MYSTERY STORIES.

New York: Simon & Schuster, 1956., 1956. First edition. First edition. Page edges uniformly browned, else fine in a completely bright unfaded dust jacket with only a few nicks at the extremities. Foreword by Ellery Queen. Queen's Quorum title for 1956. Ten short stories, including several award winners. This collection of Stanley Ellin's stories was described by Anthony Boucher as "subtle masterpieces," and Christopher Morley said of this collection, "for the connoisseur it is the echt Blutwurst and gravy." Ellin's first collection of short stories, later republished as The Specialty of the House and Other Stories. The title story, "The Specialty of the House," is about a New York restaurant with a "special" treat for gourmets. "The Cat's Paw" is a variation on the situation in Doyle's "The Red-Headed League." "The Orderly World of Mr. Appleby" is about a wife-murderer who thinks he has the formula for the perfect crime. "The Moment of Decision" is a riddle story about a magician and, according to many people, comes VERY close to equaling "The Specialty of the House" in its impact. This collection was hailed by Julian Symons as "the finest collection of stories in the crime form published in the past half century." QUEEN'S QUORUM 113. Excellent collection and highly recommended!