May 1935 issue ~ cover art by Fred Craft

May 1935 issue

cover art by Fred Craft

better image than previously posted

~ William Donald Bray, “A Call for Honor”, 2nd of 4 Britt Hardsley stories, of the Carneal Construction Co., ‘man of murder and mystery’, 1st person narrator, 9th of 12 stories in BM

~ Erle Stanley Gardner, “A Chance to Cheat”, 60th of 73 Ed Jenkins stories, 85th of 99 stories in BM

~ Nels Leroy Jorgensen, “Salon Piece”, 22nd of 32 with Stuart “Black” Burton, ‘square-shooting gambler from the Southwest, often entangled with the law’, with his wife Vivian, ‘they do not cohabitate’, 29th of 39 stories in BM

~ Frederick L. Nebel, “That’s Kennedy”, 30th of 37 with Captain Steve MacBride and local reporter Kennedy, reprinted in Winter Kill: Complete Cases of MacBride & Kennedy, v.4 (Altus, 2013), 59 of 67 stories in BM

~ Theodore A. Tinsley, “Keep on Asking”, ‘10th (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’, 11th of 26 stories in BM. Reprinted in South Wind: The Complete Black Mask Cases of Jerry Tracy (Steeger Books, 2021).

~ Roger Torrey, “Win – Place – and Show”, ‘2nd of 4 stories starring 1st-person narrator Mike O’Dell, ex-wrestler, now bodyguard’, 15th of 50 appearances in BM

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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

November 1934 issue ~ cover art by Fred Craft

November 1934 issue

cover art by Fred Craft

better image than previously posted

~ W.T. Ballard, “In Dead Man’s Alley”, 10th of 27 stories with ‘Bill Lennox, troubleshooter for Consolidated Films’, 10th of 43 stories in BM

~ Eugene Cunningham, “Room Service”, last of 5 with Cleve Corby, 11th of 14 stories in BM

~ Carroll John Daly, “The Eyes Have It”, ‘last William’s caper [of 53 though Hagemann lists 54] in BM (wherein he had appeared ‘exclusively’), CJD not to pub. in BM until Mar 1938’, reprinted in If Death is Respectable: The Collected Hard-boiled Stories of Race Williams, v.4 (Altus, 2018), 66th of 71 appearances in BM

~ Erle Stanley Gardner, “Hot Cash”, 59th of 73 Ed Jenkins, as Bob Sabin, 83rd of 99 stories in BM

~ Herbert Koehl, “See See Drops In”, ‘C.C. Cane, private eye, 1st person narrator‘, author’s only appearance in BM

~ Roger Torrey, “Law and Disorder”, 10th of 11 with Dal Prentice, Magna City police dick, ‘one tough guy’, title used again in April 1941 issue, not the same story, 13th of 50 appearances in BM

©Seattle Mystery Bookshop

January 1937 issue ~ cover art by Wilber Thomas

     January 1937 issue

cover art by Wilber Thomas

better image than previously posted

~ Dwight V. Babcock, “State Narcotic Dick”, ‘Bromley and muggles (marijuana)’, 13th of 21 stories in BM

~ J.M. Bell, “The Blinking Eye”, short-short, 2nd of 2 stories in BM

~ Max Brand, “Bulldog”, 1st of 2 stories in BM

~ Raymond Chandler, “Try the Girl”, 4th and last Carmady story, first reprint and first book appearance Killer in the Rain (Hammish Hamilton, 3/26/64), last of 11 stories in BM

~ Theodore A. Tinsley, “Little Guy”, ‘18th (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), 19th of 26 stories in BM

~ Roger Torrey, “Murder Frame”, ‘Cassidy, cop, is framed’, 24th of 50 appearances in BM

~ Cornell Woolrich, “Shooting Going On”, ‘Hollywood murder’, 1st of 24 (22 original) stories to appear in BM

©Seattle Mystery Bookshop

August 1939 issue ~ cover art by Edgar A. Whitney

August 1939 issue

cover art by Edgar A. Whitney

better image than previously posted

~ Frederick C. Davis, “All Roads Closed”, ‘kidnapping & amnesia’, 9th of 16 stories in BM

~ Mindret Lord, “The Tattooed Tramp”, author’s sole appearance in BM

~ Roger Torrey, “Hay Time”, ‘11th (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’, 38th of 50 appearances in BM

~ Lawrence Treat, “Swampers’ Gold”, ‘pirate treasure’, 4th of 5 stories in BM

~ Edward S. Williams, “Bloody Answers”, ‘Corporal John Harmon, State Trooper, narrator’, 5th of 8 appearances in BM

~ Cornell Woolrich, “Men Must Die”, 12th of 24 (22 original) stories to appear in BM

©Seattle Mystery Bookshop

November 1937 issue ~ cover art by Stockton Mulford

November 1937 issue

cover art by Stockton Mulford

better image than previously posted

~ W.T. Ballard, “Friends Sometimes Kill”, “Don Tomaso Sherman, narrator: 2nd DTS story”, 28th of 43 stories in BM

~ H.W. Guernsey, “Late Harvest”, ‘mushrooms, e.g. morel (nightshade)’, 2nd of 4 stories in BM

~ Baynard H(ardwick) Kendrick, “Burial Mound”, 4th of 14 stories with Mikes Standish (Stan) Rice, ‘The Hungry’[?], all set in Florida

~ Roger Torrey, “One Good Turn”, ‘Shean Connell, private peep; 3rd of 4 SC stories’, reprinted in Just Nice Girl: The Complete Black Mask Cases of Shean Connell, Vol. 1 (Steeger, 2025), 31st of 50 appearances in BM

~ Edward S. Williams, “Leave the Door Open”, ‘Peter Nelson, young MD, in the slums’, 3rd of 8 appearances in BM

~ Cornell Woolrich, “Cab, Mister?”, 7th of 24 (22 original) stories to appear in BM

©Seattle Mystery Bookshop