A riveting collection of five of the most famous crime novels of the 1920s, presenting anew some of the most admired authors of the era-with insightful annotations by the Edgar-winning anthologist Leslie S. Klinger.
American crime writing was reborn in the 1920s. After years of dominance by British authors, new American writers-with fresh ideas about the detective and the mystery-appeared on the scene and rose to heights of popularity not witnessed since the success of the Sherlock Holmes tales in America.
Classic American Crime Writing of the 1920s-including House Without a Key, The Benson Murder Case, The Roman Hat Mystery, Red Harvest, and Little Caesar-offers some of the very best of that decade's writing. Earl Derr Biggers wrote about Charlie Chan, a Chinese-American detective, at a time when racism was rampant. S. S. Van Dine invented Philo Vance, an effete, rich amateur psychologist who flourished while America danced and the stock market rose. The quintessential American detective Ellery Queen leapt onto the stage, to remain popular for fifty years. Dashiell Hammett brings readers another mystery narrated by the Continental Op. W. R. Burnett, created the indelible character of Rico, the first gangster antihero.
Each of the five novels included is presented in its original published form, with extensive historical and cultural annotations and illustrations added by Edgar-winning editor Leslie S. Klinger, allowing the reader to experience the story to its fullest. Klinger's detailed foreword gives an overview of the history of American crime writing from its beginnings in the early years of America to the twentieth century. This gorgeously illustrated volume includes over 100 color and black and white images as well as an introduction by the eminent mystery publisher Otto Penzler.
A riveting collection of five of the most famous crime novels of the 1920s, presenting anew some of the most admired authors of the era-with insightful annotations by the Edgar-winning anthologist Leslie S. Klinger.
American crime writing was reborn in the 1920s. After years of dominance by British authors, new American writers-with fresh ideas about the detective and the mystery-appeared on the scene and rose to heights of popularity not witnessed since the success of the Sherlock Holmes tales in America.
Classic American Crime Writing of the 1920s-including House Without a Key, The Benson Murder Case, The Roman Hat Mystery, Red Harvest, and Little Caesar-offers some of the very best of that decade's writing. Earl Derr Biggers wrote about Charlie Chan, a Chinese-American detective, at a time when racism was rampant. S. S. Van Dine invented Philo Vance, an effete, rich amateur psychologist who flourished while America danced and the stock market rose. The quintessential American detective Ellery Queen leapt onto the stage, to remain popular for fifty years. Dashiell Hammett brings readers another mystery narrated by the Continental Op. W. R. Burnett, created the indelible character of Rico, the first gangster antihero.
Each of the five novels included is presented in its original published form, with extensive historical and cultural annotations and illustrations added by Edgar-winning editor Leslie S. Klinger, allowing the reader to experience the story to its fullest. Klinger's detailed foreword gives an overview of the history of American crime writing from its beginnings in the early years of America to the twentieth century. This gorgeously illustrated volume includes over 100 color and black and white images as well as an introduction by the eminent mystery publisher Otto Penzler.
Leslie S. Klinger is one of the world's foremost authorities on
Sherlock Holmes. He is the editor of the three-volume set The New
Annotated Sherlock Holmes. The first two volumes, The Complete
Short Stories, won the Edgar for "Best Critical/Biographical" work.
He has just completed The New Annotated H. P. Lovecraft. Klinger is
a member of the Baker Street Irregulars and lives in Malibu.
Otto Penzler is the proprietor of the Mysterious Bookshop in
New York City. He is the founder of the Mysterious Press and Otto
Penzler Books and has received an Edgar Award, an Ellery Queen
Award, and a Raven Award for his contribution to the mystery field.
His anthology The Black Lizard Big Book of Pulps was a New York
Times Bestseller.
"Sumptuous. By the time Inspector Richard Queen and his bookish son
Ellery arrive at Manhattan’s Roman theater to examine the dead body
of crooked lawyer Monte Field, I was registering a distinct sense
of well-being and contentment. This hefty volume opens with an
essay by our preeminent authority on the mystery genre, Otto
Penzler, followed by excellent brief introductions to each author
and novel from Klinger. There’s a treasure house of illuminating
and useful information here. What’s more, Pegasus has produced as
handsome a volume as you could ask for, starting with the
gold-embossed lettering on its cinema-marquee style dust jacket.
The whole package cries ‘terrific holiday gift,’ which it is.
Ideally, glamorous productions such as Klinger’s lead modern
readers to good books worth rediscovering."
*The Washington Post*
"A handsome, hefty volume, filled out by period illustrations (in
both color and black-and-white), with a foreword by the
knowledgeable Mr. Klinger. The book surveys a decade that delivered
both the objective, ‘aesthetic’ puzzles of S.S. Van Dine and the
hard-boiled, knuckle-busting sagas of Dashiell Hammett."
*Wall Street Journal*
"A treasure chest, packed with gumshoes and dames, Colt-.45s
and fedoras, townhouses and locked rooms. Resurrecting
long-gone authors and restoring their finest work to the page, this
gorgeous volume is indispensable for any mystery enthusiast."
*A. J. Finn, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Woman in
the Window*
"These five novels, all wildly popular when first published, offer
a window on the world of manners and attitudes in America in the
1920s. They can still be enjoyed as mysteries, or they can be read
as historic documents, enriched by Klinger’s copious annotations
that help fix each in its time and place. A veritable buffet of
food for thought for crime fiction fans."
*Publishers Weekly*
"It’s like a break-neck, thrill-ride, pell-mell passage to another
mad era. A seatbelt for your armchair is suggested. I am quite sure
there will be no dozing off."
*The Virginian-Pilot*
"A gargantuan, extensively annotated collection of five
cornerstones of American crime fiction that every fan will want to
own. Klinger has provided the perfect gift for newcomers lucky
enough not to have read its contents already—and the perfect excuse
to wonder if a 1930s sequel may be lurking around the corner."
*Kirkus Reviews*
"Its content is as impressive as its packaging. We can’t wait to
page through this beautiful volume!"
*LitHub*
"A treasure of information and a joy to study or simply read. By
gathering these texts together and diving into them with insight
and research, Klinger brings them to today’s readers in an
accessible, enlightening, and entertaining way."
*Washington Independent Review of Books*
"Klinger's skill as an editor of anthologies needs no
introduction. Classic American Crime Fiction of the
1920s surpasses Klinger’s outstanding prior works. The complex
history of early American mystery fiction is expertly defined and
detailed. The text of the original manuscripts blossom with notes
of context and understanding. A landmark review of classic works in
terms all readers will enjoy!"
*Charles Todd, New York Times bestselling author of theIan Rutledge
Series and the Bess Crawford Series*
"This is a big deal. Any fan of crime fiction will grab for it.The
restored texts of these five 1920s classics are reason enough to
treasure this volume. Add the fascinating notes, illustrations, and
historical overview supplied by master-researcher Leslie S.
Klinger, along with an insightful introduction from crime-fiction
authority Otto Penzler, and the result is a classic of its own, one
that I’ll return to again and again."
*David Morrell, New York Times bestselling author of Murder As a
Fine Art*
"The hugely welcome revival of fiction from the Golden Age of
detective fiction between the wars is given fresh impetus by Les
Klinger’s eclectic, attractively produced, and splendidly annotated
collection of five American classic mystery novels."
*Martin Edwards, Edgar-winning author of Gallows Court and The
Golden Age of Murder*
"If you are searching for an impressive (and yet reasonably-priced)
present for a crime fiction fancier, this volume certainly is worth
considering. You get the full texts of Biggers's The House
Without a Key, Van Dine's The Benson Murder Case, Ellery
Queen's The Roman Hat Mystery, plus Red
Harvest and Little Caesar. All are amply annotated and
lavishly illustrated."
*Reviewing the Evidence*
"Highly informative and fascinating."
*Popular Culture Association*
"Comprehensive and well researched, Leslie S.
Klinger’s Classic American Crime Fiction of the 1920s is
an excellent introduction to the classic era detective story."
*Authorlink.com*
"It’s like a break-neck, thrill-ride, pell-mell passage to another
mad era. A seatbelt for your armchair is suggested. I am quite sure
there will be no dozing off."
*The Virginian-Pilot*
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