Early American Detective Stories

The late LeRoy Lad Panek, professor emeritus of English at McDaniel College (and “One of the most readable, prolific, and perceptive academic scholars of mystery fiction”—Mystery Scene and Edgar Award winner), was the author of a number of books about detective fiction. He lived in Westminster, Maryland. Mary M. Bendel-Simso is a professor of English at McDaniel College and lives in Westminster, Maryland.

• Table of ContentsPreface      Introduction      1. SERIES DETECTIVES      James Franklin Fitts, “The Guest-Chamber of the Inn at St. Ives”      Percy Garrett, “The Knotted Handkerchief ”      Harriet E. Prescott [Spofford], “Mr. Furbush”      A Traveller [ James D. M’Cabe, Jr.], “The Telltale Eye”      2. C.S.I.: CRIME SCENE INVESTIGATION      Anonymous, “The Left-Handed Thief ”      Anonymous, Excerpts from Strange Stories of a Detective; or, Curiosities of Crime“Introduction”      “The Torn Glove”      Anonymous, “The First Case”      Anonymous, “The Hob-Nailed Shoes”      Anonymous, “The Mute Witness”      Anonymous, “The Secret Cipher: A Detective’s Story”      Anonymous, “A Tell-Tale Ink Mark”      3. HELP FROM ABROAD      Anonymous, “Story of a Detective ‘Expert’ ”      Anonymous, “Vidocq, or the Charcoal Burner of France”      W.W. Buchanan, “In the Cellar”      Narissa Rosavo, “The Wounded Hand...”      Anonymous, “Written in Blood”      Anonymous, “The Twisted Ring”      4. CONTEMPORARY REFLECTIONS      Anonymous, “The Costly Kiss:A New York Detective Experience”      George Arnold, “‘C.S.A.’ ”      Herbert Lee Standish, “Five Thousand Dollars Reward”      Anonymous, “The Detective’s Story”      James D. M’Cabe, Jr., “Seventy Miles an Hour”      William Russell, “Hunting Rogues”      Anonymous, “Tracing a Murderer”      5. VIDOCQS IN PETTICOATS      Anonymous, “The Tell-Tale Key; or A Woman as a Detective”      Anonymous, “The Girl Detective”      Capt. Charles Howard, “An Old Offender”      Anonymous, “‘Clubnose’ ”      6. HAVE YOU HEARD THE ONE ABOUT THE DETECTIVE?      Anonymous, “The Gramercy Park Mystery”      Mark Twain, “Making a Fortune”      Anonymous, “A Detective’s Story”      Anonymous, “The Detective”      Anonymous, “Blown Upon: or The Sagacious Reporter”      H.B.S., “A Detective’s Story”      Anonymous, “A Detective’s Story”      Anonymous, “After a Clew”      Anonymous, “The Detective from Baltimore”      7. FINDING THE FIRST ANTHOLOGY      Mary E. Wilkins [Freeman]Joseph Edgar Chamberlin, “The Long Arm”      Professor Brander Matthews, “The Twinkling of an Eye”      Index

“[Panek is] one of the most readable, prolific, and perceptive academic scholars of mystery fiction”—Mystery Scene.