The Black Cat web site has been around for almost four years now, serving up a weekly buffet of new and classic mysteries—and more recently science fiction—to thousands of readers each week. Rather than continue to release all these novels and stories as individual ebooks, we have decided to bundle them up into a convenient weekly magazine…which is a lot more fun to work on! So here is Black Cat Weekly #1, the September 5, 2021 issue, for your enjoyment pleasure. To make the first issue memoriable, we are including a lot more content than usual—double the usual word count, in fact. This time we have no less than three complete novels and 7 short stories—and even a “true crime” feature by Erle Stanley Gardner, creator of Perry Mason!There’s something here for everyone to enjoy, whether you’re a fan of traditional mysteries, psychic detectives (in the case of Frank Lovell Nelson’s story, a telepathic detective, the first of 12 stories featuring Carlton Clarke from 1908, all of which will run in the Black Cat’s pages). Looking for modern detection? We have that, too. And if your taste runs to the fantastic, we also have adventures across parallel worlds and well into the future. (And monsters. Did I mention monsters?) Included are: REMISSION, by Michael BrackenA KEY FOR REBECCA, by Hal CharlesAUROVIA’S FAMOUS LODGE CASE, by Frank Lowell NelsonTHE CASE OF THE KNOCKOUT BULLET, by Erle Stanley GardnerHAND IN GLOVE, by James HoldingTHE SKULL OF THE WALZING CLOWN, by Harry Stephen KeelerHAVER, by Brian EvensonA ZLOOR FOR YOUR TROUBLE, by Mack ReynoldsVALLISNERIA MADNESS, by Ralph Milne FarleyLAST CALL FOR DOOMSDAY! by S. M. TenneshawWORLDS OF THE IMPERIUM, by Keith Laumer Watch for the next issue of Black Cat Weekly—coming soon!

Three of our contributing editors brought in amazing tales. Barb Goffman presents Jason’s Half’s “The Last Ferry,” Cynthia Ward brings us “Quinn’s Deal,” by L. Timmel Duchamp, and Michael Bracken offers “A Reasonable Expectation of Privacy,” by N.M. Cedeño. Two are mysteries and two are science fiction. I leave it to you to figure out which is which. (No cheating and checking the list of stories below…unless you absolutely can’t help yourself!) We have three fantasies this time, too—Larry Tritten returns with a story featuring a djinn and a man with a hankering for travel. Everil Worrell has a date with Death. And in Curios, a short story collection by Richard Marsh, we find 7 short stories featuring a pair of rival curio collectors—with some most unusual items!And, of course, there are some classic tales—A Sharper’s Downfall is a mystery novel featuring Nick Carter, Stephen Wasylyk has a vintage mystery short, and we have rip-roaring science fiction tales from Paul W. Fairman and Malcolm Jameson. And of course we couldn’t forget a solve-it-yourself puzzler from Hal Charles. (Yes, it’s a Halloween solve-it-yourself. I should have included it in one of the October issues, but messed up. Doh! You’ll just have to live with it.)Here is the complete lineup:Mysteries / Suspense“The Halloween Costume Caper,” by Hal Charles [Solve-It-Yourself Mystery]“Ten Dollar$ a Week,” by Stephen Wasylyk [short story]"A Reasonable Expectation of Privacy," by N.M. Cedeñov [short story]"The Last Ferry," by Jason Half [Barb Goffman Presents short story]A Sharper’s Downfall, by Nicholas Carter [novel]Curios, by Richard Marsh [fantasy and mystery collection]Science Fiction & FantasyCurios, by Richard Marsh [fantasy and mystery collection]“Leonora,” by Everil Worrell [fantasy short story]“Travels With Harry,” by Larry Tritten [fantasy short story]"A Reasonable Expectation of Privacy," by N.M. Cedeñov [science fiction short story]“Quinn’s Deal,” by L. Timmel Duchamp [Cynthia Ward Presents science fiction novelet]“Traitor’s Choice,” by Paul W. Fairman [science fiction short story]“Blockade Runner,” by Malcolm Jameson [science fiction short story]

Wilson, an unwanted waif of the generation-long war of unity, spends his boyhood in forced labour and persecution. Rebelling, he is sent as a convicted murderer to the newly colonised penal world of Stellar. He survives to win promotion in the Stellar Legion, the most brutal military system ever founded. Laurance, Director of the Federation of Man, is afraid of the thing he has helped create, and tries to dissolve the Stellar Legion. He pits his wits against its commander, Hogarth, terrified lest the human wolves trained and hardened in blood and terror should range the defenceless galaxy…

Edited by Linda M. Rodrigues and featuring an introduction by Susan Van Kirk, The Fish That Got Away is the latest anthology from the Guppies Chapter of Sisters in Crime. This volume selects 20 great new stories from the rising stars of mystery fiction! Included are: TO EVERY SEASON • Mary AdlerBLACK ON BLACK IN BLACK • MB DabneyTHE PEARL NECKLACE • E.B. DavisKNOW NOTHING • C. M. SurrisiGREETINGS FROM THE BOARD • Mary DuttaQUARRY • Susan Alice BickfordCATCH AND RELEASE • Mark ThielmanDEAD ARMADILLOS DON’T DANCE • Kari WainwrightTHE CASE OF THE ABUSED ARTICHOKE • Cynthia SabelhausWILD ABOUT SAFFRON • Marcia AdairGOOD NEIGHBORS • Victoria KazarianSTRESS KILLS • Cheryl MarceauGRANDDAD’S BLOOD BAIT • Gene GarrisonTHE LEGEND OF BAHAMA BOBBY • Melinda LoomisRELEASING LIVES • P. A. De VoeKILLER’S CRUISE • Joseph S. WalkerBOOK DROP • Sarah A. BresnikerTHE LAST LAUGH • Lori Roberts HerbstTHE CANINE CAPER • Michele Bazan ReedTRUE COLORS • C. M. West