘13th of 14 McGuirk stories, billed as “the quaintest character in the Underworld” & honest, more of less’, 13^th of 15 stories in BM

~ Joseph Gollomb, “The Man Who Stole a Palace”, ‘study of Parisian police methods’, 2nd of 6 articles

~ Glenn G. Gravatt, “The Million Dollar Robbery”, ‘The Manhunters; for this series, see chiefly under Charles Somerville,’ author’s only appearance in BM

~ Dashiell Hammett, “Corkscrew”, ‘The Op [12^th of 22] in Arizona, billed as ‘A Western Detective Novelette’, reprinted in As Tough as They Come (Perma, 1951), 17^th of 45 stories in BM

~ William La Varre, “The Golden Head”, ‘A Daytime Story’, author’s only appearance in BM

~ Ralph E. Mooney, “Outside the World”, ‘attempted murder of an editor’, author’s only appearance in BM

~ L. King Tichenor, “A Just Price”, ‘The Senator’ [no other explanation], 4th of 5 stories in BM

~ Henry S. Whitehead, “The Gladstone Bag”, 1^st of 2 stories in BM

~ Valleau Wilkie, “The White Elephant”, ‘Billed as “A Last Minute Mystery”’, 2nd of 2 stories in BM

~ Jack Woodford, “Blank Fingers”, ‘article; fingerprints; cf. under John Nicholas Beffel’, May 1925 issue

October 1, 1923 issue ~ cover art by John Decker

October 1, 1923 issue

better image than previously posted

cover art by John Decker

~ John Ayotte, “The Black Cracksman”, ‘A white Hawaiian thrill’, 6^th of 10 stories in BM

~ Eustace Hale Ball, “Grandfather’s Will”, 8^th of 13 stories in BM

~ ‘Peter Collinson’ (Dashiell Hammett), “Arson Plus”, ‘1^st Continental Op story & billed as ‘full of fire’; see p, 127 for letter by DH’, 3^rd of 4 stories under this name, reprinted in The Arbor House Treasury of Detective & Mystery Stories from the Great Pulps (1983), reprinted in The Black Lizard Big Book of Black Mask Stories (Vintage, 2010)

~ Donald Feak, “Black Commandments”, ‘South Seas Tale’, 2nd of 3 stories in BM

~ Newton A. Fuessle, “The Purple Mask”, ‘Kenneth Fuessle and Newton may be the same writer’, 2^nd of 2 stories under this name

~ Robert Russell, “Greggs Over-Reaches”, last of 3 stories in BM

~ Harry Simon, “The Man Who Passed Judgment”, 2nd of 2 stories in BM

~ Charles Somerville, “The Sleepless Eye”, 16th of 47 articles in the ‘Manhunter’ series

~ Willett Stockard, “Hutch Blood”, ‘billed as “a Black Mask weirdity”’, 4th of 5 stories in BM