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The Lady Vanishes
by Ethel Lina WhiteThe exciting original of the Hitchcock film classic.Iris Carr was young, wealthy, attractive - and bored. Despairing of her society friends, tired of skiing with the crowd, she decides to return to England alone by train. But she hadn't bargained for the extraordinary Miss Froy - a lively, gossipy spinster who is determined to befriend her, nor had she expected Miss Froy's sudden disappearance.Certain that she has not imagined so bizarre a character, and outraged by the blank faces of the passengers who deny her existence, Iris vows to find her companion, unaware of the terrifying trail ahead, so wildly different from her notion of a comfortable journey home.
Murder by Experts (Mr Crook Murder Mystery)
by Anthony GilbertLawyer-detective Arthur Crook always believes his clients are innocent... despite the evidence to the contrary.Classic crime from one of the greats of the Detection ClubA famous art collector's car discovered at the bottom of a cliff after he was supposed to have taken a young woman to the railway station, so naturally the police expect to find his body there, too. But it turns up weeks later, in a locked room in his country house, and he's been stabbed to death...
The Mutiny on the Bounty Trilogy
by Charles Nordhoff James W. HallIncludes Mutiny on the Bounty, Men Against the Sea, and Pitcairn's Island. Captain Bligh's initial exploits, based on actual events during the late eighteenth century.
The Mysterious Half Cat (Judy Bolton Mysteries #9)
by Margaret SuttonJudy is excited that her old friend, "Scottie", is returning to Farringdon. They plan a huge welcoming party for Scottie at the railroad station, but things turn for the worse when Scottie is upset and agitated, trying to control her little sister, Carol. Carol is a very difficult child and Scottie expects Judy to help her find a way to help Carol while also searching for lost relatives. Unfortunately, Judy is in the midst of two other mysteries. Strange happening at the Chinese laundry and disappearing objects have Judy in detective mode. Follow Judy as she helps solve Carol's problem and helps everyone come together. 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.
Odd John and Sirius
by Olaf StapledonIn the list of modern science fiction personalities, the late British philosopher and novelist W. Olaf Stapledon is prominent. Last and First Men and Starmaker are generally considered to be the finest future histories ever written, the gage by which all earlier and later works are measured. Odd John and Sirius are no less accurate in dealing with the problem in another guise. The central question is: if and when a superior being is introduced into a culture, how will either survive? Stapledon’s answers are by no means romantic fantasies; they are the pathetic, realistic conclusions which we, one day, may be forced to accept.Odd John is the definitive fictionalization of the mutated superman. After a strange birth and childhood, John is suddenly compelled to accept the fact that he is different. What is more, he has to decide what to do with his gifts. Sirius, although the logical successor to Odd John, deals with quite another being — an alien intelligence, artificially produced, a dog with superhuman mentality, who is not only superior to his own kind, but rejected by those with whom he has most in common. Stapledon uses his powers — intellectual, imaginative, and observant — to detail the conflict in its very "human" form.Odd John and Sirius are something else besides explorations of superbeings. Stapledon is capable of a great deal of humor and tongue-in-cheek description. If his writing, as he says in the subtitle to Odd John, is between jest and earnest, his sympathies are divided between the conflicting forces of man and superman. For those in literature, in psychology, in philosophy, or even in the world as it now exists, the detailed histories of these two strange beings will be ones to ponder. If anything, we have moved closer to the stage when conflict between superior and sapient man is imminent.
A Puzzle for Fools: A Peter Duluth Mystery (The Peter Duluth Mysteries #1)
by Patrick QuentinThis first act of a mystery series by an Edgar Award winner, Broadway producer/amateur sleuth Peter Duluth delivers “your money’s worth of theatrics” (Kirkus Reviews). 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.” Peter Duluth was once an up-and-comer on the Great White Way. But after his wife died, he dove into a bottle and stayed there. It’s only when he’s about to hit rock bottom that he decides to dry out, admitting himself into rehab to save his life. Unfortunately, Peter’s new home turns out to be even more dangerous than the outside world when a staff member is murdered, and a patient soon checks out in a similar manner. Peter thinks he may have an idea of what’s going on, but isn’t sure what he’s hearing and seeing is real, or if the DTs are still playing with his head. When a beautiful fellow patient falls under suspicion, Peter realizes that the deadly mystery is offering him not only a new life, but also a new love. All he has to do now is find a crazed killer in a place where crazy is the norm . . .
The Roderick Alleyn Mysteries Volume 2: Death in Ecstasy, Vintage Murder, Artists in Crime (Roderick Alleyn)
by Ngaio MarshThree compelling tales of crime featuring the sharp-witted British police detective: &“Any Ngaio Marsh story is certain to be Grade A.&” —The New York Times This volume includes three books in the classic detective series from the Mystery Writers of America Grand Master: Death in Ecstasy: Tainted wine sends a member of a religious sect to meet her maker in a witty mystery marked by &“quiet, intelligent deduction&” (Kirkus Reviews). Vintage Murder: Inspector Alleyn is enjoying his trip to New Zealand—until intrigue among his fellow travelers turns deadly . . . Artists in Crime: An artists&’ model is murdered—and among the suspects is a new woman in Inspector Alleyn&’s life—in this &“first-rate&” detective story (Kirkus Reviews).
The Santa Klaus Murder: A British Library Crime Classic (British Library Crime Classics #0)
by Mavis Doriel Hay"[A] marvelous blend of history and mystery..." —Publishers Weekly STARRED reviewIt should have been routine, a simple assignment for PI Sam Blackman and his partner Nakayla Robertson. Follow a history professor who's suing a spinal surgeon for malpractice and catch her in physical activities that undercut her claim.When professor Janice Wainwright visits Connemara, Carl Sandburg's home in Flat Rock, N.C., and climbs the arduous trail to the top of Glassy Mountain, Sam believes he has the evidence needed to expose her—until he finds the woman semiconscious and bleeding on the mountain's granite outcropping. Her final words: "It's the Sandburg verses. The Sandburg verses."As the person to discover the dying woman, Sam becomes the first suspect. An autopsy reveals painkillers in her blood and solid proof of the surgeon's errors. Why did this suffering woman attempt to climb the mountain? Did she stumble and fall? Did someone cause her death?A break-in at the Wainwright farmhouse and the theft of Sandburg volumes convince Sam someone is seeking potentially deadly information. But what did Pulitzer Prize winner Sandburg have in his literary collection that inspires multiple murders? And who will be targeted next?
The Scarlet Circle (The Doctor Westlake Mysteries #6)
by Jonathan StaggeA Golden Age mystery featuring a sleuthing small-town doctor who&’s out of his depth as a killer haunts a waning New England summer. On vacation with his daughter on the New England coast, Dr. Hugh Westlake is enjoying the sun, the sea, and the fishing. Being September, the inn where they&’re staying is almost empty, except for a few other guests. But the peace is shattered when a woman&’s body is found strangled on the beach, with a red circle drawn around a mole on her face. The morbid scene becomes more so when she&’s identified as the governess of a family staying at the inn. Hugh gets drafted by local law enforcement to help with the investigation. He uncovers dysfunctional parents, a creepy mortician, a handsome lifeguard, and a woman painter—all with secrets to hide. Not to mention local legends. When another woman is murdered, with another mole circled, Hugh realizes there&’s a madman on the loose. And he must tie up the loose ends of crimes past and present to net a most diabolical killer. &“Stagge has packed some excellent reading between the opening and closing chapters.&” —Chicago Sun &“An exciting and grisly yarn.&” —New York Herald Tribune &“A fine entry in one of the better American amateur detective novel series.&” —Pretty Sinister Books &“One of the year&’s supreme morsels. It has everything the exemplary detective story should possess.&” —Worcester Telegram
The Secret at the Hermitage (Dana Girls Mystery #5)
by Carolyn KeeneDelusional Harold Norton, ex-warden of the Pinecrest Reformatory, accuses Louise Dana of being escapee Nina Regan. Louise clears herself, only to find that Norton continues to stalk her every move. After Louise is attacked by Norton, she is lost in the woods and spends the night with a strange hermit. Upon Louise's return to Starhurst, she becomes intrigued with Nina's strange case. Nina was never proved guilty of her crime, so Louise wants to help her. The girls discover that the old hermit may know where Nina is hiding. Meanwhile, Harold Norton relentlessly hunts for Nina, endangering both Louise and the old hermit. Louise and Jean must quickly discover Nina's whereabouts and learn whether she is guilty.
Six Against the Yard (The Detection Club)
by Agatha Christie Margery Allingham Anthony Berkeley Freeman Wills Crofts Ronald Knox Russell Thorndike The Detection ClubSix “perfect murders” by Margery Allingham, Dorothy L. Sayers, and other Golden Age Mystery authors of the Detection Club—plus an essay by Agatha Christie. Founded in England in the 1930s, the Detection Club brought together an impressive array of Golden Age Mystery authors. Their projects included The Floating Admiral, a whodunit in which twelve different writers contributed individual chapters, as well as Ask a Policeman, another collaboration in which the mystery writers swapped detectives to solve a murder. In Six Against the Yard, a half dozen mystery masters—Margery Allingham, Father Ronald Knox, Anthony Berkeley, Russell Thorndike, Dorothy L. Sayers, and Freeman Wills Crofts—each create a perfect crime, a seemingly unsolvable mystery. The stories are then analyzed by Ex-Superintendent Cornish, C.I.D., a real-life retired police detective, to see if they would indeed stump Scotland Yard. This edition also features an afterword by inaugural Detection Club member Agatha Christie on a true unsolved case of arsenic poisoning in Britain in 1929.
The Spanish Cave
by Geoffrey HouseholdA twelve year-old boy finds terror and adventure inside a Spanish cave When his parents died, Dick stepped aboard a ship on the Thames and left England behind forever. He made his way to Spain, where he found work as a fisherman. Life at sea is difficult, but since learning to speak their language, Dick has found the Spanish to be the most hospitable people on earth. They call him Ricardito and treat him as one of their own. It is an idyllic life--until the day he makes his discovery. Dick is fishing with a friend when their net drags the skull up from the bottom of the forbidding Cave of the Angels. Although the locals warn against exploring the mysterious cave, Dick cannot resist. Dared by one of his friends to spend a night there, Dick ventures inside. Something terrible lurks inside the Cave of the Angels, but there is no creature of the sea that can frighten Ricardito.
The Terror of Villadonga
by Geoffrey HouseholdAn exciting children's adventure story from the acclaimed author of ROGUE MALE, Geoffrey Household.12-year-old Dick Garland lives on the northern coast of Spain. With his thirst for exploring, he has ventured into nearly every cave nearby - except the feared Cave of Angels. When dared to spend one night there alone by the gutsy Lola, Dick boldly accepts her challenge. But there's an unspeakable terror in that cave, and in order to protect his family and friends Dick decides to do something about it . . . Household's exciting children's novel demonstrates the strength of courage, the thrill of adventure and the power of loyalty.
The Terror of Villadonga
by Geoffrey HouseholdAn exciting children's adventure story from the acclaimed author of ROGUE MALE, Geoffrey Household.12-year-old Dick Garland lives on the northern coast of Spain. With his thirst for exploring, he has ventured into nearly every cave nearby - except the feared Cave of Angels. When dared to spend one night there alone by the gutsy Lola, Dick boldly accepts her challenge. But there's an unspeakable terror in that cave, and in order to protect his family and friends Dick decides to do something about it . . . Household's exciting children's novel demonstrates the strength of courage, the thrill of adventure and the power of loyalty.
The Terror Trap (Department Z #7)
by John CreaseyThe greed of one man leads to the death of others in this action-packed mystery featuring British intelligence’s secret detective squad. When two impossibly rich oil tycoons are found murdered in their own homes, a matter of life and death becomes one of national security. Jim Burke of Department Z is called in to stop this ambitious murderer from killing again—but it isn’t long before Burke’s investigation is derailed by an attempt on his own life. Will he be able to save Britain from this latest threat and escape unharmed? Burke knows that he’s up against something big—but is it too big for this new secret service man to handle? This exciting thriller is part of the classic series starring the agents of Department Z, from the multimillion-selling, Edgar Award–winning author.
Thank You, Mr. Moto: Your Turn, Mr. Moto; Thank You, Mr. Moto; And Think Fast, Mr. Moto (The Mr. Moto Novels #2)
by John P. MarquandStolen art, murder, and international intrigue--the 2nd installment in John P. Marquand's popular espionage series is an evocative portrait of 1930s Peking Tom Nelson, a jaded American expatriate, stumbles into a deadly conspiracy as tensions between Japan and China threaten to escalate into all-out war. When a British ex-army major trafficking in stolen goods is murdered, the beautiful American art dealer Eleanor Joyce is implicated in the crime. The search for the real killer leads Tom and Eleanor straight into the clutches of General Wu Lo Feng, a notorious warlord from the North who has surreptitiously entered Peking as part of a secret plan with global implications. Feng will stop at nothing to silence the American pair. Their only hope for survival is Mr. Moto, a secret agent of Imperial Japan who is onto the general's scheme. But can Tom and Eleanor trust the enigmatic spymaster, or are they fated to be pawns in a plot whose stakes are as monumental as they are sinister? 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.
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?