100 Sneaky Little Sleuth Stories (1997)

Good detectives, like good magicians, never reveal their secrets. It surely doesn’t hurt to be skilled at deduction and have a suspicious mind. And it really helps to be sneaky. Sneakiness allows a detective to walk into the most dangerous situations unchallenged, to blend with the local scenery, and to see and hear things that might never be disclosed to the more conspicuous professional. Sneakiness cuts through red tape and opens doors closed to people in uniform. Sneakiness is the means by which dedicated and dilettante detectives infiltrate the world we live in, gain our trust, and learn our secrets. Read the stories that follow to see what we mean. You’ll be surprised by how many sneaky sleuths you recognize—and how many you don’t. Includes the following 100 stories: AM I A MURDERER?—Ken Kessler AT LAST I’VE FOUND YOU—Robert Moore Williams ATTITUDE—Morris Hershman AUNT HATTIE’S DOLLS—Edie Hanes BAIT—Henry Norton THE BEST MEAL: A JACK HAGEE STORY—C. J. Henderson THE BIRD HAS FLOWN!—Fergus Truslow BLOOD AND BONE—H. R. F. Keating BROKEN IVORY—David Crewe BURNING ISSUE—Ted Stratton CASE OF THE WELL-CLEANSED CORPSE—Stuart Friedman THE CHAIR—Geoffrey Vace CHARLOTTE’S RUSE—Morris Hershman CLOAK AND DIGGER—John Jakes A COMMON ERROR—H. R. F. Keating CONFIDENTIAL INFORMATION—John L. French CRIME SCENE—Carolyn Wheat CURTAIN CALL—Alexander Blade DIE, MR. SPRAGGINS!—Ted Stratton THE ELEMENT OF CHANCE—August Derleth FAINTING COP—Edward S. Sullivan THE FASTERFASTER AFFAIR—William F. Nolan FOOL PROOF—August Derleth FOOTPRINTS IN PERDU—Hugh B. Cave FRAME ME IN OILS—S. M. Tenneshaw FROZEN FOOD-FOR THOUGHT—Glenn Low THE FUTURE OF THE SERVICE—Michael Gilbert A GAME TO BE PLAYED—C. J. Henderson THE GHOST IN THE BOTTLE—Madelyn Ralph GRAMP TAKES A HAND—Hugh B. Cave THE HANDS CALLED IT MURDER—Calvin S. Allen HER MASTER’S CHOICE—Ken Kessler HIGH SCHOOL REUNION—Edward D. Hoch HOTEL STYGIA—Richard Gilliam I WANT TO BE A DETECTIVE—Stan Knowlton INCHY’S FORTY-GRAND ALIBI—John Maitland IT SHOULDN’T HAPPEN TO A DOG—Leonard B. Rosborough IT’S IN THE BOOK—E. E. Halleran JUST A BULLET BETWEEN FRIENDS—Wallace Umphrey JUST A LITTLE JOKE—Edie Hanes KILLER UNLEASHED—Stuart Friedman A LESSON IN HOMICIDE—John G. Pearsol LET’S CRY FOR THE DEAD—W. T. Brannon THE LOCKED BATHROOM—H. R. F. Keating THE LONG, RED NIGHT—John Lane A MAN’S HOME—Shelley Singer MARRY RICH: FREE PARTICULARS—Lyle Thomas MARY DIES TONIGHT—A. J. Collins MERRILL-GO-ROUND—Marcia Muller MRS. CRAGGS’S SIXTH SENSE—H. R. F. Keating MURDER AT THE CROSSWORDS—Leonard Finley Hilts MURDER CAN’T TAKE IT—Maurice Sachs MURDER IS MY HOBBY—Phyllis Dayton THE NERVOUS FINGER—Ted Stratton NIGHT NOISES—Lyle Robertson NO EXCUSE FOR THE DEAD—Leonard Finley Hilts NO REST FOR THE WICKED—Ric Hasse NOBODY LOVES A COP—Dennis Wiegand O’SHEEN IS BEST MAN—Leroy Yerxa O’SHEEN MINDS THE BABY—Leroy Yerxa O’SHEEN’S PHOTO FINISH—Leroy Yerxa O’SHEEN SEES RED—Leroy Yerxa O’SHEEN’S SWEET TOOTH—Leroy Yerxa OLD HOKEY—Robert A. Garron THE OTHER MAN IN THE PINSTRIPE—Francis M. Nevins, Jr. PAPER TIGER—Morris Hershman PARLOR, BEDROOM, AND DEATH—Ken Lewis PAST SINS—John L. French THE PERSONAL TOUCH—Chet Williamson A PIECE OF THE AUCTION—Jon L. Breen PIU MOSSO—Barry N. Malzberg POSSESSED—Will F. Jenkins PROOF NEGATIVE—Morris Hershman THE RIGHT HORSE—Roy Frentz A SAD CASE OF SIMONY—H. R. F. Keating A SANDY BEACH—C. J. Henderson SATAN PICKS THE WINNER—Basil Wells SERENADE TO A WEALTHY WIDOW—Don James THE SIMPLEST THING IN THE WORLD—H. B. Hickey SING A SONG OF SLAUGHTER—Don James THE SMARTER THEY COME. . .—Phillip Sharp THE SPY WHO DID NOTHING—Edward D. Hoch THE SPY WHO HAD FAITH IN DOUBLE-C—Edward D. Hoch STORMY WEATHER—Mickey Friedman THE STORY OF A CONSCIENCE—Ambrose Bierce THE STREET WITH NO HOUSES—Edward D. Hoch SWEET DREAMS, DARLING—Paul W. Faiman TEN CENT ALIBI—Sissy O’Daniel THIS LITTLE PIG GOES TO MARKET. . .—Stephan E. Chalet THREE FOR THE KILL—Joseph V. Hickey THREE MEN AND A CORPSE—Victor K. Ray TIME OUT FOR MURDER—Stan Knowlton A TOUCH OF MAGIC—Hugh B. Cave THE TRAP—Joy DeWeese Wehen TRAYNOR’S CIPHER—Edward D. Hoch VIOLET CRIME—Edward D. Hoch WILD MUSTARD—Marcia Muller THE WINK—Hugh B. Cave WITCH OF MULBERRY HOLLER—H. Wolff Salz WRONG NUMBER—Roger Torrey AMAZON PRIME ELIGIBLE. OVERNIGHT AND 2-DAY SHIPPING AVAILABLE. The item is in the Amazon warehouse and when you place an order they ship it directly to you in an Amazon box. You have the assurance that you will get your item in a timely manner. In the unlikely event something should go wrong with the shipping, you can contact Amazon to assist with the customer service and tracking. We are very proud to be in this program as it allows us to offer the best customer experience possible.