1941 Knopf hardcover, 1945 Avon reissue
cover art by Paul Stahr
published by Hale in the UK as Murder for Hannah
better image than previously posted
1943 Avon Murder Mystery Monthly digest
cover art by William Frost (William Forrest)
1941 Knopf hardcover, first edition
“The second appearance of the character Hanna Van Doren, considered the first female hard-boiled detective in American literature.”
cover art by James Lunnon
~ Dwight V. Babcock, “Murder in the Family”, 2nd of 7, ‘Beeker in the San Joaquin Valley’, 16th of 21 stories in BM
~ Hal Murray Bonnett, “Dynamite Deal”, author’s only appearance in BM [who signed the cover]
~ Gregor Endell, “Murder Suspected”, author’s only appearance in BM
~ Erle Stanley Gardner, “Muscle Out”, 65th of 73 Ed Jenkins with Soo Hoo Duck, Ngat T’oy, 92nd of 100 appearances stories in BM
~ Frank Gruber, “No Motive”, 6th of 14 stories in BM
~ Theodore A. Tinsley, “No More Limericks”, ‘21st (of 25) Jerry Tracy capers, columnist on the (NYC) Planet, ‘mixer with poor and rich, the crooked and the straight, trailer of trouble and happiness’, reprinted in Station K-I-L-L: The Complete Black Mask Cases of Jerry Tracy, vol.3 (Steeger, 2024), 22nd of 26 stories in BM
©Seattle Mystery Bookshop
[updated 1/26/26]
cover art by Rudolph Belarski
better image than previously posted
~ Dwight V. Babcock, “Hide-Out”, ‘1st G-Man Chuck Thompson story of 7; CT, Special Agent, FBI, in LA’, 6th of 21 stories in BM
~ W.T. Ballard, “Murder Makes a Difference”, 2nd of 2 Jimmy DeHaven stories, 14th of 43 stories in BM
~ Raymond Chandler, “Nevada Gas”, Johnny DeRuse, first book appearance Five Murderers (Avon digest, 2/3/44), first hardcover appearance The Simple Art of Murder (Houghton Mifflin, 1950), then Pickup on Noon Street (Pocket, 1/52), various paperback editions 5th of 11 stories in BM
~ George Harmon Coxe, “Thirty Tickets to Win”, ‘Flashgun Casey at the race-track’, 11th of 27 Casey, 11th of 31 stories in BM
~ Roger Torrey, “Dead Men Can Talk”, last of 11 Dal Prentice capers, Magna City police dick, ‘one tough guy’, 16th of 50 appearances in BM
©Seattle Mystery Bookshop
[cover updated 11/9/25]
December 1939 issue
cover art by Edgar A. Whitney
better image than previously posted
~ Dwight V. Babcock, “Blood in the Snow”, Beeker (7th and last Beeker story), DVB’s 21st and last BM story
~ William R. Cox, “Accounting in Blood”, CCC bookkeeper, 2nd of 2 stories in BM
~ Bayard H(ardwick) Kendrick, “Clear As Crystal”, 12th of 14 stories with Mikes Standish (Stan) Rice, ‘The Hungry’[?], all set in Florida
~ Peter Paige, “Swastika Scourge”, ’Nazi spies on the high seas; see p. 111 for letter from PP’, 2nd of 12 stories in BM
~ Stewart Sterling (pseud. of Prentice Winchell), “Straight Across the Board”, last of 3 stories with Vince Mallie, ‘at the races’, 3rd of 12 stories
~ Cornell Woolrich, “Through a Dead Man’s Eye”, ‘boy vs. murderer’, 15th of 24 (22 original) stories to appear in BM
©Seattle Mystery Bookshop
cover art by John Drew
better image than previously posted
~ Dwight V. Babcock, “Rat Bait”, 4th of 7 Chuck Thompson stories, 9th of 21 stories in BM
~ George Harmon Coxe, “Portrait of Murder”, 15th of 27 with Flashgun Casey, 15th of 31 stories in BM
~ Nels Leroy Jorgensen, “Shylock Is Murdered”, 24th of 32 with Stuart “Black” Burton, ‘square-shooting gambler from the Southwest, often entangled with the law’, 31st of 39 stories in BM
~ Frederick L. Nebel, “No Hard Feelings”, 34th of 37 with Captain Steve MacBride and local reporter Kennedy, they reverse roles in this story, reprinted in Winter Kill: Complete Cases of MacBride & Kenney, v.4 (Altus, 2013), 63 of 67 stories in BM
~ Theodore A. Tinsley, “Body Snatcher”, ‘15th (of 25) Jerry Tracy capers, columnist on the (NYC) Planet, ‘mixer with poor and rich, the crooked and the straight, trailer of trouble and happiness’, 16th of 26 stories in BM
©Seattle Mystery Bookshop
[cover updated 10/27/25]
cover art by Edgar A. Whitney
better image than previously posted
~ Dwight V. Babcock, “Murder on the Gayway”, 6th of 7 Beeker stories, ‘SF World’s Fair, Treasure Island Nude Ranch’, reprinted in The Black Lizard Big Book of Black Mask Stories (Vintage, 2010), 20th of 21 stories in BM
~ William Cole, “Waiting for Rusty”, ‘short-short’, only appearance in BM
~ Tiah Devitt, “The Haunted Inn”, last of 2 stories in BM
~ Mark Harper, “Death Rides Double”, ‘motorcycle cop’, pseudonym of Joseph T. Shaw, editor of BM, only fiction to appear under this name in the magazine
~ Fred Hodgkins, “Strangle-Hold”, 2nd of 3 stories in BM
~ C.S. Montanye (Carleton Stevens), “Moron’s Holiday”, last of 29 stories in BM
~ Roger Torrey, “Kill That Witness”, ‘12th (of 14) in Pat McCarthy series, with Marge Chalmers often his “sidekick”; he is ex-NYC cop, ex-agency man (Chicago & St. Louis) who dislikes cops’, 39th of 50 appearances in BM
~ Cornell Woolrich, “Collared”, ‘see p.31 for letter from CW on this story’, 14th of 24 (22 original) stories to appear in BM
©Seattle Mystery Bookshop
cover art by Rudolph Belarski
better image than previously posted
~ Dwight V. Babcock, “Death Goes Free”, ‘G-man Chuck Thompson’, 2nd of 7 CT stories, 7th of 21 stories in BM
~ Paul Cain, “Chinaman’s Chance”, Johnny Gay, Hollywood reporter, reprinted in The Complete Slayers (2011 Centipede Press), 14th of 17 stories in BM
~ James Duncan, “Runaround Murder”, last of 3 with Ivor Small – investigations, “He was fat without being fat enough to gain a livelihood as a professional fat man”, 3rd of 10 stories in BM
~ Big announcement that Erle Stanley Gardner & Ed Jenkins return in the next issue
~ Sinclair Gluck, “Double for Danger”, ‘Ted Murray, reporter in Hollywood, 1st-person narrator’, only appearance in BM
~ Theodore A. Tinsley, “Ticketed for Death”, ‘13th (of 25) Jerry Tracy capers, columnist on the (NYC) Planet, ‘mixer with poor and rich, the crooked and the straight, trailer of trouble and happiness’, reprinted in Murder Maze: The Complete Black Mask Cases of Jerry Tracy, vol.2 (Steeger 2022),14th of 26 stories in BM
©Seattle Mystery Bookshop
cover art by John Drew
~ Dwight V. Babcock, “Free Ride to Rio”, ‘Chuck Thompson with Kathleen Carnahan’, 5th of 7 CT stories, 10th of 21 stories in BM
~ George Harmon Coxe, “Trouble for Two”, 3rd of 4 Baron stories, 20th of 31 stories in BM
~ H.H. Stinson, “Nothing Personal”, 3rd of 14 with ‘Ken O’Hara, fighting reporter on Los Angeles Tribune’, 3rd of 27 stories in BM
~ Eric Taylor, “The Calloused Hand”, ‘Hastings (‘Hasty’) Sparks, a dick with the World Detective Agency’, last of 7 stories in BM
~ Roger Torrey, “Too Much Action”, ‘last of 4 stories starring 1st-person narrator Mike O’Dell, ex-wrestler, now bodyguard’, 19th of 50 appearances in BM
better image than previously posted
©Seattle Mystery Bookshop
[image updated 10/29/24]
cover art by John Drew
~ Dwight V. Babcock, “G-man Chuck Thompson”, 3rd of 7 CT stories, 8th of 21 stories in BM
~ W.T. Ballard, “Numbers with Lead”, 13th of 27 stories with ‘Bill Lennox, troubleshooter for Consolidated Films’, 17th of 43 stories in BM
~ Paul Cain, “Death Song”, ‘Pat Nolan, film studio trouble-shooter’, reprinted in The Complete Slayers (2011 Centipede Press), 15th of 17 stories in BM
~ Raymond Chandler, “Guns at Cyrano’s”, Ted Malvern, included in the collection The Simple Art of Murder (1950), then Pickup on Noon Street, 7th of 11 stories in BM
~ Frederick L. Nebel, “Fan Dance”, 33rd of 37 with Captain Steve MacBride and local reporter Kennedy, reprinted in Winter Kill: Complete Cases of MacBride & Kennedy, v.4 (Altus, 2013), 62 of 67 stories in BM
better image than previously posted
©Seattle Mystery Bookshop
[cover updated 1/25/26]
SMB Noir 