Black Cat Weekly #259

Tara Laskowski · Ron Miller · Paula Messina

Aug 2026 · Wildside Press LLC

Ebook

431

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About this ebook

There are so many highlights this issue, it’s hard to know where to begin. From modern murder mysteries (Tara Laskowski, A.L. Sirois, Ron Miller) to blackmail (Paula Messina), to classic crime (J.A. Ferguson), we have your detective fiction needs covered. For something more outré, how about modern fantasy from returning favorites Teel James Glenn and Steve Lockley? Or classic sci-fi from 20th-century masters Frank Belknap Long, Mack Reynolds, and Edmond Hamilton? Whatever your interests, you’ll find it all here!

Here’s the complete lineup—

Cover Art: Ron Miller

NOVEL

The Man in the Dark, by J.A. Ferguson [Francis McNab series]
A dark, little-seen tale from the Golden Age of British mystery.

NOVELLA

“Paul Is Dead”, by A.L. Sirois
A friend’s death looks accidental—but Cozi can’t shake her doubts.

NOVELET

“The Cosmic Cloud”, by Edmond Hamilton
Thousands of ships vanish into a cosmic cloud—and the Patrol follows.

SOLVE-IT-YOURSELF MYSTERY

“Right On Target”, by Hal Charles
Can you solve the mystery before the detective? All the clues are there!

SHORT STORIES

“Once Hot, Always Hot”, by Paula Messina
A tough cop, a fearless nun, and a blackmailer with an unholy plan.

“The Ex-Files”, by Tara Laskowski [Barb Goffman Presents]
A beloved aunt is dead, and Annie’s charming ex looks very guilty.

“Death Checks Out”, by Ron Miller [Velda, P.I. series]
A hotel murder looks open-and-shut—until Velda starts asking questions...

“The Princess in the Tower”, by Steve Lockley
Can a penniless rogue survive the tower and win a princess’s hand?

“The Gift of Song”, by Teel James Glenn
At a festival of wonders, one singer asks magic to heal an old wound.

“The Spectacles”, by Frank Belknap Long
In this chill, sunless future Man is a relic under glass...

“D.P. from Tomorrow”, by Mack Reynolds
Will a newsroom believe a refugee carrying news from the future?

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