Leopold in these 24 stories is the head of homicide, later to become the department of violent crimes. Because he is given to interior musing, we learn the workings of the mind of a thoughtful detective. Showing Leopold’s mind, Hoch develops nuances of character rare in mystery stories. “Th...
A story of great fun set at the Mystery Writers of America annual Edgar Awards dinner. Each year an award is given to the mystery writer of the year. This year the recipient is murdered just as he begins his speech (probably by a concerned citizen who has seen too many award shows on TV). - The M...
Two computer cops race to protect a presidential election against tampering Radiation leaks in Chicago. Assassination attempts on Venus. Bombings in Washington, DC. Any crime that involves a computer falls under the jurisdiction of New York's Computer Investigation Bureau, and in the far-off days...
Oh no! Vander Defoe, the inventor of the new transvection machine that's going to save humanity, has been murdered! At least that's how it appears. He goes to the hospital to have his appendix removed and the mechanical surgeon causes blood to start spurting out at the first incision and the huma...
And perhaps the story of Douglas Zadig’s life and death will be there someday, too. For Douglas Zadig was also a man from nowhere, a man who came out of the mists and died in the snow—just as Kaspar Hauser had over one hundred years ago. This is the story of Douglas Zadig’s last day on earth, and...
“I feel like a fool,” she told Rand, gazing across the desk with uncertain eyes. “Nonsense,” he reassured her. “You did the right thing in reporting it. Now suppose you start at the beginning and tell me everything that happened.” “That’s the trouble. Nothing happened except that I saw this man t...
He enjoyed the kidding, as he enjoyed Connie’s presence, and the afternoon coffee breaks on slow days were relaxing for all three of them. Usually it would start with Fletcher getting the coffee from the cranky old machine in the hallway and bringing three cups into Leopold’s office. If Connie wa...
He went through four years of college and three years of army life without appreciably changing his ways, and those who’d known him before were by degrees happy or discouraged that the “new” Henry proved to be the same as the old one. After the army he settled down in Baine City, where he’d spent...
I was reading the latest issue of Strand Magazine, while he puttered in the next room with one of his scientific experiments. It was Mrs. Hudson who announced our visitors in her usual manner. “A man and a boy to see Mr. Holmes on a business matter,” she said, after knocking on the door and prese...
The valley is sleepy in the summertime, but very beautiful, with lush fields of corn and oats rising against a backdrop of wooded hills that stretch for miles toward the horizon. Sometimes, especially in the late afternoons, a hawk or two will come circling overhead, looking for the evening meal ...
He was a man first of all who liked the quiet life, the beer on the front porch with Gloria at his side and a sort of eternal summer evening in the air. Perhaps he’d been born a generation too late, unfit for the bustle of the Sixties. Perhaps that was why he took a special interest in the crysta...
the city editor complained, his yellowed teeth digging into the pipe stem. “That’s why we have to use gimmicks to sell papers.” I cleared my throat and nodded in agreement, acting exactly like the cub reporter that I was. “Yes, sir,” I mumbled, because it seemed the proper thing to say. “Business...
Tony Cooper was saying later as he and Earl walked down to look at the water. “Like what?” “Well, for one thing, did Hobbes give you that line about his freezing equipment being responsible for the vegetation here?” “Yes,” Earl admitted. “Well, that’s so much bull! The bodies are frozen by liquid...
He was, actually, quite skilled at his job, and he was employed only by the most important governments. He liked the work, especially the frequent travel that went with it. This day he was even enjoying Tokyo in the rain. Harumi-Dori is a street that runs up from Tokyo Harbor to the grounds of th...