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Keeler Year by Year by Francis M. Nevins

[with additional information contributed by Fred Cleaver, Richard Polt, and Morgan Wallace]

[This bibliography does not include posthumous editions.]

1910

Keeler wrote his first story this year but it never sold. TITLE WORDS SOLD PRICE “A Telescopic Romance” 2700 never [Keeler printed a version of this story in four installments on the editorial page of the Chicago Ledger, August 14-September 4, 1920.] He later expanded this tale into the independent story in the middle chapters of Y. CHEUNG, BUSINESS DETECTIVE (Dutton, 1939; Ward Lock, 1938, as CHEUNG, DETECTIVE).

1911 and 1912

Keeler apparently spent most of these years in the mental institution to which his mother committed him. In any event he wrote nothing during this time.

1913

Keeler completed 7 stories this year, a total of 10,200 words. Only “The Spender” sold during 1913, earning him $6.00—the first money he made from writing. He also made $280.80 working in a steel mill. His work records provide the following information. TITLE WORDS SOLD PRICE “The Spender” 2200 1913 $ 6.00 “The Eddy” 1200 never “The Elopement Extraordinary” 1200 1916 $ 5.00 “Jack’s Lucky Coin” 1200 never “Valley Express: On Time” 2800 1914 $10.00 “Dream-Girl” 500 never “A Ten-Year Battle” 1100 never [“The Spender” was printed in 10 Story Book, October 1913, and reprinted in the Chicago Ledger, 27 March 1920.] Original publication data for the other two stories from this year that he sold are unknown, but “Valley Express: On Time” was reprinted in 10 Story Book, February 1923. [“The Elopement Extraordinary” was printed in The Club-Fellow & Washington Mirror, December 22, 1915 (not 1916).]

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“Jack’s Lucky Coin” was revised and expanded into the 1915 story “Quilligan and the Magic Coin.”

1914

This year Keeler completed 21 stories plus a one-act play, a total of 92,900 words. Eight of the stories plus “Valley Express: On Time” from the previous year sold during 1914, earning him $88.00 for the year. His work records provide the following information. TITLE WORDS SOLD PRICE “When the Rivet Fell” 4,000 1914 $ 6.00 “Missing: One Diamond Salesman” 4,000 1914 $20.00 “Babes in the Wood” 2,900 1914 $ 6.00 “That Elusive Face” 2,000 1914 $20.00 “The Services of an Expert” story 3,000 1914 $ 6.00 “The Services of an Expert” play 3,000 1920 “When Time Ran Backward” 1,800 1914 $10.00 “The Search” 2,000 1915 $20.00 “The Goddess in the Camera” 2,100 1915 $ 6.00 “Victim Number 5” 1,100 1914 $10.00 “A Check for a Thousand” 1,100 1915 $ 6.00 “Package 22,227” 2,300 1915 $ 6.00 “Soapy’s Trip to Mars” 1,200 never “The Bertillon System” 1,000 1914 $ 0.00 “Can Such Things Be?” 1,100 1915 $ 5.00 “The Rube” 1,200 1915 $ 6.00 “John Jones’ Dollar” 3,500 1915 $20.00 “The Corpse at No. 38” 19,000 1915 $50.00 “The Trepanned Skull” 18,000 1915 $25.00 “Bill’s Bill” 4,300 1916 $18.75 “Sunbeam’s Child” 2,300 1918 $ 6.00 “A Rise in Value” 12,000 1915 $30.00 “Missing: One Diamond Salesman” appeared in Black Cat, August 1914, and was reprinted in 10-Story Book, March 1923, as “The Man The Chief Called In.” More than twenty years later Keeler recycled this story’s code gimmick in “The Strange Adventure of the Kidnaped Chinaman,” which is the tale of the second prisoner in the two-volume novel THE DEFRAUDED YEGGMAN / 10 HOURS (Dutton, 1937). [“Babes in the Wood” appeared in 10 Story Book, August 1914.] “That Elusive Face” appeared in Argosy, September 1914, and was reprinted in 10-Story Book, December 1922, as “That Tantalizing Face.” [It also appeared in The Albany [N.Y.] Evening Journal, 14 Oct 1915, under the "Of Interest to Women" section of the newspaper, with copyright held by Frank A. Munsey.] Keeler later expanded this story into “The Strange Adventure of the Elusive Face,” which is the tale of the third prisoner in THE DEFRAUDED YEGGMAN / 10 HOURS. Original publication data for “The Services of an Expert” are not known, but the tale was reprinted in Volume I of the 10-volume series THE WORLD’S BEST ONE HUNDRED DETECTIVE STORIES, ed. Eugene Thwing (Funk & Wagnalls, 1929). [The story appeared, though perhaps not for the first time, in 10 Story Book, May 1919. It was reprinted in Keeler News No. 3. HSK printed the play on the editorial page of the Chicago Ledger, March 20, 1920.]

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“When Time Ran Backward” was first published in Black Cat, February 1915. “The Search” appeared in Black Cat, March 1915. This story was later reworked either into Chapter 10 of Keeler’s novel THIEVES’ NIGHTS (Dutton, 1929; Ward Lock, 1930) or into the segment entitled “The Search” in his novel THE MAN WITH THE MAGIC EARDRUMS (Dutton, 1939; Ward Lock, 1939, as THE MAGIC EARDRUMS). [“The Goddess in the Camera” appeared in 10 Story Book, February 1915, and was reprinted in the Chicago Ledger, March 13, 1920.] “Victim Number 5” first appeared in an unknown issue of Young’s Magazine. [It also appeared as “Fifth on the List,” by “Don Lampton,” in Chicago Ledger, Sept. 16, 1922.] Keeler later worked the story into his novel THE FIVE SILVER BUDDHAS (Dutton, 1935; Ward Lock, 1935), and seventeen years after its book appearance it was reprinted in the Mystery Writers of America anthology MAIDEN MURDERS (Harper, 1952). [Keeler’s introduction to the MAIDEN MURDERS reprinting appeared in Keeler News No. 2.] “A Check for a Thousand” was originally printed in 10 Story Book, May 1915. The tale was reprinted in [Chicago Ledger, November 27, 1920,] 10-Story Book, January 1923, [and in X. Jones of Scotland Yard as Document XXXII, “A Cheque for 200 Guineas” by André Marceau]. [“Package 22,227” appeared in 10 Story Book, August 1915.] [“The Rube” appeared in 10 Story Book, January 1915.] “John Jones’ Dollar” first appeared in Black Cat, August 1915, and was reprinted in 10-Story Book, August 1922 [and Chicago Ledger, November 16, 1922]. Keeler later worked the story into his novel THE FACE OF THE MAN FROM SATURN (Dutton, 1933; Ward Lock, 1933, as THE CRILLY COURT MYSTERY). In later decades the tale was anthologized in STRANGE PORTS OF CALL, ed. August Derleth (Pellegrini & Cudahy, 1948), and in FANTASIA MATHEMATICA, ed. Clifton Fadiman (Simon & Schuster, 1958). “The Corpse at No. 38” is the same novelet Keeler later retitled “The Flyer Hold-Up” and included in his never-published volume THREE SHORT NOVELS. [It was serialized in four parts as “The Flyer Hold Up: Or, The Mystery of Train Thirty-Eight” in The Chicago Ledger, Dec. 4-25, 1915.] “The Trepanned Skull” was published in two installments but it is not known where or when. [It appeared in one installment as “The Voice on the Wire,” by “Henry Treadwell Blythe,” in 10 Story Book, January 1923.] Keeler later expanded this novelet into his novel THE RIDDLE OF THE TRAVELING SKULL (Dutton, 1934; Ward Lock, 1934, as THE TRAVELLING SKULL). [“Bill’s Bill” was originally published in Boy’s Life Magazine, April and May 1916. It was reprinted in The Child’s World: Fifth Reader, ed. W.K. Tate, Sarah Withers, and Hetty S. Browne (Richmond, Va.: Johnson Publishing Company, 1917), pp. 218-231, and (edited) in Flags Unfurled, an anthology published by Pensacola Christian College (3d ed. 2000, © 1998, 1986, 1974).]

1915

This year Keeler completed eight pieces of short fiction, two of them quite long, a total of 159,000 words. He sold four of these stories plus one from 1913 and ten from 1914, earning for the year a total of $409.00. TITLE WORDS SOLD PRICE “The Stolen Finger” 45,000 1915 $ 45.00 “The Settlement” 5,000 1915 $ 20.00 “The Miracle Agent” 12,000 1915 $150.00 “Quilligan and the Magic Coin” 4,000 1915 $ 20.00 “The Mystery in the Tippingdale Mills” 20,000 1916 $ 50.00 “The Michaux Z-Ray” 65,000 1916 $100.00

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“Sidestepping Ryan” 3,000 1917 $ 0.06 “30 Seconds of Darkness” 5,000 1916 $ 25.00 “The Stolen Finger” was published in three installments but original publication data are not known. Keeler later expanded this novelet into his novel BEHIND THAT MASK (Ward Lock, 1933), itself later expanded into the two-volume novel FINGER! FINGER!/BEHIND THAT MASK (Dutton, 1938). “The Settlement” appeared in Black Cat, February 1916, and was reprinted in 10-Story Book, April 1922. [It also appeared in the Chicago Ledger, December 20, 1919; the Indianapolis Star, October 15, 1922; and the Boston Sunday Globe Magazine, March 6, 1932.] An expanded version of the tale was incorporated in THE MYSTERY OF THE FIDDLING CRACKSMAN (Dutton, 1934; Ward Lock, 1934, as THE FIDDLING CRACKSMAN). “The Miracle Agent” appeared in Top-Notch, July 1, 1915, and was later expanded into “The Missing Link,” which is the tale of the third prisoner in the novel SING SING NIGHTS (Hutchinson, 1927; Dutton, 1928). “Quilligan and the Magic Coin,” a revised and expanded version of the 1913 “Jack’s Lucky Coin,” appeared in Black Cat, November 1915; it was reprinted in the Chicago Ledger (August 9, 1919) and 10-Story Book, April 1923. [“The Mystery in the Tippingdale Mills” was published (under the title “Mystery in Tippingdale Mills”) in The Ohio Farmer. Chapter 4, “An Eavesdropper,” was published on Oct. 7, 1916; Chapter 7, “Myrene Sees a Silent Drama,” was published on Oct. 28, 1916.] Keeler later expanded this novelet into the huge 1944 manuscript he called STEELTOWN, which he then subdivided into THE CASE OF THE CANNY KILLER, (Phoenix, 1946; Ward Lock, 1946, as MURDER IN THE MILLS ) and THE STEELTOWN STRANGLER (Ward Lock, 1950). [“The Michaux Z-Ray” was published in 9 installments in The Chicago Ledger; April 8-June 10, 1916.] Keeler later expanded this novelet into the novel THE MATILDA HUNTER MURDER (Dutton, 1931; Ward Lock, 1931, as THE BLACK SATCHEL). “Sidestepping Ryan” was apparently written with a collaborator. Original publication data are not known, but Keeler later inserted the tale into his novel THE FIVE SILVER BUDDHAS (Dutton, 1935; Ward Lock, 1935). “30 Seconds of Darkness” appeared in Black Cat, May 1916, and again in Black Cat, February 1920. Keeler later included it as Chapter XIV of his novel THIEVES’ NIGHTS (Dutton, 1929; Ward Lock, 1930).

1916

This year Keeler completed six pieces of short fiction, four of them quite long, a total of 146,300 words. He sold four of these stories plus one from 1913, one from 1914 and three from 1915, earning for the year a total of $1088.75. TITLE WORDS SOLD PRICE “The Disappearance of Mrs. Snoozleworth” 4,000 1916 $ 40.00 “The Debut of Soapy Mulligan” 5,200 1916 $ 50.00 “The Hoo-doo How-Sei-Gei” 33,800 1916 $350.00 “The Crilly Court Mystery” 47,300 1916 $450.00 “Incubated in Indianapolis” 30,000 1917 $125.00 “Misled in Milwaukee” 26,000 1917 $ 65.00 [“The Disappearance of Mrs. Snoozleworth” appeared under the title “Wink the Other Eye” in Top-Notch, May 1, 1916.]

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“The Debut of Soapy Mulligan” appeared in Short Stories, July 1916 [and the Philadelphia Inquirer Sunday Story Section, March 18, 1917]. “The Hoo-doo How-Sei-Gei” appeared in Top-Notch, June 1916, as “Shaped in Chicago.” Keeler later expanded this novelet into part of his novel THE FIVE SILVER BUDDHAS (Dutton, 1935; Ward Lock, 1935). “The Crilly Court Mystery” was serialized in three installments in Top-Notch, September 15-22-29, 1916. Keeler later expanded this novelet into his novel THE FACE OF THE MAN FROM SATURN (Dutton, 1933; Ward Lock, 1933, as THE CRILLY COURT MYSTERY). Original publication data for “Incubated in Indianapolis” are not known. It was reprinted as “Black Magic” by “Frank Lester” in the Chicago Ledger, Dec. 24, 1921-Jan. 21, 1922. It was probably the basis of the main story in Y. CHEUNG, BUSINESS DETECTIVE (Dutton, 1939; Ward Lock, 1938, as CHEUNG, DETECTIVE).] [“Misled in Milwaukee” was published in at least four parts in the Chicago Ledger, beginning June 23, 1917.] Keeler later retitled it “Adventure in Milwaukee” and included it in his never-published volume THREE SHORT NOVELS. [This story was also published in 5 parts as “Misled in Milwaukee or, The Search for Xeno” in Chicago Ledger, June 23-July 21, 1917, and as “The Search for Xeno” by “York T. Sibley” in 10 Story Book, December 1922. Keeler later used this tale as the seed of THE SEARCH FOR X-Y-Z (Ward Lock, 1943), then revised and condensed that novel into THE CASE OF THE IVORY ARROW (Phoenix, 1945). This year also saw the publication of a 6-page Keeler story called “Wink the Other Eye” (Top-Notch, May 1, 1916). It is not known which of the unaccounted-for Keeler tales from 1916 or some previous year was published under this title.

1917

This year Keeler completed six more pieces of fiction, five of them quite lengthy, all told a total of 195,000 words. He sold five of the six plus one from 1915 and two from 1916, earning for the year a total of $1,492.56. TITLE WORDS SOLD PRICE “A Tangle in Destinies” 44,000 1917 $450.00 “The 12 Coins of Confucius” 33,000 1918 $ 75.00 “Renegades Rampant” 50,000 1917 $100.00 “A Clash of Identities” 41,000 1917 $400.00 “The Nine o’ Diamonds” 27,000 1917 $350.00 “Dead on the Field of Love” [1,600] 1917 $ 2.50 Original publication data for “A Tangle in Destinies” are not known. My guess is that this is the novelet which was published in Top-Notch, November 15, 1917, as “When the Hour Struck” and was later expanded into Keeler’s novel THE MYSTERY OF THE FIDDLING CRACKSMAN (Dutton, 1934; Ward Lock, 1934, as THE FIDDLING CRACKSMAN). [“The 12 Coins of Confucius” was published in the Chicago Ledger in at least four parts, beginning December 8, 1917.] The novelet was reprinted in 10-Story Book, November 1922, and was later recycled as the tale of the second prisoner in Keeler’s novel SING SING NIGHTS (Hutchinson, 1927; Dutton, 1928). The novelet was also reprinted in two installments in Great Detective Magazine, October and November 1933. “Renegades Rampant” appeared in Short Stories, March 1918, and was later expanded into Keeler’s novel THE BOX FROM JAPAN (Dutton, 1932; Ward Lock, 1932). “A Clash of Identities” appeared in three installments in Argosy, April 12-19-26, 1919, and [in the Chicago Ledger in four parts as “The Clash of Identities,” Feb. 3-24, 1923.] It was later

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expanded and recycled as the outermost layer of story in Keeler’s novel THIEVES’ NIGHTS (Dutton, 1929; Ward Lock, 1930). [It also appeared as “The Clash of Identities” in the Chicago Ledger, starting February 3, 1923.] Original publication data for “The Nine o’ Diamonds” are not known. [“Dead on the Field of Love” is listed by HSK as written with a collaborator. It appeared in The Club-Fellow & Washington Mirror on April 11, 1917, with the byline John Irving Pearce, Jr. Pearce was a friend of Keeler’s who had briefly edited 10-Story Book in 1918. Keeler expanded the story to turn it into Chapter XIV of The Skull of the Waltzing Clown (1935). The tale was later anthologized in 20 Great Tales of Murder, ed. Helen McCloy and Brett Halliday (Random House, 1951) and in Murder, Murder, Murder: 10 Tales from 20 Great Tales of Murder, ed. Helen McCloy and Brett Halliday (Hillman Books, 1961).] This year also saw the publication in three installments of Keeler’s novelet “Under Twelve Stars” (Top-Notch, May 15-22-29, 1917). It is not known which unaccounted-for work from 1917 or some earlier year was published under this title. Keeler later expanded “Under Twelve Stars” into the novel THE WASHINGTON SQUARE ENIGMA (Dutton, 1933; Ward Lock, 1933, as UNDER TWELVE STARS).

1918

This year Keeler completed only one work of fiction. The sale of that story, plus one from 1914 and one from 1917, earned him a total of $531.00 for the year. TITLE WORDS SOLD PRICE “The Giant Moth” 35,000 1918 $450.00 “The Giant Moth” appeared in Top-Notch, June 1, 1918, and was later expanded and recycled as the story of the first prisoner in Keeler’s novel SING SING NIGHTS (Hutchinson, 1927; Dutton, 1928).

1919

This year Keeler completed three fiction projects, but the only money he earned from fiction was $6.00 for one of these plus $25.00 for second serial rights to “Renegades Rampant,” which, this time around, was published as “The Box of Bewilderment” [in the Chicago Ledger, Oct. 4 - Nov. 15, 1919]. TITLE WORDS SOLD PRICE ARABIAN NIGHTS OF 1919 framework 5,000 1919 $ 6.00 ARABIAN NIGHTS OF 1920 framework 7,500 1920 $ 10.00 “The Web of 11 Threads” 57,000 1920 $750.00 ARABIAN NIGHTS OF 1919 appeared in 10-Story Book, September 1919. This was a series of interconnected stories by other authors, with Keeler providing what he called the connecting tissue. He later expanded this material into the framing story of his novel SING SING NIGHTS (Hutchinson, 1927; Dutton, 1928). ARABIAN NIGHTS OF 1920 appeared in 10-Story Book, April 1920. Keeler’s connective tissue for this group of tales by others was later recycled into the second and third layers of story in his novel THIEVES’ NIGHTS (Dutton, 1929; Ward Lock, 1930).

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“The Web of 11 Threads” appeared in Top-Notch, June 1, 1920, as “The Green Jade Hand,” and was later expanded into Keeler’s novel THE GREEN JADE HAND (Dutton, 1930; Ward Lock, 1930).

1920

Keeler completed no fiction this year and only one short piece of non-fiction. The sale of that article and of two works from 1919 earned him a total for the year of $769.00. TITLE WORDS SOLD PRICE “No Pull with Editors” 3,600 1920 $9.00 Original publication data for “No Pull with Editors” are not known.

1921

This year Keeler completed three long works of fiction, two of which sold almost at once. The money he made on those works, plus $45.00 for second serial rights to [“Incubated in Indianapolis” when it was published the second time around in the Chicago Ledger as] “Black Magic,” plus $25.00 from the Chicago Ledger for second serial rights to another unidentified story, added up to a total of $370.00 in writing income for the year. TITLE WORDS SOLD PRICE “The Amazing Web” 120,000 1921 $ 150.00 “The 4th King” 75,000 1921 $ 150.00 “Find the Clock” 109,000 1922 $1,125.00 Original publication data for “The Amazing Web” are not known but it was later reprinted in the Chicago Ledger as “Where Was Chalmers at 10 P.M.?” [under the pseudonym Griffith York, in 12 parts, August 6-October 22, 1921] and in Complete Novel Magazine, February 1927, as “The Amazing Web.” Keeler later expanded this work into the novel THE AMAZING WEB (Ward Lock, 1929; Dutton, 1930). “The 4th King” was printed in the Chicago Ledger as “Tied with Green String” [10 parts June 4-August 6, 1921, under the pseudonym Horace Holly] and in Complete Detective Novel Magazine, October 1928, as “The Fourth King.” Keeler later expanded this work into the novel THE FOURTH KING (Ward Lock, 1929; Dutton, 1930). “Find the Clock” appeared in six installments in a periodical that went through three rapid changes of title, from People’s to People’s Favorite to People’s Story Magazine. The serial began in the issue of May 25, 1922 and continued in those of June 1, 8, 15, 22 and 29. Keeler later expanded this work into the novel FIND THE CLOCK (Hutchinson, 1925; Dutton, 1927).

1922

Keeler completed two long pieces of fiction this year. The money he earned from the sale of one of these, plus $175.00 for second serial rights to six previously published stories, plus $1,125.00 for serial rights to the 1921 “Find the Clock,” added up to a writing income of $1,453.00 for the year.

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TITLE WORDS SOLD PRICE “The Riddle of the Yellow Zuri” 64,000 1922 $153.00 “The Voice of the 7 Sparrows” 91,000 1923 $225.00 Original publication data for “The Riddle of the Yellow Zuri” are not known. Keeler later expanded this work into the novel THE RIDDLE OF THE YELLOW ZURI (Dutton, 1930; Ward Lock, 1931, as THE TIGER SNAKE). Original publication data for “The Voice of the 7 Sparrows” are not known. [It appeared in the Chicago Ledger in an unknown number of installments starting April 26, 1924, under the name Hermann L. Redlich.] This work was published in book form as Keeler’s first hardcover novel, THE VOICE OF THE SEVEN SPARROWS (Hutchinson, 1924; Dutton, 1928). [“The Search for Xeno,” probably equivalent to the 1916 novelet “Misled in Milwaukee,” was published in 10 Story Book in December, 1922.]

1923

This year Keeler completed one long work of fiction. He made nothing from U.S. markets but a total of $274.18 from England: $18.17 for the 1914 “A Check for a Thousand,” $31.01 for “The Services of an Expert” from the same year, and an advance of $225.00 from the British publisher Hutchinson for THE VOICE OF THE SEVEN SPARROWS. TITLE WORDS SOLD PRICE “Paper Heritage” 87,000 1924 $58.00 Original publication data for “Paper Heritage” are not known. Keeler later expanded this work into the novel THE WONDERFUL SCHEME OF MR. CHRISTOPHER THORNE (Dutton, 1937; Ward Lock, 1937, as THE WONDERFUL SCHEME).

1924

This breakthrough year saw the first hardcover publication of a Keeler novel. BOOKS PUBLISHED IN ENGLAND BOOKS PUBLISHED IN U.S. THE VOICE OF THE SEVEN SPARROWS None His income for the year from writing amounted to $279.07: $58.00 for first U.S. serial rights to the 1923 “Paper Heritage,” $127.00 for British serial rights to an unidentified long work published in England as “The Strange Visitor” [The Detective Magazine, September 26 and October 10, 1924; perhaps = “Paper Heritage”] and $94.00 in additional payments from Hutchinson for THE VOICE OF THE SEVEN SPARROWS. The long story he completed this year was his last new work of fiction for a decade. TITLE WORDS SOLD PRICE “The Spectacles of Mr. Cagliostro” 156,000 1926 $450.00

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“The Spectacles of Mr. Cagliostro” appeared in Complete Novel Magazine, June 1926, as “The Blue Spectacles” and was published in book form as THE SPECTACLES OF MR. CAGLIOSTRO (Hutchinson, 1926; Dutton, 1929).

1925

This year saw the publication in England of Keeler’s second hardcover novel. BOOKS PUBLISHED IN ENGLAND BOOKS PUBLISHED IN U.S. FIND THE CLOCK None All of Keeler’s writing income for the year came from England: $20.16 for another reprinting of “The Services of an Expert” (1914), $44.01 in royalties from THE VOICE OF THE SEVEN SPARROWS (Hutchinson, 1924), and an advance of $134.70 for FIND THE CLOCK (Hutchinson, 1925), making a total of $198.87. He completed no new works of any sort this year.

1926

This year saw the publication in England of Keeler’s third hardcover novel. BOOKS PUBLISHED IN ENGLAND BOOKS PUBLISHED IN U.S. THE SPECTACLES OF MR. CAGLIOSTRO None His U.S. writing income for the year amounted to $1,400.00: $450.00 for first magazine rights to “The Spectacles of Mr. Cagliostro” (1924; Complete Novel Magazine, June 1926, as “The Blue Spectacles”), $450.00 for second magazine rights to “The Voice of the 7 Sparrows” (1922), $100.00 for what he described as book rights [sold to Altemus of Philadelphia] to “The Green Jade Hand” (1919, as “The Web of 11 Threads,”), and $400.00 for second serial rights to “The Amazing Web” (1921; Complete Novel Magazine, February 1927). His writing income from England for the year added up to $170.93: $109.20 in advance royalties on the British book edition of THE SPECTACLES OF MR. CAGLIOSTRO (Hutchinson, 1926), $25.72 in royalties from the British book edition of FIND THE CLOCK (Hutchinson, 1925), and $36.01 in royalties from the cheap British edition of THE VOICE OF THE SEVEN SPARROWS (Hutchinson, 1924). His total writing income for the year was $1,570.93. He completed no new works of any sort this year.

1927 This year saw the publication of Keeler’s fourth hardcover book in England and his first in the United States. BOOKS PUBLISHED IN ENGLAND BOOKS PUBLISHED IN U.S. SING SING NIGHTS FIND THE CLOCK All his writing income for the year came from England: $440.00 for British book and serial rights to SING SING NIGHTS (Hutchinson, 1927), $21.00 in royalties from the cheap edition of FIND THE CLOCK (Hutchinson, 1925), $11.00 in royalties from the cheap edition of THE VOICE OF THE SEVEN SPARROWS (Hutchinson, 1924), and $24.78 in royalties from THE SPECTACLES

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OF MR. CAGLIOSTRO (Hutchinson, 1926). His total writing income for the year was $496.78. He completed no new works this year but wrote, to cite his diary, “repair work only; a lot of it.”

1928 No Keeler books were published in England this year since he was in the process of changing publishers. But two that had previously been published in England came out in the United States. BOOKS PUBLISHED IN ENGLAND BOOKS PUBLISHED IN U.S. None SING SING NIGHTS THE VOICE OF THE SEVEN SPARROWS Keeler completed no new fiction this year but did finish his first extended nonfiction work. TITLE WORDS SOLD PRICE “The Mechanics of Plot” 44,000 1928 $15.00 “The Mechanics of Plot” was published as “The Mechanics (and Kinematics) of Web-Work Plot Construction” in eight installments (The Author & Journalist, April-November 1928). Keeler’s writing income skyrocketed during 1928, thanks in large part to having found an American publisher for his novels. He received $669.16 in royalties from FIND THE CLOCK (Dutton, 1927), $225.00 in royalties from SING SING NIGHTS (Dutton, 1928), and $560.70 in royalties from THE VOICE OF THE SEVEN SPARROWS (Dutton, 1928). He also received $400.00 for second serial rights to SING SING NIGHTS, $400.00 for second serial rights to “The Fourth King” (Complete Detective Novel Magazine, October 1928), $50.00 for licensing the serialization of SING SING NIGHTS in a Milwaukee newspaper, and $67.50 for a newspaper serialization of THE VOICE OF THE SEVEN SPARROWS. From Hutchinson in England he received royalties of $3.00 on THE VOICE OF THE SEVEN SPARROWS and $13.34 on FIND THE CLOCK, With the addition of the $15.00 he received for “The Mechanics of Plot,” his writing income for the year amounted to $2,403.60.

1929

This year saw the publication of two hardcover Keeler titles by Ward Lock in England and two others by Dutton in the United States. BOOKS PUBLISHED IN ENGLAND BOOKS PUBLISHED IN U.S. THE AMAZING WEB THE SPECTACLES OF MR. CAGLIOSTRO THE FOURTH KING THIEVES’ NIGHTS The only new work Keeler completed this year was a one-act play. TITLE WORDS SOLD PRICE “Mitzi” 14,000 never

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“Mitzi” was later incorporated into the novel THE MYSTERY OF THE FIDDLING CRACKSMAN (Dutton, 1934; Ward Lock, 1934, as THE FIDDLING CRACKSMAN). This year Keeler’s writing income soared once more. From his U.S. hardcover publisher he received $1,071.68 in advance and subsequent royalties on THE SPECTACLES OF MR. CAGLIOSTRO (Dutton, 1929), $1,211.17 on SING SING NIGHTS (Dutton, 1928), $420.08 on THE VOICE OF THE SEVEN SPARROWS (Dutton, 1928), and $82.26 on FIND THE CLOCK (Dutton, 1927), plus an advance of $225.00 for THIEVES’ NIGHTS (Dutton, 1929) and $100.00 for THE GREEN JADE HAND (Dutton, 1930). The U.S. hardcover reprint publisher A.L. Burt paid him royalties of $152.78 on its edition of FIND THE CLOCK and $261.89 on its edition of THE VOICE OF THE SEVEN SPARROWS. He also received an additional $17.50 for the Milwaukee newspaper serialization of SING SING NIGHTS, $84.37 for licensing the use of material from THE SPECTACLES OF MR. CAGLIOSTRO by Modern Library, and $100.00 for the reprinting of his 1914 tale “The Services of an Expert” in the 10-volume anthology series THE WORLD’S BEST ONE HUNDRED DETECTIVE STORIES, edited by Eugene Thwing (Funk & Wagnalls, 1929). His new British publisher sent him royalties of $140.86 from THE AMAZING WEB (Ward Lock, 1929) and $132.46 from THE FOURTH KING (Ward Lock, 1929). These figures added up to a total of $4,020.05.

1930 This year saw the publication of two Keeler titles in England and four in the United States. BOOKS PUBLISHED IN ENGLAND BOOKS PUBLISHED IN U.S. THIEVES’ NIGHTS THE AMAZING WEB THE GREEN JADE HAND THE FOURTH KING THE GREEN JADE HAND THE RIDDLE OF THE YELLOW ZURI The only work he completed this year was another piece of nonfiction. TITLE WORDS SOLD PRICE “Ol’ Dayvil Plot” 16,000 never Money continued to pour in from his American and British publishers but I have not transcribed the exact amounts attributable to each title. Suffice to say that from Dutton he received advance and/or royalty money for FIND THE CLOCK (1927), SING SING NIGHTS (1928), THE VOICE OF THE SEVEN SPARROWS (1928), THE SPECTACLES OF MR. CAGLIOSTRO (1929), THIEVES’ NIGHTS (1929), THE AMAZING WEB (1930), THE FOURTH KING (1930), THE GREEN JADE HAND (1930), and THE RIDDLE OF THE YELLOW ZURI (1930). From A.L. Burt he was paid for hardcover reprint editions of SING SING NIGHTS and THE SPECTACLES OF MR. CAGLIOSTRO. From Ward Lock he received money for the British editions of THE AMAZING WEB (1929), THE FOURTH KING (1929), THIEVES’ NIGHTS (1930) and THE GREEN JADE HAND (1930). From Hutchinson, his original British publisher, he got a check for royalties from the cheap edition of THE VOICE OF THE SEVEN SPARROWS (1924). Total writing income for the year was $3,979.88.

1931 This year saw the hardcover publication of two Keeler novels in England and one in the United States.

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BOOKS PUBLISHED IN ENGLAND BOOKS PUBLISHED IN U.S. THE TIGER SNAKE (=THE RIDDLE THE MATILDA HUNTER MURDER OF THE YELLOW ZURI) THE BLACK SATCHEL (=THE MATILDA HUNTER MURDER) The only writing he completed this year was a short article on plotting, published in the 1931 Writers’ Digest Yearbook. Much of his time behind the typewriter was devoted to adding 170,000 words to the original 65,000 words of “The Michaux Z-Ray” (1915) so as to convert it into THE MATILDA HUNTER MURDER, a project he completed on June 13. TITLE WORDS SOLD PRICE “How to Write Booklength Mystery Stories” 1,100 1931 THE MATILDA HUNTER MURDER (new 170,000 matter) Money continued to pour in from his American and British publishers but I have not transcribed the exact amounts attributable to each title. His writing income for the year totaled $4,613.87.

1932 This year saw the publication of Keeler’s next meganovel in both England and the United States. BOOKS PUBLISHED IN ENGLAND BOOKS PUBLISHED IN U.S. THE BOX FROM JAPAN THE BOX FROM JAPAN Much of his writing time during the year was devoted to adding 270,000 words to the original 50,000 words of “Renegades Rampant” (1917) so as to convert it into THE BOX FROM JAPAN, a project he finished on July 13. TITLE WORDS SOLD PRICE THE BOX FROM JAPAN (new matter) 270,000 Money continued to come in from his American and British publishers but in lesser amounts than before. His writing income for the year amounted to $2,340.85.

1933 This year saw the publication of three hardcover Keelers in England and two in the United States. BOOKS PUBLISHED IN ENGLAND BOOKS PUBLISHED IN U.S. BEHIND THAT MASK (see 1938 below) THE WASHINGTON SQUARE ENIGMA UNDER TWELVE STARS (=THE WASH- THE FACE OF THE MAN FROM SATURN

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INGTON SQUARE ENIGMA) THE CRILLY COURT MYSTERY (=THE FACE OF THE MAN FROM SATURN) Keeler devoted all his writing time this year to adding extensive new material to his earlier stories “The Stolen Finger” (1915), “When the Hour Struck” (??), and “The Trepanned Skull” (1914) so as to turn them respectively into the novels FINGER! FINGER!, THE MYSTERY OF THE FIDDLING CRACKSMAN, and THE RIDDLE OF THE TRAVELING SKULL. These projects were completed respectively on May 10, August 10 and October 10. TITLE WORDS SOLD PRICE FINGER! FINGER! (new matter) 200,000 THE MYSTERY OF THE FIDDLING CRACKSMAN (new matter) 90,000 THE RIDDLE OF THE TRAVELING 63,000 SKULL (new matter) Keeler’s writing money for the year from Ward Lock in England amounted to $2,138.48: $520.00 for FINGER! FINGER!, $240.00 for THE CRILLY COURT MYSTERY (THE FACE OF THE MAN FROM SATURN), $240.00 for UNDER TWELVE STARS (THE WASHINGTON SQUARE ENIGMA), $611.25 for VAGABOND NIGHTS, and $527.23 for THE FIDDLING CRACKSMAN (THE MYSTERY OF THE FIDDLING CRACKSMAN). Ward Lock purchased all English rights to these five titles. In addition Keeler received $1,599.31 in advances and royalties from Dutton. His writing income for the year totaled $3,737.79.

1934 This year saw the publication of three more Keeler titles in England and two more in the United States. BOOKS PUBLISHED IN ENGLAND BOOKS PUBLISHED IN U.S. TEN HOURS (see below) THE MYSTERY OF THE FIDDLING THE FIDDLING CRACKSMAN (=THE CRACKSMAN MYSTERY OF THE FIDDLING THE RIDDLE OF THE TRAVELING CRACKSMAN) SKULL THE TRAVELLING SKULL (=THE RIDDLE OF THE TRAVELING SKULL) Keeler devoted his writing time this year to three projects. On May 8 he finished adding 65,000 words to the original 33,800 words of “The Hoodoo How-Sei-Gei” (1916) so as to turn it into THE FIVE SILVER BUDDHAS. On July 12 he finished his first more-or-less new work of fiction in years, which he called VAGABOND NIGHTS. And on July 25 he finished adding 10,000 words to the tale of the first prisoner in TEN HOURS (a title published only in England) so as to turn it into the free-standing novel THE SKULL OF THE WALTZING CLOWN. TITLE WORDS SOLD PRICE THE FIVE SILVER BUDDHAS (new matter) 65,000 VAGABOND NIGHTS 180,000 THE SKULL OF THE WALTZING CLOWN 10,000

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(new matter) Keeler’s writing money for the year from England amounted to $1,160.00: $500.00 for THE TRAVELLING SKULL and $660.00 for THE FIVE SILVER BUDDHAS. In both cases the publisher purchased all English rights. Keeler also received $2,062.98 from American publishers, giving him a total writing income for the year of $3,122.98.

1935

This year saw the publication of one new Keeler hardcover in England and two in the United States. BOOKS PUBLISHED IN ENGLAND BOOKS PUBLISHED IN U.S. THE FIVE SILVER BUDDHAS THE FIVE SILVER BUDDHAS THE SKULL OF THE WALTZING CLOWN Keeler spent his time this year on four writing projects. On April 20 he finished adding another 25,000 words to THE SKULL OF THE WALTZING CLOWN, whose original source was the tale of the first prisoner in the British-published TEN HOURS. On November 8 he finished adding 80,000 words to the original 87,000 words of “Paper Heritage” (1923) so as to turn it into THE WONDERFUL SCHEME OF MR. CHRISTOPHER THORNE. But the bulk of his time during 1935 was devoted to completing his two-volume meganovel THE MARCEAU CASE/X. JONES OF SCOTLAND YARD. TITLE WORDS SOLD PRICE THE SKULL OF THE WALTZING CLOWN 25,000 (new matter) THE WONDERFUL SCHEME OF MR. 80,000 CHRISTOPHER THORNE (new matter) THE MARCEAU CASE 130,000 X. JONES OF SCOTLAND YARD 115,000 In December 1935 Keeler received his only check from Ward Lock for the year. For $2,250.00 the publisher purchased all English rights to THE MARCEAU CASE, X. JONES and THE WONDERFUL SCHEME. From Dutton Keeler received $2,307.47, making a total for the year of $4,557.97.

1936 This year saw the publication of two new Keeler titles on both sides of the Atlantic. BOOKS PUBLISHED IN ENGLAND BOOKS PUBLISHED IN U.S. THE MARCEAU CASE THE MARCEAU CASE X. JONES (=X. JONES OF SCOTLAND X. JONES OF SCOTLAND YARD YARD) Keeler devoted his writing time this year to three projects. On February 10 he completed a new novelette, “The Adventure of the Defrauded Yeggman,” to serve as the tale of the first

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prisoner in VAGABOND NIGHTS. (He could no longer use the tale of the first prisoner in TEN HOURS because he’d already expanded that into THE SKULL OF THE WALTZING CLOWN.) On August 10 he completed a new novel and on December 25 yet another. TITLE WORDS SOLD PRICE VAGABOND NIGHTS (new material) 40,000 THE MYSTERIOUS MR. I 135,000 Y. CHEUNG, BUSINESS DETECTIVE 95,000 Ward Lock paid Keeler $500.00 for WHEN THIEF MEETS THIEF (the VAGABOND NIGHTS tale of the first prisoner, which was published in England as a free-standing novel) and $750 for THE MYSTERIOUS MR. I. In both cases the publisher purchased all English rights. From Dutton Keeler received $1,302.39. His total writing income for the year was $2,552.39.

1937 This year saw the publication of two Keeler hardcovers in England and three in the United States. BOOKS PUBLISHED IN ENGLAND BOOKS PUBLISHED IN U.S. THE WONDERFUL SCHEME (=THE THE WONDERFUL SCHEME OF MR. WONDERFUL SCHEME OF MR. CHRISTOPHER THORNE CHRISTOPHER THORNE) THE DEFRAUDED YEGGMAN THE MYSTERIOUS MR. I 10 HOURS THE DEFRAUDED YEGGMAN/10 HOURS was another two-volume meganovel, the same work Keeler had referred to as VAGABOND NIGHTS. On May 24 Keeler completed the expansion of his early short story “The Services of an Expert” (1914) into the novel THE MAN WITH THE MAGIC EARDRUMS. TITLE WORDS SOLD PRICE THE MAN WITH THE MAGIC EARDRUMS 91,000 (new matter) On July 7 Ward Lock sent Keeler a check for $750.00 for all English rights to Y. CHEUNG. An additional $1,637.61 from American publishers gave him a total for the year of $2,387.61.

1938 This year saw the publication of two new Keeler hardcovers in England and three in the United States. BOOKS PUBLISHED IN ENGLAND BOOKS PUBLISHED IN U.S. WHEN THIEF MEETS THIEF (see 1936 above) FINGER! FINGER! CHEUNG, DETECTIVE (=Y. CHEUNG, BEHIND THAT MASK BUSINESS DETECTIVE) THE MYSTERIOUS MR. I

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FINGER! FINGER!/BEHIND THAT MASK was a two-volume meganovel which Keeler had completed back in 1933 and referred to under the unitary title FINGER! FINGER!, and which had been published in England as the one-volume BEHIND THAT MASK (1933). THE MYSTERIOUS MR. I was the first volume of yet another meganovel, whose sequel would be published by Dutton in 1939. Keeler completed three new novels this year. on July 2, September 26 and November 23 respectively. TITLE WORDS SOLD PRICE THE MAN WITH THE CRIMSON BOX 106,000 THE MAN WITH THE WOODEN SPEC- 125,000 TACLES THE PORTRAIT OF JIRJOHN COBB 105,000 His writing income this year came from a variety of sources. Royalties from Dutton totaled $747.59. An additional $395.90 was attributable to hardcover reprint editions of THE FIVE SILVER BUDDHAS, THE SKULL OF THE WALTZING CLOWN, THE MYSTERY OF THE FIDDLING CRACKSMAN and THE RIDDLE OF THE TRAVELING SKULL. Ward Lock paid Keeler $2,000.00 for all British rights to three titles—THE PORTRAIT OF JIRJOHN COBB, THE MAN WITH THE MAGIC EARDRUMS and THE MAN WITH THE CRIMSON BOX—plus $27.03 in royalties whose source is unclear. For the first time this year Keeler began receiving money from foreign translations of his novels: $159.41 for Dutch rights to four titles (THE VOICE OF THE SEVEN SPARROWS, THE WASHINGTON SQUARE ENIGMA, THE RIDDLE OF THE YELLOW ZURI and THE MARCEAU CASE), and $234.24 in royalties from the German editions of THE SPECTACLES OF MR. CAGLIOSTRO, THE AMAZING WEB, THE MYSTERY OF THE FIDDLING CRACKSMAN and THE RIDDLE OF THE TRAVELING SKULL. His writing income for the year totaled $3,564.17.

1939 This year saw the publication of two Keeler hardcovers in England and three in the United States. BOOKS PUBLISHED IN ENGLAND BOOKS PUBLISHED IN U.S. THE MAGIC EARDRUMS (=THE MAN THE CHAMELEON WITH THE MAGIC EARDRUMS) Y. CHEUNG, BUSINESS DETECTIVE FIND ACTOR HART (=THE PORTRAIT THE MAN WITH THE MAGIC EARDRUMS OF JIRJOHN COBB) Keeler completed two novels this year, on January 10 and February 3 respectively. TITLE WORDS SOLD PRICE CLEOPATRA’S TEARS 83,400 THE BOTTLE WITH THE GREEN WAX SEAL 99,000 His writing income that year consisted of $925.24 in royalties from Dutton, $150.00 from the hardcover reprint editions of three titles (THE MARCEAU CASE, X. JONES OF SCOTLAND YARD and THE WONDERFUL SCHEME OF MR. CHRISTOPHER THORNE), $476.45 from Ward Lock for all English rights to CLEOPATRA’S TEARS, $17.85 for Norwegian rights to FIND

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THE CLOCK, and—one of the most interesting notations in Keeler’s workbook—$25.00 for licensing a TV adaptation of his 1914 story “The Services of an Expert.” His writing income for the year added up to $1,594.52.

1940 This year saw the publication of two Keeler hardcovers in England and three in the United States. BOOKS PUBLISHED IN ENGLAND BOOKS PUBLISHED IN U.S. THE CRIMSON BOX (=THE MAN WITH THE PORTRAIT OF JIRJOHN COBB THE CRIMSON BOX) THE MAN WITH THE CRIMSON BOX CLEOPATRA’S TEARS CLEOPATRA’S TEARS Keeler completed an amazing six new novels this year. TITLE WORDS SOLD PRICE THE GIRL WITH THE LAVENDER GRIPSACK 113,800 THE PEACOCK FAN 110,000 THE SHARKSKIN BOOK 88,000 THE VANISHING GOLD TRUCK 109,000 ENIGMA FROM THE SWAMP (THE CASE OF 90,000 THE TWO STRANGE LADIES) THE BOOK WITH THE ORANGE LEAVES 90,000 His royalties from Dutton this year totaled $992.27. Ward Lock paid him $113.55 as the balance of the $600.00 due for English rights to CLEOPATRA’S TEARS, plus a total of $630.00 for English rights to THE MAN WITH THE WOODEN SPECTACLES and THE GIRL WITH THE LAVENDER GRIPSACK. His writing income for the year totaled $1,735.82.

1941 This year saw the publication of two Keeler hardcovers in England and four in the United States. BOOKS PUBLISHED IN ENGLAND BOOKS PUBLISHED IN U.S. THE WOODEN SPECTACLES (=THE MAN THE PEACOCK FAN WITH THE WOODEN SPECTACLES) THE SHARKSKIN BOOK THE LAVENDER GRIPSACK (=THE CASE THE MAN WITH THE WOODEN OF THE LAVENDER GRIPSACK) SPECTACLES THE VANISHING GOLD TRUCK Keeler completed no new works this year. His royalties from Dutton for the year amounted to $1,080.78. In addition he received $904.50 from Ward Lock for all English rights to THE PEACOCK FAN and THE VANISHING GOLD TRUCK, so that his writing income for the year totaled $1,925.28.

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1942 This year saw the publication of two Keeler titles in England and two more in the United States. After these novels Keeler was no longer published by Dutton. BOOKS PUBLISHED IN ENGLAND BOOKS PUBLISHED IN U.S. THE PEACOCK FAN THE BOTTLE WITH THE GREEN WAX SEAL THE VANISHING GOLD TRUCK THE BOOK WITH THE ORANGE LEAVES During this year he completed two more novels, on March 20 and May 2 respectively. [THE SEARCH FOR X-Y-Z was an expansion of “The Search for Xeno,” published 1922.] TITLE WORDS SOLD PRICE THE SEARCH FOR X-Y-Z 170,000 GORILLA SVENSON’S MOLL (THE 143,000 CASE OF THE MYSTERIOUS MOLL) According to Keeler’s diary, during this year he received $1,261.65 in royalties from Dutton, plus $1,204.50 from Ward Lock for English rights to THE BOOK WITH THE ORANGE LEAVES and THE SEARCH FOR X-Y-Z, plus $50.00 from a Portuguese publisher for a translation of SING SING NIGHTS. These figures add up to $2,516.15. Keeler credited himself, however, with only $2,456.68—a $59.47 discrepancy which remains unexplainable.

1943

This year saw the publication of two Keeler titles in England and one in the United States, the first of nine to be issued by Phoenix Press. BOOKS PUBLISHED IN ENGLAND BOOKS PUBLISHED IN U.S. THE BOOK WITH THE ORANGE LEAVES THE CASE OF THE TWO STRANGE THE SEARCH FOR X-Y-Z (=THE CASE LADIES OF THE IVORY ARROW) On November 12 he completed a new novel. TITLE WORDS SOLD PRICE THE PARRADINE KIDNAP CASE (THE 86,000 CASE OF THE 16 BEANS) His royalties from Dutton for the year amounted to $129.67. Phoenix paid him a $200.00 advance for THE CASE OF THE TWO STRANGE LADIES and another $100.00 as the first half of his advance for THE CASE OF THE LAVENDER GRIPSACK. From Ward Lock he received $1,403.50 for all English rights to THE TWO STRANGE LADIES and THE IRON RING, which at the time the publisher apparently intended to issue as HITLER’S SON. Instituto Editorial Reus in Madrid paid him $157.00 for Spanish rights to three unspecified titles, and his Lisbon publisher sent him a check for $100.00 for Portuguese book rights to THE VOICE OF THE SEVEN

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SPARROWS and serial rights to SING SING NIGHTS. His writing income for the year totaled $2,090.17.

1944

This year saw the publication of one Keeler title in England and two in the United States. BOOKS PUBLISHED IN ENGLAND BOOKS PUBLISHED IN U.S. THE IRON RING (=THE CASE OF THE CASE OF THE LAVENDER GRIPSACK THE MYSTERIOUS MOLL) THE CASE OF THE 16 BEANS On February 12 he completed the project of expanding his novella “The Mystery in the Tippingdale Mills” (1915) into a 209,000-word manuscript he called STEELTOWN and then making a novel of conventional length out of roughly half the material in that gargantua. TITLE WORDS SOLD PRICE MURDER IN THE MILLS 107,000 His royalties for the year from Dutton amounted to $300.44. Phoenix paid him $100.00 as the balance of his advance for THE CASE OF THE LAVENDER GRIPSACK, $200 advance for THE CASE OF THE 16 BEANS, and another $100 as the first half of his advance for THE CASE OF THE IVORY ARROW. Ward Lock sent $720.00 and $687.00 for all English rights respectively to MURDER IN THE MILLS and THE 16 BEANS. From his Lisbon publisher he received $150.00 for Portuguese rights to THE AMAZING WEB, THE GREEN JADE HAND and THE PEACOCK FAN. His writing income for the year totaled $2,257.44.

1945 This year saw the publication of two Keeler titles in England and two in the United States. BOOKS PUBLISHED IN ENGLAND BOOKS PUBLISHED IN U.S. THE TWO STRANGE LADIES (=THE THE CASE OF THE IVORY ARROW CASE OF THE TWO STRANGE THE CASE OF THE MYSTERIOUS MOLL LADIES) THE 16 BEANS (=THE CASE OF THE 16 BEANS) On September 17 he completed a new novel. TITLE WORDS SOLD PRICE THE STRANGE CASE OF PROF. ADOLPH 141,060 WITHERPOOL (THE MONOCLED MONSTER) His royalties for the year from Dutton amounted to $16.58. From Phoenix he received $100.00 as the balance of his advance for THE CASE OF THE IVORY ARROW, $200.00 as an advance for THE CASE OF THE MYSTERIOUS MOLL, and $136.20 in royalties on previously published titles. Ward Lock paid him $703.50 for all English rights to THE STRANGE CASE OF

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PROF. ADOLPH WITHERPOOL, which it published as THE MONOCLED MONSTER. Reus in Madrid paid him $198.00 for Spanish rights to THE FACE OF THE MAN FROM SATURN, THE CHAMELEON, THE SEARCH FOR X-Y-Z and one unspecified title. His Lisbon publisher paid $100.00 for Portuguese rights to one novel. And from Canada he received $510.00 for rights to SING SING NIGHTS, THIEVES’ NIGHTS, THE CASE OF THE TWO STRANGE LADIES, THE CASE OF THE LAVENDER GRIPSACK, THE CASE OF THE 16 BEANS and THE CASE OF THE IVORY ARROW. His writing income for the year totaled $2,064.78.

1946

This year saw the publication of one Keeler novel in England and one in the United States: for once, the same novel, although the two versions are quite different. BOOKS PUBLISHED IN ENGLAND BOOKS PUBLISHED IN U.S. MURDER IN THE MILLS (=THE CASE THE CASE OF THE CANNY KILLER OF THE CANNY KILLER) He completed two new novels during the year, on July 10 and December 5 respectively. TITLE WORDS SOLD PRICE THE CASE OF THE BARKING CLOCK 130,000 THE ACE OF SPADES MURDER 140,000 Phoenix Press paid him $45.00 advance for THE CASE OF THE CANNY KILLER, $63.80 in royalties on THE CASE OF THE 16 BEANS, and $23.80 in royalties on THE CASE OF THE MYSTERIOUS MOLL. From Dutton he received a check for $5.60 in royalties on 28 copies of CLEOPATRA’S TEARS. Ward Lock sent him $1,407.00 for all English rights to THE SHARKSKIN BOOK and THE ACE OF SPADES MURDER. Reus in Madrid paid $168.00 for Spanish rights to THE FOURTH KING, THE FIVE SILVER BUDDHAS and THE PEACOCK FAN. From his Lisbon publisher he recieved $150.00 for Portuguese rights to THE FOURTH KING, THE WASHINGTON SQUARE ENIGMA and THE IRON RING. And a Swedish publisher paid him $300.00 for rights to seven unspecified titles. His writing income for the year added up to $2,163.20.

1947 This year saw the publication of one Keeler title apiece in England and the United States. BOOKS PUBLISHED IN ENGLAND BOOKS PUBLISHED IN U.S. THE MONOCLED MONSTER THE CASE OF THE BARKING CLOCK Between January 15 and February 25 Keeler completed five short articles for writers’ magazines. Before the end of the year he had completed four new works, on March 22, June 25, November 1 and December 28 respectively. TITLE WORDS SOLD PRICE “Two Sudden Secrets for Writers” 2,500 1947 $ 3.00 “My ‘Million-Dollar’ Plot Inventing

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Secret” 2,200 1947 $30.00 “The $6400 Question in Plot Building” 1,500 “Hand Me That Scalpel, Nurse!” 900 1947 $ 3.00 “Valuable Tip for All Writers” 700 THE CASE OF THE TRANSPOSED LEGS (new 9,000 matter added to a large chunk of THE ACE OF SPADES MURDER) THE CASE OF THE JEWELED RAGPICKER 10,000 (new matter added to another large chunk of THE ACE OF SPADES MURDER) THE CASE OF THE MURDERED MATHEMATICIAN 10,000 (new matter added to a large chunk of THE CASE OF THE FLYING HANDS) THE CASE OF THE FLYING HANDS (the 42,000 original matter expanded into THE CASE OF THE MURDERED MATHEMATICIAN plus the novella “The Case of the Hidden Munitions Work Spy”) “Two Sudden Secrets for Writers” was retitled “A Diamond-Studded Tool” and published in Writer’s Market & Methods, June 1947. “My ‘Million-Dollar’ Plot Inventing Secret” appeared in Writer’s Digest, April 1947. “Hand Me That Scalpel, Nurse!” was published in Writer’s Market & Methods, January 1948. From Phoenix Press Keeler received an advance of $200.00 for THE CASE OF THE BARKING CLOCK plus checks for $61.08 and $17.48 which respectively represented the first installments of advances on THE CASE OF THE JEWELED RAGPICKER and THE CASE OF THE TRANSPOSED LEGS. From Ward Lock he received $1,200.00 for English rights to several unspecified titles and $56.90 in back royalties of some sort. Reus in Madrid paid $250.00 for Spanish rights to THE VOICE OF THE SEVEN SPARROWS, THE WASHINGTON SQUARE ENIGMA, THE MYSTERY OF THE FIDDLING CRACKSMAN, THE RIDDLE OF THE TRAVELING SKULL, and THE CASE OF THE TWO STRANGE LADIES. And from various writers’ magazines in the United States and England he received a total of $41.00 for the brief articles he had written early in the year. His writing income for the year totaled $1,826.36.

1948

This year saw the publication of one Keeler title in England and two in the United States: the last of his books ever to be issued here. BOOKS PUBLISHED IN ENGLAND BOOKS PUBLISHED IN U.S. BY THIRD DEGREE (=THE SHARKSKIN THE CASE OF THE JEWELED RAGPICKER BOOK) THE CASE OF THE TRANSPOSED LEGS He completed one new novel in January of this year. TITLE WORDS SOLD PRICE THE CASE OF THE MURDERED MATHE- 97,000 MATICIAN (new version)

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From Phoenix Press he received checks for $138.92 and $182,52, representing the balance of the advances respectively for THE CASE OF THE JEWELED RAGPICKER and THE CASE OF THE TRANSPOSED LEGS. Editor August Derleth paid him $25.00 for the right to reprint the 1914 story “John Jones’ Dollar” in the anthology STRANGE PORTS OF CALL (Pellegrini & Cudahy, 1948). Ward Lock sent a check for $801.74 for English rights to THE MURDERED MATHEMATICIAN. And Reus in Madrid purchased Spanish rights to FIND THE CLOCK, THE AMAZING WEB, THE GREEN JADE HAND, THE VANISHING GOLD TRUCK and THE CASE OF THE BARKING CLOCK for $250.00. His writing income for the year totaled $1,398.18.

1949 This year saw the publication of three new Keeler titles. BOOKS PUBLISHED IN ENGLAND BOOKS PUBLISHED IN U.S. THE ACE OF SPADES MURDER (=THE None CASE OF THE JEWELED RAGPICKER) THE MURDERED MATHEMATICIAN THE STRANGE WILL He completed two new projects this year. TITLE WORDS SOLD PRICE THE CASE OF THE FLYING HANDS (the 12,000 novella “The Case of the Black Marbles”) THE CASE OF THE STEELTOWN 110,000 STRANGLER (from the 50% of the 1944 STEELTOWN manuscript not used in MURDER IN THE MILLS/THE CASE OF THE CANNY KILLER) When Phoenix Press cancelled a bill it had sent Keeler for promotional copies of his books, HSK credited himself with royalties of $65.82. From Ward Lock he received $703.00 and $603.00 for British rights respectively to THE STRANGE WILL and THE STEELTOWN STRANGLER. (Why THE STRANGE WILL appears nowhere among the records of Keeler’s completed works remains, as he would have called it, an enigma.) As a result of an unfathomable barter deal with Reus involving copies of Hazel Goodwin Keeler’s novel DANGEROUS TOYS (published by Reus in 1948 as JUGUETES PELIGROSOS), HSK credited himself with Spanish royalties of $84.73. A writers’ magazine paid him $3.75 for one of the short articles he had written in 1947 (published as “Concerning Chapter Curtains,” Writer’s Monthly, January 1950), and for another of those short pieces (published as “My Most Valuable Plot Secret,” Writer’s Market & Methods, September 1950) he received $7.00, or more precisely $5.00 in cash plus a 1-year free subscription valued at $2.00. His writing income for the year totaled $1,316.75.

1950 This year saw the publication by Ward Lock of one Keeler title. BOOKS PUBLISHED IN ENGLAND BOOKS PUBLISHED IN U.S. THE STEELTOWN STRANGLER None

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Most of his writing time during the year was devoted to adding new material to old scripts. Two novels he completed this year, on July 2 and September 20 respectively, were his last books ever to be published in English. TITLE WORDS SOLD PRICE THE CASE OF THE BLACKMAILED 20,000 SKELETON (new matter added to a large chunk of THE ACE OF SPADES MURDER) THE BARKING CLOCK (new matter 5,000 for Ward Lock edition) THE BOTTLE WITH THE GREEN WAX 10,000 SEAL (new matter for a British edition that never came to pass) STAND BY—LONDON CALLING (new 30,000 matter added to a large chunk of THE CASE OF THE BLACKMAILED SKELETON) THE STRANGE MURDER OF LONDON LEW 70,000 From Ward Lock he received $487.64 and $488.51 for English rights respectively to THE CASE OF THE TRANSPOSED LEGS and THE BARKING CLOCK. On the cancellation by Phoenix Press of another bill for promotional copies of his novels he credited himself with additional royalties of $41.40. His Lisbon publisher paid $100.00 for Portuguese rights to THIEVES’ NIGHTS and THE CASE OF THE BARKING CLOCK. And a French publisher sent a check for $383.41 for the right to translate THE CASE OF THE TRANSPOSED LEGS. His writing income for the year totaled $1,854.05.

1951

This year saw the publication by Ward Lock of two more Keeler titles. BOOKS PUBLISHED IN ENGLAND BOOKS PUBLISHED IN U.S. THE BARKING CLOCK (=THE CASE OF None THE BARKING CLOCK) THE CASE OF THE TRANSPOSED LEGS He completed two new novels this year, on May 16 and June 16 respectively. TITLE WORDS SOLD PRICE FOUR NOOSES AT DAWN (HANGMAN’S 75,000 Reus $50.00 NIGHTS, THE STRANGE CASE OF ALFRED CROFTS-HARTLEY) 14, TRINIDAD STREET 52,000 never The only money Keeler received this year from an American publisher was $11.50 for an article published as “Those 7 Original Plots: What Are They?” (Writer’s Market & Methods, June 1951). Ward Lock paid $419.75 and $279.50 for English rights to THE STRANGE MURDER OF

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LONDON LEW and STAND BY—LONDON CALLING, and Keeler credited himself with 10 cents in further royalties because of two copies of THE STRANGE WILL that were being offered for sale by an American specialty dealer. His Lisbon publisher paid $150.00 for Portuguese rights to THE SKULL OF THE WALTZING CLOWN, THE BOOK WITH THE ORANGE LEAVES and THE CASE OF THE TRANSPOSED LEGS. And from Reus in Madrid he received $650.00 for Spanish rights to a whopping 18 titles on his backlist. His writing income for the year added up to $1,510.85.

1952 This year saw the publication by Ward Lock of one more Keeler title. BOOKS PUBLISHED IN ENGLAND BOOKS PUBLISHED IN U.S. THE MURDER OF LONDON LEW None He completed no new novels this year. His writing income for the year totaled a pitiful $970.00. Ward Lock paid $280.00 for English rights to THE CASE OF THE FLYING HANDS (which it never published). Keeler’s Lisbon publisher sent $150.00 for Portuguese rights to THE RIDDLE OF THE YELLOW ZURI, THE FIVE SILVER BUDDHAS and THE RIDDLE OF THE TRAVELING SKULL. And the Italian publisher Cassini paid $540.00 for translation rights to SING SING NIGHTS, THE FOURTH KING and THE PEACOCK FAN.

1953 This year saw the publication of the last Keeler book ever to appear in English. BOOKS PUBLISHED IN ENGLAND BOOKS PUBLISHED IN U.S. STAND BY—-LONDON CALLING None During the year he completed two new novels. TITLE WORDS SOLD PRICE THE CASE OF THE CRAZY CORPSE 80,000 Século THE GALLOWS WAITS, MY LORD 149,000 never His actual writing income for the year was zero but he credited himself with $109.14 upon Ward Lock’s cancellation of a bill for promotional copies of his novels.

1954 During this year Keeler completed four novels, two of them culled from older scripts. TITLE WORDS SOLD PRICE THE JAARVIK CASE (new matter added 15,000 Reus $50.00 to a large chunk of THE MONOCLED MONSTER)

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THE WHITE CIRCLE 68,000 Reus $50.00 24 SUSPECTS (new matter added to 30,000 Reus $50.00 a large chunk of THE STEELTOWN STRANGLER) THE CRIMSON CUBE 95,000 Reus $50.00 His writing income for the year was zero.

1955 This year Keeler completed nothing. His writing income for the year totaled $300.00: $250.00 from the specialty publisher Fantasy Press for THE WHITE CIRCLE (which the publisher’s bankruptcy prevented from ever being issued), and $50.00 from the Lisbon publisher Editorial Século for Portuguese rights to THE CASE OF THE CRAZY CORPSE.

1956 Keeler completed three new novels this year, on February 27, May 17 and July 11 respectively. TITLE WORDS SOLD PRICE THE STREET OF A THOUSAND EYES 60,000 Reus $50.00 (new matter added to a chunk of 14, TRINIDAD STREET) THE CIRCUS STEALERS 73,000 Reus $50.00 THE TRAP 70,000 never His only writing income for the year was a $25.00 payment from the publishing house of Ziff-Davis for the right to reprint his 1914 story “John Jones’ Dollar” in Amazing Stories (April 1956).

1957 This year Reus published one new and one quasi-new Keeler title. EL CASO JAARVIK (1954 expansion of THE MONOCLED MONSTER) NOCHES DEL VERDUGO (HANGMAN’S NIGHTS) (=FOUR NOOSES AT DAWN, THE STRANGE CASE OF ALFRED CROFTS-HARTLEY) Keeler completed three new novels this year, on January 27, July 15 and November 1 respectively. TITLE WORDS SOLD PRICE THE MYSTERIOUS IVORY BALL OF 99,000 Reus $50.00 WONG SHING LI A COPY OF BEOWULF (new matter 30,000 Reus $50.00 added to a large chunk of THE ACE OF SPADES MURDER) REPORT ON VANESSA HEWSTONE 75,000 never

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The only writing income he earned this year was $24.27, from an unspecified foreign source.

1958 This year Reus again published one new and one quasi-new Keeler title. 28 SOSPECHOSOS (1954 expansion of THE STEELTOWN STRANGLER) LADRONES DE CIRCOS (THE CIRCUS STEALERS) Século published one new Keeler title. O CASO DO CADAVER ENDIABRADO (THE CASE OF THE CRAZY CORPSE) Keeler completed six new novels this year, on January 30, June 25, August 16, October 14, October 26 and October 28 respectively. TITLE WORDS SOLD PRICE THE STOLEN GRAVESTONE 80,000 never PUT OUT THOSE LIGHTS! (I KILLED 140,000 Reus $50.00 LINCOLN AT 10:13!) THE AFFAIR OF THE BOTTLED DEUCE 70,000 never THE STRAW HAT MURDERS 48,000 never THE CASE OF THE TRANSPARENT WOMAN 60,000 Reus $50.00 THE SIX FROM NOWHERE 55,000 never His writing income for the year consisted of $50.00 for the right to reprint the 1914 “John Jones’ Dollar” in FANTASIA MATHEMATICA, ed. Clifton Fadiman (Simon & Schuster, 1958), and another $50.00 from Editorial Século in Lisbon for Portuguese rights to THE CASE OF THE CANNY KILLER: a total of $100.00 exactly.

1959 Reus published no Keeler originals this year but HSK completed four new novels: THE SIGN OF THE CROSSED LEAVES on March 9, THE CASE OF THE MYSTERIOUS CARD on April 17, NIGGER NIGGER NEVER DIE on June 15. The completion date of THE PHOTO OF LADY X is unclear. TITLE WORDS SOLD PRICE THE SIGN OF THE CROSSED LEAVES 90,000 never THE CASE OF THE MYSTERIOUS CARD 65,000 never THE PHOTO OF LADY X 70,000 never NIGGER NIGGER NEVER DIE 85,000 Reus $50.00 His only writing income for the year was $50.00 from Reus for Spanish rights to an unspecified title.

1960 This year Reus published two new Keeler titles.

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EL CUBO CARMESI (THE CRIMSON CUBE) UNA VERSION DEL BEOWULF (A COPY OF BEOWULF) Keeler also completed two new novels this year. TITLE WORDS SOLD PRICE BREAKFAST AT THE WARINGS (THE 90,000 never CASE OF THE TWO-HEADED IDIOT) THE RIDDLE OF THE WOODEN PARAKEET 90,000 never His only writing income for the year was $50.00 from Reus for Spanish rights to another unspecified title.

1961 Reus published another Keeler original this year. LA MISTERIOSA BOLA DE MARFIL DE WONG SHING LI (THE MYSTERIOUS IVORY BALL OF WONG SHING LI) On April 1 Keeler completed a short story and on October 14 a collection of three novelets. Two of the novelets had been written and published almost fifty years before and it is unclear why he credited himself with as much new wordage as he did. TITLE WORDS SOLD PRICE “Goodbye, Coppers!” 1,200 never THREE SHORT NOVELS 80,000 never The three short novels he assembled in this manuscript were “The Flyer Hold-Up” (=“The Corpse at No. 38,” 1914), “Adventure in Milwaukee” (=“Misled in Milwaukee,” 1916), and “Blackmail” (new). [“Goodbye, Coppers!” was printed in The Thumb, #4?, 1962.] His only writing income for the year was $99.50 from Reus for Spanish rights to two more unspecified titles.

1962 During this year Keeler had nothing new published by Reus, completed no new works and received not one penny of writing income.

1963 Reus published one new Keeler title this year. EL CASO DE LA MUJER TRANSPARENTE (THE CASE OF THE TRANSPARENT WOMAN) (=THE CASE OF THE TRANSPARENT NUDE) Keeler completed no new work this year. His only writing income for the year was an unspecified amount from Reus (probably about $100.00) for Spanish rights to THE BOTTLE WITH THE GREEN WAX SEAL and THE CASE OF THE TRANSPARENT NUDE.

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1964

This year Reus published yet another Keeler original. YO MATE A LINCOLN A LAS 10.13 (I KILLED LINCOLN AT 10:13!) Keeler completed nothing and received not one penny of writing income this year.

1965 This year saw the publication by Reus of one more Keeler original. EL CIRCULO BLANCO (THE WHITE CIRCLE) Keeler completed his last two novels in April and December of this year. TITLE WORDS SOLD PRICE STRANGE JOURNEY 120,000 never THE SCARLET MUMMY 160,000 never His writing income for the year consisted of $50.00 from Reus for Spanish rights to I KILLED LINCOLN AT 10:13! and $830.50 from entrepreneur Niels West-Larsen for Spanish movie rights to THE SPECTACLES OF MR. CAGLIOSTRO. The film was never made.

1966 This year saw the publication of Keeler’s last “Madrid originals.” LA CALLE DE LOS MIL OJOS (THE STREET OF A THOUSAND EYES) EL HOMBRE QUE CAMBIO DE PIEL (THE MAN WHO CHANGED HIS SKIN) (=NIGGER NIGGER NEVER DIE) Keeler completed no new works and received no writing income this year.

1967 Keeler died on January 22, 1967.