ELLERY QUEEN'S PRIME CRIMES 2

by Eleanor & Karen A. Price--Eds. Sullivan ‧ RELEASE DATE: Feb. 22, 1985

Not the usual roundup from old issues of EQ's Mystery Magazine--but a generous (if uneven) sampling of brand-new or recent stories, plus the first publication for one of Melville Davison Post's courtroom puzzles (an unfinished effort, completed by John F. Suter). Best of the bunch is Clark Howard's ""The Dublin Eye,"" a dark and disturbing tale of revenge and mercy-killing in Belfast. There's a dandy, nasty little short-short from Edward Wellen. The solid-to-so-so entries predominate: a macho-revenge tale by Frank Sisk; Anthea Cohen's grim study of a horrible invalid mother and her virtually imprisoned daughter; Don Gilbert's ""The Canoe,"" a WW I-era mixture of growing pains and murder puzzle; Antonia Fraser's breezy treatment of murder-at-the-hair-salon; William Bankier's novella ""Beliveau Pays,"" about murders and psychosexual obsessions in a Canadian-jazzclub milieu--with a retired Quebec cop as sleuth. And on a distinctly lower level there's faith-healing (Jane Paynter), drug-smuggling (John Lutz), an archaeology scam (James Holding), and a very flimsy glimpse of Tim Heald's comedy-mystery hero, Simon Bognor. Little that's outstanding, then, but reasonably varied and fresh (relatively) from the typewriter.

Pub Date: Feb. 22, 1985

ISBN: N/A

Page Count: -

Publisher: Dial/Doubleday

Review Posted Online: N/A

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 15, 1985

Categories: FICTION