Black Mask (UK Edition), April 1950

About this issue

This April 1950 British edition of Black Mask contains six detective and crime stories. "Man's Best Fiend" by Robert Turner is the lead novelette (concluding at p. 21), concerning Harry Wenzel, owner of Loon Lodge, a lakeside roadhouse, who acquires a vicious Great Dane named Satan. Despite warnings from the narrator and his wife Irma—a much younger woman who insinuates Satan will kill him—Wenzel violently dominates the dog. The story is set up as an apparent murder mystery, with the narrative indicating Wenzel dies under mysterious circumstances on the eve of bass-fishing season. Other contents include "The Slay's the Thing" by Phil Richards, "Murder Express" by Hiawatha Jones, "Blackmail Backfire" by D. L. Champion, "How Safe's a Safe" by Joseph W. Quinn, and "Not Necessarily Dead" by Robert P. Toombs, all crime and detection stories.