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Thunder in Europe: A Department Z Adventure (Department Z #6)
by John CreaseyAn international criminal spells trouble for the agents of Britain’s Department Z, in this suspenseful mystery from an Edgar Award–winning author. Marius Krotz is notorious for his ability to cause a stir. A former revolutionary turned right-hand-man to the king of a small European country, he is feared as much for his unscrupulous manner as for his dangerous past. He’s planning something big, and intelligence agencies across Europe have him in their sights. Department Z is on the case, led by the infamous Arran twins and new recruit Jim Burke, and this time they’re pushed to their limits. Department Z must be prepared for unknown dangers beyond anything they have encountered before—and it’s a race to take down Krotz before he can cause irreversible international damage. Thunder has been rolling in Europe—but can Department Z avoid the lightning?
Thunder in Europe (Department Z #Vol. 6)
by John CreaseyAn international criminal spells trouble for the agents of Britain’s Department Z, in this suspenseful mystery from an Edgar Award–winning author.Marius Krotz is notorious for his ability to cause a stir. A former revolutionary turned right-hand-man to the king of a small European country, he is feared as much for his unscrupulous manner as for his dangerous past. He’s planning something big, and intelligence agencies across Europe have him in their sights.Department Z is on the case, led by the infamous Arran twins and new recruit Jim Burke, and this time they’re pushed to their limits. Department Z must be prepared for unknown dangers beyond anything they have encountered before—and it’s a race to take down Krotz before he can cause irreversible international damage.Thunder has been rolling in Europe—but can Department Z avoid the lightning?
The Adventures of Ellery Queen
by Ellery QueenIn eleven ripping stories, the mystery genre’s greatest sleuth shows his chopsFor Ellery Queen, there is no puzzle that reason cannot solve. In his time, he has faced down killers, thugs, and thieves, protected only by the might of his brain—and the odd bit of timely intervention by his father, a burly New York police inspector. But when a university professor asks Queen to teach a class, the detective finds there are people whom reason cannot touch: college students. Queen’s adventure on campus is only the first of this incomparable collection of short mysteries. In these pages, he tangles with a violent book thief, an assassin who targets acrobats, and New York’s only cleanly shaven bearded lady. Criminals everywhere fear him, whether they work in mansions or back alleys. No mystery is too difficult for the man with the golden brain.
Behold, Here's Poison (Inspector Hannasyde #2)
by Georgette HeyerIt's no ordinary morning at the Poplars - the master is found dead in his bed and it turns out that his high blood pressure was not the cause of death. Heyer uses her attention to detail and brilliant characterizations to concoct a baffling crime for which every single member of the quarrelsome family has a motive, and none, of course, has an alibi. Heyer's sparkling dialogue is a master class in British wit, sarcasm and the intricacies of life above and below stairs. Meet the Matthews - before the next one dies... It's no ordinary morning at the Poplars - the master is found dead in his bed, and it seems his high blood pressure was not the cause. When an autopsy reveals a sinister poison, it's up to the quietly resourceful Inspector Hannasyde to catch the murderer in time to spare the next victim. But every single member of the quarrelsome Matthews family has a motive and none, of course, has an alibi.
Blindfold: A Golden Age Mystery
by Patricia WentworthAn elegant English townhouse conceals a viper's nest of greed and evil in this riveting tale of romantic suspense from the author of the Miss Silver Mysteries Flossie Palmer is in the drawing room of No. 16 Varley Street pretending to be someone else when she gets the shock of her life. In the six-foot, gilt-framed mirror against the wall, a black gaping hole appears where there should be glass. A man's bloody head comes into view, followed by a hand trying to claw its way out of the darkness, and then another face with cruel, staring eyes. Terrified, Flossie flees for her life. Newly returned from Paris, Miles Clayton has come back to London on a mission. His employer, a wealthy American, wants Miles to find his long-lost niece so he can bequeath her his enormous fortune. All Miles knows is her name: Miss Macintyre. When Miles and Flossie meet by chance, he has no idea that she could be the woman he's searching for. And now someone has attempted to kill the housemaid Flossie was impersonating--but who was the intended victim? As Miles moves closer to the truth, he uncovers a tangled family history of lies and lethal secrets.
The Case of the Caretaker's Cat
by Erle Stanley GardnerTHE CASE OF THE CARETAKER'S CAT was the seventh Perry Mason mystery that Erle Stanley Gardener wrote. Our story opens as Charles Ashton seeks the advice of Perry Mason. His previous employer, Peter Laxter, now deceased, left a provision in his will that Ashton, a faithful caretaker, would always have a job with his heirs. But one of the heirs, the nasty Samuel C. Laxter, has decided that Ashton's cat must go. Poor old Clinkers the cat must leave or Samuel Laxter threatens to poison him. Perry takes the case, probably out of sheer boredom. He's just finished a murder trial, and there's nothing interesting on his desk. But before you know it, Ashton is dead; strangled. And then old Peter Laxter's nurse turns up dead, too. Maybe Peter Laxter's death wasn't an accident, either! And just who is getting blamed for all these deaths? Young Douglas Keene, the fiance of beautiful young Winifred Laxter, the only Laxter heir that DIDN'T inherit under the strange will. Up steps Perry Mason to defend the innocent young man. And so he does in his usual flamboyant style. Perry appears along with Della Street, his faithful secretary. and Paul Drake, his detective friend. District Attorney Hamilton Burger shows up just long enough to speak a paragraph's worth of dialog. But what a paragraph it is!
Death in the Air
by Agatha Christie(from the book) Twenty-one passengers are winging their way across the English Channel. Twenty are alive. One passenger, Madame Gisefle- blackmailer, money-lender, woman with a past-is dead. Murdered. How? Why? By whom? Hercule Poirot, detective supreme, is off on a new and engrossing mystery by AGATHA CHRISTIE
Death in the Clouds: A Hercule Poirot Mystery (Hercule Poirot Mysteries #12)
by Agatha ChristieHercule Poirot must solve a perplexing case of midair murder in Death in the Clouds when he discovers that the woman in seat two of the airborne aeroplane he’s traveling on is quite unexpectedly—and unnaturally—deceased.From seat No. 9, Hercule Poirot was ideally placed to observe his fellow air passengers on the short flight from Paris to London. Over to his right sat a pretty young woman, clearly infatuated with the man opposite; ahead, in seat No. 13, sat a countess with a poorly concealed cocaine habit; across the gangway in seat No. 8, a writer of detective fiction was being troubled by an aggressive wasp. Yes, Poirot is almost ideally placed to take it all in, except what he did not yet realize was that behind him, in seat No. 2, sat the slumped, lifeless body of a woman. Murdered, and likely by someone in Poirot’s immediate proximity.
Death Round the Corner (Department Z #4)
by John CreaseyA terrifying international plot threatens the agents of Britain’s Department Z in this tale of suspense from an Edgar Award–winning author. Leopold Gorman studies the World Economic Conference with interest—and then picks five rich and powerful men to bring his plan to fruition. If any one of them shows reluctance to fall in with his scheme, he’ll be dead within the hour . . . Gordon Craigie, chief of British intelligence, is the only thing standing between Gorman and success. So Gorman turns his attentions to Craigie’s greatest asset: the men of Department Z. As Craigie attempts to undermine Gorman’s plot, Gorman decides which agent should be next to “disappear.” Can Craigie and his men outwit this master criminal before it’s too late?
Death Round the Corner (Department Z #4)
by John CreaseyA terrifying international plot threatens the agents of Britain’s Department Z in this tale of suspense from an Edgar Award–winning author. Leopold Gorman studies the World Economic Conference with interest—and then picks five rich and powerful men to bring his plan to fruition. If any one of them shows reluctance to fall in with his scheme, he’ll be dead within the hour . . . Gordon Craigie, chief of British intelligence, is the only thing standing between Gorman and success. So Gorman turns his attentions to Craigie’s greatest asset: the men of Department Z. As Craigie attempts to undermine Gorman’s plot, Gorman decides which agent should be next to “disappear.” Can Craigie and his men outwit this master criminal before it’s too late?
Death Round the Corner (Department Z #4)
by John CreaseyA terrifying international plot threatens the agents of Britain’s Department Z in this tale of suspense from an Edgar Award–winning author.Leopold Gorman studies the World Economic Conference with interest—and then picks five rich and powerful men to bring his plan to fruition. If any one of them shows reluctance to fall in with his scheme, he’ll be dead within the hour . . .Gordon Craigie, chief of British intelligence, is the only thing standing between Gorman and success. So Gorman turns his attentions to Craigie’s greatest asset: the men of Department Z.As Craigie attempts to undermine Gorman’s plot, Gorman decides which agent should be next to “disappear.” Can Craigie and his men outwit this master criminal before it’s too late?
Death-Watch (The\dr. Gideon Fell Mysteries Ser. #2)
by John Dickson CarrIn the shadowy hallway of clockmaker Johannes Carver's house a policeman is found murdered, the arrow-tipped minute hand of an antique clock embedded in his neck.For Dr Gideon Fell this is the only case that has ever really frightened him, and before he can solve it he must find answers to some seemingly impossible questions: why was Calvin Boscombe standing near the corpse with a silencer on his gun? Who locked the attic door? And what has become of the sixteenth-century death-watch?
The Dogs Do Bark (The Doctor Westlake Mysteries #1)
by Jonathan StaggeIntroducing country doctor Hugh Westlake in a Golden Age mystery of seduction and murder set among a small affluent town. As the town doctor for the village of Kenmore, Hugh Westlake spends most of his time making late-night house calls to overanxious patients and treating colds and the flu—until one bright winter morning. Riding with the hunt club, Hugh makes a grisly discovery: the headless, naked torso of a woman. The murder shocks the town and its upper crust society. Before long, the remains are identified as local woman Anne Grimshawe, who was notably missing from the hunt that morning, and who is pegged as a woman of loose morals by the local busybody. Deputized by the local inspector, Hugh is drawn into the comings-and-goings of the hunt club members. While investigating his own friends, neighbors, and patients, he follows scurrilous rumors to evidence of amorous assignations, jealousy, and greed. Someone in their midst has something to hide—and the chase is on before a killer goes to ground leaving more victims behind . . . &“A nice fair play mystery that you can solve for yourself, and the story races along at an enjoyable clip with lots of variety and incident.&” —The Passing Tramp
Enter A Murderer (Inspector Alleyn #38)
by Ngaio MarshThe Crime was committed on stage at the Unicorn Theatre, when an unloaded gun fired a very real bullet; the victim was Arthur Surbonadier, an actor clawing his way to stardom using blackmail instead of talent. The suspects included two unwilling girlfriends and several relieved blackmail victims. The stage was set for one of Chief Detective Inspector Alleyn's most baffling cases.
Fair Warning
by Mignon G. EberhartTrapped in an evil man&’s house, a young wife searches for an escapeThough she can&’t admit it to anyone, the day of her husband&’s car accident is one of the best days in Marcia Godden&’s short life. After three years of marriage to Ivan, she has seen his darkest side, and now his very footsteps are enough to make her shudder. A guilty thrill goes through her when she hears of his accident, only to be replaced by terror when she learns that her husband is going to live. For four glorious, peaceful weeks, Ivan remains in the hospital. In the relief of this temporary freedom, Marcia confides in her neighbor, cheerful, handsome Robert Copley, and soon falls in love with him. Not long after her husband&’s return from the hospital, Marcia finds Ivan stabbed in the chest, and police suspicion falls on her. To save herself from prison, she must prove herself innocent of the murder of the one man she most wanted dead.
Fear Stalks the Village: Large Print (Murder Room #225)
by Ethel Lina WhiteIn a lovely English village of flowers, Tudor cottages and cobbled streets, Joan Brook works as companion to Lady d'Arcy, living in at the huge mansion with its surrounding park. And the village is not too small for Joan to have found a man whom she can love.Suddenly the peaceful surface of life is shattered as a poisonous letter is received by the town's most saintly citizen. It is followed by others; no one is safe from the anonymous letter writer. With the letters comes death. In the anguished days that follow, Joan realises that she too is in danger. For to receive one of these letters could mean the end of her love ... and her life.
Fear Stalks the Village: Large Print
by Ethel Lina WhiteIn a lovely English village of flowers, Tudor cottages and cobbled streets, Joan Brook works as companion to Lady d'Arcy, living in at the huge mansion with its surrounding park. And the village is not too small for Joan to have found a man whom she can love. Suddenly the peaceful surface of life is shattered as a poisonous letter is received by the town's most saintly citizen. It is followed by others; no one is safe from the anonymous letter writer. With the letters comes death. In the anguished days that follow, Joan realises that she too is in danger. For to receive one of these letters could mean the end of her love ... and her life.
The First Time He Died (Murder Room #636)
by Ethel Lina WhiteCharlie Baxter has never been a success. Yes, he's popular with women, but he's not exactly a party guy. A cheerful loser, that's Charlie. He has even made a hash of his 'death'. For, having almost exhausted a legacy left to him by a rich aunt, he has planned to insure his life and then 'die'. But he has failed to foresee the ramifications of his sinister scheme. And he has reckoned without people cleverer than him - the insurance company, for one.Then there's his wife, Vera, who is playing along for her own benefit ...
The First Time He Died
by Ethel Lina WhiteCharlie Baxter has never been a success. Yes, he's popular with women, but he's not exactly a party guy. A cheerful loser, that's Charlie. He has even made a hash of his 'death'. For, having almost exhausted a legacy left to him by a rich aunt, he has planned to insure his life and then 'die'. But he has failed to foresee the ramifications of his sinister scheme. And he has reckoned without people cleverer than him - the insurance company, for one. Then there's his wife, Vera, who is playing along for her own benefit ...
Flying Hero Class: A Novel
by Thomas KeneallyFrom the author of Man Booker Prize-winning Schindler's Ark Palestinian terrorists hijack a flight from New York bound for Frankfurt that holds an unusual group of passengers: a troupe of dancers from the aboriginal Australian Barramatjara tribe. The hijackers single out Frank McCloud, the troupe's Caucasian manager, as an "Exploiter of Landless People" and attempt to persuade the dancers to join their cause. Whose side will they take? What do the other passengers--a conservative Japanese-American woman, a Fleet Street-journalist, and a Jewish software engineer--have to say about the hijackers message? As the airliner searches for a landing place in the Mediterranean, Keneally examines how the hijackers and hijacked alike respond under pressure in this explosive novel, which will keep you on the edge of your seat until the very end.
Foul Play Suspected
by John WyndhamA rediscovered, outstandingly prescient crime novel written in the lead-up to World War II, by one of the twentieth century&’s most brilliant—and neglected—science fiction and horror writers, whom Stephen King called &“the best writer of science fiction that England has ever produced.&” &“Wyndham was a true English visionary, a William Blake with a science doctorate.&”—David MitchellEngland, 1935: Phyllida Shiffer&’s marriage has just ended in divorce. She heads home, expecting to be welcomed with open arms by her father, a brilliant (if slightly distracted) scientist. But her father&’s house is locked up; he is nowhere to be found; and there are suspicious men who seem to think that Phyllida herself might hold the key to her father&’s latest scientific discovery. . . .
The Garden Murder Case: Philo Vance #9 (Philo Vance #9)
by S.S. Van DineA horse race turns into a murder case . . . &“Mr. Van Dine&’s amateur detective is the most gentlemanly, and probably the most scholarly snooper in literature.&” —Chicago Daily Tribune Aristocratic detective Philo Vance has gotten an anonymous invitation to a New York rooftop garden, where a group of wealthy friends gather to listen to the horse races. But on the night Vance attends, a guest dies of a gunshot wound after losing a load of money on a bet. Vance doesn&’t think it was suicide, though—and when two other people in the household are targeted, he has to take the lead in this Golden Age mystery featuring the classic character with a &“highbrow manner and [a] parade of encyclopedic learning&” (The New York Times).&“One of the high water mark Van Dine yarns.&” —Kirkus Reviews &“The perfect sleuth for the Jazz Age.&” —CrimeReads &“The Philo Vance novels were well-crafted puzzlers that captivated readers . . . the works of S.S. Van Dine serve to transport the reader back to a long-gone era of society.&” —Mystery Scene &“Outrageous cleverness.&” —Bloody Murder
Gaudy Night
by Dorothy L SayersHarriet Vane has never dared to return to her old Oxford college. Now, despite her scandalous life, she has been summoned back . . .At first she thinks her worst fears have been fulfilled, as she encounters obscene graffiti, poison pen letters and a disgusting effigy when she arrives at sedate Shrewsbury College for the 'Gaudy' celebrations.But soon, Harriet realises that she is not the only target of this murderous malice - and asks Lord Peter Wimsey to help.'I admire her novels ... she has great fertility of invention, ingenuity and a wonderful eye for detail' P. D. James(P)2015 Hodder & Stoughton
The Great Hotel Murder
by Vincent StarrettIn a grand Chicago hotel, a mysterious death sets a puzzling whodunnit in motion When a New York banker is discovered dead from an apparent morphine overdose in a Chicago hotel, the circumstances surrounding his untimely end are suspicious to say the least. The dead man had switched rooms the night before with a stranger he met and drank with in the hotel bar. And before that, he’d registered under a fake name at the hotel, told his drinking companion a fake story about his visit to the Windy City, and seemingly made no effort to contact the actress, performing in a local show, to whom he was married. All of which is more than enough to raise eyebrows among those who discovered the body. Enter theatre critic and amateur sleuth Riley Blackwood, a friend of the hotel’s owner, who endeavors to untangle this puzzling tale as discreetly as possible. But when another detective working the case, whose patron is unknown, is thrown from a yacht deck during a party by an equally unknown assailant, the investigation makes a splash among Chicago society. And then several of the possible suspects skip town, leaving Blackwood struggling to determine their guilt or innocence—and their whereabouts. Reissued for the first time in over eighty years, The Great Hotel Murder is a devilishly complex whodunnit with a classical aristocratic setting, sure to please Golden Age mystery fans of all stripes. In 1935, the story was adapted for a film of the same name.
The Grindle Nightmare
by Q. PatrickMurder strikes a New England village in this mystery by the Edgar Award–winning author who wrote the Peter Duluth Mysteries as Patrick Quentin. Patrick Quentin, best known for the Peter Duluth puzzle mysteries, also penned outstanding detective novels from the 1930s through the 1960s under other pseudonyms, including Q. Patrick and Jonathan Stagge. Anthony Boucher wrote: “Quentin is particularly noted for the enviable polish and grace which make him one of the leading American fabricants of the murderous comedy of manners; but this surface smoothness conceals intricate and meticulous plot construction as faultless as that of Agatha Christie.” It begins with the residents of a rustic New England village finding animals brutally slaughtered over a period of weeks, casting a sinister pall over the town of Grindle Oak. Then, a young girl goes missing, and her father—not trusting the police—asks local doctor Douglas Swanson to help him find her. But when Swanson turns up to begin the search, he finds the man dead with his hands bound in animal traps and his body mutilated. It appears the madman behind the abominable acts has moved on to more evolved prey. As more depraved crimes are discovered, a wave of suspicion and distrust sweeps through the town, with outright vigilantism threatening to break out. The good doctor finds himself cast as an unlikely sleuth who must discover what demented desires are driving a killer whose bloodlust is growing greater every day . . . This haunting mystery “maintains the suspense and atmosphere of terror to the very end” (The New York Times).
Headed for a Hearse (The Bill Crane Mysteries #2)
by Jonathan LatimerJust days from meeting the reaper, a convicted murderer hires Chicago&’s most hard-boiled PI to save his neck—before the executioner can claim itRobert Westland&’s death is just around the corner when he finally decides to fight the murder rap that&’s sending him to the electric chair. Fingered for his wife&’s grisly demise, Westland is in a bind, and his last hope is Bill Crane, a booze-soaked detective who&’s as ruthless with a quip as he is when trawling the streets for Chicago&’s most brutal criminal element. Crane&’s got just a few days to suss out the real killer—someone clever enough to off Westland&’s wife and lock her in a room whose only key belongs to Westland himself. Fueled by an abundance of liquor and a habit of bad manners, Crane sets his sights on a cast of oddball characters among whom hides a murderer. But in 1930s Chicago, everyone&’s got a secret, and the pressure is on for Crane to separate the dangerous from the truly homicidal before it&’s too late.
Heir Presumptive (Inspector Poole Series)
by Henry WadeEustace Hendel, head of the younger branch of a rich and titled family, suddenly realises that, as the result of a holiday accident, the question of the succession to the entailed estates holds more than just academic interest for him.Eustace is in financial difficulties, and in love; all his problems would be solved were he himself heir presumptive to old Lord Barradys. Other members of the elder branch are still living - but accidents do happen.Yet Eustace is not the only family member with an interest in the inheritance . . .
Heir Presumptive
by Henry WadeEustace Hendel, head of the younger branch of a rich and titled family, suddenly realises that, as the result of a holiday accident, the question of the succession to the entailed estates holds more than just academic interest for him.Eustace is in financial difficulties, and in love; all his problems would be solved were he himself heir presumptive to old Lord Barradys. Other members of the elder branch are still living - but accidents do happen.Yet Eustace is not the only family member with an interest in the inheritance . . .
Jacko: The Great Intruder
by Thomas KeneallyJacko Emptor is New York's most infamous TV celebrity and most public trespasser. An affable Aussie, Jacko can talk his way on-camera into the homes of any ordinary American. Jacko soon finds himself hosting a televised hunt for a veteran's missing daughter. What he unveils has the power to both make and break his career. How far will he go before even he can't deny that some things should be left off camera?
King Coffin: A Novel
by Conrad AikenInspired by the infamous case of Leopold and Loeb, King Coffin is a chilling glimpse into the mind of a twisted genius The sun is setting over Harvard, and Jasper Ammen is not impressed. A brilliant student who loathes all that the world has put before him, he gazes with contempt at the beauty of the campus, the intellectual pretensions of his fellow students, and the gaudiness of the sunset, for none of these approaches the majesty of Jasper's mind. A reader of Nietzsche and Stirner, he is convinced of his own superiority, and has decided to prove it in the most irrefutable manner: with the perfect murder. Ammen will choose his victim at random and commit the unsolvable crime before a host of witnesses who will see what happens but not be able to understand it. Only his closest friends will realize that he has gotten away with murder, and they won't be able to stop him or see him punished for the ghastly deed. An intense and disturbing portrait of rationalism taken to a dangerous extreme, King Coffin ranks alongside the works of Henry James and Fyodor Dostoevsky as a masterpiece of psychological realism.
The Lady in the Morgue (A Bill Crane Mystery #3)
by Jonathan LatimerOne reviewer referred to the well-loved third novel in Latimer's Bill Crane series as 'rough, rowdy and rum-soaked'. And true to form, just as in his previous investigations, Crane drinks his way through his current case, that of a young suicide whose body disappears just as Crane arrives on the scene. But is there any connection between this body, and the disappearance of a young woman from a wealthy New York family? In order to retrieve the missing body, and find the murderer, Crane must run the gauntlet of both local cops and gangsters, who believe he is implicated. As well as a fascinating mystery, The Lady in the Morgue is packed full of atmosphere and period detail, from its opening scene in a morgue to its frank treatment of drug addiction and references to contemporary music.
The Lake District Murder: A British Library Crime Classic (British Library Crime Classics #0)
by John BudeLuke flung the light of his torch full onto the face of the immobile figure. Then he had the shock of his life. The man had no face! Where his face should have been was a sort of inhuman, uniform blank! When a body is found at an isolated garage, Inspector Meredith is drawn into a complex investigation where every clue leads to another puzzle: was this a suicide, or something more sinister? Why was the dead man planning to flee the country? And how is this connected to the shady business dealings of the garage? This classic mystery novel is set amidst the stunning scenery of a small village in the Lake District. It is now republished for the first time since the 1930s with an introduction by the award-winning crime writer Martin Edwards.
L'aniversari secret
by Kate MortonUna gran novel·la de l'autora d'El jardí oblidat. 1959En un dia calorós d'estiu, mentre la resta de la família fa un pícnic a la vora del rierol de la seva granja, a Suffolk, una adolescent s'amaga a la caseta de l'arbre de la seva infantesa. Des d'allà, la Laurel fantasieja sobre un noi anomenat Billy, una fugida a Londres i un futur esplèndid que ella espera amb ànsia. Però res és tan senzill, abans que aquella tarda idíl·lica s'acabi, la Laurel serà testimoni d'un crim aterridor que ho canviarà tot. 2011Convertida ja en una actriu cèlebre, la Laurel viu envoltada de les ombres del seu passat. Els records i el misteri del que va veure aquell dia, l'assetgen de tal manera que torna a la casa familiar per començar a desxifrar cada racó de la seva memòria a la recerca de la veritable història. Una història de tres desconeguts amb uns orígens molt diferents (Dorothy, Vivien i Jimmy) que coincideixen en el Londres dels anys de la Segona Guerra Mundial, i les vides dels quals quedaran unides de forma funesta i inexorable. Alternant els anys trenta, els cinquanta i el present, L'aniversari secret és un relat fascinant de misteris i silencis, falsedats i enganys, d'un assassinat i d'un amor indestructible. Ressenyes:«Un enigmàtic drama familiar en el qual s'exploren els secrets de joventut d'una mare, que ressorgeixen d'una manera impressionant quan la seva filla és testimoni d'un crim inesperat. Kate Morton, una narradora magistral de prosa immaculada, indaga amb destresa en les incògnites eternes de l'amor, la traïció i la reconciliació».María Dueñas «El retorn de Kate Morton no podia haver estat més satisfactori. L'autora fa gala de nou de l'estil que li va reportar l'èxit ambEl jardí oblidat, per regalar-nos una història addictiva i sorprenent.»Bloc De todo un poco «L'aniversari secret és una historia fascinant sobre els errors, les segones oportunitats, la redempció, l'amor i la frustració. Amb voltes i sorpreses constants, la novel·la ens transporta a través de diferents èpoques mentre assistim a una successió d'episodis marcats per l'odi, la venjança, les obsessions, la passió, els malentesos, les traïcions, la tragèdia i, per sobre de tot, els capricis del destí.»Bloc Me gustan los libros «A través d'una prosa intensa, dinàmica, neta, extremadament cuidada i molt visual, L'aniversari secret s'endinsa en aquesta zona fosca de l'ésser humà on s'amaguen les pors i les ambicions que porten a comportaments inexplicables, de vegades extrems. Una història de segones oportunitats amb la que Morton aconsegueix indagar en aquesta capacitat que té la memòria per jugar amb un mateix fins a enganyar-lo.»Todoliteratura.es
The Mark of the Crescent (Department Z #5)
by John CreaseyA mysterious symbol is the key to a murder case in this classic suspense tale by the Edgar Award–winning author. Gordon Craigie and Department Z—the squad of top-secret detectives within British intelligence—are embroiled in a desperate investigation involving drugs and murder. How will the department uncover who is behind the mark of the crescent? Will they solve the case before the anonymous culprit claims another victim? The trail starts at the country estate of Greylands, but no one knows where it may lead . . .
The Message in the Hollow Oak (Nancy Drew Mystery Stories #12)
by Carolyn KeeneThis is the original unrevised 1935 version of The Message in the Hollow Oak.
El misterio de Cabo Español
by Ellery Queen Miguel Giménez SalesEn la hacienda de Cabo Español, hogar de ricos y malvados, Walter Godfrey da una fiesta por todo lo alto. Pero la velada se verá interrumpida por un pistolero tuerto que secuestra a su hija y al tío de esta, confundiéndolo con su amante John Marco. El detective Ellery Queen, de vacaciones en Cabo Español, logra rescatar a la hija de Godfrey. Pero poco durará la alegría: a la mañana siguiente de su liberación aparece asesinado John Marco, desnudo y envuelto en una capa española. El caso promete sacar a la luz muchos trapos sucios, ya que todos los huéspedes parecen tener algún vínculo vergonzoso con el muerto.
The Mr. Moto Novels: Your Turn, Mr. Moto; Thank You, Mr. Moto; and Think Fast, Mr. Moto (The Mr. Moto Novels)
by John P. MarquandJohn P. Marquand's classic espionage series features Imperial Japan's most skillful spy and the cloak-and-dagger intrigue of Asia between the world wars. In Your Turn, Mr. Moto, the abrupt cancellation of a transpacific flight strands World War I flying ace Casey Lee in Tokyo, leaving him with little choice but to accept a lucrative job offer from Japanese secret agent Mr. Moto. The mission begins on a steamship bound for Shanghai, where Casey's fellow passengers include Mr. Moto and Sonya, a beautiful exile from White Russia. When a Chinese man turns up dead in Casey's stateroom, the trio is caught up in a dangerous game of subterfuge, the outcome of which might just determine the fate of their nations. Set in 1930s Peking, Thank You, Mr. Moto, follows Tom Nelson, a jaded American expatriate, as he tries to help a gorgeous art dealer clear her name and find the real killer of a British ex-army officer trafficking stolen goods. The search leads Tom and Eleanor Joyce straight into the clutches of General Wu Lo Feng, a notorious warlord from the North who has surreptitiously entered the city. Tom and Eleanor's only hope for survival is Mr. Moto, but can they trust the enigmatic spymaster--or are they pawns in a secret plot with stakes as monumental as they are sinister? In Think Fast, Mr. Moto, a Honolulu gambling establishment has become a key strand in a web of political and financial intrigue stretching all the way to the Far East. Sent to convince his cousin, Eva, to close the casino, Wilson Hitchings uncovers the plot and realizes just how much danger his family is in. He and Eva have no choice but to trust Japanese secret agent Mr. Moto, who claims to be in Hawaii on a similar mission. With a cast of shady international characters tracking their every move, this unlikely trio could be facing odds far too long to beat. First serialized in the Saturday Evening Post, the popular and acclaimed Mr. Moto Novels, which were the inspiration for eight films starring Peter Lorre, provide some of the most compelling and realistic depictions of spycraft in early twentieth-century fiction.
Murder in the Madhouse (A Bill Crane Mystery #1)
by Jonathan LatimerIn his first case, William Crane goes undercover in a private sanatorium to solve a theft, and makes no secret of the fact that he believes himself to be a great detective, even presenting himself as Edgar Allan Poe's C. Auguste Dupin. Indeed, he manages to dazzle the picaresque staff with his feats of deductive reasoning while consuming alcohol, including martinis and absinthe, in such copious quantities the plot almost feels like filler for a cocktail menu. It comes as some surprise that he is able to stand upright, let alone perform feats of detection that would put more famous literary detectives to shame. But perform he does, and with the greatest aplomb!
Murder in the Madhouse (The\bill Crane Mysteries Ser. #1)
by Jonathan LatimerIn his first case, William Crane goes undercover in a private sanatorium to solve a theft, and makes no secret of the fact that he believes himself to be a great detective, even presenting himself as Edgar Allan Poe's C. Auguste Dupin. Indeed, he manages to dazzle the picaresque staff with his feats of deductive reasoning while consuming alcohol, including martinis and absinthe, in such copious quantities the plot almost feels like filler for a cocktail menu. It comes as some surprise that he is able to stand upright, let alone perform feats of detection that would put more famous literary detectives to shame. But perform he does, and with the greatest aplomb!
Murder in the Madhouse (The Bill Crane Mysteries #1)
by Jonathan LatimerTo catch a thief, a detective has himself committed to a high-class asylumThe orderlies do not need a straitjacket for Bill Crane. He is not violent, although he does have a bad habit of making embarrassing deductions about the doctors. This sarcastic, hard-drinking man has deluded himself into thinking he is Edgar Allan Poe&’s great detective, C. Auguste Dupin. For this, he has been put away in a stately mental hospital on the Hudson. But Crane is not as delusional as he appears. Though he may not be Dupin, he certainly is a detective—one of the greatest, and occasionally drunkest, of them all.Sent undercover to investigate the theft of an inmate&’s fortune, Crane finds the institution not as comfortable as he had hoped. When his fellow patients start dying, he must solve the murders, or risk losing his sanity after all.
Murder with Pictures (Kent Murdock Mystery #1)
by George Harmon CoxeThe author's first mystery novel introduces Kent Murdock, a hard-drinking crime photographer, and frequent co-star, tough guy Jack Fenner, in Boston, Massachusetts.
The Mystery of the Swaying Curtains (Kay Tracey Mystery #3)
by Frances K. JuddKay's friend, Sissy Weller, unexpectedly learns that she is to inherit a fortune if she can prove that her real name is Christine Cleveland. The mystery is how anybody could connect Sissy with Christine when Sissy is adopted and has no knowledge of her true identity. After hearing additional details, Kay is convinced that Sissy is Christine, but how did the lawyer know? Kay learns that the lawyer received an anonymous letter telling him about Sissy, but who sent him the letter? How did that person know where Sissy is staying?
The Nursing Home Murder (Inspector Alleyn #3)
by Ngaio MarshSir John Phillips, the Harley Street surgeon, and his beautiful nurse Jane Harden are almost too nervous to operate. The emergency case on the table before them is the Home Secretary - and they both have very good, personal reasons to wish him dead.Within hours he does die, although the operation itself was a complete success, and Chief Detective Inspector Alleyn must find out why...
The Puzzle of the Red Stallion (The Hildegarde Withers Mysteries #6)
by Stuart PalmerA model is dead in Central Park, and the only witness to the crime is a horse: &“A most readable and entertaining story&” (The New York Times). The evening&’s party is over, and modeling sensation Violet Feverel wants to get in a quick horse ride before the dawn breaks. She saddles up Siwash the stallion, and gallops onto the Central Park bridle path, eager to begin what will be the last ride of her life. On the other side of the park, Miss Hildegarde Withers—schoolmarm and expert sleuth—breaks into a grin when she hears a patrolman&’s radio mention a &“Code 44.&” As she knows all too well, &“Code 44&” means a dead body—and &“dead bodies&” mean adventure. Miss Withers follows the cop to the crime scene, where they find Violet Feverel lying dead, having apparently fallen from her horse. But if she died when she hit the ground, then why is Siwash marked with a spot of blood? For Miss Withers, answering this question will prove more exciting than an afternoon at the races—and much more risky. The Puzzle of the Red Stallion is part of the Hildegarde Withers Mysteries series, which also includes The Penguin Pool Murder and Murder on the Blackboard.
The Shadow on the Door (Kay Tracey Mystery #4)
by Frances K. JuddThey say truth is stranger than fiction and in The Shadow on the Door, the old maxim is once again proven. Follow intrepid teen sleuth, Kay Tracey, as a mystery written for a competition parallels and is eventually exceed by a real life mystery. Kay creates a mystery for a school competition but soon is amidst a vulnerable assistant, a gullible dowager, a lonely boy, and labor agitators. What will it take to solve the mystery and association of a chemist and his lab explosion with the mysterious shadows, grotesque and scary?
The Spanish Cape Mystery
by Ellery QueenOn a seaside vacation, Ellery Queen is ensnared in a trio of strange crimesSpanish Cape is a dramatic promontory, its rocky cliffs topped with a picturesque hacienda. This isolated spot belongs to millionaire Walter Godfrey and it should be a peaceful family getaway--but one summer evening, Rosa Godfrey argues with her uncle David as he tries to convince her not to run away with one of their guests, the roguish John Marco. Suddenly, a one-eyed gunman appears out of the twilight. He seems to mistake David for John, and forces the pair to the mainland, where he clubs David on the head and locks Rosa in an empty vacation cottage. The next day, Rosa is rescued by the renowned sleuth Ellery Queen, who had come to the coast for a holiday. For a moment, it seems her luck has changed, but then the universe delivers another crushing blow. John has been found stone dead and stark naked. This will not be the first working vacation for the unfailingly logical Ellery Queen, but to unravel the mystery of the undressed man, he will have to make sense of what happened on the worst night of Rosa Godfrey's life.
This is Murder
by Erle Stanley Gardner[from the back cover] ""LOOK OUT!" SHE SCREAMED. "HE HAS A GUN." Sam Moraine covered space in swift strides. His left hand caught Hartwell by his necktie. Hartwell stared into Moraine's eyes, saw Moraine's bunched knuckles. "I'm not shooting," he said. "What do you want?" said Moraine: "I want to know about my wife!" Accused by Ann Hartwell's husband of being her lover, Sam Moraine laughed it off. Accused by police of killing Peter Dixon and clubbing Ann to death, he no longer thought it funny. He knew someone had picked him for a sucker because of one little detail. That little detail is a typical Erle Stanley Gardner touch. You may guess it before the last chapter, but as in every story by the master of modern mystery writers, the odds are all against you."
A Three-Cornered Mystery (Dana Girls Mystery #4)
by Carolyn KeeneThe Dana Girls, Jean & Louise end up in another mystery as they come across a old acquaintance from back home. They follow the trail and discover the truth about Mrs. Flower's family.
The Voice In The Suitcase (Judy Bolton Mysteries #8)
by Margaret SuttonA picnic, a strange suitcase with voices from within, a surprise golden anniversary party and a friendship across the proverbial railroad tracks the Judy into her latest mystery. Everything begins with Judy and her friends befriending a pair of hungry hobos caring a strange suitcase making very peculiar sounds resembling words. After accidentally being left behind, Judy and Honey on a man appears to be left for dead in a ditch. Now he has the strange suitcase which continues to talk to them. After dropping them off the middle of nowhere at an isolated, you would think the mystery is behind them. However, Judy befriends two younger girls one poor, one entitled, and befriends the poor one, helping her prepare her grandparents home for a surprise golden anniversary party. Soon Judy becomes concerned, however, when it appears that an uncle may be involved in criminal activity. Come along with Judy and her friends on her next adventure! The thirty-eight volume Judy Bolton series was written during the thirty-five years from 1932-1967. It is one of the most successful and enduring girls' series ever published. The Judy Bolton books are noted not only for their fine plots and thrilling stories, but also for their realism and their social commentary. Unlike most other series characters, Judy and her friends age and mature in the series and often deal with important social issues. To many, Judy is a feminist in the best light-smart, capable, courageous, nurturing, and always unwavering in her true beliefs; a perfect role model.
Wax: Large Print (Murder Room #823)
by Ethel Lina WhiteReporter Sonia Thompson discovers threads linking prominent members of Riverpool society with the chamber of horrors in a neglected waxworks museum. Married Lilith Nile is using it as a place to meet Sir Julian. Schoolteacher Miss Monroe is obsessed with the moth-eaten figure of Mary of England. And why does Mr Cuttle, the amorous Alderman, take such a keen interest in the museum?When Sir Julian, having spent the night in the waxworks for a bet, is found dead, and an epidemic of purse-snatching sweeps Riverpool, Sonia realises that she is on the verge of uncovering a sinister plot. Forced to bring matters to a head, Sonia resolves to spend a night alone in the waxworks ...
Wax: Large Print
by Ethel Lina WhiteReporter Sonia Thompson discovers threads linking prominent members of Riverpool society with the chamber of horrors in a neglected waxworks museum. Married Lilith Nile is using it as a place to meet Sir Julian. Schoolteacher Miss Monroe is obsessed with the moth-eaten figure of Mary of England. And why does Mr Cuttle, the amorous Alderman, take such a keen interest in the museum? When Sir Julian, having spent the night in the waxworks for a bet, is found dead, and an epidemic of purse-snatching sweeps Riverpool, Sonia realises that she is on the verge of uncovering a sinister plot. Forced to bring matters to a head, Sonia resolves to spend a night alone in the waxworks ...
Your Turn, Mr. Moto: Your Turn, Mr. Moto; Thank You, Mr. Moto; And Think Fast, Mr. Moto (The Mr. Moto Novels #1)
by John P. MarquandThe thrilling 1st installment in Pulitzer Prize-winning author John P. Marquand's classic espionage series featuring Imperial Japan's most skillful spy Capitalizing on his heroic career as a World War I flying ace, Casey Lee agrees to pilot a plane across the Pacific as a publicity stunt for an American tobacco company. But his future as a goodwill ambassador between East and West takes a nosedive when the flight is abruptly canceled. Stranded in Tokyo, his bank account rapidly dwindling, Casey is approached by Mr. Moto, a secret agent with a job to offer. The work entails a matter of grave international importance--and it pays well. Casey accepts the proposition and boards a steamship bound for Shanghai, where his mission will begin. His fellow passengers include Mr. Moto and Sonya, a beautiful exile from White Russia with her own private agenda. When a Chinese man turns up dead in Casey's stateroom, the trio is caught up in a dangerous game of intrigue and deceit, the outcome of which might just determine the fate of their nations. First serialized in the Saturday Evening Post, John P. Marquand's popular and acclaimed Mr. Moto Novels were the inspiration for 8 films starring Peter Lorre.
After Worlds Collide (Gateway Essentials #323)
by Philip Wylie Edwin BalmerEarth is destroyed in a collision with the rogue planet Bronson Alpha, with about a year of warning enabling a small group of survivors to build a spacecraft and escape to the rogue planet's moon. Continuing the story of When Worlds Collide, the novel tells of the survivors' progress on their new world, Bronson Beta, and their conflict with other groups of survivors.
The American Gun Mystery: The American Gun Mystery (The\complete Crime Novels Of Ellery Queen, Vol.6 Ser.)
by Ellery QueenWhen a Western star is gunned down at a rodeo, Ellery Queen saddles upBuck Horne has roped thousands of cattle, slugged his way out of dozens of saloons, and shot plenty of men dead in the street--but always on the backlot. He is a celluloid cowboy, and his career is nearly kaput. The real box office draw is his daughter, Kit, a brawling beauty who can outshoot any rascal the studio has to offer. Desperate for a comeback, Buck joins Wild Bill Grant's traveling rodeo for a show in New York, hoping to impress Hollywood and land one last movie contract. But he has scarcely mounted his horse when he falls to the dirt. It wasn't age that made him slip--it was the bullet in his heart. Watching from the stands are Ellery Queen, debonair sleuth, and his police detective father. They are New Yorkers through and through, but to solve the rodeo killing, the Queens must learn to talk cowboy.
Las aventuras de Ellery Queen
by Ellery Queen Miguel Giménez SalesEllery Queen, cerebro privilegiado, hombre de agudísimos sentidos y una aptitud innata para resolver misterios. ¿Quién puede resistirse a semejante tarjeta de visita? Esta recopilación de relatos de intriga y suspense nos permitirán acompañar al hábil detective en sus pesquisas. Cada situación es un nuevo desafío. Unos estudiantes universitarios a los que pretende enseñar pero que parecen inmunes a la razón. Un ladrón de libros violento. Un asesino con una curiosa predilección por quitar la vida acróbatas o la única mujer de Nueva York que se rasura escrupulosamente.
The Blind Barber: The Blind Barber, Death-watch, And To Wake The Dead (The Dr. Gideon Fell Mysteries #1)
by John Dickson CarrA madcap tale of murder on an ocean liner that offers &“good mystery and lots of fun in the bargain&” (The New York Times). The majestic ocean liner Queen Victoria is halfway through another uneventful transatlantic crossing when bad weather drives most of the passengers to their cabins. Only six have the iron stomachs necessary to take a seat at the captain&’s table. Of those six, one will die—and the rest will make utter fools of themselves. The theft of a reel of top-secret government film sets off a chase involving stolen jewels, massive marionettes, and a corpse that won&’t stay put. Murder has been committed, but the passengers can&’t be sure who&’s dead—and are too busy boozing, fighting, and robbing one another to be bothered. They do embark on an inadvisable attempt at amateur detective work—but every clue they turn up drives them deeper into madness. It will take the timely intervention of Dr. Gideon Fell to cut through the insanity and unmask a killer. John Dickson Carr wrote some of the most brilliant mystery novels of the golden age of detective fiction, and this book shows him at his funniest. As Anthony Boucher warned, &“Never was a reader more bedeviled with distractions from detection. Who observes clues while he&’s wiping his laughter-streaming eyes?&” The Blind Barber is the 4th book in the Dr. Gideon Fell Mysteries, but you may enjoy reading the series in any order.
Blood on Lake Louisa
by Baynard KendrickA small town doctor helps solve a murder and almost gets killed in the process.
Brain Guy
by Benjamin AppelBrain Guy rips the lid off New York's underworld-a trip-hammer novel about a gang killer in Hell's kitchen and the expensive women who took him to the top.
Brain Guy: A gang killer meets his match in a TNT blonde
by Benjamin AppelBrain Guy rips the lid off New York’s underworld-a trip-hammer novel about a gang killer in Hell’s kitchen and the expensive women who took him to the top.
Brain Guy
by Benjamin AppelBrain Guy rips the lid off New York’s underworld—a trip-hammer novel about a gang killer in Hell’s kitchen and the expensive women who took him to the top.
By the Light of the Study Lamp (Dana Girls Mystery #1)
by Carolyn KeeneThe first Dana Girls mystery. The adventures of resourceful Louise Dana and her irrepressible, sister Jean are packed with thrills, excitement and mystery. They evaluate character and dodge many dangers and help a new friend in distress!
The Case of the City Clerk
by Agatha ChristiePreviously published in the print anthology Parker Pine Investigates. Plans for England’s new submarine have been stolen from the aspiring Prime Minister. Hercule Poirot is summoned to crack the case, but none of the witnesses’ accounts are the same …
The Case of the Discontented Husband
by Agatha ChristiePreviously published in the print anthology Parker Pine Investigates. Reginald Wade goes to Parker Pyne when he learns that his wife has decided to leave him for another man. Reggie’s only hope is that his wife has declared a six-month grace period. If she still feels the same at the end, she wants a divorce. Pyne decides that dark, glamorous Madeline de Sara is just what Reggie needs to console him—but will Mrs. Wade think this is such a good idea?
The Case of the Distressed Lady
by Agatha ChristiePreviously published in the print anthology Parker Pine Investigates. Daphne St. John enlists Parker Pyne’s aid. She must return a valuable diamond she stole to pay off gambling debts. Now, repenting her rash act, Daphne needs help to return the diamond without its owner being any the wiser.
The Case of the Howling Dog
by Erle Stanley GardnerIn this story, Arthur Cartright seeks out Perry Mason's advice on a neighborhood dog that keeps him awake with its howling. Seems like a strange premise for a story. But before you know it, things blossom and Perry is in the middle of another murder. Cartright's neighbor is dead; Cartright has disappeared; and Cartright's wife, who was posing as the neighbor's wife, is accused of the murder.
The Case of the Rich Woman
by Agatha ChristiePreviously published in the print anthology Parker Pine Investigates. Mrs. Abner Rymer needs help from Parker Pyne. She may be a rich widow, but she’s been shunned by her friends and is very lonely. After Pyne takes her to see Dr. Constantine, an Oriental sage, Mrs. Rymer passes out and awakens with a totally different identity!
The Casino Murder Case: Phil Vance #8 (Philo Vance #8)
by S.S. Van DineBet on this Golden Age mystery from the author of The Dragon Murder Case. &“One is tempted to say that this is the best of the Philo Vance stories.&” —The New York Times The &“tremendous popularity&” of the Philo Vance series stems in part from author S. S. Van Dine&’s preference for ripping his plots from the headlines of the day (The New York Times). By the early &’30s, when Casino came around, those headlines included some creepy chemical discoveries and scandalous doings at secret Manhattan gambling dens, where rich folks knocked back cocktails and played roulette, snickering at both the Depression and the Volsted Act. Philo, of course, is no stranger to cocktails or to snickering, and he knows more about creepy chemicals than the management at Dow. This comes in handy when the owners of a secret Manhattan gambling den are poisoned, perhaps by some new and creepy chemical. As deliciously, irritatingly erudite as ever, Philo is in his element here, solving what one reviewer called an &“uncommonly subtle&” crime.Praise for the Philo Vance series &“With his highbrow manner and his parade of encyclopedic learning, Philo Vance is not only a detective; he is a god out of the machine.&” —The New York Times &“The Philo Vance novels were well-crafted puzzlers that captivated readers . . . the works of S.S. Van Dine serve to transport the reader back to a long-gone era of society and style of writing.&” —Mystery Scene &“Outrageous cleverness . . . among the finest fruits of the Golden Age.&” —Bloody Murder
The Chinese Orange Mystery: An Ellery Queen Mystery (An\ellery Queen Mystery Ser. #0)
by Ellery QueenA puzzling publishing murder attracts the eye of Ellery QueenMandarin Press is a premier publishing house for foreign literature, but to those at the top of this enterprise, there is little more beautiful than a rare stamp. As Donald Kirk, publisher and philatelist, prepares his office for a banquet, an unfamiliar man comes to call. No one recognizes him, but Kirk’s staff is used to strange characters visiting their boss, so Kirk’s secretary asks him to wait in the anteroom. Within an hour, the mysterious visitor is dead on the floor, head bashed in with a fireplace poker, and everything in the anteroom has been quite literally turned upside down. The rug is backwards; the furniture is backwards; even the dead man’s clothes have been put on front-to-back. As debonair detective Ellery Queen pries into the secrets of Mandarin Press, every clue he finds is topsy-turvy. The great sleuth must tread lightly, for walking backwards is a surefire way to step off a cliff.
The Chinese Orange Mystery
by Ellery QueenVoted one of the top ten Best Locked Room Mysteries of all Time'Ellery Queen IS the American detective story' New York Times'One of the most bizarre puzzles in crime fiction' Publishers Weekly (Starred Review)The offices of publisher and renowned stamp collector Donald Kirk has seen many things - but this is the most bizarre: the murder of an unknown caller, found dead in an empty room. Nobody entered or exited - and yet everything inside the room has been manipulated, and left upside down and backwards. Stuck through the back of the corpse's shirt are two long spears - and a tangerine is missing from the fruit bowl. Amateur sleuth Ellery Queen arrives just in time to witness the discovery of the body - and realises that even the smallest clues could be crucial to solving this most extraordinary murder...
The Clue of the Forgotten Murder
by Erle Stanley Gardner[from the back cover] "An Erle Stanley Gardner Special When a very respectable man, a candidate for councilman on a reform ticket' in fact, is picked up drunk as a hoot-owl and involved with a girl hitch-hiker, there are apt to be headlines. The Blade printed them in large, black type. That led to a libel suit and a secret investigation by a Blade reporter. At least it was supposed to be secret. But apparently the wrong person or persons unknown got wind of it, because the reporter soon became a corpse lying in a vacant lot. Sidney Griff, the criminologist, teamed with the Blade's publisher to track down missing girls, phony checks, and finally a long forgotten murder. The publisher threw his weight around with muscular abandon. Griff played human checkers with suspects, forcing them to move and reveal themselves. Between them, they wound up the case with a blast of gunfire and a shocking discovery."
Constable Guard Thyself (Inspector Poole Series)
by Henry WadeTwo threats from a newly released convict - a poacher framed on a murder charge - put Captain Scole, Chief Constable of Brodshire, on his guard. Special men are assigned to protect him.But four days later, Captain Scole is found shot through the head at his desk in Police Headquarters.A full week later, young Inspector Poole of Scotland Yard is called in to follow a cold trail in the face of open hostility from the local police. And the further he explores the murder, the more baffling it becomes.Could Scole's First World War past be catching up with him - or something much closer to home?
Constable Guard Thyself
by Henry WadeTwo threats from a newly released convict - a poacher framed on a murder charge - put Captain Scole, Chief Constable of Brodshire, on his guard. Special men are assigned to protect him.But four days later, Captain Scole is found shot through the head at his desk in Police Headquarters.A full week later, young Inspector Poole of Scotland Yard is called in to follow a cold trail in the face of open hostility from the local police. And the further he explores the murder, the more baffling it becomes.Could Scole's First World War past be catching up with him - or something much closer to home?
Coot Club
by Arthur RansomeTom Dudgeon has cast off a motor cruiser from its moorings to protect a coot's nest. Now the cruiser is searching for him, and he has to become an outlaw on the run.
The Crooked Lane
by Frances Noyes HartA sophisticated murder mystery set in high-society Washington, DC, in the years before World War II. Karl Sheridan has recently returned to Washington, DC, from Vienna, where he studied the art of detection at the renowned Criminalistic Institute. Now he is about to face his first real-life test. Attending a high-society dinner party, Karl meets an eclectic group of dazzling, clever men and women—among them the beautiful Tess Stuart, an old childhood friend. Later that evening, he receives a desperate call from Tess when she finds her sister dead. Fay Stuart appears to have committed suicide, but there may be more to the story than meets the eye. Could one or more of Karl&’s new friends have played a part in Fay&’s death? As he plumbs the Stuart sisters&’ past, Karl soon becomes embroiled in an investigation that will tempt him to abandon the cold logic and objectivity he learned to prioritize at the institute . . . &“A good story . . . Washington society, as seen by a young visitor from the Viennese secret service and police force, and his involvement in the solving of the mystery surrounding the death of an unscrupulous girl.&” —Kirkus Reviews
Death on the Nile: A Parker Pyne Story
by Agatha ChristiePreviously published in the print anthology Parker Pine Investigates. Parker Pyne is on a ship sailing up the Nile from Assouan to Cairo. Among his fellow passengers are a group of wealthy British travelers and their companions. One of them, Lady Grayle, soon lets Pyne know that someone is trying to poison her. All the evidence points to her husband, but can Pyne save her before the killer gets his wish?
The Dr. Gideon Fell Mysteries Volume One: The Blind Barber, Death-Watch, and To Wake the Dead (The Dr. Gideon Fell Mysteries)
by John Dickson CarrThree Golden Age British-style whodunits from the Edgar Award–winning writer Agatha Christie called “a master magician . . . the king of the art of misdirection.” One of the most popular Golden Age mystery authors, John Dickson Carr was also lauded by his peers. Agatha Christie offered him the highest praise from one mystery writer to another: “Very few detective stories baffle me, but Mr. Carr’s always do.” And Dorothy Sayers enthused: “Mr. Carr can lead us away from the small, artificial world of the ordinary detective plot into the menace of outer darkness. . . . Every sentence gives a thrill of positive pleasure.” Featured in Carr’s widely acknowledged masterpiece, The Hollow Man, Dr. Gideon Fell is a portly sleuth whose formidable intellect is the terror of every criminal in London and the envy of every detective in Scotland Yard. The Blind Barber: Aboard the majestic ocean liner Queen Victoria, the theft of a reel of top-secret government film sets off a chase involving stolen jewels, massive marionettes, and a corpse that won’t stay put. It will take the timely intervention of Dr. Fell to cut through the shipboard shenanigans and unmask a killer. “A good mystery and lots of fun in the bargain.” —The New York Times Death-Watch: A clockmaker is puzzled by the theft of the hands from a monumental new timepiece he is preparing for a member of the nobility. When one of the stolen hands is found buried between a policeman’s shoulder blades, stopping his clock for all time, Dr. Fell comes to the aid of Scotland Yard, putting him squarely in the path of a madman with nothing but time on his hands. “There has probably never been, either in real life or in fiction, a more elaborately planned crime than this one.” —The New York Times To Wake the Dead: On a wager, mystery novelist Christopher Kent travels from Johannesburg to London with only the cash in his wallet and the clothes on his back. He arrives with twenty-four hours to spare, his wallet and stomach both empty. But while having breakfast at a luxurious hotel, he is implicated in the murder of a guest. Fleeing the scene, Kent takes refuge with Dr. Fell. For Kent, getting to London was easy. The trick will be avoiding the hangman. “An excellent novel of crime and puzzlement.” —The New York Times
Fear by Night: A Golden Age Mystery
by Patricia WentworthThe heiress to a vast fortune is targeted in this page-turning novel from the author of the Miss Silver Mysteries Ann Vernon is lunching at the Luxe when she overhears two people talking about someone who must be gotten out of the way. She has no idea that she's that very someone! Against the advice of her boyfriend, Charles Anstruther, whose marriage proposal she's just rejected, Ann accepts a position as secretary to an elderly woman. She accompanies Mrs. Halliday and her son, Jimmy, on a cruise, where she meets handsome, charming Gale Anderson. After a few days, the Emma puts in anchor at Loch Dhu, a remote Scottish island marked by sharp rocks, heather, and steep cliffs. Suspecting something is not right about Ann's employers, Charles begins an unofficial investigation. He travels to Loch Dhu, only to discover there's no way to get on the island. As the days count down to a wealthy man's death, steps are taken to eliminate Ann before she can inherit the estate of Elias Paulett, the great-uncle she's never met. And once the final piece of a monstrous scheme is set in motion, not even the man she loves may be able to save her. Kirkus Reviews hails beloved British crime writer Patricia Wentworth's Fear by Night as "well done and full of creeps."
First Came a Murder (Department Z #3)
by John CreaseyThe detectives of Britain’s Department Z look into a murder at an exclusive club. Sir Basil Riordon is mysterious, frightening, and immensely wealthy. But is he also a killer? As head of England’s elite secret service, Department Z, Gordon Craigie has to find out, but it won’t be an easy investigation with so many important people involved. A member of an exclusive London club has been poisoned, and Riordon or his son, Marcus, may be involved. Craigie assigns his best agent, Devenish, to find the truth. But what Devenish finds isn’t a clear-cut case of homicide, but a mad masquerade of murder, larceny, and deceit of the highest order. And he and Craigie may be in over their heads . . .
Have You Got Everything You Want?
by Agatha ChristiePreviously published in the print anthology Parker Pine Investigates. Elsie Jeffries, married for eighteen months to successful businessman Edward Jeffries, meets Parker Pyne by chance on the Simplon-Orient Express. She has seen Pyne’s advertisements and feels he may be able to help her. She tells Pyne she has seen a fragment of a letter left on Edward’s blotting pad, which points to some sort of plot against her, to be carried out while she is on the train to Stamboul . . .
In the Shadow of the Tower (Dana Girls Mystery #3)
by Carolyn KeeneDana and Louise stumble upon another mystery as they overhear a cripple crying. When they visit Cousin Bessie at Barnwold farm the mystery deepens.
The Man in Button Boots (Murder Room #687)
by Anthony GilbertThe most glamorous hotel in Europe is not immune to murder... Classic crime from one of the greats of the Detection ClubWhen Julian Marks, a well-known diamond merchant, is found murdered at the Hotel Fantastique in Monte Carlo, the motive is presumed to be theft. Marks always carried with him an enormous diamond on a steel chain.Guests have noticed a shady character in button boots staying at the hotel. But when the diamond is found in an unexpected place, French sleuth M Dupuy has to rethink his investigation. Could the mystery man now lead him to the culprit?
A Man Lay Dead (Roderick Alleyn #1)
by Ngaio MarshThe murder game seemed like fun at a high society house party, but when one of the guests turned up dead, Inspector Alleyn investigated.
A Man Lay Dead (Inspector Alleyn #1)
by Ngaio MarshWealthy Sir Hubert Handesley's original and lively weekend house-parties are deservedly famous. To amuse his guests, he has devised a new form of the fashionable Murder Game, in which a guest is secretly selected to commit a 'murder' in the dark and everyone assembles to solve the crime. But when the lights go up this time there is a real corpse...
Murder in Three Acts
by Agatha ChristieFourteen guests-including Hercule Poirot-arrive for a lavish feast at an isolated estate. Only a few will be alive for dessert. The Reverend Stephen Babbington seldom imbibes, but at a gala thrown by actor Sir Charles Cartwright, he indulges in a cocktail and falls over dead. Since there is no trace of poison or foul play, the case is closed . . . until an identical death at a London party arouses the suspicions of Hercule Poirot.
The Murder of my Aunt (British Library Crime Classics #0)
by Richard HullWITH AN INTRODUCTION BY MARTIN EDWARDS Edward Powell lives with his Aunt Mildred in the Welsh town of Llwll. His aunt thinks Llwll an idyllic place to live, but Edward loathes the countryside - and thinks the company even worse. In fact, Edward has decided to murder his aunt. A darkly humorous depiction of fraught family ties, The Murder of My Aunt was first published in 1934.
Murder on the Orient Express: The Graphic Novel
by Agatha ChristieExperience Agatha Christie’s masterpiece as you’ve never seen it before with this brand-new graphic novel adaptation—featuring gorgeous full-color illustrations by Bob Al-Greene.“The murderer is with us—on the train now . . .”Just after midnight, the famous Orient Express is stopped in its tracks by a snowdrift. By morning, the millionaire Samuel Edward Ratchett lies dead in his compartment, stabbed a dozen times, his door locked from the inside. Without a shred of doubt, one of his fellow passengers is the murderer.Isolated by the storm, detective Hercule Poirot must find the killer among a dozen of the dead man's enemies, before the murderer decides to strike again.This beautiful, full-color graphic novel adaptation brings this favorite mystery to life—perfect for longtime fans and new readers alike.
Murder Underground: A British Library Crime Classic (British Library Crime Classics #0)
by Mavis Doriel HayWhen Miss Pongleton is found murdered on the stairs of Belsize Park station, her fellow-boarders in the Frampton Hotel are not overwhelmed with grief at the death of a tiresome old woman. But they all have their theories about the identity of the murderer, and help to unravel the mystery of who killed the wealthy ‘Pongle’. Several of her fellow residents – even Tuppy the terrier – have a part to play in the events that lead to a dramatic arrest. This classic mystery novel is set in and around the Northern Line of the London Underground. It is now republished for the first time since the 1930s and includes an introduction by Stephen Booth, award-winning crime writer.
The Mystic Ball (Judy Bolton Mysteries #7)
by Margaret Sutton Pelagie DoaneJudy Bolton, Irene Lang, and the rest of their friends attend the presentation of a fortune teller at the Farringdon theater. Irene is called to the stage, and the fortune teller warns Irene not to go to New York to marry Dale Meredith. Irene becomes nervous and worried after her consultation with the fortune teller, and Judy fears that Irene will ruin her life based on the dire prediction. Judy knows that the fortune teller is tricking the audience in some fashion, but how can she prove that the fortune teller has some unscrupulous means of acquiring information? And how does the fortune teller determine which people to ask on stage for a consultation? Judy's wits are put to the test as she struggles to find a solution to this complex mystery in time to prevent superstitious Irene from making a drastic mistake.
The Nine Tailors
by Dorothy L SayersWhen his sexton finds a corpse in the wrong grave, the rector of Fenchurch St Paul asks Lord Peter Wimsey to find out who the dead man was and how he came to be there.The lore of bell-ringing and a brilliantly-evoked village in the remote fens of East Anglia are the unforgettable background to a story of an old unsolved crime and its violent unravelling twenty years later.'I admire her novels ... she has great fertility of invention, ingenuity and a wonderful eye for detail' Ruth Rendell(P)2015 Hodder & Stoughton
The Nine Tailors (The Lord Peter Wimsey Mysteries #11)
by Dorothy L. SayersWhile ringing in the New Year, Lord Peter Wimsey discovers some old crimes: &“A rattling good mystery&” (Kirkus Reviews). Lord Peter Wimsey and his manservant Bunter are halfway across the wild flatlands of East Anglia when they make a wrong turn, straight into a ditch. They scramble over the rough country to the nearest church, where they find hospitality, dinner, and an invitation to go bell-ringing. This ancient art is steeped in mathematical complexities, and tonight the rector and his friends plan to embark on a 9-hour marathon session to welcome the New Year. Lord Peter joins them, taking a step into a society whose cheerful exterior hides a dark, deadly past. During their stay in this unfamiliar countryside, Lord Peter and Bunter encounter murder, a mutilated corpse, and a decades-old jewel theft for which locals continue to die. In this land where bells toll for the dead, the ancient chimes never seem to stop. The Nine Tailors is the 11th book in the Lord Peter Wimsey Mysteries, but you may enjoy the series by reading the books in any order. This ebook features an illustrated biography of Dorothy L. Sayers including rare images from the Marion E. Wade Center at Wheaton College.
An Old Lady Dies (Scott Egerton)
by Anthony GilbertA rich, controlling old woman is murdered - the only problem is there are too many suspects...Classic crime from one of the greats of the Detection ClubMrs Wolfe was dying - at last. Nobody seemed very sorry about it. Certainly not her relatives or legatees. Mrs Wolfe was wealthy and domineering and her periodical relapses regularly brought her heirs rushing to her bedside.The old lady derived a grim satisfaction from controlling people, but there's one last thing she is unable to control. For when Mrs Wolfe does die it is not by natural causes, but by treachery . . .
The Oracle at Delphi
by Agatha ChristiePreviously published in the print anthology Parker Pine Investigates. Parker Pyne is traveling incognito under the name of Mr. Thompson. In Delphi, he learns that someone calling himself Parker Pyne is being consulted by Mrs. Peters, who refers to him as "the good gentleman. " But who is this imposter, and what does he want with Mrs. Peters?
Parker Pyne Investigates: A Short Story Collection
by Agatha ChristieA classic from the queen of mystery: Agatha Christie.
The Pearl of Price
by Agatha ChristiePreviously published in the print anthology Parker Pine Investigates. A party of tourists is traveling from Amman to a camp in Petra. The group includes an American magnate and his daughter Carol. When Carol loses one of her earrings, Jim Hurst, an ex-convict, becomes a prime suspect. But is he really guilty, and can Parker Pyne shed light on the theft?
The Plague Court Murders: A Sir Henry Merrivale Mystery (Sir Henry Merrivale Mysteries #0)
by John Dickson CarrWhen a spiritual medium is murdered in a locked hut on a haunted estate, Sir Henry Merrivale seeks a logical solution to a ghostly crime Plague Court is old and crumbling, long neglected after its lord, hangman’s assistant Louis Playge, fell victim to the black death hundreds of years before. Famously haunted by Playge’s ghost, the property finally has a new owner and banishing the spirit is the first order of business. And when the medium employed with this task is found stabbed to death in a locked stone hut on the grounds, surrounded by an untouched circle of mud, the other guests at Plague Court have every reason to fear an act of supernatural violence—for who among them would be diabolical and calculating enough to orchestrate such an impossible execution? Enter Sir Henry Merrivale, an amateur sleuth of many talents with deductive powers strong enough to unspool even the most baffling crimes. But in the creepy, atmospheric setting of Plague Court, where every indication suggests intervention from the afterlife, he encounters a seemingly-illogical murder scene unlike anything he’s ever encountered before... Reissued for the first time in thirty years, The Plague Court Murders is the first novel in the Sir Henry Merrivale series. Originally published under the name Carter Dickson, it is a masterful example of the “impossible crime” novel for which John Dickson Carr is known.
The Postman Always Rings Twice
by James M. CainAn amoral young tramp. A beautiful, sullen woman with an inconvenient husband. A problem that has only one grisly solution--a solution that only creates other problems that no one can ever solve.First published in 1934 and banned in Boston for its explosive mixture of violence and eroticism, The Postman Always Rings Twice is a classic of the roman noir. It established James M. Cain as a major novelist with an unsparing vision of America's bleak underside, and was acknowledged by Albert Camus as the model for The Stranger.From the Trade Paperback edition.
The Puzzle of the Silver Persian (The Hildegarde Withers Mysteries #5)
by Stuart PalmerWhen fellow passengers on a ship bound for London start to disappear, Miss Withers must rely on a mischievous cat to help solve the mystery. Schoolteacher and occasional sleuth Hildegarde Withers has not had good luck with vacations. On her last trip, she found herself enmeshed in the investigation of a dead man on a small plane. Now, on a three-day steamer voyage to London, she&’s about to encounter death again. A gruesome joke leads to a young woman going missing from the ship&’s aft rail. Is she somewhere onboard, or has she fallen into the sea? In either case, turning about will do nothing for her, so the ship steams on. Soon the passengers descend into a nightmare, as body after body appears. Putting an end to the chaos falls to Miss Withers, who must depend on the testimony of a particularly mischievous silver Persian cat. The teacher and the feline will make it to London safe and sound—so long as their curiosity doesn&’t get the best of them. The Puzzle of the Silver Persian is part of the Hildegarde Withers Mysteries series, which also includes The Penguin Pool Murder and Murder on the Blackboard.
The Regatta Mystery
by Agatha ChristiePreviously published in the print anthology The Regatta Mystery and Other Stories. Diamond merchant Isaac Pointz and his guests come ashore at Dartmouth to enjoy the fair after the yacht races. Over dinner, young Eve Leathern bets she can make Pointz's famous diamond, the Morning Star, disappear right at the table. When the girl does exactly that, she discovers she has made the priceless gem disappear more completely than she had intended. Fortunately, Parker Pyne is able to get to the bottom of what really happened to the Morning Star.
São Bernardo
by Graciliano RamosA masterwork about backcountry life by one of Brazil's most celebrated novelists.Paulo Honório is a sometime field hand who has kicked and clawed and schemed his way to prosperity, becoming master of the decrepit estate São Bernardo, where once upon a time he toiled. He is ruthless in his exploitation of his fellow man, but when he makes a match with a fine young woman, he is surprised to discover that this latest acquisition, as he sees it, may be somewhat harder to handle. It is in Paulo Honório&’s own rough-hewn voice that the great Brazilian writer Graciliano Ramos, often compared to William Faulkner, tells this gritty and dryly funny story of triumph and comeuppance, a tour de force of the writer&’s art that is beautifully captured in Padma Viswanathan&’s new translation.