Alfred Hitchcock's A Hangman's Dozen

by Alfred Hitchcock (Preface)

Alfred Hitchcock's a Hangmans Dozen

Genres: Horror, Mystery, Short Stories, Fiction, Anthologies, Mystery Thriller

222 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1962

About the author

Sir Alfred Joseph Hitchcock KBE (1899-1980) was an iconic and highly influential film director and producer, who pioneered many techniques in the suspense and thriller genres.

Following a very substantial career in his native Britain in both silent films and talkies, Hitchcock moved to Hollywood and became an American citizen with dual nationality in 1956, thus he also remained a British subject.

Hitchcock directed more than fifty feature films in a career which spanned six decades, from the silent film era, through the invention of sound films, and far into the era of colour films. For a complete list of his films, see Alfred Hitchcock filmography.

Hitchcock was among the most consistently recognizable directors to the general public, and was one of the most successful film directors during his lifetime. He continues to be one of the best known and most popular filmmakers of all time.

Reviews

[Stefano Saini · Rating 2 out of 5]

Come sempre queste raccolte non hanno granché da offrire, la maggior parte dei racconti sono banali, immotivatamente prolissi e senza nessuna peculiarità stilistica. Perlopiù fungono da distrazione, benché alcune storie siano così pedanti da essere più che altro fastidiose. Ho però apprezzato le idee dietro "Sta' attento, pollo!", "L'ultima impresa" e "Non era una cosa da ridere" e trovato molto valido "Un simpatico avvelenamento".

[Bev · Rating 3 out of 5]

Alfred Hitchcock's A Hangman's Dozen is a collection of short stories by mystery and suspense story stars such as Evan Hunter, Ray Bradbury, Donald Westlake, and Jonathan Craig among others. You could call this Hitchcock's How-to Guide for committing the perfect crime--although "perfect" may be in the eyes of the beholder. In this criminal do-it-yourself guide we get the following tips:

"Bomb #14" by Jack Ritchie: How to get the girl and be sure you keep her
"The Forgiving Ghost" by C. B. Gilford: How to get rid of a bothersome wife
"The Children of Noah" by Richard Matheson: How to have the perfect barbeque with an out-of-town guest
"An Attractive Family" by Robert Arthur" How to keep murder in the family.
"Let the Sucker Beware" by Charles Einstein: How to perfect your con game
"Fair Game" by John Cortez: How to turn the tables on someone who plans on framing you for murder
"The Curious Facts Preceding My Execution" by Richard Stark: How even the most perfect plans can go awry
"Your Witness" by Helen Neilsen: How to get your lawyer husband to arrange for a corroborating witness to your innocence when he dies
"Blackout" by Richard Deming: How to dress for success when confessing to murder
"The October Game" by Ray Bradbury: How to really make your spouse suffer
"Stop Calling me Mister" by Jonathan Craig: How to get rid of a cheating wife and her lover--all in one go
"The Last Escape" by Jay Street: How to avenge your own murder--from the grave
"Not a Laughing Matter" by Evan Hunter: How to take care of those who make fun of you
"Most Agreeably Poisoned" by Fletcher Flora: How to prove to your wife that you're the better man--even if you have to die to do so
"The Best-Friend Murder" by Donald Fletcher: How to really make friends and influence people

Each story has a little preface from the master showman himself. And the book provides a good solid collection of entertaining stories. Three stars for a quick crash course on murder.

First posted on my blog My Reader's Block. Please request permission before reposting. Thanks.

[Marc D. ✨ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Stop calling me "Mister" | 4/5 estrellas.

[Johnny · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Dell paperback anthology packed with macabre episodes and cynical twists, Alfred Hitchcock’s A Hangman’s Dozen gathers together stories that one could easily imagine featured on the Alfred Hitchcock Presents television program (save for the Ray Bradbury story which Hitchcock states could not have been televised for obvious reasons). Indeed, Richard Matheson’s “Children of Noah,” about the salesman caught in a coastal town’s speed trap (with its Lovecraftian trappings) seems like an episode of the television show or a Twilight Zone episode (of which Matheson wrote circa 16). Apparently, Matheson adapted a script for that story for an anthology series which didn’t last long enough to air it, but the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation did an AM radio adaptation in 1966.)

However, Helen Nielson’s “Your Witness” was originally published in the Alfred Hitchcock’s Mystery Magazine and later, adapted for the Alfred Hitchcock Presents television series by William Fay (airing in 1959). In a similar vein, Jay Street’s “The Last Escape” was produced for Alfred Hitchcock Presents in 1961. So, there was a reason why some of these stories seemed familiar.

My favorites were Donald E. Westlake’s “The Best Friend Murder,” C. B. Gilford’s “The Forgiving Ghost” (adapted for radio for CBC-AM’s Mystery Theater in 1966), and Fletcher Flora’s “Most Agreeably Poisoned.” I had read Bradbury’s “The October Game” in a Bradbury anthology, but I reread it and still found it creepy but fascinating. Jack Ritchie’s “Bomb 14” took an unexpected turn and, as the first story in the volume, whet my appetite for more.

In general, I felt that even though I would normally give an anthology only an average rating, Alfred Hitchcock’s A Hangman’s Dozen was definitely an above-average experience for me.

[Ray · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a fun read....nothing too deep or thought provoking but a collection of entertaining stories. Its the sort of book I would have loved around 6th grade. My main complaint is I would have liked a little more variety in the plots as most dealt with murder and some sort of love triangle. The only "must read" was October Game by Ray Bradbury. Just a classic, creepy story with a nice ending. There were others that were good such as Children of Noah, Forgiving Ghost, Let the Sucker Beware, Last Escape, and Most Agreeably Poisoned. I have a few other of these Hitchcock collections on my bookshelf which I will eventually read.

[Ari Pérez · Rating 3 out of 5]

Bomb #14 / Jack Ritchie [**]
Forgiving ghost/ C.B. Gilford [***]
Children of Noah / Richard Matheson [***]
Attractive family / Robert Arthur [**]
Let the sucker beware / Charles Einstein [***]
Fair Game / John Cortez [****]
Curious facts preceding my execution / Richard Stark [**]
Your witness / Helen Nielsen [***]
Blackout / Richard Deming [**]
October game / Ray Bradbury [****]
Stop calling me "mister" / Jonathan Craig [***]
Last escape / Jay Street [***]
Not a laughing matter / Evan Hunter [**]
Most agreeably poisoned / Fletcher Flora [**]
Best-friend murder / Donald E. Westlake [***]

[Paul · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a random free little library pickup, and wow, what a great short story collection! As befitting a Hitchcock-branded collection of murder tales, each story has a twist, and while that means it gets easier and easier to guess who the murderer will (or won't) be, the vast majority of the stories are well written enough to withstand that. And some of them are so inventive, they still surprise even when you're expecting to be surprised. Far and away, the highlight of the book is Ray Bradbury's shockingly dark Halloween story, "The October Game." I had no idea he had it in him!

[Van Reese · Rating 3 out of 5]

Most (but certainly not all) of the stories involve some type of love triangle in which someone is murdered. Although the killer attempts to plan the perfect crime, it often does not end up that way. Some stories were rather disturbing, but if that is the kind of thing you like, I recommend these stories. If murder makes you squeamish, I recommend that you read something else like Tommy's Fun Day at the Beach, or Little Susie Gets a Bunny.

[Joshua Hair · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love these old Hitchcock collections! Yes, some of the stories are quite dated or not nearly as shocking/scandalous as they were when this was published but for the most part every story offers its own entertainment value. I sincerely enjoy reading Alfred Hitchcock's oddly interesting yet completely irrelevant introductions as well. Once again, I was not disappointed.

[David · Rating 3 out of 5]

As usual with anthologies, the story quality is uneven. Some are very good like Ray Bradbury’s macabre “October Game” which was deemed unfit for television. Most have a nice delicious twist at the end, but most of those twists are predictable. Evan Hunter is always good.

So this one, like most of the titles in this “series” is a mixed bag.

[tin_foil_tinnu · Rating 3 out of 5]

A little book with a variety of short horror stories. I didn't really love any of them, although one (the guy in the oven) reminded me that I must've read this book many years ago, because that BBQ moment stuck with me.

[Gonzalo Oyanedel · Rating 3 out of 5]

Selección de relatos criminales más o menos homogénea en calidad, bastante amenos por más que alguno incluya algún remate moral innecesario. Lamentable que la edición excluyera varios cuentos incluidos en su edición original, como los de Richard Matheson y Richard Stark.

[Tami · Rating 2 out of 5]

Lots of short stories on murder. Only one that was more twilight zone.

[Nikki in Niagara · Rating 3 out of 5]

The book opens with a short introductory essay purportedly by Alfred Hitchcock and each story is introduced in a short eerie blurb also supposedly by Hitchcock. And so we feel as if the great man himself is leading us through this collection of stories he has perhaps picked especially for us. It is quite a varied collection with some masters of the short story mixed with some unknowns. A couple of real gems are mixed in here with the OK and a couple of duds, but overall a decent enough satisfying collection of eerie tales of murder, mayhem and perhaps something not quite of this world.

1. Bomb #14 by Jack Ritchie (1957) - A quick story of the police capturing a serial bomber whose 14th bomb has just killed the two bomb experts there to diffuse it. Pretty obvious what is going to happen from the start but readable. (3/5)

2. The Forgiving Ghost by C.B. Gilford (1961) - A fun ghost story of a man who is haunted and tricked by the ghost of his wife, whom he just murdered. (3.5/5)

3. The Children of Noah by Richard Matheson (1957) - I've only read few stories by this author and this has left me with a taste for more! This is not a mystery but more what would be called a horror story of a man who enters a town population 67 and gets pulled over for speeding. Things get scarier from there ... (4/5)

4. An Attractive Family by Robert Arthur (1957) - Ha! This was a good mystery. The final solution was a little far-fetched but it was a well written piece nonetheless. A family of three: mother, son and uncle are plotting their third murder. (4/5)

5. Let the Sucker Beware by Charles Einstein (1958) - This isn't a mystery either, more of a morality tale with a twist ending that starts with the O. Henry quote, "In the West a sucker is born every minute; but in New York they appear in chunks of roe ...". Quite short and rather boring. Writing isn't bad, though. (2/5)

6. Fair Game by John Cortez (1957) - Six stories in and this is the best story so far. Really enjoyed this! A tale of slow-mounting suspense. A local man is hired by a rich man and his young wife to be his guide while he goes deer hunting, all of them staying in the woods in a cabin for the season. Something is going to happen right from the beginning and you never quite know what as the story becomes more intense until the unexpected ending. (5/5)

7. The Curious Facts Preceding My Execution by Richard Stark (1960) - A man describes all the things that happened on the day he kills his wife. Pretty boring. (1/5)

8. Your Witness by Helen Nielsen (1958) - Typical tale of the shyster lawyer who gets his in the end. Predictable but readable. (2/5)

9. Blackout by Richard Denning (1961) - Decent little thriller of a drunk man who enters the police station and admits to a homicide. Checking into his story brings about several twists (3/5)

10. The October Game by Ray Bradbury (1948) - This is a freaky little horror story about a man who wants to hurt his wife as much as he possibly can, murder and divorce are both too quick and the pain wouldn't last long enough, no, he wants her to suffer. (5/5)

11. Stop Calling Me "Mister" by Jonathan Craig (1956) - A man gives us the low down on how he plans and executes a murder. Not much. (2/5)

12. The Last Escape by Jay Street (1960) - An escape artist magician wants to do the water escape trick and finally talks his agent into letting him do it. The magician and his wife have not been getting along well lately. It is fairly easy to guess what is going to happen but the author pulls out a nice, startling twist at the end that leaves you with a chill. (4/5)

13. Not a Laughing Matter by Evan Hunter (1958) - Decent little piece of a down and out, once famous, now ex-drunk, actor who gets a short bit part and plans the murder of the manager. A nifty realization comes at the end. (3/5)

14. Most Agreeably Poisoned by Fletcher Flora (1957) - A lover's triangle results in a game of Russian roulette with poisoned glasses of port. A sophisticated, yet dull, battle of words. (2.5/5)

15. The Best-Friend Murder by Donald E. Westlake (1959) - Nice finish to this collection. I've always enjoyed a Westlake short. A college student runs from the dorm admitting that he's just killed his best friend and fellow aspiring writer. But even with a body, report from the examiner and a signed confession Detective Levine feels there is something strange about this case and works a few extra hours on his own to see what's up. (4/5)

[Steve Isaak · Rating 4 out of 5]

Overall review:

Excellent murder and crime anthology, worth owning.


Standout stories:

1.) "The Children of Noah" - Richard Matheson: A cross-country, speeding motorist (Mr. Ketchum) gets pulled over in Zachry, Maine and finds that leaving this strange town may be more difficult than he first thought. Fun story, with a Twilight Zone-esque feel.



2.) "Fair Game" - John Cortez: Plot-twisty, excellent story about a hunting guide (Sam Ludlow) whose attraction to his client's wife leads to some dark revelations. I especially love the ending to this one.



3.) "The Curious Facts Preceding My Execution" - Richard Stark: A man (Freddie) and his mistress (Karen) plot the demise of his materialistic wife (Janice) and encounter unforeseen complications. Darkly humorous and increasingly intense tale.



4.) "Your Witness" - Helen Nielsen: Fun, well-written story about a woman (Naomi Shawn) whose husband's vicious lawyerly tactics inspire her own revenge on him.



5.) "Blackout" - Richard Deming: A drunk man's murder confession turns out to be more complicated than it initially seems. The ending isn't a surprise, but the story is well-written.



6.) "The October Game" - Ray Bradbury: Memorable, nasty (in a dark notions way) and Halloween-atmospheric tale about a man and his family who host a horrifying holiday party. This is one of my favorite stories in this collection. The ending is especially effective.



7.) "The Last Escape" - Jay Street: An escape artist (Joe Ferlini) has more tricks up his sleeve than anyone - including his wife (Wanda) - suspects. Great finish to this one.



8.) "Most Agreeably Poisoned" - Fletcher Flora: Urbane and "civilized" work about a cuckolded husband who suggests to his wife and her lover a unique port-wine-and-poison solution to resolve their sudden-change situation.



9.) "The Best-Friend Murder" - Donald E. Westlake: Police procedural tale about a polite poisoner's immediate confession to the cops, and how his confession rings odd to one of the investigating officers (Abraham Levine). Great, reader-hooking writing in this work, with palpable, effective themes of youth and mortality. Love the ending to this one.


(This review originally appeared on the Reading & Writing By Pub Light site.)

[L. T. · Rating 3 out of 5]

My opinion on the stories (from 1 to 5 stars):

Jack Ritchie's "Bomb" - 3*
C. B. Gilford's "The Forgiving Ghost" - 3*
Richard Matheson's "The Children of Noah" - 4*
Robert Arthur's "An Attractive Family" - 2*
Charles Einstein's "Let the Sucker Beware" - 2*
John Cortez' "Fair Game" - 2.5*
Richard Stark's "The Curious Facts Preceding my Execution" - 4*
Helen Nielsen's "Your Witness" - 5*
Richard Deming's "Blackout" - 4*
Ray Bradbury's "The October Game" - 5*
Jonathan Craig's "Stop Calling Me Mister" - 4*
Jay Street's "The Last Escape" - 2.5*
Evan Hunter's "Not a Laughing Matter" - 2*
Fletcher Flora's "Most Agreeably Poisoned" - 3*
Donald E. Westlake's "The Best-Friend Murder" - 4*

Best Story: "The October Game"

[Kris Kringle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Consider it a crash course to the perfect crime. Hitchcock likes to give cryptic spoilers before each story - of course you don't get the hang of it until you've completed them all.

[Alicia · Rating 3 out of 5]

Entertaining, good selection of short stories on murder and perfect crimes.

[Ronald Wilcox · Rating 4 out of 5]

As usual, Hitchcock collected a nice set of suspenseful stories, the majority of these about someone murdering some they are close to. The most memorable I read years ago - "The October Game."