Scratch the surface of North Texas and the stereotypes of wide-open Western spaces with lots of football disappear, replaced by an endless series of contrasting images. Gleaming glass towers rise over stockyards redolent with the smell of livestock. Suburbs full of families sit just a few blocks from neon-lit nightlife districts. In any given neighborhood, you might hear conjunto music competing with country and western tunes. There are grimy bars and gleaming churches, funky stores and ne...

When her personalized license plate makes an English teacher a suspect in her cheating ex-husband’s death, she uses her skills and experience to defend herself.

A gripping tale of brains and bravery on the open road! When a cash-strapped college student takes a job transporting two preserved brains across the country, he gets more than he bargained for. His car is stolen with one of the brains inside, leading him on a wild chase to recover the missing gray matter.With the help of the other brain, a brilliant detective, he must track down the thief and the lost brain before it's too late. This thrilling adventure blends mystery, humor and a...

Barb Goffman, one of the most acclaimed short story authors and editors in the mystery field, returns with a great holiday-themed tale, selected especially for members of the Black Cat. Enjoy!Mark Thielman is a criminal magistrate working in Fort Worth, Texas. Formerly, he spent twenty-seven years as a prosecutor for Tarrant and Dallas counties. A two-time Black Orchid Award-winning novella author, Mark’s short fiction has been published in Alfred Hitchcock’s Mystery Magazine and a...

NOVELCaptains of Souls, by Edgar WallaceA shadowy figure holds the key to power and peril in a fog-drenched London mystery.SOLVE-IT-YOURSELF MYSTERY“Death Takes a Dinner Cruise,” by Hal CharlesCan you solve the mystery before the detective? All the clues are there!SHORT STORIES“Dead Gifted,” by Robert Jeschonek

We successfully completed Thanksgiving, but now we’re trapped in the dead zone between roast turkey and roasting chestnuts. When our first December issue arrives, we’ll kick off holiday celebrations anew, though, with more great novels and short stories.But in the meantime, we have an original crime story by the always-masterful Elizabeth Elwood (thanks to Acquiring editor Michael Bracken), a Early Christman treat by Mark Thielman (thanks to Acquiring Editor Barb Goffman), a myster...

In the ancient city of Pompeii, Cicero Caudinus investigates the murder of playwright Blasius Pachomius, whose death threatens to disrupt the city's uneasy peace. With tensions high from recent earthquakes and public unrest, Cicero, along with Aedile Graccus Triarius, delves into the tangled web of actors and hidden motives. As they interrogate the suspects, including a blind soothsayer and an ambitious actress, Cicero begins to unravel a plot fueled by rage and betrayal.

This issue, we have original mysteries by Mark Thielman (thanks to Acquiring Editor Michael Bracken) and Joslyn Chase, plus a modern classic by Eve Fisher (thanks to Acquiring Editor Barb Goffman). Our novel is a Golden Age tale by Isabel Ostrander. Of course, there’s also a solve-it-yourself puzzler from Hal Charles.On the more fantastic side of things, we have a dark fantasy from British master Edmund Glasby, plus a classic tale by Allen Kim Lang...who, at age 95, is still with u...

Our mystery selections kick off with “A Matter of Trust,” N.M. Cedeño’s tale of a genetic genealogy detective trying to prove an illegitimate child’s claim to a family trust. Thanks to Acquiring Editor Michael Bracken for this one. And Acquiring Editor Barb Goffman has a Halloween-appropriate tale in “Grimalkin,” by Mark Thielman, in which a cat may be more than it seems. We also have fantasist Phyllis Ann Karr’s first sale—which turns out to be a mystery!—and a novel by British master J.S...

This issue, we have 6 original stories, including top-drawer mysteries by Shannon Taft and Mark Thielman (thanks to Acquiring Editors Barb Goffman and Michael Bracken) and Michael Wiley, plus great science fiction from Alex Marchenko and Subodhana Wijeyeratne. Our novels are The India-Rubber Men, by Edgar Wallace, and Screamworld, by Edmund Glasby (this is the genre-defying Screamworld’s first American publication). We also have classic reprints by E.C. Tubb and ...

Starting with this issue, famous science fiction artist, space illustrator, and author Ron Miller has agreed to become our Art Director, which means he will be pulling future covers from his personal treasure trove of artwork. This issue’s stunning “spider woman” cover is one of Ron’s best, and I look forward to seeing what he comes up with for future issues.As always, thanks to our authors, Acquiring Editors Michael Bracken and Barb Goffman, and readers for making BCW a great proj...

How far would you go to get ahead? In the not-too-distant future, Terran Korb struggles to provide for his family in a world watched by the Panopticon, the all-seeing eye.