Edited By Leslie Charteris. Three Books In One.

Edited By Leslie Charteris. Three Books In One.

Dr. Sam Hawthorne, a New England country doctor in the first half of the twentieth century, was constantly faced by murders in locked rooms, impossible disappearances, and other so-called "miracle crimes." More Things Impossible contains fifteen of Dr. Sam's extraordinary cases solved between 1927 and 1931, including

Impossible murder in a house that whispers

Poisoning by a gargoyle on the courthouse roof

The case of the Devil in the windmill

The houseboat that resembles the Mary Celeste

The affair of the vanishing Gypsies

Stabbing in the locked cockpit of a plane in midair

A ghostly pirate in a lighthouse

And eight other ingenious riddles

Edward D. Hoch, is a legend of ingenuity in the world of mystery writing. Author of more than 800 short stories, winner of the Edgar Award, former President of the Mystery Writers of America, and contributor to every issue of Ellery Queen's Mystery Magazine since 1973, Hoch is one of the great mystery writers of our time.

The Ripper of Storyville is the first collection about one of Hoch's most imaginative creations, Ben Snow, the 19th-century gunman who is often confused with Billy the Kid. The book contains 14 stories, including 7 rare adventures published more than 30 years ago in The Saint Mystery Magazine. Introduction by the author; Ben Snow chronology and bibliography by Marvin Lachman.

Edward D. Hoch's latest collection contains 14 stories about Nick Velvet, the choosey crook who steals only the seemingly valueless -- a bald man's comb, an overdue library book, a faded flag, a playing card, and so on. And in order to pull off a successful robbery, Nick often has to solve a crime as well -- sometimes the crimes committed by Sandra Paris, "The White Queen", who claims to do impossible things before breakfast. The Velvet Touch contains all of Nick's encounters with the White Queen. The book includes an introduction by the author and a complete Nick Velvet checklist.

This collection is set in New England during the 1920's and the 1930's, and features country doctor Sam Hawthorne who specializes in locked room and other impossible crimes. Among the 12 stories is the classic tale of a horse and buggy that enter a covered bridge -- and vanish. Introduction by the author; Sam Hawthorne chronology and bibliography by Marvin Lachman.