The Case of the Sunbather’s Diary x 7

1955 Morrow hardcover / 50th Perry Mason novel

1958 Cardinal reissue – cover art by Mitchell Hooks

Heinemann released the UK hardcover in 1961

1963 Pan reissue – cover art by Harry Sheldon

better image than previously posted

1963 Pocket reissue – cover art by Robert McGinnis

1970s Mayflower edition from the UK

1978 Pocket reissue

2000 Ballantine reissue

The Case of the Smoking Chimney x 5

1943  Morrow hardcover

1950 Pocket reissue

2nd book with Gramps Wiggins

cover art by Wayne Blickenstaff

1961 Pocket reissue – cover art by Charles Binger

better image than previously posted

1963 Horwitz edition from Australia

1963 British edition from Penguin

cover art by Sheila Perry

April 1933 issue ~ cover art by J.W. Schlaikjer

April 1933 issue

cover art by J. W. Schlaikjer

better image than previously posted

~ Erle Stanley Gardner, “Chinatown Murder”, 49th of 73 Ed Jenkins stories, ‘Chinese frequently spoken’, 70th of 99 stories in BM

~ Frederick L. Nebel, “Farewell to Crime”, 21st 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), 46 of 67 stories in BM

~ Norvell Page, “Black Harvest”, ‘last 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. and the Killers”, 3rd of 4 stories with ‘Kenneth Osborne from ‘No’th Cah’lina’; 1st person narrator’, 20th of 23 stories in BM

~ H.H. Stinson, “Give the Man Rope”, 1st of 14 with ‘Ken O’Hara, fighting reporter on Los Angeles Tribune’, debut and 1st of 27 stories in BM

~ Roger Torrey, “The Case-Hardened Samaritan”, 2nd of 11 with Dal Prentice, Magna City police dick, ‘one tough guy’, ‘Prentice – “hard when it comes to handling killers”, reprinted in The Case-Hardened Samaritan: The Complete Black Mask Cases of Dal Prentice, Vol. 1, 3rd of 50 appearances in BM

©Seattle Mystery Bookshop

Double or Quits x 12

1941 Morrow hardcover, his 5th with private eyes Bertha Cool and Donald Lam

1942 Dell mapback reissue – cover art by Gerald Gregg

1951 British Publishers Guild reissue

1953 Dell reissue, cover art by Fred Scotwood

better image than previously posted

1960 Dell reissue – cover art by Robert McGinnis

better image than previously posted

British 1961 Corgi reissue

1963 Dell reissue – cover art by Stanley Borack

British 1964 Corgi reissue

1966 Dell reissue – cover art by Robert Abbett

early 70s Dell reissue

1991 Avon reissue

2022 Mysterious Press/Open Road reissue

[post updated 9/26]

May 1930 issue ~ cover art by J.W. Schlaikjer

May 1930 issue

cover art by J. W. Schlaikjer

~ Erle Stanley Gardner, “The Crime Crusher”, 32th Ed Jenkins & his wife Helen Chadwick, 1st of a 3-part story, 49th of 99 stories in BM

~ Dashiell Hammett, “Dagger Point”, Ned Beaumont, 3rd of 4 stories that will go together to make up The Glass Key (published 1931), 43rd of 45 stories in BM

~ Nels Leroy Jorgensen, “Slowdown Hands”, 14th of 32 with Stuart “Black” Burton, ‘square-shooting gambler from the Southwest, often entangled with the law’, 18th of 39 stories in BM

~ Frederick L. Nebel, “Street Wolf”, ’Napoleon Damiani, gangster’, 23 of 67 stories in BM

~ Reuben Jennings Shay, “Backfire”, 1st of 2 in BM

©Seattle Mystery Bookshop

6 x Give ‘Em the Ax


1944 Morrow hardcover

9th with private eye team Bertha Cool and Donald Lam

1950 Dell mapback

August 1950 issue ~ cover art by Rudolph Belarski

published in 1951 by Heinemann in London as An Axe to Grind. this the 1960 Australian edition by Horowitz

1958 Dell reissue

1962 Dell reissue

cover art by Harry Bennett

better image than previously posted

4 x The Case of the Moth-Eaten Mink

April 1952 Morrow hardcover

41st Perry Mason novel

1957 Pocket reissue

cover photo of Ellen Burstyn by Silver Studios

1961 Great Pan edition from the UK – cover art by Sam Peffer

November 1962 Pocket reissue, 5th printing

cover art Robert McGinnis

better image than previously posted