Product Description

Dr. Sam Hawthorne, a New England country doctor in the first half of the twentieth century, was constantly faced by murders in locked rooms, impossible disappearances, and other so-called miracle crimes. More Things Impossible contains fifteen of Dr. Sam s extraordinary cases solved between 1927 and 1931, including impossible murder in a house that whispers; poisoning by a gargoyle on the courthouse roof; the case of the Devil in the windmill; the houseboat that resembles the Mary Celeste; the affair of the vanishing Gypsies; stabbing in the locked cockpit of a plane in midair; a ghostly pirate in a lighthouse; ad eight other ingenious riddles.

Edward D. Hoch is a legend of ingenuity in the world of mystery writing. Author of more than 800 short stories, winner of the Edgar Award, former President of the Mystery Writers of America, and contributor to every issue of Ellery Queen s Mystery Magazine since 1973, Hoch is one of the great mystery writers of our time. As John Dickson Carr remarked, Satan himself would be proud of his ingenuity. And Crippen & Landru is proud to be Edward D. Hoch s publisher.

The publisher: Founded in 1994 as the only publishing house to specialize in mystery short-story collections, Crippen & Landru has been described as a monument in the making (Alfred Hitchcock s Mystery Magazine) ,the best edited, most attractively packaged line of mystery books introduced in this decade (Mystery Scene),the specialty publisher with the most star-studded list (Ellery Queen's Mystery Magazine), and even God bless Crippen & Landru (The Strand).

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #148642 in Books
• Published on: 2006-07-01
• Binding: Paperback
• 260 pages

Customer Reviews

More impossible fun
Why stop at 12, when we can have 15 more impossible crimes? From this book, comes fifteen more and fifteen of the best impossible crimes.

13. The Problem of the Revival Tent - Dr. Sam Hawthorn is sceptical, to say the least, when smooth talking George Yester, and his seven year old son, come to Northmont, claiming to heal the sick. But when Yester is murdered alone in the revival tent, the only suspect is Dr. Sam.

14. The Problem of the Whispering House - Every town has a haunted house, and for Northmont, that house is the Bryer house. When Dr. Sam, and ghost hunter Thad Sloans investigate, they don't expect walls that whispear, and ghosts that murder.

15. The Problem of the Boston Common - Murder murder every where, and not a way to kill. When Dr. Sam and nurse April go to Boston for a medical convention, the city is held in the grips of a serial killer. The police know who, they just don't know how.

16. The Problem of the General Store - Maggie Murphy is the radical women of 1928. She wants women to be able to work and earn the same amount as men, and is causing a problem infront of Max Harkner's general store. If Max is the only one who will let her talk, why would she murder him, and then stay with the body untill the police came?

17. The Problem of the Courthouse Gargoyle - Every one hates jury duty, Dr. Sam included. So when he gets chosen, he grugenly sits through the case of a farm hand who murdered his employer. But the day turns interesting, when the juge is murdered, his last words being "Gargoyle"

18. The Problem of the Pilgrams Windmill - When a new hospital opens, Dr. sam is invited to see it open. The hospital is nice, but what really draws people is the windmill infront of the hospital. Not because of the exhibit inside, but because of the flaming balls, caused by Lucifur.

19. The Problem of the Gingerbread Houseboat - Being a doctor, Dr. Sam doesn't get the chance for love. But when he meets Miranda Grey, he begins to spend alot of time with her, her aunt and uncle, and their friends who own a house boat. When every one on the boat dissapears, Dr. Sam is left with an impossible crime.

20. The Problem of the Pink Post Office - Its October of 1929, and the stock market is crumbeling. Money is the most important thing, especially for a banker, who has to mail $10,000 quickly. But when it dissapears, no one is above suspician, including Miranda!

21. The Problem of the Octagon Room - Its Sheriff Lens wedding day, and its the happiest day of his life. He is going to be married in the beutifull Octagon room, with postmistress Vera as his wife. But when a murder happens, the plans go astray. Especialy when its the most basic Hathorn story, the murder litarly takes plce in a locked room, with no one inside.

22. The Problem of the Gypsey Camp - The gypsey's are back, and murder follows. When the gypseys return, the people are worried, when a man is cursed. When he dies, a bullet is found in him, the queston becomes, how? He wasn't shot. Before they can ask the gypsey's, they dissapear without a trace.

23. The Problem of the Bootleggers Car - Dr. Sam is good a locked rooms, but he'll have to solve this one to save his life. When the mob comes into town, they need Dr. Sam to treat their head honcho, Fat Larry, who's receaving a shipment of barrles. But when the bootlegger dissapears, Dr. Sam needs to figure out hoe, before Larry takes his head.

24. The Problem of the Tin Goose - This is the story, that proves impossible crimes don't have to be on the ground. Barnstorming has come to Northmont, and every one gets caught up in the craze. But when a man is stabbed in a locked cocpit, in mid air, Dr. Sam will have to solve this case thats so high in the sky.

25. The Problem of the Hunting Loge - Harry and Dorris Hawthorn have come to see their son in Norhtmont. When they get invited on a hunting trip, another impossible murder occures, and Dr. sam has to solve it, and prove is father is innocent.

26. The Problem of the Body in the Haystack - Felix Bennet was allways a trusting man, and a good man. He hired ex-convicts, when no one else would. When Dr. Sam and Sheriff Lens come to help him with a bear problem, Felix ends up dead, under a tarp, after the tarp has been put down. This time, Sheriff Lens has to solve the case.

27. The Problem of Santa's Lighthouse - Its Christmas time, and Dr. Sam is heeaded out of town, proving murder follows you every where. When Dr. Sam stops to visit Santa's light house, the last thing he should see, is Santa stabbed, and by the ghost of the light house.

THE GOOD DOCTOR IS BACK
THIS, LIKE OTHER C&L BOOKS IS VERY GOOD. THE PROBLEMS(STORIES) ARE MOST LOCKED ROOM TYPE AND THE READER WILL HAVE A GREAT TIME READING IT.
YOU MUST HAVE THIS BOOK (AND ALL THE OTHER C&L)

Another Hoch/Crippen & Landru collection that will satisfy lovers of classical mysteries.
Crippen & Landru has published a second collection of Edward D. Hoch's Dr. Sam Hawthorne stories. As always, the combination of this author and this publisher produces a frist class product for lovers of Golden Age type of classiocal mysteries. Dr. Hawthorne's cases are of the impossible crime variety. This type of mystery, apart from the technical aspects, needs a writer who can describe the settings clearly and unambiguosly. Edward D. Hoch does this as well (or better!) as any writer of impossible crimes that I have ver read. Not to be missed.