Black Cat Weekly #249

We have lots of great authors in this issue, from modern masters like Joseph S. Walker and Ron Miller to some of the biggest names in mystery and science fiction, like Erle Stanley Gardner and Isaac Asimov. We have two novels, one from “Doc” Lowndes and one from Alice Campbell, and—just in time for Flag Day—a holiday-appropriate tale from Joseph S. Walker (thanks to Acquiring Editor Barb Goffman)! Plus we have originals from Pam Barnsley, Humphrey Price, and Larry Blamire, a new solve-it-yourself puzzler from the devilishly clever minds behind “Hal Charles,” and more!

Here’s the complete lineup—

COVER ART: Larry Blamire

NOVELS

Murder in Paris, by Alice Campbell

A strange warning letter draws a young visitor into danger in Paris.

The Puzzle Planet, by Robert A.W. Lowndes

A classic fair-play science fiction mystery!

NOVELETTE

“Velda Plays Cupid,” by Ron Miller [Velda, P.I. series]

She wins a weekend trip, then finds the resort hides a crooked deal.

SOLVE-IT-YOURSELF MYSTERY

“The Purloined Patriotic Pen,” by Hal Charles

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

SHORT STORIES

“Casualties of War,” by Pam Barnsley

Can grief and guilt survive falling bombs in wartime London?

“It’s Flag Day on Fairview,” by Joseph S. Walker [Barb Goffman Presents]

How far will two neighbors go to own every holiday spotlight?

“More Than Skin Deep,” by Erle Stanley Gardner

When gold vanishes, a quiet lawman sees past the obvious clues…

“Stringquake,” by Humphrey Price

A strange gate opens between two yards—and two different realities…

“When the Hands Spin,” by Larry Blamire

When the clock hands spin, a summer war game turns deadly serious.

“Silly Asses,” by Isaac Asimov

What does it take for a planet to prove it has reached maturity?

“The Watchers,” by George H. Smith

Far from help, a lone watcher must choose between duty and rescue...