The Mammoth Book of Perfect Crimes & Impossible Mysteries
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Authors: Ashley Mike
MIKE ASHLEY
is an author and editor of over eighty books, including many Mammoth titles. He worked for over thirty years in local government but is now a full-time writer and researcher specializing in ancient history, historical fiction and fantasy, crime and science fiction. He lives in Kent with his wife and over 20,000 books.
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London Constable & Robinson Ltd
3 The Lanchesters
162 Fulham Palace Road
London W6 9ER
www.constablerobinson.com
First published in the UK by Robinson,
an imprint of Constable & Robinson Ltd 2006
Collection and editorial material copyright © Mike Ashley 2006
All rights reserved. This book is sold subject to the condition that it shall not, by way of trade or otherwise, be lent, re-sold, hired out or otherwise circulated in any form of binding or cover other than that in which it is published and without a similar condition including this condition being imposed on the subsequent purchaser.
A copy of the British Library Cataloguing in
Publication Data is available from the British Library.
ISBN-13: 978-1-84529-337-6
ISBN-10: 1-84529-337-1
eISBN: 978-1-78033-359-5
Printed and bound in the EU
1 3 5 7 9 10 8 6 4 2
Perfectly Impossible,
Mike Ashley
An Almost Perfect Crime,
William F. Smith
The X Street Murders,
Joseph Commings
Locked in Death,
Mary Reed & Eric Mayer
Wingless Pegasus,
Gillian Linscott
Duel of Shadows,
Vincent Cornier
Contrary to the Evidence,
Douglas Newton
The Impossible Footprint,
William Brittain
Death and the Rope Trick,
John Basye Price
The Problem of the Black Cloister,
Edward D. Hoch
A Shower of Daggers,
Edward D. Hoch
The Mystery of the Sevenoaks Tunnel,
Max Rittenberg
Observable Justice,
Will Murray
Eternally Yours,
H. Edward Hunsburger
Murder in Monkeyland,
Lois Gresh & Robert Weinberg
No Killer Has Wings,
Arthur Porges
Benning’s School for Boys,
Richard A. Lupoff
The Episode of the Nail and the Requiem,
C. Daly King
The Impossible Murder of Dr Satanus,
William Krohn
The Stuart Sapphire,
Peter Tremayne
The Flung-Back Lid,
Peter Godfrey
The Poisoned Bowl,
Forrest Rosaire
The Birdman of Tonypandy,
Bernard Knight
E
very effort has been made to trace holders of copyright. In the event of any inadvertent infringement, please contact the editor via the publisher. I would like to thank Douglas G. Greene, Steve Lewis and John Herrington for their help in tracing authors or their estates.
“The Impossible Footprint” © 1974 by William Brittain. First published in
Alfred Hitchcock’s Mystery Magazine
, November 1974. Reprinted by permission of the author.
“The X Street Murders” © 1962 by Joseph Commings. First published in
Mystery Digest
, March/April 1962. Reprinted by permission of the Diocese of St Petersburg, Florida, on behalf of the author’s estate.
“Duel of Shadows” © 1934 by Vincent Cornier. First published in
Pearson’s Magazine
, April 1934. Reprinted by permission of the author’s estate.
“The 45 Steps” © 2006 by Peter Crowther. First publication, original to this anthology. Printed by permission of the author and the author’s agent, John Jarrold.
“The Flung-Back Lid” © 1979 by Peter Godfrey. First published in
John Creasey’s Crime Collection 1979
, edited by Herbert Harris (London: Gollancz, 1979). Reprinted by permission of the author’s estate.
“Murder in Monkeyland” © 2006 by Lois Gresh and Robert Weinberg. First publication, original to this anthology. Printed by permission of the authors.
“A Shower of Daggers” © 1997 by Edward D. Hoch. First published in
Ellery Queen’s Mystery Magazine
, June 1997. “The Problem of the Black Cloister” © 2004 by Edward D. Hoch. First published in
Ellery Queen’s Mystery Magazine
, December 2004. Both reprinted by permission of the author.
“Eternally Yours” © 1985 by H. Edward Hunsburger. First published in
Alfred Hitchcock’s Mystery Magazine
, September 1985. Reprinted by permission of the author.
“The Episode of the Nail and the Requiem” © 1935 by C. Daly King. First published in
Mystery
, March 1935. Reprinted by permission of the author’s estate.
“The Birdman of Tonypandy” © 2006 by Bernard Knight. First publication, original to this anthology. Printed by permission of the author.
“On the Rocks” © 2004 by J. A. Konrath. First published in
Ellery Queen’s Mystery Magazine
, July 2004. Reprinted by permission of the author.
“The Impossible Murder of Dr Satanus” © 1965 by William Krohn. First published in
Ellery Queen’s Mystery Magazine
, April 1965. Reprinted by permission of the author.
“The Red Ring” by William Le Queux, first published in
The Grand Magazine
, January 1910. Copyright expired in 1978.
“Wingless Pegasus” © 1996 by Gillian Linscott. First published in
Ellery Queen’s Mystery Magazine
, August 1996. Reprinted by permission of the author.
“Three Blind Rats” © 2006 by Laird Long. First publication, original to this anthology. Printed by permission of the author.
“Slaughterhouse” © 1979 by Barry Longyear. First published in
Alfred Hitchcock’s Mystery Magazine
, July 1979. Reprinted by permission of the author.
“Benning’s School for Boys” © 2006 by Richard A. Lupoff. First publication, original to this anthology. Printed by permission of the author.
“Observable Justice” © 2006 by Will Murray. First publication, original to this anthology. Printed by permission of the author.
“Contrary to the Evidence” © 1935 by Douglas Newton. First published in
Pearson’s Magazine
, January 1936. Reprinted by permission of the author’s estate.