herman petersen – SMB Noir

January 1, 1924 issue ~ cover art by Jules Erbit

January 1, 1924 issue

cover art by Jules Erbit

~ Eustace Hale Ball, “The Footprints of Doom”, 7^th with ‘the Scarlet Fox, last of the series’, 11^th of 13 stories in BM

~ Carroll John Daly, “Action! Action!” 2^nd of 2 with Three-Gun Terry Mack, 1^st-person narrator, 8th of 71 appearances in BM. The Price of a Dime: The Complete Black Mask Cases of Ben Shaley (Steeger Books, 2021).

~ Henry W. Fisher, “Executioners I Have Met”, ‘5th^t of 6 ‘true’ articles with various subtitles’

~ Charles M. Green [pseud. of Erle Stanley Gardner], “The Serpent’s Coils”, ‘A Daytime Story’, 2nd of 3 stories under this name

~ Dashiell Hammett, “The Tenth Clew”, the Op [5th of 25], ‘see p. 127 for letter from DH on character in story, Creda Dexter‘, [Hammett’s first time appearing on the cover], reprinted in The Return of the Continental Op (Dell mapback, 1947), reprinted in City Sleuths and Tough Guys (Houghton Miflin, 1989), reprinted in City Sleuths and Tough Guys (Houghton Miflin, 1989), reprinted in The Big Book of the Continental Op (Vintage, 2017), reprinted in Zigzags of Treachery: The Complete Black Mask Cases of the Continental Op, Vol. 1 (Steeger, 2023), 9th of 51 stories in BM

~ Francis James, “The Sand Devil”, Prentice, Harvard-trained criminologist turned policeman with Police Chief Shannon, 3rd of 4 parts, 12th of 20 appearances in BM

~ Harold Freeman Miners, “Topango Catches a Track”, 2^nd of 4 with ‘Topanga John, ancient desert rat’, 2^nd of 5 stories in BM

~ Herman Petersen, “When a Wizard Woos”, ‘short-short; Wamaba, wizard in New Hebrides‘, 15th of 20 stories in BM

~ Charles Somerville, “The Mole”, 22nd of 47 articles in the ‘Manhunter’ series, 23^rd of 49 total articles in BM

~ Pearce Thorne, “A Jury of His Peers”, ‘brief-brief’, author’s sole appearance in BM

~ Edward Parrish Ware, “’Gangway!’”, ‘1^st-person narrator; set in Arkansas, complete with dialect; mule skinner’, 2nd of 9 stories in BM

©Seattle Mystery Bookshop

clearer image but more worn

[updated 6/2/26]

August 15, 1923 issue

August 15, 1923 issue

cover art by H.C. Murphy

better image than previously posted

~John Ayotte, “The Devil’s Breath”, ‘Another of those fascinating Hawaiian tales’, 3^rd of 10 stories in BM

~ Crowley Conmarr, “Fingers Clawing”, 2^nd of 2 stories in BM

~ Clinton Foy, “The Fatal Sin”, ‘insane 1^st-person narrator’, author’s only appearance in BM

~ Gilbert Hammond, “Psycho-Whatchamacallit”, author’s sole story in BM

~ Howard R. Marsh, “The Sign at No. 278”, ‘billed as a ‘ten minute story’, set in Chinatown, San Francisco, 2nd of 2 stories in BM

~ Herman Petersen, “The Black Gauntlet”, ‘advertised as “A Long Novelette of South Seas Adventure”’, 10th of 20 stories in BM

~ William Rollins, Jr., “The House of the Fiend Who Laughs”, ‘Daytime Story’, 4th of 23 stories in BM

~ Charles Somerville, “The Tap on the Door”, 13th of 47 articles in the ‘Manhunter’ series, 14^th of 49 total articles in BM

~ Willett Stockard, “The One-Man Mob”, 2nd of 5 stories in BM

November 1, 1923 issue ~ cover art by L.L. Balcom

November 1, 1923 issue

cover art by L.L. Balcom

~ John Ayotte, “White Tents”, ‘Col. Edwards’, 7^th of 10 stories in BM

~ Frank Conly, “The Man Who Was Not”, ‘Can the dead be brought back to life?’, 1^st of 2 in BM

~ Henry W. Fisher, “Executioners I Have Met”, ‘1^st of 6 ‘true’ articles with various subtitles’

~ Dashiell Hammett, “It”, ‘private detective, 1^st-person narrator, not an Op tale’ according to Hagemann but reprinted in The Big Book of the Continental Op (Vintage, 2017), reprinted in Zigzags of Treachery: The Complete Black Mask Cases of the Continental Op, Vol. 1 (Steeger, 2023), 6th of 51 stories in BM

~ George C. Henderson, “Who Shot?” ‘Complete Novelette’, author’s sole appearance in BM

~ Stanley R. Hofflund, “The Third Rider”, ‘yarn set in Mexico’, author’s only story in BM

~ Margaret Alison Johansen, “Mrs. Vandam’s Diamonds”, author’s only appearance in BM

~ Herman Petersen, “One Dried Head”, 1^st of 3 parts, South Seas; issue also has brief article, “The Gentle Art of Drying Heads”, relates to “One Dry Head”, 11th and 12^th of 20 pieces in BM

~ Charles Somerville, “The Hand of God”, 18th of 47 articles in the ‘Manhunter’ series, 19^th of 49 total articles in BM

[note: at this time, Hammett does not yet merit mention on the cover]

©Seattle Mystery Bookshop

June 18, 2015

November 15, 1923 issue ~ cover art by L.L. Balcom

November 15, 1923 issue

cover art by L.L. Balcom

better image than previously posted

~ Royce Brier, “Hundred Thousand Cache”, 3^rd of 5 stories in BM

~ H.B. Davenport, “Triggers of Justice”, ‘set in Kentucky mountains’, 1^st of 2 stories in BM

~ Henry W. Fisher, “Executioners I Have Met”, ‘2nd of 6 ‘true’ articles with various subtitles’

~ Dashiell Hammett, “The Second-Story Angel”, reprinted in Nightmare Town (Knopf, 1999), 7th of 51 stories in BM

~ Robert Lee Heiser, “Where the Road Ends”, “A Complete Novelette”, numerous appearances but little fiction – last of 3 stories in BM

~ Clif Hill, “Water”, ‘Western’, author’s only story in BM

~ Vance Hoyt, “The Silent Law”, author’s sole appearance in BM

~ Charles T. Jordan, “Felton Celebrates Egg-Day”, 2^ndof 2 stories in BM

~ Elwin J. Owens, “Lupsika of the Forest”, ‘North Woods’, author’s sole appearance in BM

~ Herman Petersen, “One Dried Head”, 2nd of 3 parts, ‘South Seas‘, 13th of 20 stories in BM

~ Charles Somerville, “The ‘Cigar Box’ Mystery”, 19th of 47 articles in the ‘Manhunter’ series, 20^th of 49 total articles in BM

©Seattle Mystery Bookshop

UK edition of same issue

July 1926 issue ~ cover art by Dodge

July 1926 issue

cover art by Dodge

~ Carroll John Daly, “The False Clara Burkhart”, 14^th of 53 with Race Williams, reprinted in Them That Lives By Their Guns: The Collected Hard-Boiled Stories of Race Williams, Vol. 1 (Altus Press, 2015), 22nd of 71 appearances in BM

~ William Colt MacDonald, “Romney Gets the Dope”, Western, author’s sole appearance in BM

~ Howard E. Morgan, “The Prisoner at Silver City”, 2^nd of 2 stories in BM

~ Herman Petersen, “The Knife”, last of 20 stories in BM

~ Harry Emmons Rolfe, “Tin Cans”, ‘short-short’, author’s sole appearance in BM

~ George Surrey, “The King of Pearls”, author’s sole appearance in BM

~ Raoul [Fauconnier] Whitfield, “Black Air”, 4th of 68 stories in BM [see also 24 stories as Ramon Decolta]

©Seattle Mystery Bookshop

March 1, 1923 issue ~ cover art by A. Rose

March 1, 1923 issue

cover art by A. Rose

~ John Ayotte, “Okolehao”, ‘short-short, ‘A tragedy of Hawaii’, JA’s debut in BM’, 1^st of 10 stories

~ Eustace Hale Ball, “The Trail of the Scarlet Fox”, part 4 of 6 parts with various subtitles, 4th of 13 appearances in BM

~ Black Mask Crime Review, ‘A Crime Expert’s Review of the Hall-Mills Tragedy; Article; anonymous;1^st segment in this irregular, short-lived Department; no indexed beyond this point’

~ Crowley Conmarr, “Under the Hide of Tu Son”, ‘A Weird Tale’; 1^st-person narrator; Chinese character’, 1^st of 2 stories in BM

~ Jack J. Gottlieb, “With His Enemies’ Aid”, ‘A Mystery of the D.A.s office’, authors 8^th and final story in BM

~ John Hanlon, “The Door”, ‘A Skit with Spirits’, last of 3 stories in BM

~ John Holden, “The Perfect Plan”, ‘Gerald Drago, embezzler’, author’s only story in BM

~ Francis James, “Sinister Images”, Prentice, Harvard-trained criminologist turned policeman (‘the young Central Office Man’) with Police Chief Shannon, 3rd of 4 parts, 5th of 20 appearances in BM

~ Roy L. McCardell, “Pieces of Men”, ‘daytime story’, last of 5 appearances in BM

~ Herman Petersen, “The Ghost Ship”, ‘Complete Mystery Novelette of the Cannibal Isles’, 6th of 20 stories in BM

~ Charles Somerville, “Old Clothes”, ‘fictitious names are given…changed a bit for necessary reasons’, 3rd of 47 articles in the ‘Manhunter’ series, 3^rd of 49 total articles in BM

~ Gregory Stragnell, MD, “Our Dreams”, “short-lived Department devoted to ‘one of the newest sciences – psychoanalysis’; not indexed beyond this point”

©Seattle Mystery Bookshop

May 15, 1923 issue ~ cover art by A. Rose

May 15, 1923 issue

cover art by A. Rose

better image than previously posted

~ Raymond J. Brown, “Phantom Bullets”, part 4 of 5, only work in BM

~ Jack Carlton, “Four Shots”, ‘cemetery tale’, 1of 2 stories in BM

~ Carroll John Daly, “Three Gun Terry”, 1^st of 2 with PI Terry Mack, 4th of 71 appearances in BM, reprinted in The Black Mask Boys (1985, Morrow). Reprinted in The Man in the Shadows: The Complete Black Mask Cases of Terry Mack (Steeger Books, 2021).

~ Carl Glick, “In the Grey Dawn”, 2^nd of 2 stories in BM

~ Charles T. Jordan, “A Matter of Postage”, 1^st of 2 stories in BM

~ Herman Petersen, “In Mutiny”, ‘A weird thing’, 7th of 20 stories in BM

~ Robert Russell, “The Snake”, 2nd of 3 stories in BM

~ Charles Somerville, “The Clue in the Turf”, ‘“Honest John” Brunen, murder victim & Ellis Parker, detective’, 8th of 47 articles in the ‘Manhunter’ series, 8^th of 49 total articles in BM

~ Joe Taylor, “Ragged Seams”, 8th of 12 tales in ‘My Underworld’ series, 9^th of 13^th appearances in BM

October 1922 issue

October 1922 issue

~ Carroll John Daly, “Dolly”, ‘1^st person narrated mood piece…see p. 65 for editorial comment on story’, reprinted in Them That Lives By Their Guns: The Collected Hard-Boiled Stories of Race Williams, Vol. 1 (Altus Press, 2015), 1^st of 71 appearances in BM

~ David Dart, “Parker Proves His Theory”, 1^st of 2 stories in BM

~ Frederick C. Davis, “Floating Pearls”, 2^nd of 16 stories in BM

~ Mary Browne, “Man, Woman and the Iceman”, sole appearance in BM

~ Henry W. Fisher, “The Truth About the Belgrade Assassinations”, ‘Murders of King Alexander & Queen Dragna of Serbia in 1903’, 1^st of 7 long pieces in BM

~ Jack J. Gottlieb, “Ling the Lucky”, ‘Chinese gunman Ling Yar in San Francisco’, author’s 6^th of 8 stories

~ Francis F. Gregory, “A Pile of Dust”, author’s sole story in BM

~ Francis James, “The Sand Devil”, ‘billed as “A Complete Novelette of Mystery and Action…This weird story should be ready by daylight”; debut of Prentice, Harvard-trained criminologist, turned policeman’, 1^st of 20 appearances in BM

~ Murray Leinster (pseud. of Will F. Jenkins), “The Wallet That Weighed Too Much”, 5^th of 7 stories in BM

~ Herman Petersen, “A Gold-Digger’s Man” and “Half Across the World”, 3rd and 4th of 20 stories in BM

~ Howard P. Rockey, “False Witness”, last of 5 stories in BM

~ Robert Russell, “Suspiciously Good Behavior”, 1^st of 3 stories in BM

~ Robert E(mmett) Sherwood, “Film Thrillers”, film-review series, short –lived department, not indexed beyond this issue

~ Ward Sterling, “The Concrete Facts About Thomas Hancock”, last of 16 stories under this name in BM [44th of 46 stories in BM under three different names – Harold Ward and H.W. Starr]

~ J. Ainsworth Wood, “Beyond”, ‘brief-brief’, author’s only appearance in BM

Spring 1939 issue

Spring 1939 issue

second of only three issues

November 1922 issue ~ cover art by A. Rose

November 1922 issue

cover art by A. Rose

~Eustace Hale Ball & Earl Derby, “Dead Men Do Tell!”, ‘The First of the Black Mask Daytime Stories – not to be read at night by people with weak nerves.” EHB’s debut in BM

~ Carl Clausen, “The Careful Alibi”, ‘Complete Novelette’, 2^nd of 3 stories in BM

~ Frederick Ames Coates, “Bottled Judgment”, last of 5 stories in BM

~ Peter Condet, “The Indorsed Check”, ‘baseball background’, 1^st of 2 stories in BM

~ Thomas Ewing Dabney, “Tom Shepherd and the Rat”, 1^st of 2 stories in BM

~ Marie Eisenbrandt, “The Breaking Point”, author’s sole appearance in BM

~ John Hanlon, “A Shred of Yellow Paper, ‘short-short, less than a half page‘, 1^st of 3 stories in BM

~ Roy L. McCardell, “A Million A Year”, 1st of 4 parts, 1^st of 5 appearances in BM

~ J.R. McCarthy, “Payment As Promised”, ‘short-short’, author’s only appearance in BM

~ John McColl, “But She Looked Lovely”, ‘poem’, 1^st of 3 works in BM

~ C.S. Montanye (Carleton Stevens), “The Goat”, 13th of 29 stories in BM

~ Herman Petersen, “Shark-Bait”, ‘short-short‘, 5th of 20 stories in BM

~ A. Rose, “A Substitute for Blood”, ‘story illus. by author who also designed cover of issue’, author’s sole story in BM

~ Joe Taylor, “The Life of a Hold-Up Man”, ‘1^st (of 12) tales in ‘My Underworld’ series; JT is advertised as ‘ex-automobile bandit’ with 15 years’ experience in crime; early on, listed as fact; later, as fiction; see p. 40 for photo-portrait of JT’, 1st of 13^th appearances in BM

~ Sally Dixon Wright, “The House on the Dunes”, author’s only appearance in BM

[cover updated 11/8/25]

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