January 1940 issue ~ cover art by Edgar A. Whitney

January 1940 issue

cover art by Edgar A. Whitney

better image than previously posted

~Robert Arthur, “Too Much Static”, ‘patrol cop’, 1st of 2 appearances in BM but only original story to appear

~Maurice Beam, “Ham Strung”, small-town hardware store owner, 1st-person narrator (thought to be possibly a pseud. of Robert Leslie Bellem), 4th of 7 under this name in BM

~ Wyatt Blassingame, “Some Call It Murder”, 1st with Bishop, pegged-legged political writer for a Southern newspaper, 1st of 6 in series, 2nd of 8 stories in BM

~ Peter Paige, “Voodoo Frame”, ‘Cash Wale, 1st person narrator, employee in Moonglow, an amusement park’, 3rd of 12 stories in BM

~ William B. Rainey, “The Garden of Violent Death”, ‘Philip Dumaine, New Orleans private gumshoe & Negro sidekick, Ben Bolt’, pseudonym of Wyatt Blassingame, only appearance in BM under this name

~ H.H. Stinson, “This Murder’s On Me”, ‘Van Hogan, Worldwide Agency dick, 1st -person narrator’, 13th of 27 stories in BM

~ Roger Torrey, “Death Calls the Hand”, ‘13th (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’, ‘ see p. 81 for letter from RT on story’, 41st of 50 appearances in BM

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December 1939 issue ~ cover art by Edgar A. Whitney

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

October 1939 issue ~ cover art by Edgar A. Whitney

October 1939 issue

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

April 1939 issue ~ cover art by Edgar A. Whitney

April 1939 issue

cover art by Edgar A. Whitney

better image than previously posted

~ Frederick C. Davis, “Hide the Evidence”, ‘Johnny Holland; politics & murder’, 8th of 16 stories in BM

~ Steve Fisher, “Latitude Unknown”, ‘treachery on the high seas’, last of 9 stories in BM

~ B.B. Fowler, “A Sucker Has to Learn”, ‘Rick Sadler, lawyer, born on the wrong side of the tracks’, 2nd of 2 stories in BM

~ Fred Hodgkins, “Crime at the Crossing”, ‘death of a little girl’, 1st of 3 stories in BM

~ Baynard H(ardwick) Kendrick, “The Gorgon’s Head”, 9th of 14 stories with Mikes Standish (Stan) Rice, ‘The Hungry’[?], all set in Florida

~ Emile C. Tepperman, “Death – to the Highest Bidder”, ‘Broadway auction house; see p.57 for note by ECT on story’, 2nd of 3 stories in BM

©Seattle Mystery Bookshop