The Black Star

Johnston McCulley (1883 - 1958)

The Black Star was a master criminal who took great care to never be identifiable, always wore a mask so nobody knew what he looked like, rarely spoke to keep his voice from being recognized, and the only mark left at the scenes of the crimes which he and his gang committed were small black stars which were tacked as a sign of their presence, and an occasional sarcastic note to signify his presence and responsibility. Even those who worked for him knew nothing of him, all of which were making his crimes virtually unsolvable. The police were at a complete loss as to his identity and at a method of stopping his criminal activities. He seemed to have the perfect strategic setup and all advantages were in his favor. He even somehow knew where the wealthy kept their jewels and money, and knew when they would remove valuable items from their safes and deposit boxes. Thus Roger Verbeck decided to take on the case of the Black Star using his own methodology. The Black Star will keep you guessing from beginning to end, just as he kept the police and Verbeck guessing.

Johnston McCulley was a prolific writer in the pulp fiction vein, and his Zorro series would become immensely popular. However, prior to Zorro, the Black Star was among his first repeating characters which kept readers of the day in continual suspense until his next appearance. McCulley also wrote mysteries and detective stories using various pseudonyms, including Harrison Strong. (Introduction by Roger Melin)

Genre(s): Action & Adventure Fiction, Crime & Mystery Fiction

Language: English

Section Chapter Reader Time
Play 01 01 - An Aided Escape Roger Melin
00:19:15
Play 02 02 - The Black Star Roger Melin
00:10:48
Play 03 03 - Into the Pit Roger Melin
00:22:06
Play 04 04 - Rogue For a Day Roger Melin
00:15:48
Play 05 05 - Muggs on Guard Roger Melin
00:10:37
Play 06 06 - An Unprofitable Afternoon Roger Melin
00:11:10
Play 07 07 - Identical Orders Roger Melin
00:10:54
Play 08 08 - The Police Get a Tip Roger Melin
00:13:14
Play 09 09 - "Chickens Come Home To Roost" Roger Melin
00:19:26
Play 10 10 - Caught In a Net Roger Melin
00:11:08
Play 11 11 - Close Quarters Roger Melin
00:12:39
Play 12 12 - At the Charity Ball Roger Melin
00:15:06
Play 13 13 - Muggs - Great Little Man Roger Melin
00:11:23
Play 14 14 - Unexpected News Roger Melin
00:05:04
Play 15 15 - The Challenge Roger Melin
00:14:40
Play 16 16 - A Nocturnal Visit Roger Melin
00:17:21
Play 17 17 - Interrupted Conversation Roger Melin
00:12:04
Play 18 18 - Mysteries Roger Melin
00:18:15
Play 19 19 - Suspicion Roger Melin
00:20:47
Play 20 20 - The Voice on the Wire Roger Melin
00:17:05
Play 21 21 - The End of the Wire Roger Melin
00:15:40
Play 22 22 - On the Scent Roger Melin
00:09:54
Play 23 23 - Into the Vault Roger Melin
00:07:59
Play 24 24 - How It Ended Roger Melin
00:13:30
Play 25 25 - Shadowed by Three Roger Melin
00:07:23
Play 26 26 - A Man of Mystery Roger Melin
00:17:32
Play 27 27 - In Black Star's Hands Roger Melin
00:18:44
Play 28 28 - The Police Launch Roger Melin
00:08:29
Play 29 29 - Black Star Takes a Trick Roger Melin
00:11:45
Play 30 30 - Muggs in Action Roger Melin
00:13:09
Play 31 31 - In the Bank Roger Melin
00:11:39
Play 32 32 - A Narrow Escape Roger Melin
00:12:25
Play 33 33 - Puzzled Police Roger Melin
00:14:23
Play 34 34 - What Happened to the Chief Roger Melin
00:12:26
Play 35 35 - An Unexpected Blow Roger Melin
00:09:55
Play 36 36 - In Custody Roger Melin
00:13:01