As many know, Ellery Queen mystery stories have been around a long, long time. Detective fiction was quite popular in the making of radio plays and films throughout the 20th century. "Ellery Queen" is actually a pen name for two gentlemen [Frederic Dannay and Manfred Bennington Lee:] who were cousins, collaborating on stories, creating a "who dun it" type style that proved popular.

I've not been that "into" crime fiction. I've enjoyed the occasional Mickey Spillane novel and the Dashiell Hammet books (Maltese Falcon, etc.) were always a treat. So on a lark I grabbed this anthology set, a collection of shorts by Ellery Queen.

QED is Not Quod Erat Demonstratum in this sense, but could be construed in meaning. Queen's Experiments in Detection are not too bad. There were some shorts that really had be stumped. There were others that were just plain silly and did not leave enough clues for me to figure out. Overall, a book well worth jumping into.

My favorites include Abraham Lincoln's Clue, about a man who hides a book and letter purported to be from Abe Lincoln just before he was assassinated. When Ellery mentioned that the letter from Lincoln had Lincoln stamps on the envelope with the book, I was like, "Oh come now, obvious!" Still, was a fun tale.

Mum is the Word, about a flower gardener, (Mums, of course) and how his family responds to finding out their father is destitute and that their inheritance will not be worth the paper of the will! He's suddenly found dead. Who dun it?

Most of these stories have similar patterns, with Ellery working with his father, others treat Ellery as if he's not so hot, and still others call on him when no one else has helped. They're not all murder mysteries. One story has Ellery solve a theft in a classroom and he must solve it before the bell rings to let the class out. He's sweating!

Here are the contents of the book. Enjoy!

Contents:
• DYING MESSAGE NOVELETTE:
o Mum is the Word (1st app: Ellery Queen's Mystery Magazine, 4/66)
• CONTEMPORARY PROBLEMS IN DEDUCTION
o Object Lesson (1st app: This Week, Se/10/55, as "The Blackboard Gangsters")
(reprinted: Ellery Queen's Mystery Magazine, 4/58)
o No Parking (1st app: This Week, 3/18/56, as "Terror in a Penthouse")
(reprinted: Ellery Queen's Mystery Magazine, 2/58)
o No Place to Live (1st app: This Week, 6/10/56, as "The Man They All Hated")
(reprinted: Ellery Queen's Mystery Magazine, 3/58)
o Miracles Do Happen (1st app: Ellery Queen's Mystery Magazine, 7/57)
• Q.B.I.: QUEEN'S BUREAU OF INVESTIGATION
o GAMBLING DEPT. -- The Lonely Bride (1st app: This Week, 12/04/49, as "The Lady Couldn't Explain")
o SPY DEPT. -- Mystery at the Library of Congress (1st app: Argosy, 6/60 as "Enter Ellery Queen")
(reprinted: Ellery Queen's Mystery Magazine, 2/63)
o SPY DEPT. -- Dead Ringer (1st app (?): Diners' Club, 3/65)
(reprinted in Ellery Queen's Mystery Magazine, 10/66)
o KIDNAPING DEPT. -- The Broken T (1st app: This Week, Nv/3/63 as "Mystery in Neon Red")
(reprinted: Ellery Queen's Mystery Magazine, 5/66)
o MURDER DEPT. -- Half a Clue (1st app: This Week, Ag/24/63 as "Half a Clue to Murder")
(reprinted: Ellery Queen's Mystery Magazine, 8/66)
o ANONYMOUS LETTERS DEPT. -- Eve of the Wedding (1st app: Ellery Queen's Mystery Magazine, 8/55, as "Bride in Danger")
o PROBATE DEPT. -- Last Man to Die (1st app: This Week, Nv/3/63 ??)
(reprinted: Ellery Queen's Mystery Magazine, 1/67)
o CRIME SYNDICATE DEPT. -- Payoff (1st app: Cavalier, 8/64 as "Crime Syndicate Payoff")
(reprinted: Ellery Queen's Mystery Magazine, 7/66)
• THE PUZZLE CLUB
o The Little Spy (1st app: Cavalier, 1/65)
(reprinted: Ellery Queen's Mystery Magazine, 9/66)
o The President Regrets (1st app: Diner's Club, 9/65)
(reprinted: Ellery Queen's Mystery Magazine, 7/67)
• HISTORICAL DETECTIVE STORY
o Abraham Lincoln's Clue (1st app: MD: the Medical Newsmagazine, 6/65)
(reprinted: Ellery Queen's Mystery Magazine, 3/67)

( )

As many know, Ellery Queen mystery stories have been around a long, long time. Detective fiction was quite popular in the making of radio plays and films throughout the 20th century. "Ellery Queen" is actually a pen name for two gentlemen [Frederic Dannay and Manfred Bennington Lee:] who were cousins, collaborating on stories, creating a "who dun it" type style that proved popular.

I've not been that "into" crime fiction. I've enjoyed the occasional Mickey Spillane novel and the Dashiell Hammet books (Maltese Falcon, etc.) were always a treat. So on a lark I grabbed this anthology set, a collection of shorts by Ellery Queen.

QED is Not Quod Erat Demonstratum in this sense, but could be construed in meaning. Queen's Experiments in Detection are not too bad. There were some shorts that really had be stumped. There were others that were just plain silly and did not leave enough clues for me to figure out. Overall, a book well worth jumping into.

My favorites include Abraham Lincoln's Clue, about a man who hides a book and letter purported to be from Abe Lincoln just before he was assassinated. When Ellery mentioned that the letter from Lincoln had Lincoln stamps on the envelope with the book, I was like, "Oh come now, obvious!" Still, was a fun tale.

Mum is the Word, about a flower gardener, (Mums, of course) and how his family responds to finding out their father is destitute and that their inheritance will not be worth the paper of the will! He's suddenly found dead. Who dun it?

Most of these stories have similar patterns, with Ellery working with his father, others treat Ellery as if he's not so hot, and still others call on him when no one else has helped. They're not all murder mysteries. One story has Ellery solve a theft in a classroom and he must solve it before the bell rings to let the class out. He's sweating!

Here are the contents of the book. Enjoy!

Contents:
• DYING MESSAGE NOVELETTE:
o Mum is the Word (1st app: Ellery Queen's Mystery Magazine, 4/66)
• CONTEMPORARY PROBLEMS IN DEDUCTION
o Object Lesson (1st app: This Week, Se/10/55, as "The Blackboard Gangsters")
(reprinted: Ellery Queen's Mystery Magazine, 4/58)
o No Parking (1st app: This Week, 3/18/56, as "Terror in a Penthouse")
(reprinted: Ellery Queen's Mystery Magazine, 2/58)
o No Place to Live (1st app: This Week, 6/10/56, as "The Man They All Hated")
(reprinted: Ellery Queen's Mystery Magazine, 3/58)
o Miracles Do Happen (1st app: Ellery Queen's Mystery Magazine, 7/57)
• Q.B.I.: QUEEN'S BUREAU OF INVESTIGATION
o GAMBLING DEPT. -- The Lonely Bride (1st app: This Week, 12/04/49, as "The Lady Couldn't Explain")
o SPY DEPT. -- Mystery at the Library of Congress (1st app: Argosy, 6/60 as "Enter Ellery Queen")
(reprinted: Ellery Queen's Mystery Magazine, 2/63)
o SPY DEPT. -- Dead Ringer (1st app (?): Diners' Club, 3/65)
(reprinted in Ellery Queen's Mystery Magazine, 10/66)
o KIDNAPING DEPT. -- The Broken T (1st app: This Week, Nv/3/63 as "Mystery in Neon Red")
(reprinted: Ellery Queen's Mystery Magazine, 5/66)
o MURDER DEPT. -- Half a Clue (1st app: This Week, Ag/24/63 as "Half a Clue to Murder")
(reprinted: Ellery Queen's Mystery Magazine, 8/66)
o ANONYMOUS LETTERS DEPT. -- Eve of the Wedding (1st app: Ellery Queen's Mystery Magazine, 8/55, as "Bride in Danger")
o PROBATE DEPT. -- Last Man to Die (1st app: This Week, Nv/3/63 ??)
(reprinted: Ellery Queen's Mystery Magazine, 1/67)
o CRIME SYNDICATE DEPT. -- Payoff (1st app: Cavalier, 8/64 as "Crime Syndicate Payoff")
(reprinted: Ellery Queen's Mystery Magazine, 7/66)
• THE PUZZLE CLUB
o The Little Spy (1st app: Cavalier, 1/65)
(reprinted: Ellery Queen's Mystery Magazine, 9/66)
o The President Regrets (1st app: Diner's Club, 9/65)
(reprinted: Ellery Queen's Mystery Magazine, 7/67)
• HISTORICAL DETECTIVE STORY
o Abraham Lincoln's Clue (1st app: MD: the Medical Newsmagazine, 6/65)
(reprinted: Ellery Queen's Mystery Magazine, 3/67)

( )