This fresh, exciting collection of seventeen stories is a tribute to the ethnic detectives of mystery fiction. Defining just what makes a detective ethnic is not always so simple. The most accepted definition requires the sleuth to be a member of a minority group within a dominant culture, one whose mannerisms, world view, and approach reflect his or her ethnic origins. In addition, there is also the question of just how ethnic a detective must be in order to qualify. The mere possession of an Hispanic, Italian, or Jewish surname is not enough; the character's ethnicity should ideally play an important role in his/her life, and frequently play an important role in a crime and/or its solution. The detectives represented in this anthology are among the most authentic of all ethnic investigators. Their adventures often concern problems of identity, of the search for one's roots, and of reconciling different heritages with the dominant culture - problems that are the stuff of strong emotions, great adventure, and high drama. The ethnic sleuth emerged in crime fiction for two distinct reasons. The first because mystery writers are forever searching for a "handle," something that marks their work from that of the multitude, and an ethnic detective allows for the introduction of exotic characters, interesting cultural backgrounds, and sometimes unusual crimes and methods of solving them. The second reason is an abiding interest by many writers in various ethnic cultures, especially those writers who themselves are members of a specific ethnic group.

Contents: Introduction -- The coffins of the Emperor / Robert van Gulik -- A star for a warrior / Manly Wade Wellman -- The case of the emerald sky / Eric Ambler -- The black sampan / Raoul Whitfield -- Mom makes a wish / James Yaffe -- Inspector Ghote and the test match / H.R.F. Keating -- The most obstinate man in Paris / Georges Simenon -- The hair of the widow / Robert Somerlott -- White water / W. Ryerson Johnson -- Inspector Saito's small satori / Janwillem van de Wetering -- One for Virgil Tibbs / John Ball -- The luck of a gypsy / Edward D. Hoch -- Godlfish / Hayford Peirce -- The witch, Yazzie, and the nine of clubs / Tony Hillerman -- The beer drinkers / Josh Pachter -- The Sanchez sacraments / Marcia Muller -- "J" / Ed McBain.