Black Cat Thrillogy

Welcome to the first volume of The Black Cat Mystery Community's "Thrillogy" series, celebrating classic mystery short stories. This time we focus on the work of Reginald Bretnor (1911-1992). Included are: PAPER TIGER THE MURDERERS' CIRCLE THE PHOTOGRAPHY OF THE DEAREST DEFUNCT Reg was born Alfred Reginald Kahn in Vladivostok, Siberia. He was the son of a Latvian Jewish banker and an English governess. The family moved to Japan in 1917, then to San Diego, California, in 1920. Bretnor, whose name was taken from the maiden name of his maternal grandmother and who many acquaintances thought to be the perfect English gentleman, never left the United States in the 72 years he lived here and did not once set foot in Great Britain. He is most widely known in the science fiction field for his humorous "Feghoot" pun stories featuring time-traveler Ferdinand Feghoot. He also published a handful of science fiction novels and a single mystery novel (A Killing in Swords) in addition to more than a hundred short stories in both the mystery and science fiction genres. In addition to fiction, he wrote extensively on cats and swords (he was an expert on Japanese swords), and both elements feature in many of his works.

Welcome to the second volume of The Black Cat Mystery Community's "Thrillogy" series, celebrating classic mystery short stories. This time we focus on the work of Talmage Powell (1920-2000). Included are: EASY MARK LIFE SENTENCE REWARD FOR GENIUS

Welcome to the third volume of The Black Cat Mystery Community's THRILLOGY series, celebrating classic mystery short stories. Included this time are three classic tales by James Holding: "Career Man," "The Tahitian Powder Box Mystery," and "A Deal in Rubies."

Stephen Wasylyk (1922-1996) was a prolific author for both Alfred Hitchcock's Mystery Magazine and Ellery Queen's Mystery Magazine, penning more than 175 mysteries. He only published short stories during a career that spanned four decades. FAVOR PARENTAL DISCRETION FOOD FOR THE TIGER

Fletcher Flora (1914-1968) wrote or co-wrote sixteen novels under his own name plus ghost-wrote three as Ellery Queen. He penned many short stories for a variety of mystery magazines and anthologies in the 1950s and 1960s. This volume includes: I'll Kill for You I'll Race You In the Shade of the Old Apple Tree

Thomas Thursday (1894-1974) was a lesser-known pulp writer who ended up having one of the longest careers writing for the pulp magazines. His first published short story, "A Stroke of Genius," appeared in Top-Notch (April 1, 1918 issue). He submitted the story to them after finding an old issue in the subway. He used the penname "Thursday" after glancing at a calendar. His real name remains a mystery. He was still appearing in the pulps in the late 1950s, after which the magazine format all but disappeared from the newsstands. Thursday was primarily a humorist, one of the few in the pulps. He appeared regularly in Top-Notch through the mid-20s, then transitioned to Argosy. Many of his story titles featured wordplay, e.g. "Illiterature" (People's Favorite Magazine, April 10, 1919), "Young Mild West" (Argosy All-Story Weekly, February 28, 1925), or "Of Lice and Men" (The Phantom Detective, September 1940). Many of his stories centered on circuses and sideshows. Thursday had worked for numerous circuses in his youth. Swindles and scams were a frequent theme. This volume includes 3 classic stories: "Dead Men Don't Move" "License for Theft" "Attention to Trifles"

This volume collects 3 Sexton Blake adventures: "The Chilworth Emerald," "Poker Work," and "After Business Hours."

Edith Maxwell writes the historical Quaker Midwife Mysteries-two of which appear in this collection, as well as a related story. Included are: A Questionable Death The Mayor and the Midwife Adam and Eva

Jack Halliday is an author, award-winning screenwriter and consulting producer whose work has appeared in numerous digital and print publications. His first fiction collection, "Kawanga/Swan Song and Other Mystery Stories," was published by Wildside Press as their 12th Mystery Double. This volume collects 3 of his great stories: FINDING PHYLLIS IN THE BLOOD THE WOMAN IN THE ELEVATOR

Kaye George, an Agatha nominated short story writer, is the author of Choke: An Imogene Duckworthy Mystery (Mainly Murder Press), as well as A Patchwork of Stories, a collection of her previously published stories, and The Bavarian Krisp Caper, available at Untreed Reads. Fish Tales: The Guppy Anthology contains her story, "The Truck Contest". She reviews for Suspense Magazine, and writes for several newsletters and blogs. This volume collects 3 of her Imogene Duckworthy mysteries: "Immy Goes to the Dogs" "Snatched Potatoes" "As the Screw Turns"

This Sherlock Holmes Parody THRILLOGY collects 3 rare Holmes parodies (plus a bous short-short) by turn-of-the-century authors. Included are: SHYLOCK HOLMES, by Anonymous AS PLAIN AS A NOSE, by Anonymous HE MAN WORE RUBBERS, by Anonymous (short-short) MR. HOMES RADIATES A WIRELESS MESSAGE, by John Kendrick Bangs