Sleuths of the Century [Hardcover]

Ed Gorman (Editor), Jon L. Breen (Editor)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 17, 2000

Sam Spade and Philip Marlowe, Lord Peter Wimsey and Hercule Poirot, Matt Scudder and Easy Rawlins, Spenser and Dalgliesh - they stand among the most popular of twentieth-century heroes. And now the award-winning mystery novelist Ed Gorman and novelist-critic Jon L. Breen present a full century of the world's favorite sleuths in tales by such classic writers as G. K. Chesterton, Ellery Queen, Dorothy Sayers, and Agatha Christie as well as contemporary giants like Sharyn McCrumb, Walter Mosley, Ed McBain, Lawrence Block, P. D. James, and Ruth Rendell.
A hefty, handsome volume, Sleuths of the Century also offers serious suspense from Dashiell Hammett, Patricia Highsmith, Tony Hillerman, Rex Stout, Donald E. Westlake, and John D. MacDonald. Crossing the decades with a gallery of sleuths impeccably styled for every generation, this collection provides exciting, literate tales of detection and danger that will keep the reader on tenterhooks well into the next century.

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

It was predictable, perhaps, that a collection of short stories would be published around the first of the year representing the best mystery writers of the twentieth century. Less predictable, though, is the quality of this collection. The roster of contributors inevitably includes familiar names--Sayers, Rendell, Block, McBain, Westlake, Mosley, Eberhart, Hillerman, Paretsky, etc.--but, refreshingly, some of the stories here have never (or infrequently) been anthologized, and others, like Gardner's Perry Mason story or Hill's Dalziel and Pascoe adventure, represent rare short-form appearances of well-known detectives. Readers who consider themselves well versed in the canon of their favorite character may be surprised to stumble upon something they've never seen before. Despite the focus on well-known writers, then, there is no "been there, done that" stigma attached to this fine collection. It is sure to appeal both to veteran crime-fiction readers and to those new to the genre. David Pitt

Product Details

• Hardcover: 400 pages
• Publisher: Carroll & Graf; First Edition edition (January 17, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0786707097
• ISBN-13: 978-0786707096
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6.6 x 2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.5 pounds
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,920,407 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)