Black Cat Weekly #248

Dave Zeltserman · Ron Miller · Adrian Cole

May 2026 · Wildside Press LLC

Ebook

398

Pages

Tools

Eligible

About this ebook

Our new issue features a pair of returning favorite characters (at least, they’re among my favorites!)—Ron Miller’s P.I., Velda Bellinghausen, and Christopher B. Booth’s slick Depression-era conman, Amos Clackworthy. As if that’s not enough, we also have original stories from Dave Zeltserman (thanks to Acquiring Editor Michael Bracken) and Laurence Raphael Brothers, plus a new Solve-It-Yourself puzzler from Hal Charles. And there are recent and classic tales from Adrian Cole, Raymond F. Jones, Alfred Coppel, and Thomas J. O’Hara. Our novel stretches the definition of a legal drama a wee bit, but it’s a great read: Justice Is a Woman, by Helen Haberman. It might not be for everyone, but if you enjoy World War II-era fiction, it’s definitely of interest.

Here’s the complete lineup—

Cover art by: Ron Miller

NOVEL

Justice Is a Woman, by Helen Haberman

A lawyer’s public triumphs hide a private case against him.

NOVELETTE

“The Thinking Machine”, by Raymond F. Jones

When a machine picks his future, one farmer dares to refuse his fate.

SOLVE-IT-YOURSELF MYSTERY

“Time’s Up”, by Hal Charles

Can you solve the mystery before the detective? All the clues are there!

SHORT STORIES

“Sleeping Dogs”, by Dave Zeltserman [Michael Bracken Presents]

A simple case of a missing father opens a door someone wants kept shut.

“Murder Is Bad Policy”, by Ron Miller [Velda, P.I. series]

Was Conrad’s death a drunken accident—or part of a deadly design?

“Family History Capitalized”, by Christopher B. Booth [Mr. Clackworthy series]

Can Mr. Clackworthy turn family history into cold, hard cash?

“Sangreal”, by Laurence Raphael Brothers

The Round Table is broken, but one weary knight still has a quest.

“The Shadow Navigator”, by Adrian Cole

Death is only the first passenger aboard the Shadow Navigator’s ship.

“Blood Lands”, by Alfred Coppel

On a forgotten world, a rescue mission meets a strange resistance...

“Incident”, by Thomas J. O’Hara

A doomed starship carries one last secret toward a waiting world.

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