Product Description

Published in honour of the fiftieth anniversary of Michael Gilbert's first book, The Man Who Hated Banks and Other Mysteries gather together eighteen previously uncollected stories about Gilbert's most popular sleuths: seven about Inspector Hazlerigg, five about solicitor Henry Montacute Bohun, three about former copper Bill Mercer, and three about Inspector Patrick Petrella.

Gilbert's tales range from Scotland Yard police procedurals to classic country-house mysteries, action-packed thrillers, and tales of the seamy side of London life. In all of them, Gilbert displays his seemingly effortless characterization, his use of authentic detail, and, above all, his ability to engage the reader from the first sentence. It is a rare (perhaps, non-existent) reader who can put down a Michael Gilbert story before finishing it.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #2046993 in Books
• Published on: 1997-11
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 255 pages

From Kirkus Reviews
Readers familiar with Gilbert's matchless spy stories (Game Without Rules, 1967, etc.) will be especially grateful to have these 18 previously uncollected stories from 1948 through 1979. The short-shorts (featuring either Chief Inspector Hazlerigg or the solicitor Bohun) are notable for the ingenuity and variety of their riddles (how could a wanted man disappear from a deserted street? which of three men gave the fellow train-traveler in their compartment a fatal heart attack, and how?); the mid-length stories, especially a cycle of three linked tales featuring brutish, fallen Chief Inspector Mercer, are striking examples of Gilbert's wit and compression; and the title story, which sets Inspector Patrick Petrella against a man who robs banks to work off a grudge, is flavorsome and eventful enough to serve a less polished professional for a full-length novel. Pure pleasure--and a particular treat for readers who've been following Gilbert for any substantial fraction of the last 50 years. -- Copyright ©1997, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.

Review
18 previously uncollected tales by one of the genre's greatest writers at any length. -- Ellery Queen's Mystery Magazine, February 1998

Perfect for readiung while curled up by a roaring, very British fire on a cold winter's night. -- Booklist, November 1997

About the Author
The Encyclopedia of Mystery and Detection describes Gilbert as "one of the finest of the post-World War II generation of detective story writers." The Mystery Writers of America recognized Gilbert's contributions with its highest honour, the Grand Master Award.