The Black Mask writings of one of the great detective pulp writers are finally collected in book form. Author Norbert Davis broke in to the pages of the prestigious Black Mask magazine while still in college: sales which launched his influential pulp writing career. So influential that Davis' Black Mask story, "Red Goose," so impressed Raymond Chandler that he decided to submit his work to that magazine upon reading it.

Known best for his Max Latin series of screwball detective stories, these earlier efforts for Black Mask in the mid-1930s were among those which editor Cap Shaw proudly purchased for that magazine. In addition to both stories of his series character, Ben Shaley, this collection also includes three other early Davis stories from Black Mask. Includes an all-new introduction by Norbert Davis aficionado Bob Byrne.