ALFRED HITCHCOCK'S DEATHREACH

by Cathleen--Ed. Jordan ‧ RELEASE DATE: Dec. 1, 1982

For murder-mystery fans who find too little homicide in the usual Hitchcock/Queen anthology-mixture of murder, mayhem, kidnap, robbery, haunting, parody, etc.: a routine but generous collection of 27 tales, almost all of which feature a good, old-fashioned murder ease. James Cross' ""The Five-Minute Millionaire"" is the standout: a nicely nasty, very Hitchcockian conspiracy-to-kill . . . with an inevitable yet satisfying twist. Also solid: a N.Y. case of murder-by-cologne for Michael Collins' Dan Fortune; a trio of little-old-lady psychos from Phil Davis, Hal Ellson, and Donald Honig; lady-killing psychos of the more familiar variety from Bill Pronzini and Edward D. Hoch; a leisurely murder-in-the-library from Fletcher Flora. And among the non-murder outings there's a nice Chinese-treasure seam from James Holding, as well as a disappointing, overlong undercover-cop item from Jack Ritchie. Lots that's dated (late '50s, early '60s), especially in the mobster department--but readers who like traditional crimes and clues will find this gathering a source of steady, if thoroughly uninspired, satisfaction.

Pub Date: Dec. 1, 1982

ISBN: N/A

Page Count: -

Publisher: Dial

Review Posted Online: N/A

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 1, 1982

Categories: FICTION