From Publishers Weekly
This hefty anthology of crime stories is marvelous as a basic introduction to citified, hard-boiled sleuthing. Anyone but a neophyte, however, will find many of the selections quite familiar. McCullough's ( Great Detectives: A Century of the Best Mysteries from England and America ) 28 selections run roughly chronologically, beginning in the early 19th century with such pioneers as Francois Eugene Vidocq and Edgar Allan Poe. The tales represent the stylistic gamut of Georges Simenon, Jim Thompson, Yoh Sano, Stanley Ellin and Ross MacDonald, and include such newer voices as Sara Paretsky and Sue Grafton. Their urban settings range from Paris to Amsterdam, New York to Los Angeles, Tokyo, Hong Kong and Malaysia. Additionally, Raymond Chandler's essay "The Simple Art of Murder," opens this volume, while the screenplay for Double Indemnity (written by Chandler and Billy Wilder from the James M. Cain novel) ends it.
Copyright 1989 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Copyright 1989 Reed Business Information, Inc.
From School Library Journal
YA-- McCullough has selected this group of stories to contrast with the Agatha Christie-style country-house mysteries. He traces the roots of detective fiction back to Poe and Vidocq, a criminal turned chief of the French Surete and who wrote alleged memoirs on which much detective fiction has been modeled. The stories are set in Paris, New York, Tokyo, LA, and many cities in between; they have been written by classic authors such as Chandler and Hammett, as well as by lesser-known names in this genre. The screenplay for Double Indemnity by Raymond Chandler, long unpublished, is also included. McCullough has written a readable introduction that spells out his views on the differences between city and country mystery novels, and his first selection is a well-known essay by Chandler, "The Simple Art of Murder." Students doing research on mysteries, or those who just like to read them, will welcome this treasure trove. --Dorcas Hand, formerly at Episcopal High School, Bellaire, TX
Copyright 1990 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Copyright 1990 Reed Business Information, Inc.
