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Tales of the Impossible
TALES OF THE IMPOSSIBLE
Nineteen ingenious crime puzzle mysteries inspired by the master of the locked room mystery, John Dickson Carr—some of them featuring Nameless Detective and Carpenter & Quincannon … tales involving locked rooms, bizarre vanishings, curious murder methods and ghostly apparitions … in settings as diverse as a prison execution shed, a magic show, a deserted islet, a poker game, a bookshop, a lumber camp, a brewery, and the depths of a gold mine …
Crimes committed in sealed rooms and crypts, on virgin sand, in places under constant guard or observation … crimes concerning the mysterious disappearances of people, weapons, valuables, and for good measure, a dead body.
Twisted and ingenious mysteries from the master of mystery himself—Bill Pronzini!
Nineteen ingenious crime puzzle mysteries inspired by the master of the locked room mystery, John Dickson Carr—some of them featuring Nameless Detective and Carpenter & Quincannon … tales involving locked rooms, bizarre vanishings, curious murder methods and ghostly apparitions … in settings as diverse as a prison execution shed, a magic show, a deserted islet, a poker game, a bookshop, a lumber camp, a brewery, and the depths of a gold mine …
Crimes committed in sealed rooms and crypts, on virgin sand, in places under constant guard or observation … crimes concerning the mysterious disappearances of people, weapons, valuables, and for good measure, a dead body.
Twisted and ingenious mysteries from the master of mystery himself—Bill Pronzini!
314 pages, Paperback
Published September 29, 2025
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About the author
Bill Pronzini
629 books236 followersMystery Writers of America Awards "Grand Master" 2008
Shamus Awards Best Novel winner (1999) for Boobytrap
Edgar Awards Best Novel nominee (1998) for A Wasteland of Strangers
Shamus Awards Best Novel nominee (1997) for Sentinels
Shamus Awards "The Eye" (Lifetime achievment award) 1987
Shamus Awards Best Novel winner (1982) for Hoodwink
Married to author Marcia Muller.
Pseudonyms:
Robert Hart Davis (collaboration with Jeffrey M. Wallmann)
Jack Foxx
William Jeffrey (collaboration with Jeffrey M. Wallmann)
Alex Saxon
Shamus Awards Best Novel winner (1999) for Boobytrap
Edgar Awards Best Novel nominee (1998) for A Wasteland of Strangers
Shamus Awards Best Novel nominee (1997) for Sentinels
Shamus Awards "The Eye" (Lifetime achievment award) 1987
Shamus Awards Best Novel winner (1982) for Hoodwink
Married to author Marcia Muller.
Pseudonyms:
Robert Hart Davis (collaboration with Jeffrey M. Wallmann)
Jack Foxx
William Jeffrey (collaboration with Jeffrey M. Wallmann)
Alex Saxon
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Displaying 1 of 1 review
February 7, 2026
I have read several books by John Dickson Carr, and for some reason I am not a fan of most of his work. However, this collection of short stories from Bill Pronzini written almost as a homage to Carr is actually better than a lot of the originals, maybe because they're short stories, quicky coming to the big reveal.
We have stand alone tales, stories featuring the Nameless Detective (I have read many in that series), and also some with Carpenter & Quincannon, private detectives in San Francisco in the late 1890's. Most of the stories are fine, an impossible mystery followed by a tricky explanation, although reading them back to back gets a bit repetitive. But a good collection nevertheless.
We have stand alone tales, stories featuring the Nameless Detective (I have read many in that series), and also some with Carpenter & Quincannon, private detectives in San Francisco in the late 1890's. Most of the stories are fine, an impossible mystery followed by a tricky explanation, although reading them back to back gets a bit repetitive. But a good collection nevertheless.
Displaying 1 of 1 review