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Alfred Hitchcock Presents: Dates with Death
Alfred Hitchcock loves his work - but even he has to admit his schedule is getting overcrowded. From the moment he wakes with dawn breaking over the cemetery to the midnight screams that lull him to sleep after a long day's lethal labors, the master of the macabre has barely a moment free of fiendish fun and gory goings-on. But what is wearing for Hitchcock is wonderful for the reader, as Hitchcock comes up wi the pick of the crop from his non-stop harvest of horror. Here are fifteen tales to terrify by such all-time top spellbinders.
214 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1969
About the author
Alfred Hitchcock
1,159 books786 followersSir Alfred Joseph Hitchcock KBE (13 August 1899 - 29 April 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.
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.
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
October 15, 2019
So this was my first time reading a Alfred Hitchcock Book and I did enjoy the spookiness, mystery and suspense of this book.
At first it started out slow but thankfully picked up in the 2nd story with thrills chills and scary situations beyond compare.
I will definitely read more of his books in the future!!
At first it started out slow but thankfully picked up in the 2nd story with thrills chills and scary situations beyond compare.
I will definitely read more of his books in the future!!
August 13, 2026
More of a 2.5 than a three star book, so I rounded up. Although the book starts strong, the last four stories are clunkers. This book isn't as good as others in the series. Dead animals are a theme here, which I found annoying.
This book is an abbreviated version of A Month of Mystery. There are special thanks given to Robert Arthur, so that most likely means that he was the real editor of this collection.
Stories were originally published from 1936 - 1967, with the majority from the 1950s.
Selections:
* "Introduction: If, Needed, It Is Evening ..." by Alfred Hitchcock. Don't skip Hitchcock's introduction. It's one of the book's highlights.
* "The Dusty Drawer" by Harry Muheim. Absolutely brilliant story about revenge. It was set in the days before ballpoint pens, so don't get any bright ideas after reading this.
* "Drum Beat" by Stephen Marlowe. Very short story of a loudly ticking briefcase on a prop jet -- then called an "air liner."
* "The Uses of Intelligence" by Matthew Gant. Moral of the story: Kids can be too smart for their own good.
* "The Queen's Jewel" by James Holding. WARNING: Dog poisoned. A white woman in the former Swaziland meets her long lost American cousin.
* "That Touch of Genius" by William Sambrot. A photographer who's career is floundering sees a man about to jump from a building. WARNING: Snow leopard murdered.
* "The Crooked Road" by Alex Gaby. Small-town cops prey on out of town drivers in this 1957 modern horror story. I think there's a whole sub-genre of these, now.
* "The Amatuer" by Michael Gilbert. This is part of the Inspector Hazelrigg series. It's self-contained. Set in England during the 1930s, a rich businessman's only son is kidnapped.
* "The Singing Pigeon" by Ross Macdonald. Part of the Lew Archer series. There's no actual pigeon in the story. Exhausted from another case, Lewis Archer stops at a hotel for much needed sleep, which is interrupted by the hotel owner's daughter discovering a huge amount of blood in a room.
* "Justice Manifique" by Lawrence Treat. An American, married to a French woman, witnesses a murder. The murderer then frames the American. The American doesn't speak French, and the French police don't speak English.
* "Greedy Night" by E. C. Bentley. Part of the Lord Peter Whimsey series, but it's a parody ... and a dreadful one at that, with jabs at original series creator Dorothy Sayers. If you haven't read Lord Peter Whimsey before, skip this. This whole thing is just one really long dead animal joke.
* "A Humanist" by Romain Gary. Translated from the French by Richard Howard. Rather savage little piece about the stupidity of being an optimist .... particularly if you are a Jew in Nazi Germany.
* "The Oblong Room" by Edward D. Hoch. This is part of the Fletcher series. Boring whydunnit that limps along, with a predictable ending.
* "Dead Man's Story" by Howard Rigsby. Tedious story told by a ghost, complete with weird spellings to emphasize his accent. Set in Florida long before The Mouse. WARNING: Deer killed.
* "The Janissaries of Emilion" by Basil Copper. A not-quite-novella about a man with a recurring dream of danger coming. Predictable and just a touch racist.
* "Chinoiserie" by Helen McCloy. Crap murder mystery set in pre-WWI China. Racist as well. Lousy way to end the book.
This book is an abbreviated version of A Month of Mystery. There are special thanks given to Robert Arthur, so that most likely means that he was the real editor of this collection.
Stories were originally published from 1936 - 1967, with the majority from the 1950s.
Selections:
* "Introduction: If, Needed, It Is Evening ..." by Alfred Hitchcock. Don't skip Hitchcock's introduction. It's one of the book's highlights.
* "The Dusty Drawer" by Harry Muheim. Absolutely brilliant story about revenge. It was set in the days before ballpoint pens, so don't get any bright ideas after reading this.
* "Drum Beat" by Stephen Marlowe. Very short story of a loudly ticking briefcase on a prop jet -- then called an "air liner."
* "The Uses of Intelligence" by Matthew Gant. Moral of the story: Kids can be too smart for their own good.
* "The Queen's Jewel" by James Holding. WARNING: Dog poisoned. A white woman in the former Swaziland meets her long lost American cousin.
* "That Touch of Genius" by William Sambrot. A photographer who's career is floundering sees a man about to jump from a building. WARNING: Snow leopard murdered.
* "The Crooked Road" by Alex Gaby. Small-town cops prey on out of town drivers in this 1957 modern horror story. I think there's a whole sub-genre of these, now.
* "The Amatuer" by Michael Gilbert. This is part of the Inspector Hazelrigg series. It's self-contained. Set in England during the 1930s, a rich businessman's only son is kidnapped.
* "The Singing Pigeon" by Ross Macdonald. Part of the Lew Archer series. There's no actual pigeon in the story. Exhausted from another case, Lewis Archer stops at a hotel for much needed sleep, which is interrupted by the hotel owner's daughter discovering a huge amount of blood in a room.
* "Justice Manifique" by Lawrence Treat. An American, married to a French woman, witnesses a murder. The murderer then frames the American. The American doesn't speak French, and the French police don't speak English.
* "Greedy Night" by E. C. Bentley. Part of the Lord Peter Whimsey series, but it's a parody ... and a dreadful one at that, with jabs at original series creator Dorothy Sayers. If you haven't read Lord Peter Whimsey before, skip this. This whole thing is just one really long dead animal joke.
* "A Humanist" by Romain Gary. Translated from the French by Richard Howard. Rather savage little piece about the stupidity of being an optimist .... particularly if you are a Jew in Nazi Germany.
* "The Oblong Room" by Edward D. Hoch. This is part of the Fletcher series. Boring whydunnit that limps along, with a predictable ending.
* "Dead Man's Story" by Howard Rigsby. Tedious story told by a ghost, complete with weird spellings to emphasize his accent. Set in Florida long before The Mouse. WARNING: Deer killed.
* "The Janissaries of Emilion" by Basil Copper. A not-quite-novella about a man with a recurring dream of danger coming. Predictable and just a touch racist.
* "Chinoiserie" by Helen McCloy. Crap murder mystery set in pre-WWI China. Racist as well. Lousy way to end the book.
January 1, 2015
Like most Alfred Hitchcock story collections definitely had its Highs and lows. I enjoyed the Sir Peter Whimsy story the best.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews