The Dead Ringer—Fredric Brown–1948–IP I thought since my last post was about collecting side show/carny books, that I’d give the synopsis of one of the 100 best mysteries, as carnys are its theme. Fredric Brown was a prolific writer. He wrote not only crime fiction, but science fiction as well, and plenty of both. His … Read more
The Affair At Royalties-George Baxt–1971-OOP I must be honest. I’ve no memory whatsoever of this book–what I mean is, I’ve no remembrance of the plot, characters or setting. The reason–I read it as a teen, and was struck enough by the story to carry around George Baxt’s name in my wallet, in case something else … Read more
After Life—Rhian Ellis–2000-available “First I had to get the body into the boat. This was more than ten years ago, and I’ve forgotten some of what came before and after, but that night and the following day I remember in extravagant detail.” I was hooked immediately from those first lines. I read and read, and … Read more
The Doorbell Rang—Rex Stout–1966 There are a gazillion Rex Stout/Nero Wolfe and Archie Goodwin novels that are superb. I chose The Doorbell Rang because of its audacious subject and the ending, which I will not be revealing. I’m not alone in loving this particular title. It’s on the list provided by MWA–Mystery Writers of America … Read more
Snow Angels—Stewart O’Nan–1994-IP It’s tough to choose a Stewart O’Nan book that is better than another O’Nan book. I decided on Snow Angels because it’s the first I read and sold many copies of, and because it’s far more than a crime novel, it’s the exploration of how life falls apart, how happy families are … Read more
Great Black Kanba—Constance and Gwynth Little–1944–IP The sisters were consistently hilarious. “Carolyn Hart (Grand Dame of cosy mystery writing) calls this tale of mistaken identity, barking lizards, multiple beaus and murder on a trans-Australia railroad trip one of her five favorite mysteries ” Great Black Kanba turns out to be my favorite of the bunch, … Read more
Traitor’s Purse Margery Allingham 1940 Finally, I’ve reread one of my best 100, and it not only lives up to a vague memory of greatness, it excels it. Up until this point, Margery Allingham had written rather lightweight traditional mysteries with Albert Campion as the amateur detective, and his faithful sidekick, Lugg. They were … Read more
Murder Within Murder Frances and Richard Lockridge 1946 The first time I read the book, I was impressed with what I felt was new territory being explored–an old murder having a direct bearing on a recent one. It felt unique. But upon second reading for this list, I wasn’t as taken with the plot within … Read more
