July 1936 issue ~ cover art by John Drew

July 1936

cover art by John Drew

~ Dwight V. Babcock, “Free Ride to Rio”, ‘Chuck Thompson with Kathleen Carnahan’, 5th of 7 CT stories, 10th of 21 stories in BM

~ George Harmon Coxe, “Trouble for Two”, 3rd of 4 Baron stories, 20th of 31 stories in BM

~ H.H. Stinson, “Nothing Personal”, 3rd of 14 with ‘Ken O’Hara, fighting reporter on Los Angeles Tribune’, 3rd of 27 stories in BM

~ Eric Taylor, “The Calloused Hand”, ‘Hastings (‘Hasty’) Sparks, a dick with the World Detective Agency’, last of 7 stories in BM

~ Roger Torrey, “Too Much Action”, ‘last of 4 stories starring 1st-person narrator Mike O’Dell, ex-wrestler, now bodyguard’, 19th of 50 appearances in BM

better image than previously posted

©Seattle Mystery Bookshop

September 1935 issue ~ cover art by Rudolph Belarski

September 1935

cover art by Rudolph Belarski

~ Dwight V. Babcock, “Death Goes Free”, ‘G-man Chuck Thompson’, 2nd of 7 CT stories, 7th of 21 stories in BM

~ Paul Cain, “Chinaman’s Chance”, Johnny Gay, Hollywood reporter, reprinted in The Complete Slayers (2011 Centipede Press), 14th of 17 stories in BM

~ James Duncan, “Runaround Murder”, last of 3 with Ivor Small – investigations, “He was fat without being fat enough to gain a livelihood as a professional fat man”, 3rd of 10 stories in BM

~ Big announcement that Erle Stanley Gardner & Ed Jenkins return in the next issue

~ Sinclair Gluck, “Double for Danger”, ‘Ted Murray, reporter in Hollywood, 1st-person narrator’, only appearance in BM

~ Theodore A. Tinsley, “Ticketed for Death”, ‘13th (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),14th of 26 stories in BM

better image than previously posted

©Seattle Mystery Bookshop

December 1936 issue ~ cover art by John Drew

     December 1936 issue

cover art by John Drew

~ Dwight V. Babcock, “Murder on the Side”, ‘unemployed reporter, 1st-person narrator’, 12th of 21 stories in BM

~ W.T. Ballard, “Whipsawed”, 17th of 27 stories with ‘Bill Lennox, troubleshooter for Consolidated Films’, 23rd of 43 stories in BM

~ James Francis Bonnell, “Address Unknown”, short-short, only appearance in BM

~ Paul Cain, “Dutch Treat”, ‘emeralds’, reprinted in The Complete Slayers (2011 Centipede Press), last of 17 stories in BM

~ Lester Dent, “Angelfish”, 2nd Oscar Sale story, last story in BM, reprinted in The Hardboiled Dicks (1965), and The Hard-Boiled Detective (1977), last of 2 stories in BM. Reprinted in Luck: The Complete Black Mask Cases of Oscar Sail (Steeger Books, 2021).

~ James Duncan, “Thoroughbred”, ‘Jerry Breton 1st-grade dick, & Florida Racing Commission’, 5th of 10 stories in BM

~ E.G. Morris, “Panic”, ‘petty crook’s panic’, author’s only appearance in BM

~ Roger Torrey, “The Irish Have It”, ‘2nd (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’, 23rd of 50 appearances in BM

better image than previously posted

©Seattle Mystery Bookshop

[image updated 6/2/24]

May 1948 issue ~ cover art by Peter Stevens

May 1948

cover art by Peter Stevens

~ Curtis Cliff, “You’ll Never Die Rich”, 2nd of 3 with Honolulu PI Johnny Ford, 1st person-narrator, 2nd of 4 stories in BM

~ Richard Deming, “The Man Who Chose the Devil”, Manville “Manny” Moon, 1st person narrator, private eye with an artificial right leg due to WWII, reprinted in The Black Lizard Big Book of Black Mask Stories (Vintage, 2010), 1st of 6 stories

~ G.T. Fleming-Roberts, “Pattern for Shrouds”, ‘Red Morgan, newspaper editor; politics & murder’, 5th of 8 stories in BM

~ W. Lee Herrington, [also published in BM as Alan Farley], “Your Funeral – Not Mine”, 2nd of 4 stories under this name in BM

~ Day Keene, “No Match for Murder”, 2nd of 2 stories in BM

~ George F. Kull, “Death Is No Bargain”, Eddie Gates, private eye wearing glasses, 1st person narrator, 2nd of 2 stories in BM

©Seattle Mystery Bookshop