We have two great novels this issue: William Le Queux’s The Rat Trap and Achmed Abdullah’s The Man on Horseback. Le Queux—often called the “Master of Mystery”—excels in this 1928 thriller. The story follows Frank Aylmer as he is drawn into a high-stakes web of international swindlers and murder—classic vintage espionage and suspense. And I cannot say enough great things about Achmed Abdullah, who is one of my favorite pul...

We’re sunk deep in ice and snow at the moment, but luckily we have power and Internet service and can work to get the new issue out. And it’s a good one, anchored by original tales from Michael Bracken, Peter DiChellis, Ron Miller, Michael Palmeri, and Nick Manzolillo. Plus we have rare tales from British masters Philip E. High and John S. Glasby, plus another from U.S. au...

This issue, we have a pair of Irish-themed stories (one dark, one light) by Christina Hoag and David Dean to welcome St. Patrick’s Day. Of course, there’s plenty more original fiction, too: tales by Ron Miller, Grant Tracey, Susan Shwartz, and CJ Erick, plus a new solve-it-yourself puzzler from Hal Charles. And, as always, we have some classics, too: science fiction shorts...

Here’s the complete lineup—NOVELSMurder of a Plaster Saint, by Robert Wallace [Phantom Detective series]The Phantom Detective—masked pulp hero—makes his Black Cat Weekly debut.Velda, by Ron Miller [Velda Bellinghausen, P.I. series]The stunning conclusion of the first Velda novel! (Part 2 of 2.)SOLVE-IT-YOURSELF MYSTERY“A Bri...

In this Hugo Award–winning alternative history classic—the basis for the Amazon Original series—the United States lost World War II and was subsequently divided between the Germans in the East and the Japanese in the West.It’s America in 1962. Slavery is legal once again. The few Jews who still survive hide under assumed names. In this dystopian world, we meet characters like Frank Frink, a dealer of counterfeit Americana who is himself hiding his Jewish ancestry; ...

WHAT WOULD HAVE HAPPENED IF THE ALLIES HAD LOST THE WAR?_______________________________'Truth, she thought. As terrible as death. But harder to find.'America, fifteen years after the end of the Second World War. The winning Axis powers have divided their spoils: the Nazis control New York, while California is ruled by the Japanese.But between these two states - locked in a cold war - lies a neutral buffer zon...

When an elite submarine crew surfaces in a world they can't recognize, they're thrust into a deadly struggle for survival. Faced with incomprehensible alien technology, Captain Harvey must make impossible decisions to save his crew. Will their actions in the past change the future—or are they fighting for a lost cause?

**The long-awaited and highly anticipated conclusion to Philip Pullman’s bestselling The Book of Dust sequence . . .Shortlisted for Book of the Year & Audiobook of the Year at The British Book Awards 2026‘A masterpiece for all eternity… Powerful, profound and utterly unforgettable: a stunning trilogy conclusion.’** - The Telegraph‘Pullman’s uncanny ability to conjure place is once again in full evidence . . . And when we reach it, the n...

This audiobook is narrated by a digital voice.In a Venus mining colony, Tacklin, Marty, and O'Brien prepare for a routine mission when O'Brien falls ill with suspected Venderin fever. As cases surge, corporate giant Marcus Rhinehart and Dr. Fielding clash over treatment priorities. Tyson, O'Brien's unstable replacement, joins the miners on a treacherous descent, battling geological hazards and Tyson's deteriorating mental state. Rhinehart, now afflicted, takes a morally questionabl...

A ruthless gangster steals the identity of a man selected for a coveted longevity treatment. But a 5,000-year lifespan has unexpected consequences—and punishments.

**Brought to you by Penguin.The long-awaited and highly anticipated conclusion to Philip Pullman’s bestselling The Book of Dust sequence . . .**This audiobook includes an exclusive hour-long bonus conversation between Philip Pullman and narrator Michael Sheen, discussing themes of the novel, the legacy of the series, and the importance of storytelling in all its forms.‘Lyra: what will you do when you find this place in the desert, the opening to the world of the ros...

Agent High Pockets, first published in 1947 as Manila Espionage, is the fast-paced account of American Claire Phillips' experiences in Manila during the Japanese occupation in World War Two (the book is also the basis for the 1951 movie I Was an American Spy,). Prior to the war, Phillips had worked in Manila as part of a musical group. She had married, separated, and returned to the US, but came back to Manila just before the Japanese invasion. She fell i...