Golden Age Detective Stories

Otto Penzler

$26.95

Paperback

In stock
Ready to ship

QTY:

English

Penzler
16 August 2021

Literature: history & criticism; Fiction & Literature

Series: An American Mystery Classic

Sometimes, the police aren't the best suited to solve a crime. Depending on the case, you may find that a retired magician, a schoolteacher, a Broadway producer, or a nun have the necessary skills to suss out a killer. Or, in other cases, a blind veteran, or a publisher, or a hard-drinking attorney, or a mostly-sober attorney? or, indeed, any sort of detective you could think of might be able to best the professionals when it comes to comprehending strange and puzzling murders.?

At least, that's what the authors from the Golden Age of American mystery fiction would have you think. For decades in the middle of the twentieth century, the country's best-selling authors produced delightful tales in which all types of eccentrics used rarified knowledge to interpret confounding clues. And for even longer, in the decades that have followed, these characters have continued to entertain new audiences with every new generation that discovers them.?

Edgar Award-winning anthologist Otto Penzler selects some of the greatest American short stories from era. With authors including Ellery Queen, Mary Roberts Rinehart, Cornell Woolrich, Erle Stanley Gardner, and Anthony Boucher, this collection is a treat for those who know and love this celebrated period in literary history, and a great introduction to its best writers for the uninitiated.

Includes discussion guide questions for use in book clubs.

Edited by: Otto Penzler
Imprint: Penzler
Country of Publication: United States
Dimensions: Height: 203mm, Width: 135mm, Spine: 30mm
Weight: 477g
ISBN: 9781613162163
ISBN 10: 1613162162
Series: An American Mystery Classic
Pages: 312
Publication Date: 16 August 2021
Audience: General/trade , ELT Advanced
Format: Paperback
Publisher's Status: Active

Otto Penzler, the creator of American Mystery Classics, is also the founder of the Mysterious Press (1975), a literary crime imprint now associated with Grove/Atlantic; Mysterious Press.com (2011), an electronic-book publishing company; and New York City's Mysterious Bookshop (1979). He has won a Raven, the Ellery Queen Award, two Edgars (for the Encyclopedia of Mystery and Detection, 1977, and The Lineup, 2010), and lifetime achievement awards from Noircon and The Strand Magazine. He has edited more than 70 anthologies and written extensively about mystery fiction.

Reviews for Golden Age Detective Stories

In addition to well-known contributors, such as Ellery Queen and Erle Stanley Gardner, Penzler presents memorable tales from the lesser-known [...] This sampler is an easy gateway to other volumes in this high-quality series. -- Publishers Weekly STARRED REVIEW Exemplary. -- Kirkus