The Return of Black Mask

If you have the latest issue of Ellery Queen's Mystery Magazine, you've no doubt noticed the little blurb on the last page announcing the return of Black Mask. I checked with Janet Hutchings, the editor, and she tells me that the Black Mask section will feature one reprint from the original magazine, to be paired with a new story. The January reprint will be Hammett's "Bodies Piled Up," and the new story will be Chuck Hogan's "Two Thousand Volts." Keith Allan Deutsch will have an introduction that explains the relationship between Black Mask and EQMM.

The new stories will tend to be edgier than the usual EQMM fare. Sounds like a good idea to me.