frederick nebel – Page 3

June 1936 issue ~ cover art by John Drew

June 1936 issue

cover art by John Drew

~ Raymond Chandler, “Goldfish”, Carmady #2 of 4, ‘see May 1936 issue, p. 127, for comment on RC’, first book appearance Five Murderers (Avon digest, 2/3/44), reprinted in the collection Trouble is My Business (Penguin UK, 1950), The Hard-Boiled Detective, (1977), 9th of 11 stories in BM

~ George Harmon Coxe, “Fall Guy”, 17^th of 27 with Flashgun Casey, reprinted in The Black Lizard Big Book of Black Mask Stories (Vintage, 2010), 19^th of 31 stories in BM

~ M.A. Gutschow, “The Wild Rose Hermit”, ‘another in the ‘Narrowest Escape’ series, see Charles E. Cox Jr.’, author’s only appearance in BM

~ Nels Leroy Jorgensen, “Two Tickets to Trinidad”, 26th of 32 with Stuart “Black” Burton, ‘square-shooting gambler from the Southwest, often entangled with the law’, 33rd of 39 stories in BM

~ Frederick L. Nebel, “Hard to Take”, 36th of 37 with Captain Steve MacBride and local reporter Kennedy, reprinted in Winter Kill: Complete Cases of MacBride & Kennedy, v.4 (Altus, 2013), 65 of 67 stories in BM

~ Theodore A. Tinsley, “Storm Signal”, ‘16th (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), 17th of 26 stories in BM

©Seattle Mystery Bookshop

[cover updated 1/26/26]

May 1929 issue ~ cover art by Fred Craft

May 1929 issue

cover art by Fred Craft

better image than previously posted

~ Tom Curry, “The Terror”, 18^th of 23 with Macnamara (Mac), NYPD 1^st grade dick, 32nd of 39 stories in BM

~ Carroll John Daly, “Get Race Williams”, 30^th of 53 with RW, ‘The Flame’ aka Florence Drummond, ‘The Girl with the Criminal Mind’, 3rd of a loosely organized 4-pt. serial; pub. as The Tag Murders (1930)’, reprinted in The Snarl of the Beast: The Collected Hard-boiled Stories of Race Williams, v.2 (Altus, 2016), 42nd of 71 appearances in BM

~ Nels Leroy Jorgensen, “Gambling in Yellow”, 10th of 32 with Stuart “Black” Burton, ‘square-shooting gambler from the Southwest, often entangled with the law’, 14th of 39 stories in BM

~ Frederick L. Nebel, “Graft”, 5th of 37 with Captain Steve MacBride and local reporter Kennedy, 5^th and last of the ‘Crimes of Richmond City’ sub-series, reprinted in The Black Lizard Big Book of Pulps (Vintage, 2007), reprinted in Raw Law: Complete Cases of MacBride & Kennedy, v.1 (Altus, 2013), 17 of 67 stories in BM

~ Earl and Marion Scott, “Gat Grabs the Shadows”, ‘Gat Wilson, gangster’, 5th of 17 stories in BM as a couple

~ Victor Shaw, “Pack Rats”, mining, 4^th of 5 stories in BM

~ Raoul [Fauconnier] Whitfield, “High Odds”, Gary Greer, 4^th (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’, 29th of 67 stories in BM [see also 24 stories as Ramon Decolta]. Reprinted in Laughing Death (Steeger Books, 2021).

©Seattle Mystery Bookshop

July 1931 issue ~ cover art by J.W. Schlaikjer

July 1931 issue

cover art by J. W. Schlaikjer

better image than previously posted

~ Carroll John Daly, “’The Flame’ and Race Williams”, 40^th of 53 with RW, part 2 of 3, ‘pub.as The Third Murderer (1931)’, 52nd of 71 appearances in BM

~ Ramon Decolta (Raoul Whitfield), “Blue Glass”, 5th of 6 parts in the ‘Rainbow Diamonds’ sequence that take Jo Gar from Manila to San Francisco, 14^th of 24 Gar stories in BM, reprinted in West of Guam: The Complete Cases of Jo Bar (Altus Press, 2013)

~ Erle Stanley Gardner, “Tommy Talk”, 35th of 73 Ed Jenkins, returns after the death of his wife Helen, out of hospital and in Chinatown with Soo Hoo Duck, Ngat T’oy, 1^st of 3 connected stories (9/1931 and 12/1931), 52nd of 99 stories in BM

~ Frederick L. Nebel, “Death for a Dago”, 15th of 37 with Captain Steve MacBride and local reporter Kennedy, reprinted in Winter Kill: Complete Cases of MacBride & Kenney, v.2 (Altus, 2013), 32 of 67 stories in BM

~ Bertrand W(illiam) Sinclair, “Ananias and the Sapphires”, ‘Western; Andy Nason’, 2nd of 3 stories in BM

~ Stewart Stirling, (possible pseud. of Stewart Sterling?), “Cold Blood”, 3^rd of 8 stories with ‘Johnny Hi Gear, a.k.a. K-5, Undercover Agent’

©Seattle Mystery Bookshop

September 1932 issue ~ cover art by J.W. Schlaikjer

September 1932 issue

cover art by J.W. Schlaikjer

oil on board, 29.5 x 19.5 in.

better image than previously posted

~ Paul Cain, “The Dark”, ‘Kells & Granquist; part 5 of Fast One’, reprinted in The Complete Slayers (2011 Centipede Press), 7^th of 17 stories in BM

~ Erle Stanley Gardner, “Black and White”, 46th of 73 Ed Jenkins stories, 63th of 99 stories in BM

~ Frederick L. Nebel, “He Could Take It”, 9th of 15 stories with ‘tough dick Donahue of Interstate’, reprinted in Tough as Nails (2012, Altus), 41 of 67 stories in BM

~ William Rollins, Jr., “Triple-Cross”, 3rd of 4 stories with Percy (Buck) Warren, private eye, 16th of 23 stories in BM

~ Joseph T. Shaw, “Fugitive”, 2nd of 4 parts, ‘Jack Henderson, set in Far East, eg, Rangoon’, 7^th of 9 works of fiction in BM

~ Raoul [Fauconnier] Whitfield, “Blue Murder”, ‘Don Free, private dick; 3^rd and last DF story’, title used for earlier story in July ’28 issue, 58th of 67 stories in BM [see also 24 stories as Ramon Decolta]

©Seattle Mystery Bookshop

January 1977 Vintage paperback original, 1st printing

January 1977 Vintage paperback original, 1st printing

edited and with an introduction by Herbert Ruhm

Carroll John Daly, “The False Burton Combs” (Dec, 1922)

Peter Collinson, “The Road Home” (Dashiell Hammettt, Dec, 1922)

Dashiell Hammett, “The Gutting of Couffignal” (Dec, 1925)

Norbert Davis, “Kansas City Flash” (Mar, 1933)

Frederick Nebel, “Take It and Like It” (June, 1934)

Raymond Chandler, “Goldfish” (June, 1936)

Lester Dent, “Angelfish” (Dec, 1936)

Erle Stanley Gardner, “Leg Man” (Feb, 1938)

George Harmon Coxe, “Once Around the Clock” (May, 1941)

Merle Constiner, “The Turkey Buzzard Blues” (July, 1943)

William Brandon, “It’s So Peaceful in the Country” (Nov, 1943)

Curt Hamlin, “Killer Come Home” (his only Black Mask story, July, 1948)

Paul W. Fairman, “Big-Time Operator” (his only Black Mask story, July, 1948)

Bruno Fischer, “Five O’Clock Menace” (May, 1949)

©Seattle Mystery Bookshop

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

March 1933 issue

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)’, 2^nd 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’; 1^st 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

November 1935 issue ~ cover art by Tom Drew

November 1935 issue

cover art by John Drew

better image than previously posted

~ William Donald Bray, “A Keg of Muscatel”, ‘murder at a winery’, last of 12 stories in BM

~ John K. Butler, “’G” – Heat”, ‘‘Brick’ Hammond, G-man’, 1^st of 11 stories in BM

~ Raymond Chandler, “Spanish Blood”, LAPD Delaguerra, first book reprint in the anthology Five Murderers (Avon digest, 1944), first hardcover appearance, The Simple Art of Murder (Houghton Mifflin, 1950), 5^th of 11 stories in BM

~ Frederick L. Nebel, “Winter Kill”, 32nd of 37 with Captain Steve MacBride and local reporter Kennedy, 61 of 67 stories in BM, reprinted in The Hardboiled Dicks (1965), reprinted in Winter Kill: Complete Cases of MacBride & Kenney, v.4 (Altus, 2013)

~ Theodore A. Tinsley, “Five Spot”, ‘14th (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’, 15th of 26 stories in BM

[cover updated 11/8/25]

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

November 1930 issue

cover art by J. W. Schlaikjer

better image than previously posted

~ Eugene Cunningham, “Border Guns”, ‘Western; Johnny Hearne, Border patrolman’, 4^th of 14 stories in BM

~ Tom Curry, “The Man from Headquarters”, 20^th of 23 with Macnamara (Mac), NYPD 1^st grade dick, 35^th of 39 stories in BM

~ Dashiell Hammett, “Death and Company”, ‘last Op [22^nd] story and DH’s final appearance in BM’, last of 45 stories in BM

~ Nels Leroy Jorgensen, “Lone Hand Tactics”, 2nd of 3 with Rio Kennedy of the Customs Service in Santo Domingo, 20^th of 39 stories in BM

~ Frederick L. Nebel, “Rough Justice”, 1^st of 15 stories with ‘tough dick Donahue of Interstate’, 26 of 67 stories in BM, reprinted in The Black Mask Boys (1985, Morrow), reprinted in Tough as Nails (2012, Altus)

~ James P. Olsen, “Horror Hacienda”, ’Wolf Cazell in New Mexico’, 2nd of 6 Western stories in BM

~ Raoul [Fauconnier] Whitfield, “Death in a Bowl”, last of 3 serialized parts, ‘Ben Jardinn, Hollywood eye, & murder in Hollywood Bowl’, ‘(originally titled The Maestro Murder)’, published in hardcover in 1931 by Knopf, 43rd of 67 stories in BM [see also 24 stories as Ramon Decolta]

October 1932 issue ~ cover art by J.W. Schlaikjer

October 1932 issue

cover art by J. W. Schlaikjer

~ Erle Stanley Gardner, “On Two Feet”, last Bob Larkin story, 1^st 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’ 15^th 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’, 8^th of 9 works of fiction in BM

~ Theodore A. Tinsley, “Party from Detroit”, ‘1^st (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’, 1^st of 26 stories in BM

October 1932 Canadian issue – same contents, clearer, sharper, more colorful image

[US image updated 10/27/25]

1950 Avon paperback original

1950 Avon paperback original. six stories that first appeared in Black Mask Magazine

“The Red Hots” (December 1930)

“Get a Load of This” (February 1931)

“Spare the Rod” (August 1931)

“Pearls are Tears” (September 1931)

“Death’s Not Enough” (October 1931)

“Save Your Tears” (June 1933)