With its high stakes and uncertain outcome, the mystery tale is the most popular form of fiction in the United States. Crime Classics presents spellbinding works by such masters as Edgar Allan Poe, Arthur Conan Doyle, Dashiell Hammett, Dorothy Sayers, and Agatha Christie, as well as delightful gems from less familiar writers like Cornell Woolrich and intriguing tales by authors not usually associated with mystery writing- Flannery O'Connor, Jorge Louis Borges, and William Faulkner.

Burns and Sullivan introduce the anthology by tracing the history of the genre and providing a biography of each author. Mystery stories demand superb craftsmanship and attention to detail; these enticing pieces combine fine writing, inventive plots, and challenges that readers will find irresistible.

Contents:

The Murders in the Rue Morgue (1841) by Edgar Allan Poe Purloined Letter (1845) by Edgar Allan Poe A Scandal in Bohemia (1891) by Arthur Conan Doyle The Adventure of the Speckled Band (1892) by Arthur Conan Doyle The Problem of Cell 13 (1905) by Jacques Futrelle The Invisible Man (1911) by G.K. Chesterton A Jury of Her Peers (1917) by Susan Glaspell The House in Turk Street (1924) by Dashiell Hammett The Adventurous Exploit of the Cave of Ali Baba (1928) by Dorothy L. Sayers The Blue Geranium (1929) by Agatha Christie Murder at the Automat (1937) by Cornell Woolrich Hand Upon the Waters (1939) by William Faulkner Death and the Compass (1945) by Jorge Luís Borges; trans. by Anthony Kerrigan The Adventure of Abraham Lincoln’s Clue (1965) by Ellery Queen The Comforts of Home (1960) by Flannery O’Connor The Sleeping Dog (1965) by Ross Macdonald Sadie When She Died (1973) by Ed McBain