August 1936 issue ~ cover art by John Drew

August 1936 issue

cover art by John Drew

better image than previously posted

~ W.T. Ballard, “Fugitive for Justice”, 4th of 7 with ‘Red Drake, undercover investigator for the State Racing Commission, 1st-person narrator’, 20th of 43 stories in BM

~ John K. Butler, “You Can’t Bribe Bullets”, ‘Marty Lewis, 1st person-narrator, & shady local politics’, 4th of 11 stories in BM

~ James Duncan, “Heir to Murder”, ‘Jerry Blaze’, 4th of 10 stories in BM

~ Nels Leroy Jorgensen, “Homicide Cue”, 27th of 32 with Stuart “Black” Burton, ‘square-shooting gambler from the Southwest, often entangled with the law’, 34th of 39 stories in BM

~ Frederick L. Nebel, “Deep Red”, last of 37 with Captain Steve MacBride and local reporter Kennedy, reprinted in Winter Kill: Complete Cases of MacBride & Kennedy, v.4 (Altus, 2013), last of 66 original stories in BM (plus reprints from outside BM)

~ Roger Torrey, “Border Blockade”, ‘4th (of 5) of George Killeen, private ‘tec in L.A., & 1st-person narrator; with Lieutenant McFee, Homicide’, ‘California, i.e., Mexican border’, 20th of 50 appearances in BM

©Seattle Mystery Bookshop

May 1945 issue ~ cover art by Gloria Stoll

May 1945 issue

cover art by Gloria Stoll

better image than previously posted

~ W.T. Ballard, “Dressed to Kill”, ‘Sleepy Payne, gambler, 1st-person narrator’, last of 43 stories in BM

~ Merle Constiner, “The Witch of Birdfoot Ranch”, ‘Sheriff Britten; hill-country setting’, 9th of 12 stories in BM

~ G.T. Fleming-Roberts, “The Creeps”, ‘William Payne, clumsy oaf; in a town that has ‘the creeps’, 3rd of 8 stories in BM

~ Julius Long, “Carnie Kill”, 5th of 17 stories with ‘Ben Corbett, D.A.’s chief investigator, 1st -person narrator’, 10th of 23 stories in BM

~ James R. McKenna, “Caliente”, ‘short-short; horse racing; 1st person narrator‘, author’s sole appearance in BM

~ H.H. Stinson, “A Noose for Little Nemo”, ‘Sergeant Joe Terry, home on leave’, 20th of 27 stories in BM

©Seattle Mystery Bookshop

July 1934 issue

July 1934 issue

cover art by J. W. Schlaikjer

better image than previously posted

~ W.T. Ballard, “Whatta Guy”, 7th of 27 stories with ‘Bill Lennox, troubleshooter for Consolidated Films’, reprinted in That’s Hollywood: The Complete Black Mask Cases of Bill Lennox, Vol.1 (2023 Steeger Books), 7th of 43 stories in BM

~ Raymond Chandler, “Smart-Aleck Kill”, 2nd Mallory, first book appearance in the collection The Simple Art of Murder (Houghton Mifflin hardcover, 1950), first paperback appearance Pickup on Noon Street (Pocket, 1/52), various paperback editions,  2nd of 11 stories in BM

~ George Harmon Coxe, “Hot Delivery”, 5th of 27 with Flashgun Casey, 5th of 31 stories in BM

~ Eugene Cunningham, “If Murder Can Be Funny”, 3rd of 5 with undercover Texas Ranger Cleve Corby, 9th of 14 stories in BM

~ John Graham, “Murder Crate”, ‘ambulance crew; NYC setting’, 1st of 2 stories in BM

~ Raymond Jae Moffatt, “Death in the Dark”, ‘Patrolman tries to avenge murdered father’, 1st of 2 stories in BM

©Seattle Mystery Bookshop

Dealing out Death x 4

1948 McKay hardcover

3rd novel with Hollywood trouble-shooter Bill Lennox who works for the General Consolidated Studios

1950 Graphic reissue

better image than previously posted

1954 Graphic reissue – cover art by Walter Popp

1958 Banner reissue in the UK – cover art by Stanley Borack