
cover art by H.J. Ward
better image than previously posted


1941 Knopf hardcover, 1945 Avon reissue
cover art by Paul Stahr
published by Hale in the UK as Murder for Hannah
better image than previously posted


1943 Avon Murder Mystery Monthly digest
cover art by William Frost (William Forrest)

1941 Knopf hardcover, first edition
“The second appearance of the character Hanna Van Doren, considered the first female hard-boiled detective in American literature.”

Lawrence Lariar also wrote under the names Adam Knight, Michael Lawrence and Michael Stark
first published in 1943 by Phoenix as Death Paints the Picture, reprinted by Crime Novel Selection as Death is the Host that same year
better image than previously posted

better image than previously posted
cover art by Paul Stevens
~ Curtis Cluff, “Snow at Waikiki”, 1st of 3 with Honolulu PI Johnny Ford, ‘1st-person narrator, ‘snow=heroin’, 1st of 4 stories in BM
~ Merle Constiner, “Bury Me Not”, ‘Luther McGavock, private detective; he works for Atherton Browne who heads a Memphis-based agency, last of 11 of the McG stories; usually rural setting’, reprinted in Let the Dead Alone: The Complete Black Mask Cases of Luther McGavock (Steeger, 2020), last of 12 stories in BM
~ Norman A. Daniels, “Death is No Stranger”, Rick Trent, ex-PI, ex-con, 1st person narrator, 3rd of 4 stories in BM
~ Robert C. Dennis, “Murder Tops the Cast”, 4th of 6 with ‘William (Willie) Carmody, Confidential Investigations & Margaret O’Leary, writer, Hollywood, WC is first-person narrator’, 4th of 10 stories in BM
~ C.P. Donnel, Jr., “Keep the Killing Quiet”, ‘1st-person narrator’, last of 20 stories in BM
~ George F. Kull, “Red Christmas”, ‘in Reno‘, 1st of 2 stories in BM
©Seattle Mystery Bookshop

August 1939 issue – final issue under this name, changed to Gangland Detective Stories in November
better image than previously posted