Match wits with great detectives, devious criminals, and some of the finest minds in the all-time annals of detective literature. From crime-suspense (Tom Curry's "The Sign") to hard-boiled fiction ("A Hand of Pinochle") to modern noir ("Soul's Burning" by Bill Pronzini), the scope of these 100 detective stories is as wide as the tales are short. They're the brainchildren of such top names as James M. Barrie ("The Adventure of the Two Collaborators"), O. Henry ("The Mystery of the Rue de Peychaud"), Charles Dickens ("An Artful Touch"), Bret Harte ("The Stolen Cigar-Case"), Jack London ("The Leopard Man's Story"), R.L. Stevens ("The Carnival Caper"), Stephen Deninger ("Damsel with a Derringer"), Nick Spain ("Duck Behind that Eight-Ball!"), and countless others. There's even one by Abraham Lincoln, "The Trailor Murder Mystery," which appeared in 1843. Prison breakouts, grand larceny, homicide: trying to solve these tricky cases will be a treat for all mystery fans.

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