5 Detective Novels Magazine: A Complete List of Issues

November 25, 2024 by Jason Hamilton

5 Detective Novels Magazine was a unique pulp publication that featured five complete detective novels in each issue. Published by Standard Magazines, Inc., it was priced at 25 cents per issue and typically contained 148 pages in pulp format.

Publication Details

The magazine initially focused on reprinting content from other Standard Magazines publications from the late 1930s and early 1940s, though it later expanded to include material from American sources.

The publication’s distinguishing characteristic was its format of including five complete novels in a single issue, though the term “novel” was used somewhat loosely in this context.

#	Get It	Name	Date	Editor	Artist	Containing
1		5 Detective Novels Magazine, Vol. 1, No. 1	1949-11-01			6 — On the Docket — [Uncredited] (Column) 11 — The Murder Bridge — George Harmon Coxe (Novelette; Thrilling Detective February 1935) 39 — Too Tough to Die [Red Lacey] — George Bruce (Novelette; Popular Detective July 1935) 62 — A Portrait of Alexander Hamilton — Ray Cummings (Article) 68 — Murder in Mexico — Steve Fisher (Novelette; Thrilling Detective May 1938) 90 — The Hooded Killer — Paul Ernst (Novelette; Thrilling Detective November 1934) 114 — Death on an Ocean Liner — Richard Sale (Novelette; Thrilling Detective March 1940) 145 — The Path of Death — Simpson M. Ritter (Short Story)
2		5 Detective Novels Magazine, Vol. 1, No. 2	1950-Winter			6 — On the Docket — [Uncredited] (Column) 11 — Claim of the Fleshless Corpse [Sylvester Corrigan] — George Bruce (Novelette; Popular Detective August 1936) 32 — The House of Frogs — Westmoreland Gray (Novelette; Thrilling Detective January 1935) 55 — Family Affair — A. Boyd Correll (Short Story) 63 — Murder Suspect — Frederick C. Painton (Novelette; Thrilling Detective May 1940) 85 — Booming Logs — H. C. Levin (Short Story) 90 — The Case of the Astral Assassin [George Chance (The Green Ghost)] — G. T. Fleming-Roberts (Novelette; Thrilling Mystery November 1942) 114 — Too Clever — Calvin J. Clements (Short Story) 122 — Murder Under Wraps — Norman A. Daniels (Novelette; Popular Detective April 1942)
3		5 Detective Novels Magazine, Vol. 1, No. 3	1950-Spring			11 — Murder Money [Red Lacey] — George Bruce (Novelette; Popular Detective August 1935) 30 — Talent for Trouble — Sam Merwin, Jr. (Novelette; Thrilling Detective August 1941) 57 — The Crimson Curse — Frederick C. Painton (Novelette; Popular Detective August 1935) 77 — Paid in Part — Nicholas Zook (Short Story) 80 — Murder Across the Years — C. K. M. Scanlon (Novelette; Detective Novels Magazine April 1939) 103 — Kill-Dog Kill — Arthur J. Burks (Short Story) 112 — Corpses Can’t Talk — James Donnelly (Novelette; Thrilling Detective March 1942) 134 — A Little Too Soon — Elizabeth Starr (Short Story)
4		5 Detective Novels Magazine, Vol. 2, No. 1	1950-Summer		Rudolph Belarski	6 — On the Docket — [Uncredited] (Column) 9 — Fifty Grand Reward [Red Lacey] — George Bruce (Novelette; Popular Detective October 1935) 30 — Sinister House — Robert Wallace (Novelette) 53 — The Two Agreements — Donald Bayne Hobart (Short Story) 57 — The Case of the Murderous Mermaid [George Chance (The Green Ghost)] — G. T. Fleming-Roberts (Novelette; Thrilling Mystery September 1942) 88 — The Shipwreck Murders — Norman A. Daniels (Novelette; Detective Novels Magazine December 1939) 112 — The Look in Her Eye — J. S. Endicott (Short Story) 116 — The Reptile Murders — Richard B. Sale (Novelette; Thrilling Detective March 1935)
5		5 Detective Novels Magazine, Vol. 2, No. 2	1950-Fall			11 — Deliver the Dead — T. T. Flynn (Novelette; Popular Detective November 1937) 39 — Dark Shadow [Johnny Sconns] — John Hawkins (Novelette; Popular Detective January 1938) 53 — The Fatal Pendulum — Arthur J. Burks (Short Story) 60 — The House of Fear — Frank Johnson (Novelette; Thrilling Mystery June 1943) 86 — The Garroter of Death — Paul Ernst (Novelette; Thrilling Detective June 1935) 112 — Spirit Voice — Amelia Reynolds Long (Short Story) 120 — The Hobby Murders — Joseph J. Millard (Novelette; Popular Detective February 1942)
6		5 Detective Novels Magazine, Vol. 2, No. 3	1951-Winter		Samuel Cherry	9 — The Case of the Clumsy Cat [George Chance (The Green Ghost)] — G. T. Fleming-Roberts (Novelette; Thrilling Mystery March 1943) 46 — A Killer Needs Brains — H. H. Stinson (Novelette; Thrilling Detective April 1939) 68 — Dead Man’s Shoes — Seabury Quinn (Short Story) 76 — The Jabberwocky Murders — Fredric Brown (Novelette; Thrilling Mystery Summer 1944) 96 — The Name Is Kelly — W. T. Ballard (Novelette; Thrilling Detective September 1939) 113 — The Gun in His Pocket — Walt Bruce (Short Story) 117 — Murder for a Million — Nelson S. Bond (Novelette; Exciting Detective Winter 1941)
7		5 Detective Novels Magazine, Vol. 3, No. 1	1951-Spring			9 — Must This Man Burn — Frederick C. Painton (Novelette; Thrilling Detective August 1939) 35 — The Scarlet Heritage — Westmoreland Gray (Novelette; Thrilling Detective July 1938) 61 — The Case of the Broken Broom [George Chance (The Green Ghost)] — G. T. Fleming-Roberts (Novelette; Thrilling Mystery Fall 1943) 96 — Death’s Double [James & Peter O’Meara (Señor Muerte)] — John Hawkins (Novelette; Popular Detective July 1937) 114 — Murder Music — Robert Wallace (Novelette; Popular Detective October 1938)
8		5 Detective Novels Magazine, Vol. 3, No. 2	1951-Summer		Samuel Cherry	9 — The Killer from Buffalo — Richard Deming (Novelette) 36 — And Here Comes Murder — G. T. Fleming-Roberts (Novelette; Popular Detective August 1942) 52 — The Next to Die [Trevor Lowe] — Gerald Verner (Novelette; Thrilling Detective January 1941) 80 — No Day for Murder — Roger Dee (Short Story) 84 — Homicide Sanitarium — Fredric Brown (Novelette; Thrilling Detective May 1944) 104 — The Body in the Street — Benton Braden (Short Story) 113 — Death Walks in Circles — Cyril Plunkett (Novelette; Popular Detective August 1939)
9		5 Detective Novels Magazine, Vol. 3, No. 3	1951-Fall		Samuel Cherry	10 — My Corpse Has Two Faces — Howard J. Green & Paul Frank (Novelette) 38 — Night of April 17 — Garth R. Spencer (Novelette) 60 — The Mystery of Galleon Key — Philip Wylie (Novelette; The American Magazine March 1935) 84 — Women Are Funny — W. T. Ballard (Novelette; Popular Detective August 1939) 104 — Me, Murderer — G. T. Fleming-Roberts (Novelette; Thrilling Detective January 1939)
10		5 Detective Novels Magazine, Vol. 4, No. 1	1952-Winter	David X. Manners	Hunter Barker	6 — Lowdown: The On Burglary Insurance — Stewart Sterling (Column) 9 — Dopey Doings — [Uncredited] (Miscellaneous) 10 — Blood, Sweat and Jeers — Donn Mullally (Novelette) 19 — Bracelets — Clarence E. Flynn (Miscellaneous) 29 — The Cryptogram Corner — Simon Cipher (Column) 30 — Thanks for Murder — Ted Stratton (Novelette; Illustrated by Hunter Barker) 35 — Fake Badges — Carter Critz (Miscellaneous) 39 — Cartoon Fun — [Uncredited] (Cartoon) 47 — Killer Under Glass — David X. Manners (Short Story) 52 — Angels Die Hard — Paul Chadwick (Novelette) 61 — Trouble on the Double — Bess Ritter (Miscellaneous) 69 — Death Takes No Holiday — W. T. Ballard (Novelette; Popular Detective December 1942) 77 — Down the Hatch! — [Uncredited] (Miscellaneous) 89 — The Dame from Chicago — Benton Braden (Short Story) 96 — The Too Good Deal — Harold Helfer (Short Story) 98 — Compliments of a Fiend — Fredric Brown (Novelette; Thrilling Detective May 1945)
11		5 Detective Novels Magazine, Vol. 4, No. 2	1952-Spring			12 — The Morning After Murder — William Irish (Short Story; Revised from “Murder on My Mind,” Detective Fiction Weekly, August 15, 1936, as by Cornell Woolrich) 26 — The Bride Shot Once — Donn Mullally (Short Story) 44 — Don’t Tell the Police — Edward Hope (Novelette; The American Magazine August 1939) 80 — Paint That Pistol In — Rufus Bakalor (Short Story) 84 — Headless Angel [Miles Standish Rice] — Baynard Kendrick (Novelette; Black Mask September 1939) 112 — Danger in the Dark — G. T. Fleming-Roberts (Novelette; Thrilling Mystery May 1941)
12		5 Detective Novels Magazine, Vol. 4, No. 3	1952-Summer			12 — Meat of the Murder — Donn Mullally (Short Story) 30 — Dance, Pretty Maiden — John H. Knox (Novelette) 52 — Doom for the Groom — R. Van Taylor (Short Story) 60 — This Will Slay You [Mike O’Hanna] — Dale Clark (Short Story; Black Mask December 1941) 78 — He’s in the Death House — W. T. Ballard (Novelette; Popular Detective August 1941) 96 — The Little Sleep — Philip Weck (Short Story) 104 — The Ghost Breakers — Fredric Brown (Novelette; Thrilling Detective July 1944) 121 — Immanuel [Sammy Gomez] — Dean Evans (Novelette)
13		5 Detective Novels Magazine, Vol. 5, No. 1	1952-Fall	David X. Manners		6 — Burglary Technique — [Uncredited] (Miscellaneous) 9 — Just for Laughs — [Uncredited] (Humor) 10 — Man Sinister — Talmage Powell (Novelette) 19 — Of Crooks and Hooks — [Uncredited] (Miscellaneous) 36 — Strange Bedmates — [Uncredited] (Miscellaneous) 37 — Shoving the Queer — [Uncredited] (Miscellaneous) 38 — This Way to the Morgue [Murray Gifford] — Frederick C. Davis (Short Story; Black Mask October 1938) 43 — Home Was Never Like This — [Uncredited] (Miscellaneous) 55 — Snake Hobby — Benton Braden (Short Story) 59 — The Murder Frame [Matt Mercer] — Day Keene (Novelette; Thrilling Detective December 1941) 65 — Cartoon Fun — [Uncredited] (Cartoon) 81 — The Real Bluebeard — Harold Helfer (True Story) 82 — Kindly Omit Flowers [Special Squad] — Stewart Sterling (Novelette; Black Mask March 1942) 89 — Would You Like a Sweetheart? — [Uncredited] (Miscellaneous) 104 — Special Performance — Rex Sherrick (Short Story) 108 — Do You Know Your Cops? — [Uncredited] (Quiz) 109 — The Cryptogram Corner — [Uncredited] (Puzzle) 110 — The Long Night — William Campbell Gault (Novelette) 121 — Dead but Not Unknown — [Uncredited] (Miscellaneous)
14		5 Detective Novels Magazine, Vol. 5, No. 2	1953-Winter			10 — Stop the Presses [Murray Gifford] — Frederick C. Davis (Novelette; Black Mask December 1938) 32 — Once Upon a Train [Hildegarde Withers; John J. Malone] — Craig Rice & Stuart Palmer (Novelette; Ellery Queen’s Mystery Magazine #83, October 1950) 49 — Murder in the Mirror — W. T. Ballard (Short Story; Thrilling Detective March 1940) 64 — The Lady and the Iceman — Rufus Bakalor (Short Story) 68 — The Tattooed Lovely — Tom Roan (Novelette) 102 — Blaze of Glory — Nicholas Zook (Short Story) 106 — Murder’s Autograph — William L. Jackson (Short Story) 110 — What Happened to Lisa? — Talmage Powell (Novelette)
15		5 Detective Novels Magazine, Vol. 5, No. 3	1953-Spring	Morris Ogden Jones	Janes	6 — The Lowdown — Stewart Sterling (Column) 9 — Crime and Fun-ishment — Various (Humor) 10 — Model for Murder [Fire Marshal Ben Pedley] — Stewart Sterling (Novelette) 35 — Death and Hunger — Bess Ritter (True Story) 41 — State’s Evidence — Cellblock Sam (Prose Poem) 47 — With Death in His Corner [Kip Morgan] — Louis L’Amour (Novelette; Thrilling Detective December 1948) 55 — Watch This! — Adrian Anderson (Humor) 61 — Criminal Nicknames Quiz — [Uncredited] (Quiz) 62 — The Cat from Siam — Fredric Brown (Novelette; Popular Detective September 1949) 71 — Strictly for the Birds — Jack Benton (True Story) 81 — Death Under the Palms — Wyatt Blassingame (Novelette; G-Men Detective May 1948) 96 — Five Gray Rats — Merle Constiner (Novelette; Popular Detective May 1947; Illustrated by Orban) 103 — X Marks the Spot — William Carter (True Story) 120 — Three from the Sticks — C. S. Montanye (Short Story; The Phantom Detective May 1947; Illustrated by Thomas Beecham)
16		5 Detective Novels Magazine, Vol. 6, No. 1	1953-Summer		Samuel Cherry	10 — Death All Around Me — Norman A. Daniels (Novelette) 42 — Killer Cop — Philip Weck (Novelette) 61 — Heads—It’s Murder — W. T. Ballard (Novelette; Popular Detective February 1941) 77 — Wings of the Dark Angel — William Hopson (Novelette; G-Men Detective July 1947) 92 — While the Iron Is Hot — Allan K. Echols (Short Story; Detective Novel Magazine June 1946) 96 — Murder in Florida [Honest John Carmody] — E. Hoffmann Price (Novelette; Thrilling Detective December 1940) 119 — Candid Camera — Seabury Quinn (Short Story; Thrilling Mystery May 1941)
17		5 Detective Novels Magazine, Vol. 6, No. 2	1953-Fall			10 — The Skeleton Crew [Steve Koski] — Stewart Sterling (Novelette) 39 — Bunko Game — Frank Richardson Pierce (Short Story) 46 — Cherchez la Frame [Hildegarde Withers; John J. Malone] — Craig Rice & Stuart Palmer (Novelette; Ellery Queen’s Mystery Magazine #91, June 1951) 61 — Fish for Murder — Wyatt Blassingame (Novelette; Popular Detective July 1948) 76 — Hibiscus and Homicide [Saunders “Sandy” McKane] — William Campbell Gault (Novella; Thrilling Detective October 1947) 103 — Don’t Forget Your Gun — William Chamberlain (Novella; Thrilling Detective July 1946)
18		5 Detective Novels Magazine, Vol. 6, No. 3	1954-Winter (Unpublished)			Running Scared — Norman A. Daniels (Novella; Announced for Triple Detective Summer 1954)

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