Maxima Library

An anthology of stories

A new anthology of twenty-nine short stories features an array of baffling locked-room mysteries by Michael Collins, Bill Pronzini, Susanna Gregory, H. R. F. Keating, Peter Lovesey, Kate Ellis, and Lawrence Block, among others.

Hillerman, author of the Joe Leaphorn mysteries, and Herbert, editor of The Oxford Companion to Crime and Mystery Writing, trace this short-story genre from its beginnings in the hands of Edgar Allen Poe through its development by the likes of Erle Stanley Gardner, Mary Roberts Rinehart and Anthony Boucher to its current practice by such masters as Marcia Muller. Poe's "The Murders in the Rue Morgue," which established a great many of the whodunit conventions, is indispensable to such an overview. Raymond Chandler's "I'll be Waiting" emits a doom-laden atmosphere right from the first line; William Faulkner shows unexpected economy of language?and a transparent plot?in "An Error in Chemistry." Ed McBain scores high marks in "Small Homicide," in which the tiny details of a baby's untimely death resonate uncomfortably. As represented in this competent, unstartling collection, Linda Barnes ("Lucky Penny") easily outsasses Sue Grafton ("The Parker Shotgun"). Hillerman makes a solid appearance with "Chee's Witch," and in "Benny's Space" Muller captures the full subtle force of her novel-length vision.

John Dickson Carr (1906-1977) wurde als Sohn schottischer Eltern in Uniontown, Pennsylvania, geboren. In seinen über 90 Romanen nimmt Carr die Tradition seiner Vorbilder Arthur Conan Doyle und G. K. Chesterton anspielungsreich auf. Der beleibte und biertrinkende Privatgelehrte Dr. Gideon Fell muß einen Vergleich mit den großen Detektiven dieser Autoren nicht scheuen. Von John Dickson Carr sind in der DuMont's Kriminal-Bibliothek bereits erschienen: »Der Tote im Tower« (Band 1014), »Die schottische Selbstmord-Serie« (Band 1018), »Die Schädelburg« (Band 1027), »Fünf tödliche Schachteln« (Band 1034) und »Der verschlossene Raum« (Band 1042).

Die Originalausgabe erschien unter dem Titel »Hag's Nook«