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Spill the Jackpot (The Bertha Cool and Donald Lam Mysteries)
by Erle Stanley GardnerThe diminutive detective and his bulldog of a boss head to Las Vegas to find a runaway bride in this hard-boiled mystery by the creator of Perry Mason. Donald Lam and Bertha Cool make for a couple of unlikely detectives. Donald is a charming ex-lawyer in his thirties who may lack brawn but makes up for it in brains. Bertha, meanwhile, is a fifty-something-year-old widow who won&’t take lip from anyone. She certainly won&’t let a bout of illness keep her down. After a stay at the sanitarium, she and Donald are off to Las Vegas for their latest case. Who needs rest? Mr. Whitewell needs Donald and Bertha to find his son&’s fiancée and learn why she abruptly left town. Donald quickly gets to work with just a mysterious letter as his only lead. Soon he uncovers a scheme to swindle casinos, along with a brutal murder. Now he must determine what&’s going on before someone ensures he&’s the next member of the agency to have a long hospital stay—or worse. &“The best American writer, of course, is Erle Stanley Gardner.&” —Evelyn Waugh &“Gardner has a way of moving the story forward that is almost a lost art: great stretches of dialogue alternate with lively chunks of exposition, and the two work together perfectly, without sacrificing momentum.&” —Booklist
A Spy for Mr Crook (Mr Crook Murder Mystery)
by Anthony GilbertMurder, politics and Nazi sympathisers - Arthur Crook has his detection skills pushed to the limit., with a most unlikely conspirator...Classic crime from one of the greats of the Detection Club'The lobby of the House of Commons was very full on the momentous afternoon that Miss Sarah Bennett, a composed and amused spinster, torn from her happy obscurity by an energetic and enterprising Minister of Labour, came from the Temporary Pass Office, up the stairs, through a corridor lined with effigies of the great . . .'Arthur Crook, and valiant conspirator Miss Sarah Bennett, secretary to Allen Wilkinson Stout MP, adventure through murders, Nazi incitement and parliamentary happenings to save a wing commander arrested for murder.
They Never Say When
by Peter CheyneySlim Callaghan, private detective, is drawn into a particularly dubious case - even for him. A Mrs Paula Denys says she paid a man to steal the priceless Denys Coronet from her husband's safe. Now the thief won't hand over the goods and is attempting to blackmail her.Callaghan solves the problem for his client but, too late, discovers the luscious Mrs Denys is not all she seems. Callaghan is determined to get to the bottom of it all - and opens some dangerous cans of worms in the process.
They See in Darkness (Murder Room #783)
by Ethel Lina WhiteOldtown is a picturesque, historic place, with a square of characterful houses nestling at its centre, and is home to retired colonial masters and friendly locals. A wealthy, reclusive sisterhood lives there too, in a large mansion, Cloisters; a group known locally as the 'Black Nuns', who are said to have extraordinary healing powers.But a killer is at work in Oldtown, and a series of murders has thrown the inhabitants into blind, unreasoning terror, a fear of darkness and of strange sounds - sounds such as the pitiless beat of following footsteps. Suddenly the town is plunged into a miasma of fear and superstition ...
They See in Darkness
by Ethel Lina WhiteOldtown is a picturesque, historic place, with a square of characterful houses nestling at its centre, and is home to retired colonial masters and friendly locals. A wealthy, reclusive sisterhood lives there too, in a large mansion, Cloisters; a group known locally as the 'Black Nuns', who are said to have extraordinary healing powers. But a killer is at work in Oldtown, and a series of murders has thrown the inhabitants into blind, unreasoning terror, a fear of darkness and of strange sounds - sounds such as the pitiless beat of following footsteps. Suddenly the town is plunged into a miasma of fear and superstition ...
While Still We Live
by Helen MacinnesHelen MacInnes again demonstrates her unique mastery of the dramatic suspense novel in this superbly plotted thriller about a young English girl whose innocent holiday visit to Poland is suddenly twisted into a nightmare of violence and terror when she is mistaken for a Nazi spy.
The Alington Inheritance (Miss Silver Series)
by Patricia WentworthCharming men can be the most dangerous . . .Jenny is 18 when her guardian is killed and her wealthy relations the Forbes invite her to stay. Consoled by the affectionate attentions of their little girls and the charming elder son, she starts to find her feet again.Then she overhears a private conversation and realises she is in terrible danger. Terrified and bewildered, Jenny flees from the village, desperately hoping her enemies will forget all about her. But she's wrong . . .
The Applegreen Cat (The Pat and Jean Abbott Mysteries Series)
by Frances Crane<p>A witty whodunit set in WWII England starring “one of the more interesting married teams of detectives . . . A sort of globetrotting Nick and Nora” (Thrilling Detective).<p> <p>While in England, Pat and Jean Abbott are focused on contributing to the war effort in whatever way they can, but they don’t mind taking a weekend to join some other American expats at the country home of advertising man Steve Hayward and his wife. But before much fun can be had, a body is found on the premises. Pat isn’t so sure that everyone’s impulse to blame the death on a passing drifter or a Nazi spy is the answer—and when the spotlight of suspicion falls on a member of a house party he’s sure is innocent, he starts getting reluctantly involved in the case . . .<p>
The Black Angel: A Novel
by Cornell WoolrichA classic is back in print! This hypnotic thriller, by one of the originators of the noir form, exposes its heroine to a waking nightmare In this classic crime novel, a panic-stricken young wife races against time to prove that her convicted husband did not murder his mistress. Writing in first person from the wife's viewpoint, Woolrich evokes her love and anguish and, finally, desperation as she becomes an avenging angel in her attempt to rescue her husband from execution.
The Black Angel
by Cornell WoolrichThis hypnotic thriller by the father of noir exposes its heroine to a waking nightmare. A panic-stricken young wife races against time to prove that her convicted husband did not murder his mistress. Writing in first person from her viewpoint, Woolrich makes us feel her love and anguish and desperation, as she becomes an avenging angel to rescue her husband from execution.
Blind Man's Bluff (Duncan Maclain Mystery #4)
by Baynard KendrickThe New York Police were sure Captain Duncan Maclain, the keen, blind detective, was wrong in forestalling the arrest of Seth Hadfield for murder of his estranged father, Blake. Even Maclain was forced to admit the balance of evidence against his client. Father and son had gone together to a deserted downtown office, and it was there that the older man plunged to his death over a stair rail. The case against Seth seemed to be even more damning when it was discovered that he had recently quarreled bitterly with his father concerning a family matter. The further Maclain went in his investigation, the more muddled the picture of crime became. Where there had been no evidence, except against Seth, there was suddenly too much evidence. And too many "accidents." Then Maclain finds a lovely assistant. Without her help, Maclain would never have seen the pattern of murder. Even with everything pointing to the guilty one, it is not until he goes to the extreme of placing himself in the dead man's own danger that the killer's bluff is called. Maclain finds the clever, ruthless murderer--and puts his assistant on a permanent basis.
Blind Man's Bluff: A Duncan Maclain Mystery (The Duncan Maclain Mysteries #0)
by Baynard KendrickA blind detective rises to the occasion following the suspicious death of a blind financier in this mystery by the author of Odor of Violets.Following the loss of his sight in World War I, ex–intelligence officer Capt. Duncan Maclain honed his other senses and became one of the most successful and well-known private investigators in New York City . . .The Miners Title and Trust is typically dead quiet, having gone bankrupt. Then, late one evening, the bank&’s blind president, Blake Hadfield, plummets eight stories to his death in the building&’s lobby. The only witnesses are the security guard and Blake&’s estranged wife, who were both on the first floor. Blake&’s son, Seth, is found drunk and dazed on the eighth floor, making him the prime suspect in what the police believe to be murder.That&’s when Harold Lawson and Sybella Ford call upon Captain Maclain for help. Maclain doesn&’t think the banker&’s death was a suicide or an accident. He believes someone else was in the building. Now, with the help of his two German Shepherds, Maclain must begin investigating the complicated life of the senior Hadfield. But if the sightless sleuth isn&’t careful, he could meet a similar end . . . Baynard Kendrick was the first American to enlist in the Canadian Army during World War I. While in London, he met a blind English soldier whose observational skills inspired the character of Capt. Duncan Maclain. Kendrick was also a founding member of the Mystery Writers of America and winner of the organization&’s Grand Master Award.
The Case of the Buried Clock
by Erle Stanley GardnerA returning war veteran stumbles across a buried clock that is apparently keeping sidereal time. A murder victim is found in a rural area where, it seems, all the neighbors go out for walks at night.
The Case of the Drowsy Mosquito
by Erle Stanley GardnerA wealthy prospector is camping in his own back yard, someone tries to poison Perry and Della, Paul Drake poses as a drunken prospector, and the clue to the murder is the sound of a mosquito flying in lazy circles.
The Case of the Smoking Chimney
by Erle Stanley Gardner"I can tell you the exact time the murder was committed--almost," said Grampss Wiggins to D.A. Frank Duryea. "How?" "There was a clock in that room that told the time of the murder." "What clock?" "That oil lamp." "I don't get it," Duryea said. "You wouldn't," Grampss chuckled. "You're too young. And I ain't going to tell you any more right now. But remember this --autopsy surgeons ain't so darned infallible. I can remember lots of cases where they got things balled up."
The Case of the Weird Sisters (The MacDougal Duff Mysteries #2)
by Charlotte ArmstrongThree old crones plan a deadly accident for their wealthy half-brotherAlice Brennan is going to marry a millionaire. She has caught the eye of her boss, Innes Whitlock, but before they can tie the knot she must meet his sisters: three women who are so awful that no amount of money is worth enduring their company. One is blind, one is deaf, one is missing an arm, and they all want their brother dead. The accidents begin as soon as Alice and Innes arrive at the sisters' creaky old Michigan country house. A lamp falls from the ceiling, narrowly missing Innes's head. When he goes for a drive, a detour sign disappears, sending him off the road and nearly killing him. Before the sisters can finish the job, Alice contacts her old history professor, MacDougal Duff, who makes his living solving murders. He is the only one who can save Alice's millionaire from his murderous family.
Cats Prowl at Night (Cool & Lam)
by Erle Stanley GardnerIt was just a routine case. All Bertha Cool had to do was help a fellow in a jam - a $20,000 jam. But it didn't stay a routine case for long. All of a sudden Bertha's client had a fistful of anonymous letters, a missing wife, and a body in his basement. Bertha Cool had her hands full. The only problem was, her hands were tied - and the murderer's were very, very busy.
Cats Prowl at Night (The Bertha Cool and Donald Lam Mysteries)
by Erle Stanley GardnerDealing with debtors turns deadly for a prickly PI in this hard-boiled mystery by the creator of Perry Mason and author of Bats Fly at Dusk. A hot-headed widow and a glass-jawed ex-lawyer, Bertha Cool and Donald Lam seem like an unlikely duo of private detectives. Even so, they&’ve managed to solve the most difficult of mysteries—when they&’re together. With Donald now on a European vacation, Bertha is hesitant to accept any new business—but money is money, and this new case seems routine enough . . . Bertha is hired to get sales engineer Everett Belder out of a $20,000 problem. Unfortunately, his troubles soon multiply. His wife is receiving poisoned-pen letters accusing him of infidelity. Then she disappears. And there&’s also the matter of the body in his cellar. With everything spiraling out of control, Bertha must determine who is behind this deadly game of cat and mouse before another murder comes into play. &“No one has ever matched Gardner for swift, sure exposition.&” —Kirkus Reviews &“The best American writer, of course, is Erle Stanley Gardner.&” —Evelyn Waugh
Catspaw for Murder (The Rachel Murdock Mysteries)
by Dolores HitchensA spry seventy-year-old sleuth and her feline companion sniff out clues to a crime: “The observant Rachel is an appealing Jessica Fletcher antecedent.” —Publishers WeeklyA letter has arrived at the home shared by the elderly Murdock sisters and their black cat, Samantha. It stirs Rachel’s curiosity, and Jennifer’s alarm, as she fears her sibling will once again head off on a dangerous adventure in detection. The letter-writer is an old friend’s granddaughter who explains that a bizarre drawing of a hand has been slipped under her door, making her very uneasy, and she’d appreciate Rachel’s sleuthing skills. Leaving a furious Jennifer behind and toting Samantha in her travel basket, Rachel departs Los Angeles to visit Prudence Mills and assess any possible threat to her. There’d been conflict over her late father’s business dealings, and Prudence’s little sister encountered a prowler in her bedroom. Even more troubling, Prudence’s face has been scarred by an unseen attacker—and for some reason, she fears telling the police. Now, in the snowy mountains, Rachel will be entangled in a chilling mystery—and, as a child of pro-temperance activists, visit a bar for the first time in her seventy years . . .“Dolores Hitchens has been writing novels of mystery and suspense, under a variety of names and in a variety of styles, but always entertainingly and often achieving something more than casual entertainment.” —The New York TimesCatspaw for Murder was previously published under the pseudonymD. B. Olsen
The Chinese Shawl (The\miss Silver Mysteries Ser. #5)
by Patricia WentworthTanis Lyle was one of those passionate women who always get their own way. Her cousin Laura hated her. Most women did. But men found her irresistible and she used them mercilessly.So when Tanis was found murdered there seemed to be any number of suspects on hand.But Miss Silver had her own suspicions . . .
The Chinese Shawl (Miss Silver Series)
by Patricia WentworthTanis Lyle was one of those passionate women who always get their own way. Her cousin Laura hated her. Most women did. But men found her irresistible and she used them mercilessly.So when Tanis was found murdered there seemed to be any number of suspects on hand.But Miss Silver had her own suspicions . . .
The Chinese Shawl (The Miss Silver Mysteries #5)
by Patricia WentworthIn this classic British mystery starring a sleuth &“who has her place in detective fiction as surely as Lord Peter Wimsey or Hercule Poirot,&” Miss Silver investigates a murder that may have its roots in a new romance—or an old family feud (Manchester Evening News). An amateur who happened on a career in theater, Tanis Lyle has just finished filming her first motion picture. The young woman has electric charm, and seems to hypnotize all who meet her—including Laura Fane, a distant cousin who, because of a long-standing family feud, has never been allowed to meet her glamorous relative. But while all of London seems to love Tanis, her powerful effect on men causes some to despise her. And when the actress&’s life is cut short by an unknown hand, investigator Miss Maud Silver will have to hunt for a killer.
The Chinese Shawl: In The Balance, The Chinese Shawl, And Miss Silver Deals With Death (The Miss Silver Mysteries #5)
by Patricia WentworthIn this classic British mystery starring a sleuth &“who has her place in detective fiction as surely as Lord Peter Wimsey or Hercule Poirot,&” Miss Silver investigates a murder that may have its roots in a new romance—or an old family feud (Manchester Evening News). An amateur who happened on a career in theater, Tanis Lyle has just finished filming her first motion picture. The young woman has electric charm, and seems to hypnotize all who meet her—including Laura Fane, a distant cousin who, because of a long-standing family feud, has never been allowed to meet her glamorous relative. But while all of London seems to love Tanis, her powerful effect on men causes some to despise her. And when the actress&’s life is cut short by an unknown hand, investigator Miss Maud Silver will have to hunt for a killer.
Los cinco detectives 1: Misterio en la villa incendiada (Los cinco detectives #Volumen 1)
by Enid BlytonLa mítica serie de misterios de Enid Blyton, actualizada para los lectores de hoy. Algo huele a chamusquina... ¿Y si el incendio en la villa del antipático señor Hicks no ha sido un accidente? Pip, Bets, Larry, Daisy y su nuevo amigo Fatty están decididos a averiguarlo. ¡Acaban de nacer Los cinco detectives! ¡Qué emocionante!
Colour Scheme (Roderick Alleyn #12)
by Ngaio MarshFour quarrelsome patriots get 'spy fever' and their amateurish efforts result in a murder that Inspector Alleyn investigates.