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An International Treasury of Mystery and Suspense
A selection of thrillers and whodunits includes tales by such masters as Christie, King, Hammett, James, Fleming, Sayers, Gordimer, Stout, Waugh, Simenon, and others.
- GenresMystery
844 pages, Hardcover
First published October 1, 1983
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18 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
November 13, 2020
While no compendium of any genre will ever fully or partially cover its respective field- mystery stories no exception- this 527-page volume is a good start. Marie Reno provides an introduction titled “The Landscape of Suspense,” with references to the stories, novellas- and even a book or two- that make up this diverse collection.
At times, the assortment reads like a Who’s Who: Stephen King, Agatha Christie, Raymond Chandler, Dashiell Hammett, Rex Stout, Ross Macdonald, Evelyn Waugh, Roald Dahl, Ian Fleming, Dorothy Sayers, P.D. James, Daphne du Maurier, and Georges Simenon. But other lesser-known authors are included: Nadine Gormier, Harry Kemelman, Isak Dinesen, Arthur W. Upfield, and Berton Roueche.
As for the selections themselves, they range from books- Murder on the Orient Express- and novellas like For Your Eyes Only, Not After Midnight, Red Wind, and The Affair of the Twisted Scarf, to the short shockers: The Man Who Loved Dickens and Lamb to the Slaughter.
Along the way we’re introduced to residents in the Sleuth’s Hall of Fame: Nero Wolfe and his scene-stealing assistant, Archie; Hercule Poirot; Philip Marlowe; detectives from the Continental Op; Lew Archer; Chief Superintendent Dalgleish; Chief Inspector Jules Maigret; Lord Peter Wimsey; even 007 agent James Bond.
If this collection does nothing more but guide your steps to Nero Wolfe's mansion, it will have accomplished its purpose.
At times, the assortment reads like a Who’s Who: Stephen King, Agatha Christie, Raymond Chandler, Dashiell Hammett, Rex Stout, Ross Macdonald, Evelyn Waugh, Roald Dahl, Ian Fleming, Dorothy Sayers, P.D. James, Daphne du Maurier, and Georges Simenon. But other lesser-known authors are included: Nadine Gormier, Harry Kemelman, Isak Dinesen, Arthur W. Upfield, and Berton Roueche.
As for the selections themselves, they range from books- Murder on the Orient Express- and novellas like For Your Eyes Only, Not After Midnight, Red Wind, and The Affair of the Twisted Scarf, to the short shockers: The Man Who Loved Dickens and Lamb to the Slaughter.
Along the way we’re introduced to residents in the Sleuth’s Hall of Fame: Nero Wolfe and his scene-stealing assistant, Archie; Hercule Poirot; Philip Marlowe; detectives from the Continental Op; Lew Archer; Chief Superintendent Dalgleish; Chief Inspector Jules Maigret; Lord Peter Wimsey; even 007 agent James Bond.
If this collection does nothing more but guide your steps to Nero Wolfe's mansion, it will have accomplished its purpose.
December 22, 2025
An Unassuming Anthology of Truly Legendary Mystery and Suspense Short Fiction
When something is called a "treasury" you expect it to be filled with treasure. And this 1983 collection of mystery and suspense compiled by editor and anthologist Marie R. Reno is brimming with it. Because I love these two genres and I love short fiction, I suppose it was inevitable that I would enjoy this but truthfully, Reno has done masterful work in selecting authors and stories that perfectly highlight the best of 20th century mystery and suspense. From pulp writers like Chandler and Hammett to seasoned paperback bestsellers like Ian Fleming and Agatha Christie, all the way to the one author who was a relative newcomer, Stephen King, who had arrived at mega-seller fame for his horror novels by 1983 but who is often overlooked for his real gift--short story writing.
Most people are disappointed by anthologies for the simple reason that not every author or author's story can be suited to every reader's taste when grouped with authors of differing style or ability. But I liked EVERY story in this collection. Maybe because of my age I am partial to fiction from the mid to late 20th century when these books were published. It was certainly a challenging era for writers with huge and competitive short fiction markets that demanded only the best writing. And writers relied on only the best editors to polish their creations and serve as gatekeepers for those of lesser talent and drive. Only the strong survived and went on to fortune and fame. Well, those were the writers and the stories that made it into this anthology.
All I can say is, if you can find this book, get it, read it and love it... I did.
Highly Highly Recommended!
When something is called a "treasury" you expect it to be filled with treasure. And this 1983 collection of mystery and suspense compiled by editor and anthologist Marie R. Reno is brimming with it. Because I love these two genres and I love short fiction, I suppose it was inevitable that I would enjoy this but truthfully, Reno has done masterful work in selecting authors and stories that perfectly highlight the best of 20th century mystery and suspense. From pulp writers like Chandler and Hammett to seasoned paperback bestsellers like Ian Fleming and Agatha Christie, all the way to the one author who was a relative newcomer, Stephen King, who had arrived at mega-seller fame for his horror novels by 1983 but who is often overlooked for his real gift--short story writing.
Most people are disappointed by anthologies for the simple reason that not every author or author's story can be suited to every reader's taste when grouped with authors of differing style or ability. But I liked EVERY story in this collection. Maybe because of my age I am partial to fiction from the mid to late 20th century when these books were published. It was certainly a challenging era for writers with huge and competitive short fiction markets that demanded only the best writing. And writers relied on only the best editors to polish their creations and serve as gatekeepers for those of lesser talent and drive. Only the strong survived and went on to fortune and fame. Well, those were the writers and the stories that made it into this anthology.
All I can say is, if you can find this book, get it, read it and love it... I did.
Highly Highly Recommended!
November 1, 2023
This anthology of 18 stories included several well known authors I had never read including Ian Fleming, Dorothy Sayers, and P.D. James. I want to read more by each of them. Also included in this book were authors that were familiar to me including Evelyn Waugh, Stephen King and Daphne du Maurier. Roald Dahl's story is a murder mystery that is actually quite amusing in the end. Stephen King only needed a 9 page story to leave me with goose bumps. There's a lot of murder and mayhem in this book for mystery fans.
August 28, 2015
Includes some of my favorite authors (D. Sayers, P. D. James, Agatha Christie,) and some that were new to me. It was a mixed bag--I enjoyed some and not others, but there is something for everyone.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews