<div>From an Edgar Award&ndash;winning author, sleuth Peter Duluth must drop the curtain on a killer in this &ldquo;medley of off-stage theatrics with a teaser of a solution&rdquo; (Kirkus Reviews). Patrick Quentin, best known for the Peter Duluth puzzle mysteries, also penned outstanding detective novels from the 1930s through the 1960s under other pseudonyms, including Q. Patrick and Jonathan Stagge. Anthony Boucher wrote: &ldquo;Quentin is particularly noted for the enviable polish and grace which make him one of the leading American fabricants of the murderous comedy of manners; but this surface smoothness conceals intricate and meticulous plot construction as faultless as that of Agatha Christie.&rdquo; Theater producer Peter Duluth is fresh out the sanitarium where he got sober; found his new love, Iris; and also happened to help catch a murderer. Now he&rsquo;s dead set on staging his big comeback with a new play featuring his lady as the star. Unfortunately, they end up in a broken-down theater where the rats keep company with ghosts, and where there hasn&rsquo;t been a hit in years. Combined with the usual egos, divas, and personal demons, it will be a miracle if Peter can get the play off the ground. But his seemingly cursed production turns deadly when an actor literally dies onstage, with another murder soon to follow&mdash;this is not a dress rehearsal. Now it&rsquo;s up to Peter to shine a spotlight on a killer. </div>

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Puzzle for Players

<div>In this mystery from an Edgar Award&ndash;winning author, Peter Duluth deals with a case of mistaken identities and murder in World War II San Francisco. Patrick Quentin, best known for the Peter Duluth puzzle mysteries, also penned outstanding detective novels from the 1930s through the 1960s under other pseudonyms, including Q. Patrick and Jonathan Stagge. Anthony Boucher wrote: &ldquo;Quentin is particularly noted for the enviable polish and grace which make him one of the leading American fabricants of the murderous comedy of manners; but this surface smoothness conceals intricate and meticulous plot construction as faultless as that of Agatha Christie.&rdquo; As the war rages in the Pacific, naval lieutenant Peter Duluth is ecstatic to make port and spend time with his ladylove, Iris. They have little luck finding a room until a brassy blond offers them her hotel suite out of what seems like pure charity. And that&rsquo;s when Peter&rsquo;s shore leave starts going sideways. While unwinding in a steam room, Peter&rsquo;s uniform is stolen. Then, Iris is mistaken several times for her cousin, a local vamp with a very unusual coterie of friends. And things hit a bloody head when Peter&rsquo;s missing uniform ends up implicating him in murder. Now, with both of their identities in flux, Peter and Iris must navigate their way through the fog-shrouded alleys of the City by the Bay if they&rsquo;re going to learn just what kind of mess they&rsquo;re caught up in . . . and if they can get out of it alive. </div>

Puzzle for Puppets

<div>In this &ldquo;fun&rdquo; mystery from an Edgar Award&ndash;winning author, amateur sleuth Peter Duluth learns that divorce can be murder (Kirkus Reviews). Patrick Quentin, best known for the Peter Duluth puzzle mysteries, also penned outstanding detective novels from the 1930s through the 1960s under other pseudonyms, including Q. Patrick and Jonathan Stagge. Anthony Boucher wrote: &ldquo;Quentin is particularly noted for the enviable polish and grace which make him one of the leading American fabricants of the murderous comedy of manners; but this surface smoothness conceals intricate and meticulous plot construction as faultless as that of Agatha Christie.&rdquo; On extended shore leave from the war in the Pacific, navy lieutenant Peter Duluth and his movie star wife, Iris, have escaped from the prying eyes of the press, landing at the Nevada desert mansion of their friend Lorraine Playgel. Unfortunately, they aren&rsquo;t alone. Staying with Lorraine are three old school friends who are all waiting to get a Reno divorce from their respective husbands for very different reasons. But the brassy Lorraine can&rsquo;t help but stir up some drama by inviting all three soon-to-be exes out to the oasis. Naturally, things are a bit uncomfortable at first. Then the tension snaps with lethal results. One of the hopeful divorc&eacute;es turns up dead, followed quickly by another. Knowing there must be a lot more than just alimony at stake, Peter and Iris start hunting for a killer who&rsquo;s taking &ldquo;till death do we part&rdquo; quite literally . . . </div>

Puzzle for Wantons

<div>This first act of a mystery series by an Edgar Award winner, Broadway producer/amateur sleuth Peter Duluth delivers &ldquo;your money&rsquo;s worth of theatrics&rdquo; (Kirkus Reviews). Patrick Quentin, best known for the Peter Duluth puzzle mysteries, also penned outstanding detective novels from the 1930s through the 1960s under other pseudonyms, including Q. Patrick and Jonathan Stagge. Anthony Boucher wrote: &ldquo;Quentin is particularly noted for the enviable polish and grace which make him one of the leading American fabricants of the murderous comedy of manners; but this surface smoothness conceals intricate and meticulous plot construction as faultless as that of Agatha Christie.&rdquo; Peter Duluth was once an up-and-comer on the Great White Way. But after his wife died, he dove into a bottle and stayed there. It&rsquo;s only when he&rsquo;s about to hit rock bottom that he decides to dry out, admitting himself into rehab to save his life. Unfortunately, Peter&rsquo;s new home turns out to be even more dangerous than the outside world when a staff member is murdered, and a patient soon checks out in a similar manner. Peter thinks he may have an idea of what&rsquo;s going on, but isn&rsquo;t sure what he&rsquo;s hearing and seeing is real, or if the DTs are still playing with his head. When a beautiful fellow patient falls under suspicion, Peter realizes that the deadly mystery is offering him not only a new life, but also a new love. All he has to do now is find a crazed killer in a place where crazy is the norm . . . </div>

A Puzzle for Fools

<div>In this mystery from the Edgar Award&ndash;winning author of the Peter Duluth series, Lieutenant Trant investigates the murder of a shady and seductive scoundrel. Patrick Quentin, best known for the Peter Duluth puzzle mysteries, also penned outstanding detective novels from the 1930s through the 1960s under other pseudonyms, including Q. Patrick and Jonathan Stagge. Anthony Boucher wrote: &ldquo;Quentin is particularly noted for the enviable polish and grace which make him one of the leading American fabricants of the murderous comedy of manners; but this surface smoothness conceals intricate and meticulous plot construction as faultless as that of Agatha Christie.&rdquo; George Hadley just wanted to be happy. Caught up in a world where money, propriety, and, above all, appearances hold sway, he&rsquo;s more than willing to leave his wealthy socialite wife and run off with his secretary if it means being free. That&rsquo;s when he meets the young, handsome Don Saxon. A lothario with a shadowy past, he soon worms his way into George&rsquo;s inner circle, enchanting his wife, seducing his niece&mdash;and threatening to reveal George&rsquo;s affair. So when his niece finds Don in his apartment shot dead, George should be relieved. But then, the intrepid Lieutenant Trant starts taking a closer look at George&rsquo;s life and his growing list of lies. Unless George can figure out who really killed Don, he&rsquo;s never going to be happy&mdash;or free&mdash;again . . . </div>

Shadow of Guilt

<div>In this mystery from an Edgar Award&ndash;winning author, sleuth Peter Duluth must overcome his own demons as he investigates a case south of the border (Kirkus Reviews). Patrick Quentin, best known for the Peter Duluth puzzle mysteries, also penned outstanding detective novels from the 1930s through the 1960s under other pseudonyms, including Q. Patrick and Jonathan Stagge. Anthony Boucher wrote: &ldquo;Quentin is particularly noted for the enviable polish and grace which make him one of the leading American fabricants of the murderous comedy of manners; but this surface smoothness conceals intricate and meticulous plot construction as faultless as that of Agatha Christie.&rdquo; Returning from World War II, Broadway big shot Peter Duluth thought he and his wife, Iris, could simply resume the life they had before. He was wrong. Peter is carrying some heavy baggage from his time in the service, and the weight is more than Iris can bear. By the time the detective gets back to his old self, Iris is gone. Following his wife to Mexico, he discovers she&rsquo;s fallen for someone else. But Peter isn&rsquo;t about to give up and go home. He&rsquo;s going to stay and fight for her. To win this battle, Peter will have to investigate the murder of Iris&rsquo;s lover&rsquo;s wife, become entangled with the man&rsquo;s depraved family&mdash;and face the possibility that the love of his life may a cold-blooded killer . . . </div>

Puzzle for Pilgrims

<div>In this &ldquo;bright, amusing addition to this series&rdquo; by an Edgar Award winner, sleuth Peter Duluth faces his greatest challenge: remembering who he is . . . (Kirkus Reviews). Patrick Quentin, best known for the Peter Duluth puzzle mysteries, also penned outstanding detective novels from the 1930s through the 1960s under other pseudonyms, including Q. Patrick and Jonathan Stagge. Anthony Boucher wrote: &ldquo;Quentin is particularly noted for the enviable polish and grace which make him one of the leading American fabricants of the murderous comedy of manners; but this surface smoothness conceals intricate and meticulous plot construction as faultless as that of Agatha Christie.&rdquo; When Gordy Friend wakes up in the hospital, he&rsquo;s got a broken arm, a broken leg, and apparently a broken head, since he can&rsquo;t remember anything that&rsquo;s happened before now. Luckily, Gordy learns he has a doting mother, a loving sister, and an absolute knockout wife to care for him and remind him of his lavish, hedonistic lifestyle. He&rsquo;s also in line to inherit a great deal of money from his recently deceased father&mdash;if the will isn&rsquo;t contested by some killjoys who think Gordy isn&rsquo;t up to snuff. Then, his trip down easy street hits the skids as Gordy realizes not everything around him is what it seems, and that his father&rsquo;s passing might not have been so peaceful. Plus, he&rsquo;s got some weird thoughts clanking around his head&mdash;strange memories about the bright lights of Broadway and a beautiful starlet. The more Gordy finds out about himself, the more he suspects that his entire life might be a lie. And that the lie might just kill him . . . </div>

Puzzle for Fiends

<div>A &ldquo;hard to solve and easy to read&rdquo; mystery from the Edgar Award&ndash;winning author of the Peter Duluth series (Kirkus Reviews). Patrick Quentin, best known for the Peter Duluth puzzle mysteries, also penned outstanding detective novels from the 1930s through the 1960s under other pseudonyms, including Q. Patrick and Jonathan Stagge. Anthony Boucher wrote: &ldquo;Quentin is particularly noted for the enviable polish and grace which make him one of the leading American fabricants of the murderous comedy of manners; but this surface smoothness conceals intricate and meticulous plot construction as faultless as that of Agatha Christie.&rdquo; Lewis Denham has always been the black sheep of the family. Adopted into the &ldquo;proper&rdquo; Denham household after his working-class parents died, Lew never quite fit in with the rest of the clan&mdash;or maybe he simply couldn&rsquo;t keep his nose elevated that high for that long without getting frostbite. Either way, when he announces his marriage to a British girl without checking how blue her blood is, the family is aghast. But things become truly appalling when Lew finds a dead man in his apartment&mdash;and it seems the lower-class victim had a connection with his upper-crust family. Now, feeling more outside the Denham ranks than ever, Lew will have to look past his family&rsquo;s elite fa&ccedil;ade and find out who they really are. And he&rsquo;s about to learn that none of them are too good to get a little blood on their hands . . . </div>

Family Skeletons

<div>In this mystery from an Edgar Award&ndash;winning author, sleuth Peter Duluth steps in when his rebellious nephew is charged with murder. Patrick Quentin, best known for the Peter Duluth puzzle mysteries, also penned outstanding detective novels from the 1930s through the 1960s under other pseudonyms, including Q. Patrick and Jonathan Stagge. Anthony Boucher wrote: &ldquo;Quentin is particularly noted for the enviable polish and grace which make him one of the leading American fabricants of the murderous comedy of manners; but this surface smoothness conceals intricate and meticulous plot construction as faultless as that of Agatha Christie.&rdquo; Jake Duluth is a man alone. Three years after the suicide of his beloved wife, the wall between Jake and his son, Bill, has only grown higher. Bill&rsquo;s constant impulsiveness has driven Jake to distraction, while Jake&rsquo;s constant concern for his publishing business alienates Bill even more. But when Bill is accused of murdering Jake&rsquo;s business partner after falling in love with the man&rsquo;s much younger wife, Jake has no choice but to believe his son and call in someone with much more experience in such sinister matters&mdash;his brother, Peter. Now, with Bill&rsquo;s life at stake, Jake and Peter must follow a trail of secrets and twisted loyalties if they are going to uncover a culprit neither could have ever imagined. </div>

My Son, the Murderer

<div>In this mystery from an Edgar Award&ndash;winning author, sleuth Peter Duluth is caught in &ldquo;a succession of double takes and double-crosses&rdquo; (Kirkus Reviews). Patrick Quentin, best known for the Peter Duluth puzzle mysteries, also penned outstanding detective novels from the 1930s through the 1960s under other pseudonyms, including Q. Patrick and Jonathan Stagge. Anthony Boucher wrote: &ldquo;Quentin is particularly noted for the enviable polish and grace which make him one of the leading American fabricants of the murderous comedy of manners; but this surface smoothness conceals intricate and meticulous plot construction as faultless as that of Agatha Christie.&rdquo; With his marriage to his wife on the rebound&mdash;but still precarious&mdash;Peter Duluth knows the last thing he needs now is more trouble. With Iris away making a movie, maybe he can finally get back to writing his next Broadway hit. Unfortunately, after the sultry Deborah Brand slinks into his car asking for a ride, things are about to get far more complicated&mdash;and dangerous. Because when his passenger ends up dead, Peter becomes ensnared in a conspiracy that will take him from the jungles of Mexico to the back alleys of New Orleans. And if Peter isn&rsquo;t careful, it may take him straight to the grave . . . </div>

Run to Death

<div>This Edgar Award&ndash;winning collection from the author behind the Peter Duluth novels delivers &ldquo;a dozen shock treatments for varying degrees of murder&rdquo; (Kirkus Reviews). Patrick Quentin, best known for the Peter Duluth puzzle mysteries, also penned outstanding detective novels from the 1930s through the 1960s under other pseudonyms, including Q. Patrick and Jonathan Stagge. Anthony Boucher wrote: &ldquo;Quentin is particularly noted for the enviable polish and grace which make him one of the leading American fabricants of the murderous comedy of manners; but this surface smoothness conceals intricate and meticulous plot construction as faultless as that of Agatha Christie.&rdquo; This Edgar Award&ndash;winning short story collection introduces multiple murderers with a myriad of motives: In the title story, which was adapted for an episode of The Alfred Hitchcock Hour, a wealthy woman trapped in a vault passes the hours pondering her life and her loves as time&mdash;and her oxygen supply&mdash;runs out . . . In post&ndash;World War II Sicily, a visiting American discovers that his charity toward a young boy has ensnared him in a trap only a child could have dreamed up . . . A cheating husband planning on killing his wife learns that even the best-laid plans can go astray&mdash;especially if your wife is a lot smarter than you . . . A child writes down what she&rsquo;s going to say in a court case, revealing the honest, innocent heart of a little girl&mdash;and the cold, calculating mind of a monster . . . Quentin&rsquo;s collection of crimes &ldquo;produces a cool chill and a calculated thrill&rdquo; (Kirkus Reviews) and includes: &ldquo;The Ordeal of Mrs. Snow,&rdquo; &ldquo;A Boy&rsquo;s Will,&rdquo; &ldquo;Portrait of a Murderer,&rdquo; &ldquo;Little Boy Lost,&rdquo; &ldquo;Witness for the Prosecution,&rdquo; &ldquo;The Pigeon-Woman,&rdquo; &ldquo;All the Way to the Moon,&rdquo; &ldquo;Mother, May I Go Out to Swim?,&rdquo; &ldquo;Thou Lord Seest Me,&rdquo; &ldquo;Mrs. Appleby&rsquo;s Bear,&rdquo; &ldquo;Love Comes to Miss Lucy,&rdquo; and &ldquo;This Will Kill You.&rdquo; </div>

The Ordeal of Mrs. Snow

<div>From the Edgar Award&ndash;winning author of the Peter Duluth Mysteries comes an electrifying thriller of one man&rsquo;s desperate search for his missing wife. Patrick Quentin, best known for the Peter Duluth puzzle mysteries, also penned outstanding detective novels from the 1930s through the 1960s under other pseudonyms, including Q. Patrick and Jonathan Stagge. Anthony Boucher wrote: &ldquo;Quentin is particularly noted for the enviable polish and grace which make him one of the leading American fabricants of the murderous comedy of manners; but this surface smoothness conceals intricate and meticulous plot construction as faultless as that of Agatha Christie.&rdquo; Returning from Venezuela, mining engineer Mark Liddon is hoping to surprise his wife as much as she surprised him by agreeing to marry him. After all, he came up the rough way in back rooms and boxing rings, while Ellie is a social scion from a family of money and influence. But when Mark crosses the doorstep, Ellie is nowhere to be found and her ex-boyfriend is in their home, shot dead. Using instincts honed from a lifetime of hard knocks, Mark launches himself into an investigation of his own to find Ellie. But the further he goes in his search, the more people try to slow him down. And now they&rsquo;re trying to kill him . . . </div>

The Follower

<div>The Edgar Award&ndash;winning author of the Peter Duluth series delivers a fun, fast-paced murder mystery set in the heyday of Hollywood. Patrick Quentin, best known for the Peter Duluth puzzle mysteries, also penned outstanding detective novels from the 1930s through the 1960s under other pseudonyms, including Q. Patrick and Jonathan Stagge. Anthony Boucher wrote: &ldquo;Quentin is particularly noted for the enviable polish and grace which make him one of the leading American fabricants of the murderous comedy of manners; but this surface smoothness conceals intricate and meticulous plot construction as faultless as that of Agatha Christie.&rdquo; Young Nickie Rood is in Paris working on a novel, enjoying the company of a lovely local, and generally lazing about when he learns of the death of Hollywood icon Norma Delaney. His eccentric mother, Anny, demands that he return home at this trying time. After all, Norma was one of Anny&rsquo;s best friends. They had come up together, working their way to movie stardom. But they were also both facing the fact that stars fade. And with Norma&rsquo;s unfortunate&mdash;and quite suspicious&mdash;demise, a plum film role is now Anny&rsquo;s for the taking. Which is why she ends up cast as suspect number one in her friend&rsquo;s murder. With Anny&rsquo;s life and legacy on the line, Nickie must snoop his way through the highest of high society and the grimiest gutters in Tinseltown if he&rsquo;s going to keep his mother from facing her final act. </div>

Suspicious Circumstances

<div>The Edgar Award&ndash;winning author of the Peter Duluth series delivers a taut mystery of a mild-mannered man out to prove himself innocent of murder. Patrick Quentin, best known for the Peter Duluth puzzle mysteries, also penned outstanding detective novels from the 1930s through the 1960s under other pseudonyms, including Q. Patrick and Jonathan Stagge. Anthony Boucher wrote: &ldquo;Quentin is particularly noted for the enviable polish and grace which make him one of the leading American fabricants of the murderous comedy of manners; but this surface smoothness conceals intricate and meticulous plot construction as faultless as that of Agatha Christie.&rdquo; Andrew Jordan might be called an everyman&mdash;if it meant that every man drifts through life in a perpetual haze of boredom, a completely bland creature married to a woman who neither appreciates nor loves him. Even the series of anonymous messages warning him of his wife&rsquo;s infidelity spark nothing in him except a belief that whatever is wrong must be his fault. Then his wife is murdered, and the meek Andrew is a prime suspect. With no one to turn to, Andrew begins his own investigation, discovering there were more than a few people who had it in for his wife. The more he learns, the more he realizes someone is setting him up for a big fall. And if he doesn&rsquo;t stand up, man up, and prove his innocence, they are going to succeed. </div>

The Green-Eyed Monster

<div>A &ldquo;drastic domestic mystery story verging on nightmare&rdquo; from the Edgar Award&ndash;winning author of the Peter Duluth series (Tatler). Struggling artist John Hamilton is a man living a lie. Since moving to the small New England town of Stoneville to pursue painting, he&rsquo;s been desperately trying to cope with his wife&rsquo;s alcoholism. Linda has become an expert at hiding it from her wealthy circle of friends&mdash;and at keeping John from exposing her. Though, their marriage has devolved into a never-ending cycle of deception and denial. But when John is offered his old job back in New York City at twice the pay, things come to a head. Linda wants nothing more than to be back in the city among her old friends, living the high life&mdash;only John and his artistic ambitions stand her way. When John comes back from Manhattan, turning down the job, he finds his house in utter disarray&mdash;and Linda nowhere to be found. In her wake, she has made sure that suspicions immediately fall on John. And as the villagers turn against him and evidence points to murder, John must delve into the darkness of his own wife&rsquo;s twisted mind to uncover the truth. After all, no one knows her better than him . . . &ldquo;For lovers of anxiety crime fiction, The Man in the Net certainly fills the bill. At the same time, there is a neat central crime puzzle to solve and some excellent acerbic writing and character portraits.&rdquo; &mdash;The Passing Tramp The basis for the 1959 movie starring Alan Ladd </div>

The Man in the Net

<div>A chance meeting with an ex throws a man&rsquo;s current marriage into turmoil, from the author &ldquo;in the very first line of detective-story writers&rdquo; (Sphere). On the surface, Bill Harding has landed on his feet. After failing as a writer and having his first wife desert him and their son, he remarried into a family of wealth and power. His &ldquo;perfect&rdquo; new wife is renowned for her charity work, and her father&rsquo;s publishing empire provides Bill with a job, a ritzy Manhattan apartment, and a glamorous lifestyle. All is well until Bill runs into his beautiful ex. Though she&rsquo;s in a sorry state, Bill pushes the thought of her out of his mind. The last thing he expects is to see her again, but her sordid life soon creeps into his rarefied world, bringing with it murder. Now, the more steps Bill takes to protect himself and his marriage, the more the truth is obscured. Bill&rsquo;s own shortcomings come to light, as well as the secrets of a dysfunctional family. With Det. Timothy Trant on the case, Bill must make a decision that could ruin everything&mdash;and strip away the lies that have engulfed them all . . . &ldquo;This is a fine mid-century detective novel, the essence of a page turning thriller, but one which neglects neither clueing nor characterization.&rdquo; &mdash;The Passing Tramp &ldquo;Svelte.&rdquo; &mdash;Kirkus Reviews The basis for the 1967 Japanese film Tsuma Futari (&ldquo;Two Wives&rdquo;), directed by Yasuzo Masamura </div>

Patrick Quentin
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Books By Patrick Quentin (16 Books)