April 1928 issue ~ cover art by Fred Craft

April 1928 issue

better image than previously posted

cover art by Fred Craft

~ William Donald Bray, “The Trick Play”, Western, 5th of 12 stories in BM

~ Tom Curry, “Wheels Within Wheels”, DeVrite, NYPD undercover ‘secret agent’, 3rd of 7, 22nd of 39 stories in BM

~ Carroll John Daly, “The Law of Silence”, ‘1st half of a crime story with Charlie, 1st person narrator’, 32nd of 71 appearances in BM

~ Joseph E. Dash, “Cass Munroe Plays a Hand”, Western, only story in BM

~ Bob Du Soe, “A Score Settled”, ‘action in NYC night clubs’, last of 3 stories in BM

~ Erle Stanley Gardner, “Snow Bird”, 21st of 73 with Ed Jenkins stories, with Paul Boardman and the others, 31st of 99 stories in BM

~ Leslie N. Johnson, “The Killing of Antone Mulvaney”, ‘ex-con attempts vengeance’, 1st of 2 stories in BM

~ W.H.B. Kent, “The Killer Comes In”, 2nd of 6 Westerns with Killer Blake, deputy sheriff & agent of the Stock Association

~ David Thibault, “Muddy Waters”, ‘fighting crooks against Mississippi-flood background’, 2nd of 2 stories in BM

~ Everett H. Tipton, “Noose Law”, ‘Western’, 4th of 7 stories in BM

~ Raoul [Fauconnier] Whitfield, “Little Guns”, ‘police & gangsters in Center City’, 19th of 67 stories in BM [see also 24 stories as Ramon Decolta]

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June 1930 issue ~ cover art by J.W. Schlaikjer

June 1930 issue

better image than previously posted

cover art by J. W. Schlaikjer

~ Carroll John Daly, “Tainted Power”, 34th of 53, ‘Williams &‘The Flame’ aka Florence Drummond, ‘The Girl with the Criminal Mind’, Pt. 1 of loosely organized 3-pt. serial; pub. As novel (1931) under same title’, 46th of 71 appearances in BM

~ Ramon Decolta (Raoul Whitfield), “Signals of Storm”, Jo Gar, PI with office in Manila , 4th of 24 stories in BM, reprinted in West of Guam: The Complete Cases of Jo Bar (Altus Press, 2013)

~ Erle Stanley Gardner, “Hell’s Kettle”, 33th Ed Jenkins & his wife Helen Chadwick, 2nd of a 3-part story with The Crime Crusher, 50th of 99 stories in BM, reprinted in The Black Mask Boys (1985, Morrow)

~ Dashiell Hammett, “The Shattered Key”, Ned Beaumont, last of 4 stories that will go together to make up The Glass Key (published 1931), issue includes editor’s note on DH, 44th of 45 stories in BM

~ Hapsburg Liebe, “Red Dice”, ‘Blaze Hanson in Florida cattle country; see p. 120 for HL’s comment on story’ 3rd of 4 stories in BM

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June 1931 issue ~ cover art by J.W. Schlaikjer

June 1931 issue

cover art by J.W. Schlaikjer

~ Eugene Cunningham, “Gunhands”, Western with Bob Burney, 5th of 14 stories in BM

~ Carroll John Daly, “’The Flame’ and Race Williams”, 39th of 53 with RW, part 1 of 3, ‘pub.as The Third Murderer (1931)’, reprinted in Shooting out of Turn: The Collected Hard-boiled Stories of Race Williams, v.3 (Altus, 2017), 51st of 71 appearances in BM

~ James P. Olsen, “Gunman’s Goal”, ‘Tip Wing’, last of 6 Western stories in BM

~ Earl and Marion Scott, “Lights Out at Benetti’s”, 5th of 6 stories with ‘Phil Craleigh, once brilliant lawyer, now a drunk, given to bouts of reform’, Benetti’s is a nightclub, 15th of 17 stories in BM as a couple

~ Stewart Stirling, (‘possible pseud. of Stewart Sterling?’), “Two-Timer”, 2nd of 8 stories with ‘Johnny Hi Gear, a.k.a. K-5, Undercover Agent’ [Sterling and Stirling were pen names of Nathaniel Prentice Winchell, 20 total stories in BM]. Reprinted in Boomerang Dice: The Complete Black Mask Cases of Johnny Hi Gear (Steeger Books, 2020).

~ Raoul [Fauconnier] Whitfield, “For Sale – Murder”, ‘Center City yarn, Gil Baggart, a square dick’, sequel to “Soft City” in previous issue, 49th of 68 stories in BM [see also 24 stories as Ramon Decolta]

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October 1927 issue ~ cover art by Fred Craft

October 1927 issue

cover art by Fred Craft

~ William Donald Bray, “The Trap”, ‘Western; Deputy Lee Tyndall’, 3rd of 7 stories in BM

~ Tom Curry, “Murder Chains”, part 2 of 2, ‘gangster yarn; John Furnel, alias The Grand Street Kid’, 17th of 39 stories in BM

~ Francis James, “The Steele Avenger”, ‘Timothy O’Toole, bodyguard to Peter Holt’, only appearance of this character in BM, last of 20 appearances in BM

~ W.H.B. Kent, “The Killer”, 1st of 6 Westerns with Killer Blake, deputy sheriff & agent of the Stock Association

~ Murray Leinster (pseud. of Will F. Jenkins), “The Ending of El Jefe”, ‘Western bandits’; last of 7 appearances in BM’

~ Marion Scott, “Folded Evidence”, ‘Brent, detective from HQ, NYPD’, 1st of 3 by herself, 17 stories with Earl Scott in BM as a couple

~ J. Paul Suter, “The Man on the Bus”, 14th of 15 stories with The Reverend McGregor Daunt, ‘clergyman by profession and detective by choice’, 18th of 19 appearances in BM

~ Merle Thomas, “The Lettered Telegraph”, ‘RR holdup & telegraph operator’s daring’, sole appearance in BM

~ Edward Parrish Ware, “The Rebellious Egg”, ‘Crookedness & RR-building’, 6th of 9 stories in BM

~ Raoul [Fauconnier] Whitfield, “Sixty Minutes”, ‘Buck, who flies a Jenny, 1st person narrator, & Sam Ellis’, 15th of 68 stories in BM [see also 24 stories as Ramon Decolta]

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April 1930 issue ~ cover art by J.W. Schlaikjer

April 1930 issue

better image than previously posted

cover art by J. W. Schlaikjer

~ Ramon Decolta (Raoul Whitfield), “Red Hemp”, Jo Gar, 3rd of 24 stories in BM, reprinted in West of Guam: The Complete Cases of Jo Bar (Altus Press, 2013)

~ J. J. Des Ormeaux, “Murderer’s Night”, ‘modern Western; 1st-person narrator,’ 1st of 5 stories in BM, (pseudonym of Forrest Rosaire)

~ Dashiell Hammett, “The Cyclone Shot”, Ned Beaumont, 2nd of 4 stories that will go together to make up The Glass Key (published 1931), 42nd of 45 stories in BM

~ Nels Leroy Jorgensen, “Your Play, Gentlemen”, 13th of 32 with Stuart “Black” Burton, ‘square-shooting gambler from the Southwest, often entangled with the law’, ‘Burton in NYC, features Kyoto Kara, a Japanese’, 17th of 39 stories in BM

~ Frederick L. Nebel, “Wise Guy”, 10th of 37 with Captain Steve MacBride and local reporter Kennedy ’& the usual company’, reprinted in Winter Kill: Complete Cases of MacBride & Kenney, v.2 (Altus, 2013), 22 of 67 stories in BM

~ Raoul [Fauconnier] Whitfield, “Killers’ Show”, Mal Ourney, last of 5 stories, ‘The Crime Breeders’, presented as separate stories rather than conventional serial’, published in hardcover in 1930 by Knopf as Green Ice, 39th of 67 stories in BM [see also 24 stories as Ramon Decolta]

©Seattle Mystery Bookshop

September 1930 issue ~ cover art by J.W. Schlaikjer

September 1930 issue

cover art by J.W. Schlaikjer

better image than previously posted

~ Guthrie Brown, “Stalemate”, ‘Western lynching’, 1st of 2 stories in BM

~ Carroll John Daly, “Shooting Out of Town”, 37th of 53 with Race Williams who ‘goes out of town on a gun job’, 49thof 71 appearances in BM

~ Ramon Decolta (Raoul Whitfield), “Nagasaki Bound”, 1st half of Jo Gar story, 6th of 24 stories in BM, reprinted in West of Guam: The Complete Cases of Jo Bar (Altus Press, 2013)

~ J. J. Des Ormeaux, “The Dago Trick”, ‘crook tale’, 2nd of 5 stories in BM (pseudonym of Forrest Rosaire)

~ Joseph Harrington, “Footloose Goes Astray”, ‘Western’, author’s sole appearance in BM

~ Frederick L. Nebel, “Shake-Down”, 12th of 37 with Captain Steve MacBride and local reporter Kennedy, reprinted in Winter Kill: Complete Cases of MacBride & Kenney, v.2 (Altus, 2013), 25 of 67 stories in BM

~ Earl and Marion Scott, “Bullets for Murder”, 4th of 6 stories with ‘Phil Craleigh, once brilliant lawyer, now a drunk, given to bouts of reform’, million-dollar robbery, 13th of 17 stories in BM as a couple

~ Raoul [Fauconnier] Whitfield, “Death in a Bowl”, 1st of 3 serialized parts, ‘Ben Jardinn, Hollywood eye, & murder in Hollywood Bowl’, ‘(originally titled The Maestro Murder)’, published in hardcover in 1931 by Knopf, 41st of 67 stories in BM [see also 24 stories as Ramon Decolta]

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October 1929 issue ~ cover art by J.W. Schlaikjer

October 1929 issue

cover art by J. W. Schlaikjer

~ Tom Curry, “The Web”, John Flahertie, the lone wolf, Macnamara (Mac), NYPD 1st grade dick, a secondary character. 34th of 39 stories in BM

~ Carroll John Daly, “The Silver Eagle”, 32nd of 53,‘Pt. 1, Race Williams & The Flame; serial dropped after Pt.2’, 44th of 71 appearances in BM

~ Erle Stanley Gardner, “Straight from the Shoulder”, 28th of 73 with Ed Jenkins, with Helen Chadwick and Arthur Hemington, “here & elsewhere; cf. ‘Triple Treachery’” [12/1929 issue], 45th of 99 stories in BM

~ Dashiell Hammett, “The Maltese Falcon”, part 2 of 5 serialized parts before hardcover publication (1931), reprinted in The Black Lizard Big Book of Black Mask Stories (Vintage, 2010), 36th of 45 stories in BM

~ Horace McCoy, “Hell’s Stepsons”, 2nd of 14 Frost stories with ‘Capt. Jerry Frost, Texas (Air) Ranger’, 3rd of 17 stories in BM

~ Raoul [Fauconnier] Whitfield, “Sal the Dude”, Gary Greer, last (9th) in the Laughing Dead series, ‘presented as separate stories rather than conventional serial; pub. As Five (1931) under the pseudonym of Temple Field’, 34th of 67 stories in BM [see also 24 stories as Ramon Decolta], reprinted in The Black Mask Boys (1985, Morrow)

©Seattle Mystery Bookshop

better image than previously posted

December 1926 issue ~ cover art by H.C. Murphy

December 1926 issue

better image than previously posted

cover art by Henry C. Murphy

~ Tom Curry, “The Dick-Killer”, 5th of 23 with Macnamara (Mac), NYPD 1st grade dick, ‘on the NY docks’, 9th of 39 stories in BM

~ Erle Stanley Gardner, “Dead Men’s Letters”, 12th of 73 Ed Jenkins stories, this one with ‘Lois Lambert, a young and rich flapper’, reprinted in Dead Men’s Letters (1990, Carroll & Graf anthology of Jenkins stories), 20th of 99 stories in BM

~ (Charles John) Cutcliffe Hyne, “The War-Steamer of Donna Clotilde”, 2nd of 8 yarns with Captain Kettle

~ Nels Leroy Jorgensen, “I.O.U. – One Life”, 3rd of 32 with Stuart “Black” Burton, ‘square-shooting gambler from the Southwest, often entangled with the law’, 3rd of 39 stories in BM

~ Lt. Col. J.H. [John Henry] Patterson, D.S.O., “The Man-Eaters of Tsavo”, 3rd of 7 serialized parts of this ex-British Army officer’s account of building a railway in Kenya, 1898-1899; book published in 1927

~ Joseph T. Shaw, “Makings”, “Western; Alexis Gregory, nom de querre of Prince Dimitri Gregorejovich Alexandrov’, first fiction by the future editor, 1st of 7 fiction appearances

~ Raoul [Fauconnier] Whitfield, “Ten Hours”, 1st of 7 ‘Chuck Reddington & Jake Bailey; aviation stories’, 8th of 67 stories in BM [see also 24 stories as Ramon Decolta]

© Seattle Mystery Bookshop