Black Cat Weekly #177

   As for our mystery shorts, we have a great lineup. Acquiring Editor Michael Bracken has selected an original Ecuadoran-set thriller by Tom Larsen, and Acquiring Editor Barb Goffman has uncovered a terrific tale by Janice Law, one of our favorite mystery writers. From Gordon Linzner—whose many claims to fame include purchasing a mock-epic poem the editor of BCW wrote when he was a mere lad of 15 (his first sale!) some 40-odd years ago—comes a murder mystery set in a bookstore. And, of course, we also have a solve-it-yourself mystery from Hal Charles.

   On the science fiction and fantasy end of things, we have an original reverse-causality tale by Sam W. Pisciotta, a demon-story by the ever-amazing Nina Kiriki Hoffman, a Weird Tales classic by Henry S. Whitehead, and a classic science fiction story by Philip E. High. Truly, something for every taste!

   Here’s the complete lineup—

Cover Art: Ron Miller

NOVELS

The Man in the Queue, by Josephine Tey

   Murder in a theater queue! Inspector Alan Grant investigates.

The Enchantress of World’s End, by Lin Carter

   The Gondwane Epic continues with the second (of five) volumes.

SOLVE-IT-YOURSELF MYSTERY

“Death Climbs the Charts,” by Hal Charles

   Can you solve the mystery before the detective? All the clues are there!

SHORT STORIES

“El Coronel y El Capitán,” by Tom Larsen [Michael Bracken Presents short story]

   A retired colonel and resolute captain clash, exposing Ecuador’s dark secrets.

“The Front Man,” by Janice Law [Barb Goffman Presents short story]

   A ghostwriting deal stirs ambition, deception, and dire consequences.

“Ill Met at Bartleby’s,” by Gordon Linzner

   Murder most foul at a small-town bookshop!

“Adventures in Causality,” by Sam W. Pisciotta

   A cosmic sphere disrupts Delores’s life, sending her through bizarre timelines.

“The Devil You Know,” by Nina Kiriki Hoffman

   When Dominic is adopted by a demon, lessons are learned at a terrible cost.

“The Thin Match,” by Henry S. Whitehead

   A battered match may prove its worth as a man struggles against the cold.

“Mumbo-Jumbo Man,” by Philip E. High

   A stolen artifact ignites hidden powers, testing loyalty, fierce courage, and destiny.