Mr. Treves, a well-known and respected criminologist, theorizes that murder mysteries are most effective when the murder takes place at the very end of the novel, at "the zero hour." Unfortunately for Mr. Treves, on this matter he may be fatally correct. --

A classic compendium of mystery and suspense, crime and detection, whose title novella served as the basis for The Mousetrap, the longest running stage play in the history of the London theater. In the title story, the guests and residents of the newly opened guest house, Monkswell Manor, find themselves trapped by a blinding snowstorm and threatened by a psychotic killer. With a finite cast of characters in the "locked room" mystery, it is not long...

"The villagers of Chipping Cleghorn are agog with curiousity when the Gazette advertises 'A murder is announced and will take place on Friday, October 29th, at Little Paddoks at 6.30 p.m.' A childish practical joke? Or a spiteful hoax? Unable to resiste the mysterious invitation, the locals arrive at Little Paddocks at the appointed time when, without warning, the lights go out and a gun is fired. When they come back on, a gruesome scene is revealed....

Flighty but good-hearted Victoria Jones craves love, intrigue, and adventure. She strikes gold in Edward, a handsome and mysterious traveler whom she's vowed to follow to the ends of the earth. Yet no whirlwind affair can prepare Victoria for what unfolds once she lands in Baghdad. Not a day in Edward's shadow, and she hears whispered warnings of danger and witnesses the murder of a secret agent in her hotel room. And when she discovers that a romantic...

The gruesome death of Mrs. McGinty provokes Superintendent Spence to seek the help of his old ally Hercule Poirot. The victim'a young lodger has been found guilty and is due to hang. But Spence is not convinced by the circumstantial evidence which influenced the verdict. So, at considerable personal discomfort, Poirot goes down to the sleepy village where the old lady lived and where, by chance, his good friend Ariadne Oliver is also staying There...

"Rex Fortescue, king of a financial empire, was sipping tea in his "counting house" when he suffered an agonizing and sudden death. On later inspection, the pockets of the deceased were found to contain traces of cereals. Yet, it was the incident in the parlor which confirmed Miss Marple's suspicion that here she was looking at a case of crime by rhyme."--Back cover.

Sir George and Lady Stubbs, the hosts of a village celebration, hit upon the novel idea of staging a mock murder mystery featuring a Murder Hunt, hosted by mystery writer Ariadne Oliver. One need only follow the game's make-believe clues to be the first to find the body. Only this time, it isn't a game, and the clues lead to a genuine corpse. Ariadne needs the help of her old friend, Hercule Poirot.

Reclusive tycoon Sir Oswald Coote and his melancholy wife, Lady Coote, have hit upon the ideal plan to spice up their quiet lives. They'll host a lavish weekend party at Chimneys -- their isolated estate. But the festive mood is clouded by doom. A practical joke involving seven clocks and a sleeping guest has ended in death -- indeed, in cause for alarm.