The complete collection of fifteen stories starring one of pulp fiction’s most hardened PIs, with accompanying illustrationsIt’s hot in St. Louis, and Donahue is looking for a hired gun. An ex–New York cop who got canned from the NYPD after raiding the wrong gambling joint, Donahue has spent four years on the job as a private detective—punishing work that’s turned him from a tough customer into one of the most hard-boiled operatives in the country.A killer named Mickey Shane has skipped New York for St. Louis, and Donahue has come to find him. When he does, it won’t be good for Donahue—but it’ll be a whole lot worse for Shane.In his days writing Donahue stories for Black Mask magazine, Frederick Nebel was as popular and well respected as Dashiell Hammett and Raymond Chandler. Although his name is no longer widely known, these classic tales of two-fisted justice have lost none of their grit or their bite.

Frederick Nebel's unforgettable character Jack Cardigan was one of the main reasons behind the success of the legendary Dime Detective Magazine. His hard-boiled P.I. stories were a major influence to other writers of the era, yet only a handful have been reprinted since their original 44-story run eighty years ago. Volume 1 of this series contains the first 11 installments, complete and uncut, with an all-new introduction by Will Murray.

Frederick Nebel's unforgettable character Jack Cardigan was one of the main reasons behind the success of the legendary Dime Detective Magazine. His hard-boiled P.I. stories were a major influence to other writers of the era, yet only a handful have been reprinted since their original 44-story run eighty years ago. Volume 4 of this series contains the last 11 installments, complete and uncut.

Frederick Nebel's unforgettable character Jack Cardigan was one of the main reasons behind the success of the legendary Dime Detective Magazine. His hard-boiled P.I. stories were a major influence to other writers of the era, yet only a handful have been reprinted since their original 44-story run eighty years ago. Volume 3 of this series contains the next 11 installments, complete and uncut.

Frederick Nebel's unforgettable character Jack Cardigan was one of the main reasons behind the success of the legendary Dime Detective Magazine. His hard-boiled P.I. stories were a major influence to other writers of the era, yet only a handful have been reprinted since their original 44-story run eighty years ago. Volume 2 of this series contains the next 11 installments, complete and uncut.

They won't hurt if you lie still. Besides, I remember that clout on the head. . . Irene, you and I are going to have a very short conversation. First, let me tell you that Babe Delaney is in the hospital with a bullet in his guts. Alfred, that nice-faced little doggie, is in the same hospital with a bullet in his leg. Alfred got Babe. I got Alfred. A collection of six stories, some connected, featuring hard-boiled ex-cop Donny Donahue, who works for the Interstate Detective Agency. The tales ran in Black Mask magazine from 1931-1932. This collection was published in 1950. Oddly, there are only five stories featuring women among the six, though the early days of paperbacks were a bit different. Nebel began writing for Black Mask in 1926. His first series starred the two-man team of Captain Steve McBride and reporter Kennedy. The gents were constantly busy cleaning up Richmond City. Later film adaptations replaced Kennedy with a female journalist, Torchy Blane. Nebel, recalling what his friend Dash Hammett said about Hollywood, had nothing to do with the wretched alterations to his stories, but his reputation has perhaps suffered in the films' wake.