Table of Contents
Introduction 1
The Man Who Knew How Dorothy L. Sayers 7
The Girl with the Silver Eyes Dashiell Hammett 18
The Wench Is Dead Frederic Brown 54
Gone Girl Ross Macdonald 75
The Couple Next Door Margaret Millar 101
By the Scruff of the Soul Dorothy Salisbury Davis 115
Flowers That Bloom in the Spring Julian Symons 129
Woodrow Wilson's Necktie Patricia Highsmith 144
Loopy Ruth Rendell 156
Great Aunt Allie's Fly Papers P. D. James 166
First Lead Gasser Tony Hillerman 183
Chee's Witch Tony Hillerman 193
Breathe Deep Donald E. Westlake 202
Rumpole and the Bubble Reputation John Mortimer 207
A Poison That Leaves No Trace Sue Grafton 232
Photo Finish Sara Paretsky 244
The Crime of Miss Oyster Brown Peter Lovesey 262
Red Clay Michael Malone 275
Barking at Butterflies Ed McBain 290
Running Out of Dog Dennis Lehane 296
Hostages James Crumley 322
When the Women Come Out to Dance Elmore Leonard 328
The Hanged Man Ian Rankin 339
The Holly and the Poison Ivy Catherine Aird 347
Copycat Jeffery Deaver 357
He Loved to Go for Drives with His Father Alexander McCall Smith 380
Credits 391
Index 392