
cover art by Rafael DeSoto
better image than previously posted

[cover updated, title post added 4/29/25]

cover art by Rafael DeSoto
better image than previously posted

[cover updated, title post added 4/29/25]

cover art by J. George Janes
~ W.T. Ballard, “Only Proof Counts”, last of 7 with ‘Red Drake, undercover investigator for the State Racing Commission, 1st-person narrator’, 29th of 43 stories in BM
~ Norbert Davis, “Murder in Two Parts”, ‘Brent’, 7th of 13 stories in BM
~ Frank Gruber, “Death on Eagle’s Craig”, 3rd of 10 with ‘Oliver Quade, The Human Encyclopedia’, reprinted in The Hardboiled Dicks (1965), reprinted in The Hardboiled Dicks (1965), 4th of 14 stories in BM
~ Eric Howard, “Copper, Have a Heart”, 4th of 6 story in BM
~ John Lawrence, “Club Fighter”, 1st of 2 stories with ‘Barron Hargraft & boxing in Detroit & NYC‘, 3rd of 14 stories in BM
~ Cornell Woolrich, “Dusk to Dawn”, ‘Lew Stahl’, 8th of 24 (22 original) stories to appear in BM
©Seattle Mystery Bookshop

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

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)’, 2nd 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’; 1st 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

cover art by Rafael DeSoto
better image than previously posted
~ D.L. Champion, “Killer, Can You Spare a Dime?”, 9th of 26 with Rex Sackler, 10th of 30 stories in BM
~ Norbert Davis, “Bullets Don’t’ Bother Me”, ‘Sam Carey & Japanese agents in wartime San Francisco’, 11th of 13 stories in BM
~ C.P. Donnell, Jr., “Dead Ahead Lies Yesterday”, 10th of 16 with Colonel Walter (Doc) Rennie, USA Medical Corps [perhaps a prequel as Hagemann notes ‘psychiatrist-detective’ enters US Medical Corps], 10th of 20 stories in BM
~ John Lawrence, “Treasonable Facsimile”, 2nd of 2 stories with disbarred attorney, Larssen T. (Larceny) Kyne, 13th of 14 stories in BM
~ Peter Paige, “Death Is a Souvenir”, ’Captain Hammer (private eye), “one-man war department’” 11th of 12 stories in BM
©Seattle Mystery Bookshop
February 1943 Canadian issue


Oil on canvas, 25 x 18 inches (63.5 x 45.7 cm)
Signed lower right

November 1942 issue
cover art by Rafael De Soto
~ Dale Clark, “Now I Slay Me – ”, 12th of 28 with house dick Mike O’Hanna story, at San Alpa Resort hotel, 14th of 32 stories in BM
~ Norbert Davis, “Beat Me Daddy”, 2nd of 3 with Hollywood piano man John Collins, 12th of 13 stories in BM
~ Alan Farley [pseudonym of Mrs. W. Lee Herrington], “How Big Is the Bucket?”, ‘her 1st pub. Story; see p. 8 for brief biographical note’, and 1st of 2 in BM
~ Robert Reeves, “A Taste for Murder”, 7th of 10 with PI Cellini Smith, 9th of 12 appearances in BM
~ Curt Siodmak, “Donovan’s Brain”, last of 3 parts, serialization of the novel published in 1943, only 3 appearances in BM by the author and director
©Seattle Mystery Bookshop