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 pulp writers. (I've reprinted many of his books and compiled a couple of collections of his short stories.) I thought I'd read all his major works until I stumbled upon a copy of The Man on Horseback. I suspected it would be a routine western, but it's actually proto-science fiction, from before the term "science fiction" was coined, mashed up with-yes-westerns, mysteries, and even techno-thrillers. Call it steampunk. It's a great read and sure to make you a fan of his work, if you aren't already.
Our bread-and-butter is short stories, of course, and here we have originals from Dave Zeltserman (selected by Michael Bracken), E.E. King, Stephen W. Chappell, and Grigory Lukin, plus a rare Barb Goffman tale and an original solve-it-yourself puzzler from Hal Charles. For classic shorts, we have a scientific mystery from Ray Cummings and a lonb-buried science fiction story from British master Philip E. High. No matter your tastes, you'll find something to love.
Here's the complete lineup-
Cover Art by: Steve Hickman
NOVELS
The Rat Trap, by William Le Queux
An innocent traveler is lured into a dangerous ring of global swindlers.
The Man on Horseback, by Achmed Abdullah
A cowboy, a haunted mine, and a strange unknown metal...
SOLVE-IT-YOURSELF MYSTERY
"Murder Off the Grid," by Hal Charles
Can you solve the mystery before the detective? All the clues are there!
SHORT STORIES
"Thinner Than Water," by Dave Zeltserman [Michael Bracken Presents short story]
Hell's only detective huns for a missing soul in a world of pure misery.
"Punching Bag," by Barb Goffman
A rich girl pushed to her breaking point finally decides to swing back.
"Death Trail," by Ray Cummings
A ruthless actor learns that some secrets are impossible to leave behind.
"The Circle," by E.E. King
Scientists race to solve a plague of kindness that is killing the rich.
"A Quest Born of Fire and Blood," by Stephen W. Chappell
A scarred wizard and a witty bard face a dragon and the demons within.
"To Rue, To Revel, To Revert," by Grigory Lukin
In a world of holograms and chips, true justice means rewriting the soul.
"Plague Solution," by Philip E. High
On a world where plants hunt men, one desperate scientist finds an answer.