ANNOTATION

A collection of nineteen mysterious stories involving surprising circumstances, unexpected crimes, and eerie events, by such authors as Vivien Alcock, Ray Bradbury, Arthur Conan Doyle, and Diana Wynne Jones.

FROM THE PUBLISHER

Including tales from Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, Agatha Christie, Ray Bradbury and Joan Aiken, this collection of 18 stories offers a marvelous sampling of the mystery genre from classic detective to humorous contemporary.

FROM THE CRITICS

School Library Journal

Gr 8 Up-Cresswell has compiled 19 mystery stories from a variety of well-known and critically acclaimed authors. For those who enjoy traditional detective stories, there is Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's "The Adventure of the Sussex Vampire." Classic mystery buffs will appreciate Agatha Christie's "The Adventures of Johnnie Waverly." Those interested in a blend of realism and fantasy will enjoy the selections by Ray Bradbury and Dino Buzzati, and an excerpt from Emily Bront's Wuthering Heights will appeal to fans of gothic romance. All of the plots are compelling and should spark the interest of reluctant readers. This is a haunting anthology with an interesting blend of genres; however, many of these stories do appear in other collections such as Diana Wynne Jones's Hidden Turnings (Greenwillow, 1990), making it an additional purchase.-Robyn Ryan Vandenbroek, formerly at Otterville Public School, Ontario