The Black Mask 2 (May 1920)

The Black Mask is without a doubt the single most important magazinefor the modern mystery field. In its pages writers such as Earl Stanley Gardnerand Dashiell Hammett reshaped the established view of mystery fiction, creatingthe tough-guy sleuth. The May 1920 issue -- the magazine's second --shows the groundwork being laid for future issues, with a featured mystery novelby Hamilton Craigie and plenty of fast-paced adventures by authors such as GreyeLa Spina, Harold Ward, Frank Blighton and Walter Grahame.