October 1939 issue ~ cover art by Edgar A. Whitney

October 1939 issue

cover art by Edgar A. Whitney

better image than previously posted

~ Dwight V. Babcock, “Murder on the Gayway”, 6th of 7 Beeker stories, ‘SF World’s Fair, Treasure Island Nude Ranch’, reprinted in The Black Lizard Big Book of Black Mask Stories (Vintage, 2010), 20th of 21 stories in BM

~ William Cole, “Waiting for Rusty”, ‘short-short’, only appearance in BM

~ Tiah Devitt, “The Haunted Inn”, last of 2 stories in BM

~ Mark Harper, “Death Rides Double”, ‘motorcycle cop’, pseudonym of Joseph T. Shaw, editor of BM, only fiction to appear under this name in the magazine

~ Fred Hodgkins, “Strangle-Hold”, 2nd of 3 stories in BM

~ C.S. Montanye (Carleton Stevens), “Moron’s Holiday”, last of 29 stories in BM

~ Roger Torrey, “Kill That Witness”, ‘12th (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’, 39th of 50 appearances in BM

~ Cornell Woolrich, “Collared”, ‘see p.31 for letter from CW on this story’, 14th of 24 (22 original) stories to appear in BM

©Seattle Mystery Bookshop

August 1940 issue ~ cover art by Rafael DeSoto

August, 1940 issue

better image than previously posted

cover art by Rafael DeSoto

~ Wyatt Blassingame, “10,001 Motives for Murder”, 2nd of 6 stories with The Bishop, political writer on a Southern newspaper, 60ish and peg-legged, 4th of 8 stories in BM

~ George Harmon Coxe, “Case and the Blonde Wren”, 19th of 25 with Flashgun Casey; ‘Wren = Women’s Royal Naval Service officer’, 23rd of 29 stories in BM

~ G.T. Fleming-Roberts, “Rats Breed Rats”, ‘Detective Sergeant Bill Teed, tough cop, & Pop Walter, sentimental reporter’, 1st of 8 stories in BM

~ Eaton K. Goldthwaite, “The Frame Didn’t Fit”, ‘Duke Brian & Franny Steinmetz, ‘ex-felons from Philly’, now private dicks, more or less, Brian narrates’, 1st of 5 stories in BM

~ John Graham, “Too Tough”, ‘Vic Smail, kidnapper’, 2nd of 2 stories in BM

~ Charles E. Jestings, “Jim Gregg: A Prison Poem”, 2nd of 2 stories in BM

~ Stewart Sterling (pseud. of Prentice Winchell), “Ten Carats of Lead”, 1st of 9 stories with ‘Special Squad (pawnshop detail), NYPD, & Det. Mike Hansard’, reprinted in The Black Lizard Big Book of Black Mask Stories (Vintage, 2010), 4th of 12 stories

~ Roger Torrey, “Murder – For No Reason”, ‘debut of Bryant (4 stories), a regular U.S. Army man, who works in a CCC camp; 1st-person narrator’, 46th of 50 appearances in BM

©Seattle Mystery Bookshop

July 1936 issue ~ cover art by John Drew

July 1936 issue

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

[image updated 10/29/24]