1946 Morrow hardcover
28th Perry Mason novel
June 1955 Pocket paperback reissue, 7th printing
cover photo by Alfred Gesheidt
better image than previously posted
1959 Cardinal paperback reissue
cover art by Charles Binger
better image than previously posted
cover art by Fred Craft
~ Tom Curry, “Under Cover”, DeVrite, NYPD undercover ‘secret agent’, 1st of 7, subtitled ‘The Receiver’, 20th 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 19th 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, 2nd with Craig, 3rd of 5 stories in BM
~ David Thibault, “The Contract”, ‘Louisiana lumber swamps in Mississippi Delta, Irish dialect’, 1st 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 67 stories in BM [see also 24 stories as Ramon Decolta]
©Seattle Mystery Bookshop
[cover updated 1/22/26]
October 1958 Cardinal paperback, 1st print, second paperback release
cover painting by Mark Dawson
better image than previously posted
May 1958 Cardinal paperback reissue, first printing
cover painting by Michell Hooks
better image than previously posted
cover art by J. W. Schlaikjer
~ Norbert Davis, “Kansas City Flash”, ‘Mark Hull, ex-stunt man, in Hollywood & L.A; reprinted in The Hard-Boiled Detective (1977)’, 2nd of 13 stories in BM
~ Erle Stanley Gardner, “Red Jade”, 48th of 73 Ed Jenkins in Chinatown with Soo Hoo Duck, Ngat T’oy; ‘see p.5 for a letter from ESG to JTS’ [Joseph T. Shaw, ed.], 69th of 99 stories in BM
~ Frederick L. Nebel, “Rough Reform”, 20th of 37 with Captain Steve MacBride and local reporter Kennedy, reprinted in Too Young to Die: Complete Cases of MacBride & Kennedy, v.3 (Altus, 2013), 45 of 67 stories in BM
~ Norvell Page, “The Confessional”, ‘2nd of 3 Jules Tremaine stories; Manhattan and Little Italy; (ed. note) a projected & potentially important series that never developed’ [Hagemann doesn’t explain his editor’s note], only these 3 stories in BM. Reprinted in Black Harvest: The Complete Black Mask Cases of Jules Tremaine (Steeger Books, 2021).
~ William Rollins, Jr., “K.O. Carries On”, 2nd of 4 stories with ‘Kenneth Osborne from ‘No’th Cah’lina’; 1st person narrator’, 19th of 23 stories in BM
~ Theodore A. Tinsley “Help Wanted”, ‘6th (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’, 6th of 26 stories in BM. Reprinted in South Wind: The Complete Black Mask Cases of Jerry Tracy (Steeger Books, 2021).
~ Roger Torrey, “A Night in Menlo”, ‘Western; Deputy Marshall Henry Corbin in town of Menlo’, 2nd of 50 appearances in BM
©Seattle Mystery Bookshop
March 1964 Pocket paperback reissue, first printing
cover printing by Robert McGinnis
better image than previously posted
cover art by J. W. Schlaikjer
~ Erle Stanley Gardner, “On Two Feet”, last Bob Larkin story, 1st since 9/1929, 64th of 99 stories in BM
~ Horace McCoy, “Wings over Texas”, 12th of 14 stories with Frost ‘Capt. Jerry Frost, Texas (Air) Ranger’ 15th of 17 stories in BM
~ James H[enry] S[eymour] Moynahan, “Blow-Off”, ‘O’Brien, private dick’, 2nd of 2 stories in BM
~ Frederick L. Nebel, “The Red Web”, 10th of 15 stories with ‘tough dick Donahue of Interstate’, ‘Donahue, a.k.a “The Hard Boiled One”’, reprinted in Tough as Nails (2012, Altus), 42 of 67 stories in BM
~ Joseph T. Shaw, “Fugitive”, 3rd of 4 parts, ‘Jack Henderson, set in Far East, eg, Rangoon’, 8th of 9 works of fiction in BM
~ Theodore A. Tinsley, “Party from Detroit”, ‘1st (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’, 1st of 26 stories in BM
©Seattle Mystery Bookshop
October 1932 Canadian issue – same contents, clearer, sharper, more colorful image
[US image updated 10/27/25]
SMB Noir 