The Complete Cases of Johnny Cass

<p>One of <em>Black Mask</em> editor Joe Shaw's Black Mask Boys author Roger Torrey haunted the pages of that venerable magazine for a half decade. Considered by his peers as amongst the top tier of <em>Black Mask</em> writers alongside Raymond Chandler Torrey was on top of his game in the mid-1930s. As fellow <em>Black Mask</em> scribe Steve Fisher remarked [Torrey was] probably one of the finest writers <em>Black Mask</em> ever had. However Torrey made a brief foray to <em>Black Mask's</em> chief rival <em>Dime Detective</em> to pen the tales of Los Angeles private eye Johnny Cass written in Torrey's classic gritty hard-bitten style. Only running five stories this edition collects the entire series along with the one other story Torrey wrote for <em>Dime Detective</em> in this same period Curtains for Five. Rounded out by an authoritative introduction by pulp historian Will Murray <em>The Complete Cases of Johnny Cass</em> is the most important hard-boiled detective story to see print in years.</p>