Perfect Crimes: My Favorite Mystery Stories

Elliott Roosevelt, the author of the widely acclaimed series starring his mother, Eleanor, as a fictional detective (Murder in the Rose Garden, Murder in the Oval Office) is a collector and connoisseur of the work of his fellow crime writers. In this superb collection, he shares with readers the pick of his short story library. Discovering that many readers are not aware of the stories included here, stories Roosevelt regards as classics, he has compiled Perfect Crimes to share his pleasure in them.

Each story is prefaced by the editor’s personal comment, worth reading for itself as well as a brief sidelight on the tale. Authors from tum-of-the-century R. Bretnor, Thomas Burke, and Lord Dunsany are here, all the way to the very contemporary Stanley Ellin and Harry Kemelman. There are, as well, stories from authors who, in the thirties and forties, produced some of their best work: Jack Ritchie, that not-enough-appreciated master of the short crime story; the almost legendary Cornell Wtxilrich; a Department of Dead Ends tale by Roy Vickers.

Here also is one of Craig Rice’s popular Private Eye Malone adventures, and humorist Russell Maloney’s famous but too-long-unavailable story of the typing monkeys, “Inflexible Logic,” and Steve Fisher’s “Goodbye, Hannah." Each one is a gem; every one itself worth having the book, for the ten together are a treasure to read and reread with increasing pleasure.

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PAPER TIGER—R. Bretnor
THE NINE MILE WALK—Harry Kemelman
THE HANDS OF MR. OTTERMOLE—Thomas Burke
TRY IT MY WAY—Jack Ritchie
THE TWO BOTTLES OF RELISH—Lord Dunsany
THE RUBBER TRUMPET—Roy Vickers
ONE MORE CLUE—Craig Rice
COIN OF THE REALM—Stanley Ellin
GOODBYE, HANNAH—Steve Fisher
THREE O’CLOCK—Cornell Woolrich
INFLEXIBLE LOGIC—Russell Maloney