Grab Bag
by Charlotte MacLeod
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Description
Seventeen priceless stories from the author often referred to as "America's Agatha Christie" Charlotte MacLeod's heroes were men and women like Peter Shandy and Sarah Kelling--genteel sleuths who fight crime with brains, not brawn--and her settings were the drawing rooms and servants' quarters of New England and beyond. With a keen wit and a strong eye for detail, she crafted some of the most memorable victims, murderers, and innocent bystanders of twentieth-century detective novels. In this show more volume, she proves herself a master of the short story as well. Here is the original Peter Shandy story, featuring the school that would eventually metamorphose into Balaclava Agricultural College. Here is peculiar Cousin Claude, who strangles himself with his own necktie. And here is the tale that answers the question "What does Max Bittersohn do when his wife is not around?" Whether the characters are familiar or not, the style is irresistible, and the mysteries are as delightfully puzzling as ever. show lessTags
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Member Reviews
A fun, light, collection of short stories, including several of MacLeod's familiar mystery series characters.
Some cozy, some a little slapstick, some confusing. Some characters recur, and others only appear once. Some aren't so much mysteries as much as just odd little explorations. Several stayed with me long after reading the collection.
Delightful collection of mystery short stories. Loved the unexpected endings!
There is murder in a massage parlor, dastardly doings at a British dinner party, larceny for sale at a general store, and sinister schemes at Balaclava College in this collection of seventeen murder and suspense tales
short stories
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Author Information
60+ Works 12,174 Members
Charlotte MacLeod was born in Bath, New Brunswick, Canada on November 12, 1922. She immigrated to the United States in 1923 and became a naturalized citizen in 1951. She attended the School of Practical Art, now the Art Institute of Boston. She was a staff artist and copywriter at Stop and Shop supermarkets from 1945 to 1952. She also worked at show more N.H. Miller & Co. advertising firm from 1952 to 1982 starting as a copy chief and ending up as a Vice President. She wrote two series under her own name, a Sarah Kelling and Max Bittersohn Mystery series and the Peter Shandy Mystery series. She also wrote two series under the pseudonym Alisa Craig, the Madoc and Janet Rhys Mystery series and the Grub-and-Stakers series. She also wrote Had She But Known: A Biography of Mary Roberts Rinehart and a dozen juvenile books. She won five American Mystery awards and a Nero Wolfe award. She edited the anthologies Mistletoe Mysteries and Christmas Stalkings. She is the co-founder and past president of the American Crime Writers League. She died on January 14, 2005 at the age of 82. (Bowker Author Biography) show less
Classifications
Statistics
- Members
- 245
- Popularity
- 132,075
- Reviews
- 5
- Rating
- (3.42)
- Languages
- English, German
- Media
- Paper, Audiobook, Ebook
- ISBNs
- 5
- ASINs
- 6
