Description
In these classic mystery tales, literature is a matter of life or death
Of crime fiction’s many sub genres, none is so reflexive and so intriguing as the “bibliomystery.” These are stories that involve crimes set, somehow, in the world of books — stories that feature a book scout as a sleuth, for example or that find a literary heir killing to preserve an estate. Perhaps because it deals with a subject that authors know well, this type of plot comes up throughout the history of the genre.
This volume collects the finest of such stories written by American authors during the Golden Age of mystery—the decades between the two World Wars. It includes works by household names such as Cornell Woolrich and John Dickson Carr, and less-remembered writers such as James Gould Cozzens and Lawrence Blochman.
Also By: Otto Penzler 
The State versus Elinor Norton
Paperback, 2025
On trial for murder, a young bride recalls the steps that led her to the dock
Golden Age Christmas Mysteries
Paperback, 2025
Edgar Award-winning anthologist Otto Penzler selects Christmas-themed mysteries from the American authors active during the genre’s Golden Age, including stories by Mary Roberts Rinehart, John...
The Scarlet Circle
Paperback, 2025
A Golden Age mystery featuring a sleuthing small-town doctor who’s out of his depth as a killer haunts a waning New England summer
Obelists En Route
Paperback, 2025
The discovery of a corpse turns a cross-country train journey into a closed-circle hunt for a killer
Obelists En Route
Hardback, 2025
The discovery of a corpse turns a cross-country train journey into a closed-circle hunt for a killer.
