Edward D. Hoch Bücher

With its roots in the American private-detective fiction of the 1920s but traceable back as far as Sherlock Holmes, the private-eye story remains as popular as ever. Here are thirty of the finest short novels and stories from the hardboiled world of the private eye. The characters in this collection range from the tough, cynical, hard-drinking Philip Marlowe type to hard-hitting female sleuths and the one-armed intellectual Dan Fortune. This collection features old favorites and new contributions from masters of the genre, past and present, including Ross Macdonald, Raymond Chandler, Sue Grafton, Marcia Muller, Michael Collins, Ed McBain, William Campbell Gault, and many more.

"Edward D. Hoch was the most ingenious of modern mystery writers. His stories off fair play cluing, convincing settings, and elaborate (sometimes bizarre) plots. [...] Hoch's ladies were often faced with seemingly impossible crimes -- throat cutting in a locked room, shooting of giant cacti, murder in a giant hot air balloon, stabbing in a shower with no one present, poisoning of Chinese food as a last meal of a murderer, and more ingenious methods that will keep the reader guessing."--Page 4 of cover.

Set against the backdrop of the Revolutionary War, the collection features thirteen stories of Alexander Swift, who interacts with iconic figures like George Washington and Benedict Arnold while serving the Continental Army. Complementing this historical narrative are five intriguing tales of Gideon Parrot, a flamboyant detective from the Golden Age, renowned for his clever problem-solving skills. Together, these characters offer a blend of historical intrigue and detective mystery.