August 1936 issue ~ cover art by John Drew

August 1936 issue

cover art by John Drew

better image than previously posted

~ W.T. Ballard, “Fugitive for Justice”, 4th of 7 with ‘Red Drake, undercover investigator for the State Racing Commission, 1st-person narrator’, 20th of 43 stories in BM

~ John K. Butler, “You Can’t Bribe Bullets”, ‘Marty Lewis, 1st person-narrator, & shady local politics’, 4th of 11 stories in BM

~ James Duncan, “Heir to Murder”, ‘Jerry Blaze’, 4th of 10 stories in BM

~ Nels Leroy Jorgensen, “Homicide Cue”, 27th of 32 with Stuart “Black” Burton, ‘square-shooting gambler from the Southwest, often entangled with the law’, 34th of 39 stories in BM

~ Frederick L. Nebel, “Deep Red”, last of 37 with Captain Steve MacBride and local reporter Kennedy, reprinted in Winter Kill: Complete Cases of MacBride & Kennedy, v.4 (Altus, 2013), last of 66 original stories in BM (plus reprints from outside BM)

~ Roger Torrey, “Border Blockade”, ‘4th (of 5) of George Killeen, private ‘tec in L.A., & 1st-person narrator; with Lieutenant McFee, Homicide’, ‘California, i.e., Mexican border’, 20th of 50 appearances in BM

©Seattle Mystery Bookshop

May 1938 issue ~ cover art by Raymond S. Pease

May 1938 issue

cover art by Raymond S. Pease

~ William R. Cox, “Half a Crook”, murder & politics, 1st of 2 stories in BM

~ Carroll John Daly, “I Am the Law”, ‘Meet that implacable, coldly reckless manhunter, Satan Hall’, 1st of 2 stories (he mostly appeared in Dime Detective Magazine), 67th of 71 appearances in BM

~ James Duncan, “A Deal in Coconuts”, 4 of 5 stories with The Parson, who lives on a ‘mythical’ (fictional?) isle, Cariba, reprinted in Murder for Pennies: The Complete Black Mask Cases of the Parson (Steeger, 2024), 9th of 10 stories in BM

~ Steve Fisher, “Wait for Me”, ‘murder & intrigue in Shanghai’, reprinted in The Black Lizard Big Book of Black Mask Stories (Vintage, 2010), 5th of 9 stories in BM

~ Frank Gruber, “Death Sits Down”, 5th of 10 with ‘Oliver Quade, The Human Encyclopedia’, 7th of 14 stories in BM

~ Roger Torrey, “Murder Link”, ‘7th (of 14) in Pat McCarthy series, with Marge Chalmers often his “sidekick”; he is ex-NYC cop, ex-agency man (Chicago & St. Louis) who dislikes cops’, 34th of 50 appearances in BM

~ Donald Wandrei, “Game of Legs”, ‘wrestler’, 2nd of 6 stories in BM

©Seattle Mystery Bookshop

January 1935 issue ~ cover art by Walter Baumhofer

January 1935 issue

cover art by Walter M. Baumhofer

better image than previously posted

Hugh B. Cave, “Dark Bondage”

H. M. Appel, “Harvest of Hate”

Arthur Leo Zagat, “Madman’s Bride”

Donald Barr Chidsey, “Death Walks in Paradise”

James Duncan, “Food for Coffins”

Mindret Lord, “Hostage to Pain”

Monroe Karasik, “Unholy Eyes”

(cover repurposed for April 1940 issue)

November 1938 issue ~ cover art by John Fleming Gould

November 1938 issue

cover art by John Fleming Gould

better image than previously posted

John Lawrence, “Death in Round Numbers” (Marquis of Broadway)

William E. Barrett, “The Tattooed Combination” (Needle Mike)

James Duncan, “A Mere Half Million”

William Edward Hayes, “The Corpse in the Darkroom”

Cyril Plunkett, “Lead Medicine”

March 1937 issue ~ cover art by Harry Stoner

March 1937 issue

cover art by Harry Stoner

better image than previously posted

~ W.T. Ballard, “This is Murder”, 18th of 27 stories with ‘Bill Lennox, troubleshooter for Consolidated Films’, 24th of 43 stories in BM

~ Hugh B. Cave, “Dead Dog”, ‘Pooch Hanley a cop who likes dogs’, 2nd of 9 stories in BM

~ James Duncan, “Double Trouble”, 1st of 5 stories with ‘The Parson, who lives on a ‘mythical’ (fictional?) isle, Cariba’, set in Havana, reprinted in Murder for Pennies: The Complete Black Mask Cases of the Parson (Steeger, 2024), 6th of 10 stories in BM

~ Erle Stanley Gardner, “This Way Out”, 64th Ed Jenkins ‘as Bob Sabin; with Ngat T’oy’, same title as 3/1927 but different story, 89th of 99 stories in BM

~ Eric Howard, “The Mugg from Frisco”, ‘Kelly, 1st person narrator & some shady politics’, 1st of 6 stories in BM

~ H. Randolph Peacock, “Dead Alibi”, 1st of 3 with Otto, department store dick, making ‘$40 a week at Klineman’s‘, ‘see p. 127 for word on HRP‘, 1st of 4 stories in BM

~ Cole Richards, “No Reprieve”, ‘short-short’, author’s sole appearance in BM

~ Roger Torrey, “Always a Lady”, ‘Lieutenant Delehanty, a cop’, 26th of 50 appearances in BM

©Seattle Mystery Bookshop

December 1935 issue ~ cover art by Rafael DeSoto

December 1935 – second issue published

cover art by Rafael DeSoto

much better image than previously posted

January 1939 issue ~ cover art by James Lunnon

January 1939 issue

cover art by James Lunnon

better image than previously posted

~ James Duncan, “Murder for Pennies”, last of 5 stories with The Parson, who lives on a ‘mythical’ (fictional?) isle, Cariba, reprinted in Murder for Pennies: The Complete Black Mask Cases of the Parson (Steeger, 2024), last of 10 appearances in BM

~ Steve Fisher, “Jake and Jill”, ‘Honolulu setting’, 7th of 9 stories in BM

~ Jackson Gregory, “Dusty Death”, 1st of 2 stories in BM, this the only original one (see 5/1951)

~ H.W. Guernsey, “A Thousand Iron Men”, ‘iron men’ = $1 bill’, 3rd of 4 stories in BM

~ Eric Howard, “The Doc and the Dame”, last of 6 stories in BM

~ Baynard H(ardwick) Kendrick, “Arson”, 9th of 14 stories with Mikes Standish (Stan) Rice, ‘The Hungry’[?], all set in Florida, ‘see p. 63 for note by BHK on story’

~ H.H. Stinson, “All-American Menace”, 10th of 27 stories in BM

©Seattle Mystery Bookshop