Vincent Starrett

"This anthology shows what writers of books think of their predecessors, their contemporaries, and themselves"- Preface.

Once again in old London, "the game is afoot." In these pastiches of the Sacred Writings, written when he was 19 and so, August Derleth has recreated the London of Sherlock Holmes. It does not matter that the familiar name has become Solar Pons, or that the familiar Baker Street has become Praed Street—something of the nostalgic charm and fascination, of the remembered quickening of the pulse and the familiar settings of the original London of Sherlock Holmes has been recaptured in these pages. And what intriguing titles there are to these twelve pastiches, chosen from among a greater number! Here are The Adventure of the Frightened Baronet—about a spectral image of Siva seen at a country estate beyond London; The Adventure of the Purloined Periapt—which is the purest of pastiches and perhaps the closest of all the tales in this book to the original spirit; The Adventure of the Norcross Riddle—containing some of the neatest deduction in the book; The Adventure of the Man with the Broken Face—a tale of "dark waters"; and eight others. "No doubt," writes Vincent Starrett in his Introduction, "we—and by we, I mean those frantic and incurable Sherlockians who, with August Derleth, deplore the paucity of canonical entertainments-should rather have more of the great originals, but we accept the imitations, faute de mieux, to satisfy a normal appetite. And we accept them with enthusiasm. They are the work of affectionate minds and hands. There is no intention to deceive. These stories, and others in their field, are intended only to please. They are nostalgic reminders of vanished days and nights in Baker Street."

A revised edition of the work of the same title edited by Vincent Starrett in 1928. Contents: [Purloined Letter]( / by Edgar Allan Poe -- [The red-headed league]( / by Arthur Conan Doyle -- The problem of cell 13 / by Jacques Futrelle -- The case of Oscar Brodski / by R. Austin Freeman -- The blue cross / by G.K. Chesterton -- The age of miracles / by Melville Davisson Post -- The little mystery / by E.C. Bentley -- The third-floor flat / by Agatha Christie -- The yellow slugs / by H.C. Bailey -- The bone of contention / by Dorothy L. Sayers -- The adventure of the African traveler / by Ellery Queen -- Instead of evidence / by Rex Stout -- The house in Goblin Wood / by Carter Dickson -- The dancing detective / by Cornell Woolrich.

"This is a study about the brief, adventurous, travel-worn life - and specifically its relationship to the writings - of Stephen Crane (1871-1900), the American poet, novelist, and short story writer. Despite being an artist of immense talent and achievements, Crane, who died at the age of twenty-eight, quickly slipped into obscurity. Berryman's biography revived Crane's reputation and delineated the scope of his artistic accomplishment."--BOOK JACKET.

A sourcebook and biography of Ambrose Bierce, covering a large breadth of his material.

[Purloined Letter]( / Edgar Allan Poe A terribly strange bed / Wilkie Collins The three strangers / Thomas Hardy T[he red-headed league]( / Arthur Conan Doyle The corpus delecti / Melville Davisson Post Gentlemen and players / E.W. Hornung A journey / Edith Wharton The leopard man's story / Jack London A retrieved reformation / O. Henry The problem of Cell 13 / Jacques Futrelle The absent-minded coterie / Robert Barr The invisible man / G.K. Chesterton The infallible Godahl / Frederick Irving Anderson The adventure of the unique "Hamlet" / Vincent Starrett The Gioconda smile / Aldous Huxley Haircut / Ring Lardner The killers / Ernest Hemingway The hands of Mr. Ottermole / Thomas Burke The little house at Croix-Rousse / Georges Simenon The case of the missing patriarchs / Logan Clendening Clerical error / James Gould Cozzens The two bottles of relish / Lord Dunsany The chaser / John Collier The perfect crime / Ben Ray Redman Yours truly, Jack the Ripper / Robert Bloch The blind spot / Barry Perowne The catbird seat / James Thurber Recipe for murder / C.P. Donnel Jr. The nine mile walk / Harry Kemelman Kill or be killed / Ogden Nash The specialty of the house / Stanley Ellin Nearly perfect / A.A. Milne The Gettysburg Bugle / Ellery Queen The last spin / Evan Hunter Stand up and die! / Mickey Spillane A new leaf / Jack Ritchie The snail-watcher / Patricia Highsmith The long way down / Edward D. Hoch The man who never told a lie / Isaac Asimov I have / John Gardner [Quitters, Inc.]( / Stephen King Horn man / Clark Howard The new girl friend / Ruth Rendell By the dawn's early light / Lawrence Block Iris / Stephen Greenleaf High Darktown / James Ellroy The Pietro Andromache / Sara Paretsky Soft monkey / Harlan Ellison The hand of Carlos / Charles McCarry Karen makes out / Elmore Leonard

Collection of essays and poems by various writers, dealing with the "private life of Sherlock Holmes," edited by Edgar W. Smith. Includes maps, illustrations, coats of arms, genealogical tables, portrait. Contents: To a very literary lady / Vincent Starrett -- Sherlock Holmes and the Pygmies / Heywood Broun -- The profile emerges / Howard Haycraft -- To an undiscerning critic / Arthur Conan Doyle -- Ex libris Sherlock Holmes / Howard Collins -- Was Sherlock Holmes a drug addict? / George F. McCleary -- Triolet on the immortality of Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson / "Buttons" -- Clinical notes by a resident patient / Christopher Morley -- Was the later Holmes an imposter? / Anthony Boucher -- Sherlock Holmes in the news / Charles Honce -- The dental Holmes / Charles Goodman -- The other friendship : a speculation / P.M. Stone -- The coat of arms of Sherlock Holmes / Belden Wigglesworth -- The true and proper coat of arms / W.S. Hall -- Genealogical notes on Holmes / Rufus S. Tucker -- The case of the missing patriarchs / Logan Clendening -- Monody on the death of Sherlock Holmes / E.E. Kellett -- A belated eulogy / Reginald Fitz -- Dr Watson / Stephen Vincent Benét -- That was no lady / Julian Wolff -- The mystery of the second wound / James Keddie, Sr. -- Ballade of Watson in the morning / Belden Wigglesworth -- Dr Watson's Christian name / Dorothy L. Sayers -- Sonnet : Mary Morstan to J.H. Watson / Helene Yuhasova -- Thoughts on seeing "The hound of the Baskervilles" at the cinema / "Evoe" -- Sonnet on Baker Street / Christopher Morley -- The long road to Maiwand / Edgar W. Smith -- The singular adventures of Martha Hudson / Vincent Starrett -- Annie Oakley in Baker Street / Robert Keith Leavitt -- The significance of the second stain / Felix Morley -- Ballade of Baker Street / Carolyn Wells -- A scandal in identity / Edgar W. Smith -- The secret message of the dancing men / Fletcher Pratt -- Three identifications / H.W. Bell -- 221B / Vincent Starrett -- The Constitution and buy-laws of the B.S.I. / Elmer Davis -- The Baker Street irregulars / Alexander Woollcott -- An unrecorded incident / Anon -- Anthem : the road to Baker Street / Harvey Officer.

Jimmy Lavender - Chicago Detective. The name conjures images of gangland murders, Al Capone and illegal bootleg whiskey, but Lavender has more in common with Sherlock Holmes. In some of his most baffling cases, Lavender comes up against such brain-twisters as a marble fountain statue that seemingly comes to life and walks by night; a FIANCE who goes missing on the eve of his wedding; a missing sack of uncut diamonds; and murder, robbery, and sudden death on the high seas!

About The spawn of Cthulhu and H.P. Lovecraft / Lin Carter -- The whisperer in darkness / H.P. Lovecraft -- [An Inhabitant of Carcosa]( / Ambrose Bierce -- The yellow sign / Robert W. Chambers -- Cordelia's song / Vincent Starrett -- The return of Hastur / August Derleth -- Litany to Hastur / Lin Carter -- The children of the night / Robert E. Howard -- K'n-Yan / Walter C. DeBill, Jr. -- The tale of Satampra Zeiros / Clark Ashton Smith -- The hounds of Tindalos / Frank Belknap Long -- The curse of Yig / Zealia Bishop -- The mine on Yuggoth / J. Ramsey Campbell.