A riveting collection of five of the most famous crime novels of the 1920s, presenting anew some of the most admired authors of the era-with insightful annotations by the Edgar-winning anthologist Leslie S. Klinger.
American crime writing was reborn in the 1920s. After years of dominance by British authors, new American writers-with fresh ideas about the detective and the mystery-appeared on the scene and rose to heights of popularity not witnessed since the success of the Sherlock Holmes tales in America.
Classic American Crime Writing of the 1920s-including House Without a Key, The Benson Murder Case, The Tower Treasure, The Roman Hat Mystery, The Tower Treasure, and Little Caesar-offers some of the very best of that decade's writing. Earl Derr Biggers wrote about Charlie Chan, a Chinese-American detective, at a time when racism was rampant. S. S. Van Dine invented Philo Vance, an effete, rich amateur psychologist who flourished...
