Harlequin and the Pulps

Canadian mass market paperback publisher Harlequin's early years overlapped the last years of the pulps. Harlequin started in 1949 and the pulps were gone by the late 1950s.

Two Complete Detective Books was published from 1939 to 1954 - 76 issues in which 151 titles were published (one title was in two issues). Seven of those titles were also published by Harlequin. They are:

9	The Dark Page	Fuller, Samuel Michael
10	Here's Blood In Your Eye	Long, Manning
43	The Clean Up	Barry, Joe
44	The So Blue Marble	Hughes, Dorothy B.
79	Lazarus 7	Sale, Richard
83	Fall Guy	Barry, Joe
180	If the Coffin Fits	Keene, Day

Harlequin 10 - August 1949

Harlequin 10 back

Two Complete Detective Books 26 - May 1944

Two Complete Detective Books 26 back

Harlequin Anniversary

This month is the 70th anniversary for Harlequin Books. Unlike the 60th anniversary Harlequin is not celebrating. This, no doubt, is due to Harlequin's sale a few years ago from Torstar to News Corporation. 

The May 2019 book, From Heiress to Mom, is number 4665 in the Harlequin Romance series. This is a continuance of the original numbering; the longest  numbering sequence of any mass market paperback publisher. Number 5000 should be seen in the first half of 2026 if nothing changes for the series.

Below are May books from 1949, 1959, 2009 and 2019.

Harlequin 2 - May 1949 

Harlequin 2 back

Harlequin 463 - May 1959

Harlequin 463 back

Harlequin Romance 4093 - May 2009

Harlequin Romance 4093 back

Harlequin Romance 4665 - May 2019

Harlequin Romance 4665 back