Cimarron Street Books: Crime Digests

Showing posts with label Crime Digests. Show all posts

Thursday, May 7, 2026

Now shipping: bare•bones #26

INSIDE OUR LATEST ISSUE YOU WILL FIND:

We go on a Dangerous Assignment with William Schoell
J. Charles Burwell explores four early Dell First Editions
Star of Filipino-American films, Ken Metcalfe, remembered by Steve Mason
John LeMay excavates Mackenna’s Gold on page and screen
The Boston Blackie Casebook presented by Tim Lucas
Stephen Laws on his close encounter with “The Beast of Bodmin Moor”
The nightmare world of Doctor Death uncovered by Robert Deveau
Stephen R. Bissette takes on the POV of the audience as killer
Poe’s “The Black Cat” and the Italian Horror Film by Douglas E. Winter
Peter Enfantino opens another six-pack of Alfred Hitchcock’s Mystery Magazine
More lust than you can shake a . . . stick at . . . down Peter Enfantino’s Sleaze Alley
David J. Schow bids farewell to the mass-market paperback in his latest R&D

Order your copy today!

bare•bones #26 - Spring 2026

Publication Date: May 6, 2026

Suggested Retail Price: $11.95

Trade Paperback - 110 pages

ISBN-13: 979-8259294318

Dimensions: 6 x 0.28 x 9 inches

Sunday, April 19, 2026

Now Shipping: Sources of Suspense: Alfred Hitchcock Presents and the Stories That Shaped It by Jack Seabrook

Cimarron Street Books is thrilled to bring you Sources of Suspense — your comprehensive guide to all seven seasons of Alfred Hitchcock Presents (1955-1962); exploring each episode from the perspective of the story that inspired it. Hitchcock expert Jack Seabrook digs into the original source material and details how it compares to the filmed result. This is an indispensable companion to the classic television series. All 268 half-hour episodes are covered, featuring stories by the likes of Robert Bloch, Ray Bradbury, Fredric Brown, John Collier, Roald Dahl, Evan Hunter, Henry Slesar, Cornell Woolrich and more!

Jack Seabrook is the author of Martians And Misplaced Clues: The Life & Work Of Fredric Brown and Stealing Through Time: On the Writings of Jack Finney, and is a leading contributor to the bare•bones e-zine blog, where his Alfred Hitchcock Project was launched. He lives in Hopewell, New Jersey, with his wife Lorraine, where he is hard at work on the Alfred Hitchcock Hour companion volume to Sources of Suspense: Alfred Hitchcock Presents and the Stories That Shaped It.

Order your copy today!

Sources of Suspense: Alfred Hitchcock Presents and the Stories That Shaped It by Jack Seabrook

Publication Date: April 19, 2026

Suggested Retail Price: $39.95

Trade Paperback - 498 pages

ISBN-13: 979-8648479128

Dimensions: 8.5 x 1.13 x 11 inches

Publication Date: May 5, 2026

Suggested Retail Price: $64.95

Hardcover - 498 pages

ISBN-13: 979-8259034860

Dimensions: 8.49 x 1.32 x 11.24 inches

Friday, February 13, 2026

Now shipping: bare•bones #25

INSIDE OUR LATEST ISSUE YOU WILL FIND:

William Schoell turns to the Front Page Detective
Japanese Bullet Trains are Under Siege in 1975 by Bryan C. Kuriawa
Derek Hill analyzes the westerns of André de Toth
Finding inspiration in the Music of the Night by Stephen Laws
Douglas E. Winter examines three novels that inspired movie genres
Giants, Okongos, and Killer Apes in Jungle Jim films by Stephen R. Bissette
Richard Krauss continues his exploration of Mike Shayne Mystery Magazine
‘Eraserhood’ to Mulholland Drive in Duane Swierczynski’s Field Guide to L.A. Pulp
Peter Enfantino invites you to an Orgy-filled Sleaze Alley
007 Dies Again in David J. Schow’s R&D Column

Order your copy today!

bare•bones #25 - Winter 2026

Publication Date: February 11, 2026

Suggested Retail Price: $11.95

Trade Paperback - 118 pages

ISBN-13: 979-8241591968

Dimensions: 6 x 0.3 x 9 inches

Thursday, November 13, 2025

Now shipping: bare•bones #24

INSIDE OUR LATEST ISSUE YOU WILL FIND:

William Schoell unwraps The Invisible Man UK TV Series
Making a Killing from a Clean Break by Matthew R. Bradley
J. Charles Burwell pans for gold in five Westerns of Dudley Dean
A Monarch Monster Movie Tie-In roundup by Robert Deveau
Douglas E. Winter sets his Gunsight Eyes on the Sabata Novelizations
The finale of Stephen R. Bissette’s 4-part epic overview of Cryptids in Westerns
Richard Krauss digs into Mike Shayne Mystery Magazine
Fritz Leiber is exhumed in Duane Swierczynski’s Field Guide to L.A. Pulp
John Scoleri checks out What’s on the Tube leading up to Hallowe’en, 1981
Get caught slinking down Sleaze Alley with Peter Enfantino
David J. Schow looks back on 70 years in his R&D column
Ooze-It or lose it in John Scoleri’s Monster Gallery

Order your copy today!

bare•bones #24 - Fall 2025

Publication Date: November 13, 2025

Suggested Retail Price: $11.95

Trade Paperback - 124 pages

ISBN-13: 979-8267729468

Dimensions: 6 x 0.31 x 9 inches

Monday, August 4, 2025

Now Shipping: bare•bones #23

INSIDE OUR LATEST ISSUE YOU WILL FIND:

Matthew R. Bradley tours This Island Earth on page and screen
Toshio Masuda’s Cinematic Apocalypses examined by Bryan C. Kuriawa
Douglas E. Winter sets his sights on the Man With No Name novels
Part 3 of Stephen R. Bissette’s 4-part epic overview of Cryptids in Westerns
Peter Enfantino serves up more Alfred Hitchcock Mystery Magazine coverage
Lord only knows what you’ll find slithering down Sleaze Alley with Peter Enfantino
David J. Schow on the amazing Elaine Shepard in his R&D column

Order your copy today!

bare•bones #23 - Summer 2025

Publication Date: August 3, 2025

Suggested Retail Price: $11.95

Trade Paperback - 110 pages

ISBN-13: 979-8291443477

Dimensions: 6 x 0.28 x 9 inches

Tuesday, May 13, 2025

Now Shipping: bare•bones #22

INSIDE OUR LATEST ISSUE YOU WILL FIND:

Spending time in Lock Up with William Schoell
Larry Blamire sizes up the children of The Lost Patrol
Marvin H. Albert’s Tony Rome cycle from novel to film by J. Charles Burwell
Robert Deveau explores Roger Corman — Feminist Filmmaker
Part 2 of a 4-part epic overview of Cryptids in Westerns by Stephen R. Bissette
Peter Enfantino serves up more Alfred Hitchcock Mystery Magazine coverage
Rare tie-ins examined by Peter Enfantino and Robert Deveau in Sleaze Alley
David J. Schow on the march of time and artist Woody Welch in his R&D column

Order your copy today!

bare•bones #22 - Spring 2025

Publication Date: May 13, 2025

Suggested Retail Price: $11.95

Trade Paperback - 108 pages

ISBN-13: 979-8281159371

Dimensions: 6 x 0.27 x 9 inches

Wednesday, March 5, 2025

Now Shipping: bare•bones #21

INSIDE OUR LATEST ISSUE YOU WILL FIND:

The Mr. Moto Novels on Page and Screen by Matthew R. Bradley
William Schoell leads us through The Lawless Years
Exploring the Eurospy Universe of the Kommissar X by Holger Haase
Bryan C. Kuriawa on the War Films of Shue Matsubayashi
Part one of a 4-part epic overview of Cryptids in Westerns by Stephen R. Bissette
Peter Enfantino unpacks the Monarch Suspense Special Series
A look at Charlie Chan Mystery Magazine 1973-1974 by Robert Deveau
Peter Enfantino bares all with his latest reads in Sleaze Alley
Meet the Queen of Storm King Comics in David J. Schow’s R&D column
John Scoleri’s Monster Gallery showcases the original Monster Gallery

Order your copy today!

bare•bones #21 - Winter 2025

Publication Date: March 4, 2025

Suggested Retail Price: $11.95

Trade Paperback - 110 pages

ISBN-13: 979-8304529662

Dimensions: 6 x 0.28 x 9 inches

Wednesday, November 20, 2024

Now shipping: bare•bones #20

INSIDE THIS SUPER-SIZED 20th ISSUE SPECTACULAR YOU WILL FIND:

William Schoell turns on the lights and sirens for Code 3
A look at the Doomed Professional in film by Larry Blamire
J. Charles Burwell on Steve Frazee’s vision of the west
Joseph Wambaugh on screen by Derek Hill
Jack Seabrook untangles the lost TV show, The Web
The Weird Tales of Not at Night by Stefan Dziemianowicz
Tim Lucas explores the crime quickies of Montgomery Tully
More Mike Shayne Mystery Magazine coverage by Richard Krauss
Duane Swierczynski spotlights Robert Edmond Alter in his Field Guide to L.A. Pulp
Night of the Living Dead and more, as seen on Bay Area TV by John Scoleri
Peter Enfantino is back in Sleaze Alley
The Search for New Grails in David J. Schow’s R&D column

Order your copy today!

bare•bones #20 - Fall 2024

Publication Date: November 19, 2024

Suggested Retail Price: $14.95

Trade Paperback - 154 pages

ISBN-13: 979-8343571752

Dimensions: 6 x 0.39 x 9 inches

Monday, August 19, 2024

Now shipping: bare•bones #19

Inside the nineteenth issue of bare•bones, you will find:

Going up river with Yancy Derringer, rebel with a cause, by William Schoell
Bryan Kuriawa investigates the alien invaders of W. Lee Wilder
A round-up of the weird western episodes of Rawhide by Larry Blamire
Matthew R. Bradley checks into Casino Royale — on page and screen
Pre-Code Horror in Adventures Into Weird Worlds explored by Peter Enfantino
Richard Krauss on a fistful of Mike Shayne’s Mystery Magazine
Three classic noir reads in Duane Swierczynski’s Field Guide to American Pulp
Robert Deveau on the Belmont Shadows of Dennis Lynds
How much filth lines Sleaze Alley? Only Peter Enfantino knows for sure
David J. Schow on the trail of Jack the Ripper in his latest R&D column
Find out which Monster is considered an Old Maid in John Scoleri’s Monster Gallery

Order your copy today!

bare•bones #19 - Summer 2024

Publication Date: August 18, 2024

Suggested Retail Price: $11.95

Trade Paperback - 112 pages

ISBN-13: 979-8333860125

Dimensions: 6 x 0.28 x 9 inches

Thursday, May 30, 2024

Now shipping: bare•bones #18

Inside the eighteenth issue of bare•bones, you will find:

William Schoell tunes into Science Fiction Theatre
An overlooked classic, No Grave for Us, reviewed by Bryan Kuriawa
Larry Blamire hits the front lines to experience Combat first hand
Curt Siodmak and His Dr. Patrick Cory Trilogy celebrated by Matthew R. Bradley
Peter Enfantino highlights the best of Pre-Code Horror in Adventures Into Terror
The Big Caper and Alfred Hitchcock Presents examined by Jack Seabrook
Peter Enfantino delivers another Six-Pack of Hitchcock’s Mystery Magazine
It’s time for destination: Quentin Tarantino in Duane Swierczynski’s Field Guide to L.A. Pulp
S. Craig Zahler reviews some LitRPG . . . and more
Can you stand to see what Peter Enfantino has uncovered in Sleaze Alley?
Our very own David J. Schow portrayed Freddy Krueger — read all about it!
In space, no one can hear styrene, in John Scoleri’s Monster Gallery

Order your copy today!

bare•bones #18 - Spring 2024

Publication Date: May 27, 2024

Suggested Retail Price: $11.95

Trade Paperback - 108 pages

ISBN-13: 979-8323398935

Dimensions: 6 x 0.27 x 9 inches

Thursday, May 16, 2024

Now shipping: The Wild World of Off Beat Detective, Crime and Sleaze Digests by Peter Enfantino

Once upon a time, magazine racks overflowed with crime fiction. For thirty-five cents you could lose yourself in another world for a couple of hours while riding the train back home from your office, or sitting on the beach, or enjoying a bit of quiet time while the brats napped. The ‘50s and ‘60s were decades ripe for violent escapism in the digests, and Manhunt, Ellery Queen’s Mystery Magazine, Alfred Hitchcock’s Mystery Magazine, and Mike Shayne Mystery Magazine each sold thousands of copies every month.

But what if you were the kind of reader who wanted something a little naughtier; a little more taboo; a little more dangerous? You’d have to kneel down and look at the bottom row, way in the back behind the Farmer’s Almanac and Fate, to find such jewels as Justice, Keyhole Mystery, Keyhole Detective, Sure Fire Detective, and Off Beat Detective.

Crammed cover-to-cover with feuding JDs, greedy wives, adulterous husbands, and serial killers, the ‘sleaze’ crime digests were an acquired taste, and a bitter pill for the traditional mystery fan to swallow. Combining elements of Black Mask and Dime Mystery, the sleaze digests spit in the face of the old fuddy-duddies and dared readers to try something different.

Within these digests, you’ll make acquaintance with: a morally bankrupt high school teacher who impregnates one of his teenage students; the beautiful Renfreda, who’s being chased through the swamp by an evil marijuana harvester; the gorgeous Peggy Ann, who may be the notorious Ice Pick Murderer; the brave small-town reporter who investigates a local cult and risks her life (and her clothes) for a good story; the printer who unknowingly becomes a publisher of smut; and a young couple who discover their neighbors are Satan worshippers.

The Wild World of Off Beat Detective, Crime and Sleaze Digests is the second volume of a continuing series, in which Peter Enfantino breaks down each and every story that appeared in the pages of these five legendary titles. Now rare and fetching exorbitant prices on the secondary market, these magazines contained some of the most chilling and daring crime stories published at that time. So which issues are worth your hard-earned dollars? Open this book and find out!

Peter Enfantino is the author of The Manhunt Companion (Stark House Press), an exhaustive story-by-story discussion of the greatest crime magazine of all time. He was an editor of The Scream Factory (1988 - 1997) and bare•bones (1997 - 2001, 2020 - present). He is an obsessive collector of crime, horror, and western digests, and has written for all the major channels on the topics, including Paperback Parade, Mystery Scene, and The Digest Enthusiast. He lives in a sleaze alley known as Gilbert, Arizona.

Praise for The Manhunt Companion:

The story annotations are concise and well-written, and reflect a consistent critical standard . . . Enfantino is a tough, sometimes idiosyncratic critic.

— Jon L. Breen, Mystery Scene

The Manhunt Companion is not only a must for readers and collectors of the magazine, but for anyone interested in cutting-edge noir fiction of the 50s and early 60s.

— Bill Pronzini

Order your copy today!

The Wild World of Off Beat Detective, Crime and Sleaze Digests by Peter Enfantino

Publication Date: May 16, 2023

Suggested Retail Price: $14.95

Trade Paperback - 178 pages

ISBN-13: 979-8324517861

Dimensions: 6 x 0.45 x 9 inches

Friday, February 23, 2024

Now shipping: bare•bones #17

Inside the seventeenth issue of bare•bones, you will find:

Larry Blamire on the classic television heyday of the working class criminal
The Fugitive reimagined in print — reviewed by Tim Lucas
William Schoell follows Craig Stevens in Man of the World
Exhuming Federico Curiel’s Nostradamus cycle with Derek Hill
Randall D. Larson on his early life as a fanzine publisher
Four paperback originals by Marvin H. Albert explored by J. Charles Burwell
Peter Enfantino downs another Six-Pack of Alfred Hitchcock’s Mystery Magazine
Destination: Santa Barbara in Duane Swierczynski’s Field Guide to L.A. Pulp
S. Craig Zahler reviews two pair of titles from Marvin H. Albert and Ben Haas
Fresh filth is unearthed in Sleaze Alley by Peter Enfantino
David J. Schow on the origin of the Splatterpunk Awards
And you’ll find Bats in Your Belfry in John Scoleri’s Monster Gallery

Order your copy today!

bare•bones #17 - Winter 2024

Publication Date: February 22, 2024

Suggested Retail Price: $11.95

Trade Paperback - 108 pages

ISBN-13: 979-8871277881

Dimensions: 6 x 0.27 x 9 inches

Saturday, December 9, 2023

Now shipping: The Wild World of Two-Fisted Detective, Mystery and Terror Digests by Peter Enfantino

Manhunt Magazine defined crime fiction in the 1950s. A monthly blast of violence and sex that sold millions of copies, Manhunt paved the way for a new age of literary mystery and crime that’s celebrated to this day. A veritable icon of quality.

Yeah, so what? That particular venue has been lauded and revered and mined for material for decades. It’s time to move on and see the forest for the trees. And, as you’ll soon find out, there were other outlets to lay your hat on if you were a murder and mayhem buff. Enter the low-rent crime digests, stuffed full of bursting brassieres and bloody shivs, with only one goal in mind: fill those pages!

With garish covers featuring scantily clad heroines and sadistic prison guards and titles such as Terror Detective, Two-Fisted Detective, Web Terror, and Shock Mystery Tales, you just knew you were in the right place. And some of the names on the contents page were familiar: Donald E. Westlake, Robert Silverberg, Lawrence Block, Harlan Ellison. Some were not: Flip Lyons, Art Crockett, Grover Brinkman, Dan Sontup. Both species of writers were equally responsible for what makes the sleazy crime digests so beloved.

Within these digests, you’ll encounter such unique individuals as: a drug pusher named Fang; a mafia hitman and his leprous girlfriend; the mad magician whose act may be a little too realistic; the psychiatrist whose previous position at a Nazi prison camp may be detrimental to his practice; and hundreds more.

In The Wild World of Two-Fisted Detective, Mystery and Terror Digests, Peter Enfantino has compiled a complete story-by-story guide to four of the most eccentric, perverted, and violent crime digests ever published

So put that tattered copy of the May 1952 Manhunt to the side and enter a world where there were no limits.

Praise for The Manhunt Companion:

The story annotations are concise and well-written, and reflect a consistent critical standard . . . Enfantino is a tough, sometimes idiosyncratic critic.

— Jon L. Breen, Mystery Scene

Cimarron Street Books is pleased to bring you Gold Medal author Robert Colby's The Devil's Collector, containing the complete Paint the Town stories, including the first publication of the novella, "Paint the Town Aquamarine."

If you must have a label for me you might say I’m a tax collector. There’s a tax on evil, and I’m the devil’s own collector.
I hunt people who are engaged in larcenous activities, to put it nicely. I take pleasure and profit from making them pay an appropriate penalty for their crimes.
I’m a free-lance operator, an agent at large.
Without false modesty — I’m the best.

Robert Colby’s novel The Captain Must Die “is up with the best of John D. MacDonald, Charles Williams and the Gold Medal cult classic Black Wings Has My Angel. A flawless novel.”

— Ed Gorman (from his introduction)

Order your copy today!

The Devil's Collector by Robert Colby

Publication Date: April 22, 2022

Suggested Retail Price: $12.95

Trade Paperback - 193 pages

ISBN-13: 979-8445328353

Dimensions: 6 x 0.49 x 9 inches