george harmon coxe

March 1943 issue ~ cover art by Rafael DeSoto

March 1943 issue

cover art by Rafael DeSoto

~ George Harmon Coxe, “Blood on the Lens”, part 3 of 3 of Murder for Two (novel published 1943), last of 27 stories with Flashgun Casey, last of 31 stories in BM

~ C.P. Donnel, Jr., “Conspiracy in Sunlight”, ‘Military Intelligence; set in WWII England’, 13^th of 20 stories in BM

~ Erle Stanley Gardner, “The Incredible Mister Smith”, 72nd of 73 Ed Jenkins in Chinatown with Soo Hoo Duck, Ngat T’oy, 98th of 99 stories in BM

~ Philip Ketchum, “Coffin Number Three”, ‘death of an Army officer; WWII’, 2nd of 3 stories in BM

~ Henry Norton, “Slay, Fiddle, Slay”, ‘Steve Wiacheck, Polish-American worker’, 3rd of 6 stories in BM

©Seattle Mystery Bookshop

July 1934 issue

July 1934 issue

cover art by J. W. Schlaikjer

better image than previously posted

~ W.T. Ballard, “Whatta Guy”, 7th of 27 stories with ‘Bill Lennox, troubleshooter for Consolidated Films’, reprinted in That’s Hollywood: The Complete Black Mask Cases of Bill Lennox, Vol.1 (2023 Steeger Books), 7th of 43 stories in BM

~ Raymond Chandler, “Smart-Aleck Kill”, 2^nd Mallory, first book appearance in the collection The Simple Art of Murder (Houghton Mifflin hardcover, 1950), first paperback appearance Pickup on Noon Street (Pocket, 1/52), various paperback editions, 2^nd of 11 stories in BM

~ George Harmon Coxe, “Hot Delivery”, 5^th of 27 with Flashgun Casey, 5^th of 31 stories in BM

~ Eugene Cunningham, “If Murder Can Be Funny”, 3^rd of 5 with undercover Texas Ranger Cleve Corby, 9^th of 14 stories in BM

~ John Graham, “Murder Crate”, ‘ambulance crew; NYC setting’, 1^st of 2 stories in BM

~ Raymond Jae Moffatt, “Death in the Dark”, ‘Patrolman tries to avenge murdered father’, 1^st of 2 stories in BM

©Seattle Mystery Bookshop

January 1935 issue ~ cover art by Fred Craft

January 1935 issue

cover art by Fred Craft

~ Raymond Chandler, “Killer in the Rain”, unnamed LA PI, 1^st person, first book appearance in the anthology Killer in the Rain (Hammish Hamilton, UK hardcover, 3/26/64, US edition by Houghton Mifflin, 1964), various paperback editions, reprinted in The Black Lizard Big Book of Pulps (Vintage, 2007), 4th of 11 stories in BM [Chandler would “cannibalize” this story for The Big Sleep – note the totem with the camera lens.]

~ George Harmon Coxe, “Murder Picture”, 7^th of 27 with Flashgun Casey, reprinted in The Black Lizard Big Book of Pulps (Vintage, 2007), 7^th of 31 stories in BM

~ George Alden Edson, “Hot Lead”, author’s only appearance in BM

~ Erle Stanley Gardner, “Winged Lead”, ‘Bald Pete’, character’s only appearance in BM, 84th of 99 stories in BM

©Seattle Mystery Bookshop

February 1935 issue ~ cover art by Fred Craft

February 1935 issue

cover art by Fred Craft

better image than previously posted

~ Dwight V. Babcock, “Murder After Midnight”, ‘Al, bodyguard, 2^nd story in series’, 4^th of 21 stories in BM

~ W.T. Ballard, “Confessions Means Death”, 1^st of 2 with radio host/”people’s pal” Jimmy DeHaven, 12^th of 43 stories in BM

~ Clue Club, “Clue Club Mystery Story Contest”, ‘short-lived contest sponsored by Warner Bros & BM with prizes, etc.; not indexed beyond this issue’

~ George Harmon Coxe, “Casey – Detective”, 8^th of 27 with Flashgun Casey, 8^th of 31 stories in BM

~ Raymond Jae Moffatt, “Dunnigan of the Morning Call”, ‘cub reporter & cops’, 2nd of 2 stories in BM

~ Frederick L. Nebel, “It’s a Gag”, 29th 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), 57 of 67 stories in BM

©Seattle Mystery Bookshop