Jacques Futrelle

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

This is a book about the natural history of human nature. It is not a book about philosophy for philosophers. It is a plain and straightforward statement for ordinary people of what another very ordinary sort of man who has considerable experience with the mechanisms of human life and how they work thinks about it all. We all want to understand human nature better, because it is our nature. The better we understand it the more likely we are to get along with ourselves, our neighbors, and our surroundings in general. We want to make life more worth while, to get as much out of it as we can and to put as much into it as we can, to make a better living and to have as much fun doing it as possible. We need to know how we live, what the apparatus of life is and how it works, in order to make a better job of it. -- Preface.

‘Lock me in any cell in any prison anywhere at any time, wearing only normal clothes and I’ll escape in a week.’ For Professor Van Dusen, otherwise known as ‘The Thinking Machine’, nothing is impossible. Logic is his passion. One hour later he finds himself locked up in Chisholm prison and has to use all his mental resources to find the solution to the problem. Dossiers: Other Prison Stories Futrelle’s Death on the Titanic

[Adventure of the Copper Beeches]( Case of the lost foreigner / Arthur Morrison -- Ghost of Fountain Lane / Catherine L. Pirkis -- Return of Imray / Rudyard Kipling -- Divination of the Zagury Capsules / Headon Hill -- York mystery / Baroness Orczy -- Haverstock Hill murder / George R. Sims -- Dead hand / R. Austin Freeman -- Mr. Bovey's unexpected will / L.T. Meade and Robert Eustace -- Perverted genius / Silas K. Hocking -- Eye of Apollo / G.K. Chesterton -- Purple emperor / Robert W. Chambers -- Tragedy of the life raft / Jacques Futrelle -- Story of Baelbrow / E. and H. Heron.

The first volume (of two) of detective and mystery stories involving Professor Van Dusen, the Thinking Machine.

The oblong box / Edgar Allan Poe ; narrated by Mauro Hantman -- The stolen white elephant / Mark Twain ; narrated by Mauro Hantman -- An heiress from Redhorse / Ambrose Bierce ; narrated by Angela Brazil -- Tracked to doom; or, The mystery of the Rue de Peychaud / O. Henry ; narrated by Simon Vance -- Her letters / Kate Chopin ; narrated by Angela Brazil and Stephen R. Thorne -- The stolen cigar case / Bret Harte ; narrated by Mauro Hantman -- [The adventure of the three students]( / Sir Arthur Conan Doyle ; narrated by Simon Vance -- Problem of the superfluous finger / Jacques Futrelle ; narrated by Stephen R. Thorne -- Arsène Lupin in prison / Maurice Leblanc ; narrated by Simon Vance -- The blue sequin / R. Austin Freeman ; narrated by Simon Vance -- The Fenchurch Street mystery / Baroness Orczy ; narrated by Davina Porter -- The honour of Israel Gow / G.K. Chesterton ; narrated by Simon Vance -- The Doomdorf mystery / Melville Davisson Post ; narrated by Stephen R. Thorne -- An intangible clue / Anna Katharine Green ; narrated by Angela Brazil.

Suppose you were locked into one of the most secure prisons in America around 1900; put into solitary confinement, with periodical inspections by the warden, who knew for a fact (you had told him) that you would escape in less than a week. How would you communicate with the outside, how would you smuggle in tools and weapons, and how would you finally escape in a dazzlingly logical way? This was the situation that confronted Professor Augustus S. F. X. Van Dusen, The Thinking Machine, in "The Problem of Cell 13," one of the most famous mystery stories ever written. Eventually The Thinking Machine did escape, and his method is known to generations of fans, who have delighted in this favorite story. Not so well known, however, is the fact that Jacques Futrelle wrote many more stories about this unusual detective. In this volume the editor has selected the ten best stories about The Thinking Machine, adventures that concern a perfect alibi and a perfect accusation, an impossible theft of a container of radium, a precise sealed room mystery, a seeming flaming phantom, and other "impossible" mysteries. This is the first time that these stories have been available for decades. Also included are two of the very earliest adventures of The Thinking Machine that have never been reprinted since their appearance in a local newspaper in 1905. Since by almost everyone's criteria, The Thinking Machine stories are the most important American detective stories between Poe and the moderns, this is an indispensable volume for everyone who delights in a mystery. Twelve stories. Original (1973) publication. Selected with an introduction by E. F. Bleiler.

The second volume of detective and mystery stories involving Professor Van Dusen, the Thinking Machine.

Annotated anthology textbook of detective stories for American high schools, containing literary history and criticism with student exercises designed to deepen similar literary sensibilities. Contains: Edgar Allan Poe The murders in the Rue Morgue -- The purloined letter -- The gold bug -- Arthur Conan Doyle Study in scarlet (excerpts) -- Final Problem [Adventure of the Empty House]( The American Sherlock Holmes: Ellery Queen The telltale bottle -- My queer dean! -- The adventure of the president's half dome -- The others: The problem of cell 13 by Jacques Futrelle -- The invisible man by G.K. Chesterton -- The mystery of Hunter's Lodge by Agatha Christie -- The adventurous exploit of the cave of Ali Baba by Dorothy Sayers -- Mr. Strang performs an experiment by William Brittain -- There were female sleuths before women's liberation: Locked doors by Mary Roberts Rinehart -- Village murders by Agatha Christie -- You bet your life by Stuart Palmer -- Mom and the haunted mink by James Yaffe -- Variations: In the heat of the night (excerpts) by John [Dudley] Ball -- The world series murder by Rex Stout -- The day the children vanished by Hugh Pentecost -- The stolen cigar case by Bret Harte.

[The purloined letter]( / by Edgar Allan Poe -- Hunted down / by Charles Dickens -- [Silver blaze]( / by Arthur Conan Doyle ; -- The blue cross / by G.K. Chesterton -- The second bullet / by Anna Katherine Green -- Naboth's vineyard / by Melville Davisson Post -- Cheating the gallows / by Israel Zangwill -- My first experience with the great logician / by Jacques Futrelle -- The queen's necklace / Maurice Leblanc -- The York mystery / by Baroness Orczy -- The detective detector / by O. Henry -- The Giaconda smile by Aldous Huxley.

Mistaken identity and intrigue abound in this classic mystery tale In the midst of a high-society masquerade ball, someone pulls off a daring heist. Several gold plates have been stolen, their value estimated at $15,000. Even more shocking is the fact that the crime seems to have been committed by a guest attired as a burglar, the costume complete with a loaded revolver! Hiding in plain sight, the thief escapes with his loot and drives off with his beautiful blond accomplice. What follows is a gripping tale of romance, honor, and mystery with an appearance by the beloved Professor Van Dusen, better known as “the Thinking Machine.”

Weir, H. C. Cinderella's slipper. Ottolengui, R. the nameless man. Ottolengui, R. The Montezuma emerald. Flynt, J. and Walton, F. Found guilty. Futrelle, J. The scarlet thread. MacHarg, W. and Balmer, E. The man higher up. MacHarg, W. and Balmer, E. The Axton letters. Adams, S. H. The man who spoke Latin. Lynde, F. The cloud-bursters. Pidgin, C. F. and Taylor, J. M. The affair of Lamson's cook. Reeve, A. B. The campaign grafter. Anderson, F. I. The infallible Godahl. Davis, R. H. The frame-up.

The High Hand is a mystery novel written by Jacques Futrelle. The story follows the investigation of a murder that takes place on a train traveling from Chicago to New York. The victim is a wealthy businessman who is found dead in his compartment, and the only clues to the killer's identity are a set of fingerprints and a mysterious message left at the scene of the crime. The investigation is led by Detective Ebenezer Gryce, who is assisted by a young journalist named Florence Lloyd. As they delve deeper into the case, they discover a web of deceit and betrayal that leads them to a surprising conclusion. The novel is set in the early 1900s and is filled with vivid descriptions of the train journey and the characters who inhabit it. The writing is engaging and suspenseful, with plenty of twists and turns to keep the reader guessing until the very end. Overall, The High Hand is a classic mystery novel that will appeal to fans of the genre and anyone who enjoys a good whodunit. It is a well-crafted tale of murder and intrigue that will keep readers on the edge of their seats until the final page.

My First Experience with the Great Logician by Jacques Futrelle Evidence by Murray Leinster The Adventures of the Diamond Necklace by G. F. Forrest The [Purloined Letter]( by Edgar Allan Poe The Nameless Man by Rodrigues Ottolengui The Clue of the Silver Spoons by Robert Barr The Tin Box by Herbert Keen The Mysterious Case by Anna Katharine Green Cheating the Gallows by Israel Zangwill The Great Ruby Robbery by Grant Allen