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    Mystery Publishers

    • Academy Chicago Publishers
      An imprint of the Chicago Review Press. Features a number of interesting authors, most long out of print, plus some other odds and ends, including some horror stories by Conan Doyle.
    • Crippen & Landru
      Crippen & Landru publish mystery short story collections. Of particular interest is what they call "Lost Classics," a series of anthologies of mostly uncollected stories by authors who might be enjoyed by a new generation of readers.
    • Dean Street Press
      This small British publisher has a great many classic crime books in its much broader catalog. They are bringing back many Golden Age classics by authors who deserve another chance at a new audience.
    • Felony & Mayhem
      This publisher specializes in classic mysteries, broadly defined, including newer mysteries that adhere to classic standards. They have just overhauled their website to make it much more informative and user-friendly.
    • Locked Room International
      A small press, specializing in very good English-language translations of (so far) mostly-French authors of locked room and impossible crime stories. They publish in Print-On-Demand and electronic editions.
    • Merion Press
      The Merion Press is an independent publisher of out-of-print works that were originally published over 75 years ago, but are enduring even today.
    • MysteriousPress.com
      The brainchild of editor/anthologist/author/bookstore-owner Otto Penzler, the Mysterious Press has recently returned to life and now works with Open Road Media as an electronic book publisher. It is already republishing the work of a lot of classic authors, with more books on the way.
    • Oconee Spirit Press
      A small, independent publisher committed to publishing "lively fiction, and provocative non-fiction." Most of their list covers early works by established authors writing traditional mysteries, such as Carolyn Hart and Margaret Maron.
    • Oleander Press
      This small eclectic British publisher has begun publishing a series of classic British mystery novels, primarily from the Golden Age. The series is grouped into a section of their catalogue named "London Bound," as the books are set in London.
    • Ostara Publishing
      "Ostara Publishing re-issues titles that have unjustifiably become unavailable either through the ravages of time or the forces of publishing economics. We specialise in Crime and Thriller fiction titles and our range goes from the1920s through to the 21st century. We publish thematically and currently have six series available. All our titles are published in a 'trade paperback' format and printed to order."
    • Poisoned Pen Press
      Based in Scottsdale, Arizona, the Poisoned Pen Press publishes a fairly wide variety of mysteries. Some are reprints; many are new, by newer authors. Their website has a great deal of information about their books and authors.

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    « Favorite Amateurs: Week 2 | Main | 200 »

    March 14, 2011

    "All-Time Favorite Detective Stories"

    I suppose that it takes a certain amount of recklessness to produce a list and anthology of "All-Time Favorite Detective Stories," but, as the editor, Rochelle Kronzek explains, these are remarkable stories worth reading.

    More than sixty years ago, in 1950, Ellery Queen's Mystery Magazine invited a panel of mystery critics and authors to come up with a list of what they would consider the best detective stories ever written. The list of 12 stories appeared in the July, 1950, edition of the magazine.

    Now, Dover Publications has issued an anthology of those 12 stories, complete with an excellent critical introduction by Kronzek. It's a pretty amazing list of stories and authors:

    • Thomas Burke: The Hands of Mr. Ottermole
    • Edgar Allan Poe: The Purloined Letter
    • Sir Arthur Conan Doyle: The Red-Headed League
    • Anthony Berkeley: The Avenging Chance
    • Robert Barr: The Absent-Minded Coterie
    • Jacques Futrelle: The Problem of Cell 13
    • G. K. Chesterton: The Invisible Man
    • Melville D. Post: Naboth's Vineyard
    • Aldous Huxley: The Giaconda Smile
    • H. C. Bailey: The Yellow Slugs
    • E. C. Bentley: The Genuine Tabard
    • Dorothy L. Sayers: Suspicion

    Are these, in fact, the best ever written - even from the vantage point of 1950, when the list was compiled? I can't say they are THE best - but they certainly are AMONG the best. Sherlock Holmes, Father Brown, The Thinking Machine, Uncle Abner, Reggie Fortune - not bad, not bad at all. Every one is worth your time and attention. The book is the subject of this week's podcast review, and you may listen to the full review here.

    This collection of vintage short stories is my entry for this week in the My Reader's Block Blog Vintage Mysteries Reading Challenge - and, once again, if you haven't checked it out before, do so - there is much to enjoy there!

    Posted at 01:36 PM in General Suggestions, Golden Age, Reading Challenges, Short Stories |

    Tags: classic mysteries, EQMM, mysteries, mystery, short stories

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