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Alfred Hitchcock Presents: 16 Skeletons From My Closet
Contents
1. Ghost Story / by Henry Kane
2. Where is Thy Sting? / by James Holding
3. The Butler Who Didn't Do It / by Craig Rice
4. Christmas Gift / by Robert Turner
5. Man at the Table / by C.B. Gilford
6. Death of Another Salesman / by Donald Honig
7. Man with a Hobby / by Robert Bloch
8. ...Said Jack the Ripper / by Robert Arthur
9. A Gun with a Heart / by William Logan
10. Assassination / by Dion Henderson
11. A Little Sororicide / by Richard Deming
12. The Man Who Got Away with It / by Lawrence Treat
13. Secret Recipe / by Charles Mergendahl
14. Daddy-O / by David Alexander
15. The Crime Machine / by Jack Ritchie
16. Homicide and Gentlemen / by Fletcher Flora
221 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1963
6 people are currently reading
158 people want to read
About the author
Alfred Hitchcock
1,145 books772 followersSir 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.
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 - 17 of 17 reviews
August 23, 2017
Published in 1963, this one has stories dating from 1956 to 1961, all reprints from AHMM. Lots of great names in this one, so expectations are high…
First up is “Ghost Story”, from Henry Kane, in which his noted P.I. character Pete Chambers unearths an old crime when it appears a ghost is taking retribution against the family members who killed him. James Holding’s “Where is Thy Sting?” is a fun but goofy story about a guy who uses honeybees to kill the writer his wife is having an affair with.
In Craig Rice’s “The Butler Who Didn’t Do It” a small-time lawyer is hired to find out who killed the former butler of a rich, corrupt family. The saving grace of this story was the protagonist, Malone, who on the surface doesn’t seem very enthusiastic about his work. “Christmas Gift”, by Robert Turner, is about cops closing in on a criminal who stops to visit his family on Christmas Eve, and a surprising act of kindness.
Next is another terrific story from C.B. Gilford, “The Man at the Table”, in which a poker player plays a game of bluff with a killer who has broken into his home. I saw the twist coming at about the halfway point, but that did nothing to diminish my enjoyment of this one. Gilford rarely disappoints.
“Death of Another Salesman”, by Donald Honig, is a clever story about a salesman who suspects a woman has been murdered in the motel room next to his. Like the story previous to it, I saw the twist coming, but still really enjoyed the story. And speaking of twists, in Robert Bloch’s “Man with a Hobby”, a conversation between two bowlers at a bar ends with police searching the area for a brutal serial killer—and Bloch’s famously twisted touch.
Robert Arthur, who is the actual editor and “stand-in” for Hitchcock for this this volume and many (most?) of the others, contributes “…Said Jack the Ripper”. An escaped killer hides out at a wax museum of famous killers, not suspecting something bizarre going on there.
In William Logan’s “A Gun with a Heart”, a hit-man struggles with his conscience when he’s ordered to kill his good friend. “Assassination”, by Dion Henderson, has a security agent making sure a dignitary is safe on the way to the airport—but the agent isn’t quite what he seems. In Richard Deming’s “A Little Sorocide”, a ridiculously meek man plots to kill his domineering sister with poison, and thinks naturally go completely off the rails.
In Lawrence Treat’s “The Man Who Got Away with It”, a murderer who has since assumed a new life and identity can’t resist tempting fate by visiting the woman he killed for. In “Secret Recipe”, by Charles Mergandahl, a man has important dinner guests, but his psychotic wife may be serving a main course out of his nightmares. This one was genuinely creepy and even had me a bit nervous.
“Daddy-O”, by David Alexander, is another winner—a creepy old man blackmails two sisters into letting him move in and attend to his every insane fatherly whim. “The Crime Machine”, by the great Jack Ritchie, is about a professional hit-man blackmailed by a strange man who claims to have witnessed his crimes with the aid of a time machine.
And Fletcher Flora wraps up the collection with “Homicide and Gentleman”, in which a world-weary police detective investigates a murder on a golf course, only to uncover a bizarre love triangle and a gentlemanly code of honor about murder.
This is probably the best Hitchcock collection I’ve read so far, with the most number of must-read stories. About half of them are really terrific; the others are at least quite good.
Stand-out stories: “The Man at the Table”, “Death of Another Salesman”, “The Man Who Got Away”, “Secret Recipe”, “Daddy-O”, “The Crime Machine”, and “Homicide and Gentleman”.
First up is “Ghost Story”, from Henry Kane, in which his noted P.I. character Pete Chambers unearths an old crime when it appears a ghost is taking retribution against the family members who killed him. James Holding’s “Where is Thy Sting?” is a fun but goofy story about a guy who uses honeybees to kill the writer his wife is having an affair with.
In Craig Rice’s “The Butler Who Didn’t Do It” a small-time lawyer is hired to find out who killed the former butler of a rich, corrupt family. The saving grace of this story was the protagonist, Malone, who on the surface doesn’t seem very enthusiastic about his work. “Christmas Gift”, by Robert Turner, is about cops closing in on a criminal who stops to visit his family on Christmas Eve, and a surprising act of kindness.
Next is another terrific story from C.B. Gilford, “The Man at the Table”, in which a poker player plays a game of bluff with a killer who has broken into his home. I saw the twist coming at about the halfway point, but that did nothing to diminish my enjoyment of this one. Gilford rarely disappoints.
“Death of Another Salesman”, by Donald Honig, is a clever story about a salesman who suspects a woman has been murdered in the motel room next to his. Like the story previous to it, I saw the twist coming, but still really enjoyed the story. And speaking of twists, in Robert Bloch’s “Man with a Hobby”, a conversation between two bowlers at a bar ends with police searching the area for a brutal serial killer—and Bloch’s famously twisted touch.
Robert Arthur, who is the actual editor and “stand-in” for Hitchcock for this this volume and many (most?) of the others, contributes “…Said Jack the Ripper”. An escaped killer hides out at a wax museum of famous killers, not suspecting something bizarre going on there.
In William Logan’s “A Gun with a Heart”, a hit-man struggles with his conscience when he’s ordered to kill his good friend. “Assassination”, by Dion Henderson, has a security agent making sure a dignitary is safe on the way to the airport—but the agent isn’t quite what he seems. In Richard Deming’s “A Little Sorocide”, a ridiculously meek man plots to kill his domineering sister with poison, and thinks naturally go completely off the rails.
In Lawrence Treat’s “The Man Who Got Away with It”, a murderer who has since assumed a new life and identity can’t resist tempting fate by visiting the woman he killed for. In “Secret Recipe”, by Charles Mergandahl, a man has important dinner guests, but his psychotic wife may be serving a main course out of his nightmares. This one was genuinely creepy and even had me a bit nervous.
“Daddy-O”, by David Alexander, is another winner—a creepy old man blackmails two sisters into letting him move in and attend to his every insane fatherly whim. “The Crime Machine”, by the great Jack Ritchie, is about a professional hit-man blackmailed by a strange man who claims to have witnessed his crimes with the aid of a time machine.
And Fletcher Flora wraps up the collection with “Homicide and Gentleman”, in which a world-weary police detective investigates a murder on a golf course, only to uncover a bizarre love triangle and a gentlemanly code of honor about murder.
This is probably the best Hitchcock collection I’ve read so far, with the most number of must-read stories. About half of them are really terrific; the others are at least quite good.
Stand-out stories: “The Man at the Table”, “Death of Another Salesman”, “The Man Who Got Away”, “Secret Recipe”, “Daddy-O”, “The Crime Machine”, and “Homicide and Gentleman”.
October 26, 2018
Compuesto por 16 relatos escritos por diferentes autores, este libro no me ha resultado todo lo entretenido que yo esperaba. En la portada sale el nombre de Hitchcock, pero él no escribió ninguna de las historias, simplemente se limitó a seleccionarlas.
Algunas me parecieron muy simples, otras me provocaron sueño y unas pocas despertaron ligeramente mi interés. La mayoría rondan las 10 páginas cada una, la más extensa es una titulada “La máquina del tiempo” de Jack Ritchie que consta de casi 30 páginas. Ésa y “¿Dónde está tu aguijón?” de James Holding fueron para mí las mejores, no porque sorprendieran, sino porque eran las que tenían un poco más de ingenio y las vi más amenas de leer que las demás.
Prácticamente todas giran en torno a crímenes y no tienen demasiado misterio, aunque algunas lo pretendan. El problema es que siempre se dan pistas o se mencionan detalles que te permiten intuir cuál es la resolución del caso y eso hace que se pierda parte de la gracia. Los finales son para todos los gustos, unos están mejor trabajados que otros, pero los peores son los que son ridículos como el de “El hombre que se salió con la suya” de Lawrence Treat. Este relato era el más corto y narraba un supuesto encuentro importante que quedó absurdo y que acabó justo cuando dicho encuentro tuvo lugar, ni siquiera se vio una conversación entre sus protagonistas.
Si pudiera, tal vez le daría un 2,5/5 , pero no puedo darle un 3/5 porque realmente llegó un punto en el que me costó avanzar debido a que comencé a darme cuenta de que ningún relato me impresionaba de verdad ni lograba intrigarme. Es cierto que el libro solo tiene 217 páginas y que debería ser entretenido por narrar varias historias, pero el hecho de no impresionarme especialmente con ninguna hizo que me costara terminarlo.
Algunas me parecieron muy simples, otras me provocaron sueño y unas pocas despertaron ligeramente mi interés. La mayoría rondan las 10 páginas cada una, la más extensa es una titulada “La máquina del tiempo” de Jack Ritchie que consta de casi 30 páginas. Ésa y “¿Dónde está tu aguijón?” de James Holding fueron para mí las mejores, no porque sorprendieran, sino porque eran las que tenían un poco más de ingenio y las vi más amenas de leer que las demás.
Prácticamente todas giran en torno a crímenes y no tienen demasiado misterio, aunque algunas lo pretendan. El problema es que siempre se dan pistas o se mencionan detalles que te permiten intuir cuál es la resolución del caso y eso hace que se pierda parte de la gracia. Los finales son para todos los gustos, unos están mejor trabajados que otros, pero los peores son los que son ridículos como el de “El hombre que se salió con la suya” de Lawrence Treat. Este relato era el más corto y narraba un supuesto encuentro importante que quedó absurdo y que acabó justo cuando dicho encuentro tuvo lugar, ni siquiera se vio una conversación entre sus protagonistas.
Si pudiera, tal vez le daría un 2,5/5 , pero no puedo darle un 3/5 porque realmente llegó un punto en el que me costó avanzar debido a que comencé a darme cuenta de que ningún relato me impresionaba de verdad ni lograba intrigarme. Es cierto que el libro solo tiene 217 páginas y que debería ser entretenido por narrar varias historias, pero el hecho de no impresionarme especialmente con ninguna hizo que me costara terminarlo.
February 21, 2018
As Alfred Hitchcock says, "It seems to me that when our century was newer the crime would not have happened in so pedestrian a manner. I very much doubt a pistol would have been used, since a pistol is decidedly not a woman's weapon, as so many mystery writers have been quick to point out for so many satisfying years. Perhaps a rolling-pin, a jungle knife brought back from the Amazon country years ago by the original owner who had traveled with Theodore Roosevelt, a dose of poison in the soup, a thin but strong cord across the top of the staircase. Such was the grandeur of yesteryear, when murder was done with flair and imagination."
This is exactly what I think about crime fiction. I absolutely love the genre, but really don't want to read about endless violence or gun technology. I want to read about psychology of the people involved and why the victim ended up the victim and why the perpetrator committed the crime. In that respect, this book is more than perfect.
This book is an anthology of sixteen short stories with interesting twists. Like any other collection of stories, they are by different authors (which lengthened my reading list) and some stories are better than the others, but all are good. Perfect book for an enjoyable evening.
This is exactly what I think about crime fiction. I absolutely love the genre, but really don't want to read about endless violence or gun technology. I want to read about psychology of the people involved and why the victim ended up the victim and why the perpetrator committed the crime. In that respect, this book is more than perfect.
This book is an anthology of sixteen short stories with interesting twists. Like any other collection of stories, they are by different authors (which lengthened my reading list) and some stories are better than the others, but all are good. Perfect book for an enjoyable evening.
April 9, 2017
Along with The Twilight Zone and Tales from the Crypt, Alfred Hitchcock Presents is considered to be one of the best anthology series out there (and generally one of the best TV shows), and as a fan of all three I fully agree. I'm an anthology film enthusiast as well (especially horror), but unlike with films, a rotten apple or two in a TV show doesn't drag down the entire thing.
Usually in an anthology film there also tends to be a common theme, so you have to watch the whole thing at one sitting, but episodes you can save and watch one per day, month or year. The short running time (less than 30 minutes) is enough to make you invested in the story, but short enough so that there's always time for an episode here and there, no matter how busy you are.
As with Tales from the Crypt, part of the AHP's appeal is the opening (and closing) of the episode, where Hitchcock makes whimsical, dry, and slightly macabre jokes (like in the Christmas episode, where he traps Santa Claus in the chimney by building a brick wall in front of the fireplace). When it comes to the stories themselves, they range from dramas to thrillers, which keeps the show fresh, because you never know what the stories end up being.
Hitchcock's name has been involved with an extraordinary amount of titles. 16 Skeletons from My Closet is a part of Dell Publishing's series of anthologies that were published in the midst of the show's success. In the beginning of each story, there are a couple of lines of introductory words, usually cryptic enough that they don't reveal too much about what's coming. Like in other titles, the introductions have been ghostwritten, but I could still hear Hitchcock's voice in my head, so whoever wrote them did a good job.
Charles Mergendahl's Secret Recipe was both one of my favorite stories and the one with my favorite introduction:
Apart from two underwhelming detective stories, the collection focuses on thrillers and suspense. There are a few duds here and there, and after a while the stories start bleeding into each other, but it can't really be helped, because they're all highly addictive, so it's impossible to read just one. Not a bad assortment by any means, even if the overall quality doesn't quite warrant four stars, and AHP fans will probably be satisfied.
In addition to Secret Recipe, which had a wonderful atmosphere full of paranoia, my favorites were C. B. Gilford's The Man at the Table (a poker player tries to stall a robber), Robert Bloch's Man with a Hobby (like Bloch's best known work, Psycho, this story left behind a lingering sense of dread), Robert Arthur's ...Said Jack the Ripper (wax figures are creepy by default, so when you add a carnival at night and a Chamber of Horrors maintained by a slightly demented man, that's guaranteed fun right there), and A Little Sororicide (a submissive and mild-mannered man imagines what it would be like to murder his domineering and mean spinster sister; I don't know what it says about me, but I love this kind of stuff).
None of the stories succeed in utter surprise endings, but the best ones entertain while they're getting to their inevitable destination. I wouldn't mind reading more of these anthologies, but in terms of choosing between two forms of Hitchcockian stories... I think I'll gladly continue watching the show. With a drop of arsenic in my tea.
Usually in an anthology film there also tends to be a common theme, so you have to watch the whole thing at one sitting, but episodes you can save and watch one per day, month or year. The short running time (less than 30 minutes) is enough to make you invested in the story, but short enough so that there's always time for an episode here and there, no matter how busy you are.
As with Tales from the Crypt, part of the AHP's appeal is the opening (and closing) of the episode, where Hitchcock makes whimsical, dry, and slightly macabre jokes (like in the Christmas episode, where he traps Santa Claus in the chimney by building a brick wall in front of the fireplace). When it comes to the stories themselves, they range from dramas to thrillers, which keeps the show fresh, because you never know what the stories end up being.
Hitchcock's name has been involved with an extraordinary amount of titles. 16 Skeletons from My Closet is a part of Dell Publishing's series of anthologies that were published in the midst of the show's success. In the beginning of each story, there are a couple of lines of introductory words, usually cryptic enough that they don't reveal too much about what's coming. Like in other titles, the introductions have been ghostwritten, but I could still hear Hitchcock's voice in my head, so whoever wrote them did a good job.
Charles Mergendahl's Secret Recipe was both one of my favorite stories and the one with my favorite introduction:
By way of introduction, may I present this bit of folklore. Among a small tribe of peace-loving cannibals, there was one more ingenious than all the rest. Not satisfied to merely eat the white man, he learned his ways. And so during one bountiful harvest season, he reduced his village's food supply to ashes, and placed the ashes in small jars labeled Instant People.
Apart from two underwhelming detective stories, the collection focuses on thrillers and suspense. There are a few duds here and there, and after a while the stories start bleeding into each other, but it can't really be helped, because they're all highly addictive, so it's impossible to read just one. Not a bad assortment by any means, even if the overall quality doesn't quite warrant four stars, and AHP fans will probably be satisfied.
In addition to Secret Recipe, which had a wonderful atmosphere full of paranoia, my favorites were C. B. Gilford's The Man at the Table (a poker player tries to stall a robber), Robert Bloch's Man with a Hobby (like Bloch's best known work, Psycho, this story left behind a lingering sense of dread), Robert Arthur's ...Said Jack the Ripper (wax figures are creepy by default, so when you add a carnival at night and a Chamber of Horrors maintained by a slightly demented man, that's guaranteed fun right there), and A Little Sororicide (a submissive and mild-mannered man imagines what it would be like to murder his domineering and mean spinster sister; I don't know what it says about me, but I love this kind of stuff).
None of the stories succeed in utter surprise endings, but the best ones entertain while they're getting to their inevitable destination. I wouldn't mind reading more of these anthologies, but in terms of choosing between two forms of Hitchcockian stories... I think I'll gladly continue watching the show. With a drop of arsenic in my tea.
September 27, 2015
Una buena selección de historias, realizada por Hitchcock. En general, no tienen desperdicio.
April 10, 2017
Una buena colección de relatos traída por el maestro Alfred Hitchcock. Si bien cada uno de ellos es de un autor diferente, todos se caracterizan por mostrarnos la naturaleza del crimen como tal, donde los asesinatos no se desarrollan a diestra y siniestra, sino que están rebosados de ingenio y placer en su desarrollo. "La máquina del crimen" debe ser sin duda el más sobresaliente de todos, pero la lectura en general en ningún momento peca de tediosa y/o repetitiva. Hace unos meses ya había leído "La muerte va por libre", pero esta selección me pareció un poco más completa y consistente. A continuación les dejo mí calificación de cada uno de los relatos:
Historia de Fantasmas ***
¿Dónde está tu aguijón? ****
El mayordomo que no lo hizo ***
Regalo de navidad ***
El hombre sentado a la mesa *****
La muerte de otro viajante ****
Hombre con manías ****
Dijo Jack El Destripador ****
Una pistola con corazón ***
Asesinato ***
Un pequeño fratricidio ****
El hombre que se salió con la suya ***
Receta secreta *****
Papi ****
La máquina del crimen ***** (y un poco más)
Homicidio y caballeros ****
Historia de Fantasmas ***
¿Dónde está tu aguijón? ****
El mayordomo que no lo hizo ***
Regalo de navidad ***
El hombre sentado a la mesa *****
La muerte de otro viajante ****
Hombre con manías ****
Dijo Jack El Destripador ****
Una pistola con corazón ***
Asesinato ***
Un pequeño fratricidio ****
El hombre que se salió con la suya ***
Receta secreta *****
Papi ****
La máquina del crimen ***** (y un poco más)
Homicidio y caballeros ****
October 30, 2021
Una colección de relatos seleccionados por Hitchock.
Un libro genial para llevar a la playa, o para leer mientras esperas tu turno.
Un libro genial para llevar a la playa, o para leer mientras esperas tu turno.
December 27, 2024
Sixteen stories from Alfred Hitchcock mystery magazine dating from the mid 1950's to early 60's.
Favorites:
The Man at the Table - how to stall a burglar
Death of Another Salesman - was somebody killed in the room next door?
Man with a Hobby - a Robert Bloch ending, nuff said.
Said Jack the Ripper - an escaped killer hides out in a wax museum
Secret Recipe - paranoia runs deep
Favorites:
The Man at the Table - how to stall a burglar
Death of Another Salesman - was somebody killed in the room next door?
Man with a Hobby - a Robert Bloch ending, nuff said.
Said Jack the Ripper - an escaped killer hides out in a wax museum
Secret Recipe - paranoia runs deep
June 10, 2021
Compuesto por 16 relatos escritos por diferentes autores, este libro no me ha resultado todo lo entretenido que yo esperaba.
October 7, 2018
Racconti che, se non fossero piuttosto neri, sarebbero anche divertenti!
July 26, 2023
Hitchcock never disappoints! Even though Hitch never (as far as I know) wrote any of the stories for these books. The stories were written by various authors. I am a fan of these types of stories. These are the types of stories I like to write. I grew up watching the TV show Alfred Hitchcock Presents. If you are unfamiliar with the show I would suggest searching it out on your favorite streaming service. This will give you an idea of what kind of stories are in this book. Very similar to The Twilight Zone. If you like that type of stuff, then this book (or any book with Hitchcock name in the title) will be for you.
June 19, 2013
This book was good. My favorite story was The Crime Machine. That story was perfect. 6/5. But a lot of the other stories were not even close to the quality of that so over all 3.75 but mainly for the story "The Crime Machine". It was just that wonderful. It was brilliant The book fell apart in my hand though. Turns out that happens a lot.
November 4, 2010
This was actually a pretty good collection of stories. A few of them had boring endings, but so many had good twists, it was hard to complain.
I am annoyed, however, that this book fell apart in my hands as I was reading it. So, I guess that was the first and last time.
I am annoyed, however, that this book fell apart in my hands as I was reading it. So, I guess that was the first and last time.
December 4, 2012
It's true what they say: scary stuff from Way Back When ain't quite as scary now. That said, there are a few chills and thrills in this book, and it's kind of fun and interesting to get in the Wayback machine and pretend.
November 3, 2014
Here's another collection of stories from A. Hitchcock. They are all from the late 50's to early 60's.These anthologies are always a good read.So if, like me, you find a copy of this at a local book sale or used book store, jump in, buy it, and enjoy 16 quick mysteries!
August 27, 2015
Fun with some good authors, including Craig Rice, Frank Kane, Fletcher Flora.
Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews