Best Selling Books by Fredric Brown

He had no name, no language, no friends. He had not been born and he could not multiply. He had just ''Happened'' - an accidental combination of atoms that could think and learn and do a lot of incredible things. He had floated free in space for billions of years, for all he knew he was the only living thing in the Universe. So when he met three human beings wrangling and bickering in their funny-looking space ship, his whole life changed. Because he suddenly knew that he could make them do anything he wanted.

THEY WERE GREEN, THEY WERE LITTLE, THEY WERE BALD AS BILLIARD BALLS AND THEY WERE EVERYWHERE! Luke Devereaux was a science fiction writer, holed up in a desert shack waiting for inspiration. He was the first to see a Martian - but he certainly wasn''t the last. It was estimated that one billion of them had arrived - one to every three human beings on Earth. Obnoxious green creatures who could be seen and heard (but not harmed) and who probed private sex lives as shamelessly as they exposed government secrets. No one knew why they had come. No one knew how to make them go away - except perhaps, Luke Devereaux. Unfortunately he was going slightly bananas, so it wouldn''t be easy. But for a science fiction writer nothing was impossible...

Mystery icon and original Dutton Guilt Edged Mysteries author Fredric Brown’s inventive and shocking novel We All Killed Grandma, first published in 1952, is available as an eBook for the first time! In We All Killed Grandma, Rod Britten’s first memory is speaking to the police on the phone, staring at the body of a woman with a bullet in her brain. He is completely unable to answer the police’s questions about who he is, where he is, or how he came to discover the woman — who he soon learns is his own grandmother. The killing is written off as a botched burglary, but Rod is determined to discover the truth, both about his life before the amnesia and his grandmother’s death. His quest entangles him with Robin, his beautiful ex-wife who he may be falling in love with all over again, but also puts him in grave danger: what does he know about the murder that his mind won’t let him remember? Edgar Award winning author Fredric Brown, whom Mickey Spillane called “my favorite writer of all time,” weaves a fascinating mystery, now available to a whole new generation of readers.

“A masterfully delivered tale of an inconspicuous citizen who [finds] murder simple . . . The climax packs a brilliant wallop.” —Chicago Tribune Relentlessly twisting and blackly funny, this noir novel by Edgar Award winner Fredric Brown is a portrait of a seemingly upstanding print shop owner in mid-twentieth-century Los Angeles who has successfully murdered his wife—and is now feeling quite confident about his criminal skills. As victims start falling like dominoes, this fast-paced tale works its way to a memorable end, marking a masterwork by this celebrated author of mysteries and crime thrillers. “A real pro . . . a natural storyteller.” —The New York Times Book Review

The clock is ticking as a husband frantically tries to save his abducted wife in this fast-paced crime novel by “a real pro” (The New York Times Book Review). Twenty-five grand if he wants his wife back alive. That’s the demand on the ransom note Lloyd Johnson found sitting in his typewriter. It has to be in unmarked bills—and it has to be delivered in five days. To make it worse, the kidnapper dropped the names of his previous victims—one who’d made it back home to her husband, and one who hadn’t. Armed with this information, Johnson hopes further investigation of those cases will improve his—and his wife’s—chances. But the more he learns, the worse things look, and time is running out, in this twisting tale by the Edgar Award–winning author.

Compiled in one book, the essential collection of stories by Fredric Brown: Earthmen Bearing Gifts Happy Ending Hall of Mirrors Keep Out Two Timer

A woman’s wild story about killers from space leads two Chicago detectives into a bizarre case in this mystery by the Edgar Award–winning author. Ed and Ambrose Hunter, nephew and uncle, have partnered up to open their own detective agency in early 1950s Chicago. With their experience solving the case of Ed’s father’s murder, among others, they have the skills to take criminals down. And as carnies, they’ve encountered all sorts of unusual characters. But it’s still a surprise when a woman asks them to protect her from the Martians who are supposedly targeting her. It’s an easy story to scoff at, but when she actually turns up dead soon afterward, Ed and Am are resolved to find out who on Earth is responsible . . . “[Ed and Am are] an engaging pair of detectives.” —The New York Times

This edition features • illustrations • a linked Table of Contents CONTENTS TWO TIMER EARTHMEN BEARING GIFTS HAPPY ENDING HALL OF MIRRORS KEEP OUT

BUG-EYED MONSTERS ON BROADWAY Pulp SF magazine editor Keith Winton was answering a letter from a teenage fan when the first moon rocket fell back to Earth and blew him away. But where to? Greenville, New York, looked the same, but Bems (Bug-Eyed Monsters) just like the ones on the cover of Startling Stories walked the streets without attracting undue comment. And when he brought out a half-dollar coin in a drugstore, the cops wanted to shoot him on sight as an Arcturian spy. Wait a minute. Seven-foot purple moon-monsters? Earth at war with Arcturus? General Dwight D. Eisenhower in command of Venus Sector? What mad universe was this? One thing was for sure: Keith Winton had to find out fast - or he''d be good and dead, in this universe or any other.

Robinson Crusoe ... Gulliver ... Paul Bunyan; the story of their adventures is nothing compared to the Saga of Mitkey. Fredric Brown was a science fiction and mystery writer. He is known for his use of humor and mastery of the short story form. His stories contained ingenious plotting devices, surprise endings, humor, and a somewhat postmodern outlook.

Dark, twisting tales from an Edgar Award–winning author whose storytelling skills will “dazzle you” (San Francisco Chronicle). From a local sheriff’s casual narration of brutal crimes to a sideshow performer’s evil exploits to the tension and terror created by a madman’s escape, Frederic Brown’s collection of mystery and thriller stories provides a showcase of short fiction ranging from the grim and grisly to the darkly humorous. Discover the golden age of noir and crime fiction with these eighteen stories, many drawn from top magazines of the era such as Thrilling Detective and Ellery Queen’s Mystery Magazine, that offer us a front-row seat at the circus of humanity. “A real pro . . . a natural storyteller.” —The New York Times Book Review

Lust plus greed equals murder in this classic Hollywood noir novel by “a real pro” (The New York Times Book Review). A struggling actor, Willy Griff keeps himself entertained with the wife of a business mogul, but he wants more: He also wants the business mogul’s money. The mistress, Doris, likes the idea even more than Willy does, and figures if she helps plan the murder, she can ditch the husband and keep the cash. It’s a dangerous scheme for two low-level, aspiring criminals. But Willy comes up with an ingenious, foolproof plot for pulling it off. At least, he better hope it’s foolproof . . . The Murderers is a gritty tale of crime and passion from Fredric Brown, a master of noir and mystery and winner of the prestigious Edgar Award.

Fredric Brown (1906-1972), one of science fiction''s greatest masters from the Golden Age, is famous for his many classic short stories -- quite a few of which are presented here, including "Arena," "Knock," "Earthmen Bearing Gifts," "The Star Mouse," and many more. The 32 tales of science fiction and fantasy assembled in this massive volume include: ARENA EXPERIMENT KEEP OUT HAPPY ENDING HALL OF MIRRORS EARTHMEN BEARING GIFTS IMAGINE IT DIDN''T HAPPEN RECESSIONAL EINE KLEINE NACHTMUSIK PUPPET SHOW NIGHTMARE IN YELLOW JAYCEE PI IN THE SKY ANSWER THE GEEZENSTACKS KNOCK REBOUND THE STAR MOUSE ABOMINABLE LETTER TO A PHOENIX NOT YET THE END ARMAGEDDON OF TIME AND EUSTACE WEAVER RECONCILIATION NOTHING SIRIUS PATTERN THE YEHUDI PRINCIPLE COME AND GO MAD SENTRY ETAOIN SHRDLU THE END NOW AVAILABLE: The Second Fredric Brown Megapack! (Search this ebook store for the companion volume, with another great set of Fredric Brown tales!) And don''t forget to search this ebook store for ʺWildside Press Megapackʺ to see more entries in this great series (including "The Second Fredric Brown Megapack"), covering classic authors and subjects like mysteries, science fiction, westerns, ghost stories -- and much, much more!

A detective scours Chicago for his missing uncle in this classic mystery by “a real pro—a natural storyteller” (The New York Times Book Review). Young Ed Hunter and his uncle Ambrose, an ex-carnie, have been making their mark as private detectives in post-WWII Chicago, and one day their agency gets a call from someone seeking help. Apparently, the problem involves carnivals, so Ambrose steps in to put his expertise to work—and then disappears. To find his partner, Ed will have to pound the seedy streets of the city, get involved with a fortune teller, and delve into an old story about an “Ambrose collector,” in this smart, quirky entry in the Edgar Award–winning series.

A groundbreaking science fiction novelette from the early days of Galaxy magazine—plus a new foreword by Paul Di Filippo. Appearing in the second issue of Galaxy dated November 1950, Honeymoon in Hell showcased the magazine’s distinctive identity as opposed to other publications of its time—darker, more socially aware, sometimes sexually frank in ways that were shocking for the era. Dealing with copulation and its desired consequences, Honeymoon in Hell avoided euphemisms—and used a satirical attack that parodied magazine taboos. The covers of pulp magazines depicted monsters putting near-naked females in peril, but the narratives under the cover offered no equivalent. Brown’s hastily married couple, sent to the moon to see if they can breed a male child—all births on Earth over recent months having been female—encounter problems emotional as well as practical. This book includes both the landmark novelette and a new foreword by Paul Di Filippo. About the series: Debuting in 1950, Galaxy was science fiction’s most admired, widely circulated, and influential magazine, known for publication of full-length novels, novellas, and novelettes by giants in the field. The Galaxy Project is a selection of the best of Galaxy, with new forewords by some of today’s top writers. Initial selections include work by Ray Bradbury, Fredric Brown, Lester del Rey, Robert A. Heinlein, Damon Knight, C. M. Kornbluth, Walter M. Miller, Jr., Frederik Pohl, Robert Sheckley, Robert Silverberg, William Tenn (Philip Klass), and Kurt Vonnegut. Foreword contributors include Paul Di Filippo, David Drake, John Lutz, Barry N. Malzberg, and Robert Silverberg. The Galaxy Project is committed to publishing new work in the spirit of Galaxy magazine and its founding editor, H. L. Gold

Vice and murder prowl Chicago--and one man hunts a killer through the glittering Gold Coast and seamy back alleys! Edgar Award Winner for Best First Novel (1948).

This noir classic by an Edgar Award winner delves into the mind of a criminal: “Close to the perfect psycho thriller . . . a relentless dance of death tempo.” —The New York Times With innovative style far ahead of its time, this novel follows Joe Bailey, perched precariously on the fence between two lives. He’s seeing a good-hearted girl who holds the promise of a comfortably content, if uneventful, future. But he’s also passionately drawn to a femme fatale—and the world she inhabits, run by a tough Milwaukee racketeer. Haunted by a childhood rhyme and accompanying trauma, Bailey wrestles with his demons, in this psychologically complex tale with a shocking twist by an award-winning author praised as “a natural storyteller” (The New York Times Book Review).

One of the great pulp writers, Fredric Brown (1906-1972) combined a flair for the horrific, a quirky sense of humor, and a wild imagination, and published many classic novels in the mystery and science fiction genres. But he was also a master of the "short-short story," tales only a page or two in length, but hard-hitting and with a wicked twist at the end. Nightmares and Geezenstacks (1961) collects 47 short gems by Brown, ranging from science fiction to noir crime to horror, including the chilling and unforgettable "The Geezenstacks". Long unobtainable, Brown''s classic collection returns to print for the first time in almost 40 years and is sure to please both longtime fans and those who are discovering this brilliant writer for the first time. "Might have been written by O. Henry in a black mood; alternately comic, horrifying [and] clever." - Science Fiction & Fantasy Book Review "My favorite author of all time." - Mickey Spillane "A distinctive and unique voice ... one of the genre''s most incisive satirists and outstanding innovators." - Library Journal "One of the best pulp writers." - Booklist

Fredric Brown (1906-1972) is perhaps best remembered for his use of humor and his mastery of the "short-short" form (these days called flash fiction) -- stories of one to three pages, often with ingenious plotting devices and surprise endings. (He also wrote excellent short stories and novels.) This volume contains 27 of his stories, including the classics "The Waveries," "Honeymoon in Hell," "Cartoonist," and many more! Included are: THE WAVERIES OBEDIENCE ALL GOOD BEMS FIRST TIME MACHINE BLOOD THE LAST MARTIAN MAN OF DISTINCTION VENGEANCE FLEET THE WEAPON MOUSE THE DOME GREAT LOST DISCOVERIES I -- Invisibility GREAT LOST DISCOVERIES II -- Invulnerability GREAT LOST DISCOVERIES III -- Immortality MILLENNIUM SECOND CHANCE CONTACT A WORD FROM OUR SPONSOR SOMETHING GREEN CRISIS, 1999 AND THE GODS LAUGHED MITKEY RIDES AGAIN PLACET IS A CRAZY PLACE HONEYMOON IN HELL DAISIES DAYMARE CARTOONIST And don''t forget to search this ebook store for "Wildside Megapack" to see more entries in the series, covering science fiction, fantasy, mysteries, adventure stories, westerns, and much, much more! (Sort by publication date to see the most recent of our 100+ releases.)

A hard-drinking reporter, a schizophrenic stripper, a disgraced psychoanalyst, and a mysterious serial killer who razors his female victims to death, collide with deadly and shocking reverberations in Fredric Brown’s masterful crime classic THE SCREAMING MIMI, filmed in 1958 by Gerd Oswald, and the inspiration for Dario Argento’s legendary 1970 giallo production "The Bird With The Crystal Plumage". This special ebook edition of THE SCREAMING MIMI also includes the bonus of Fredric Brown’s 1942 short story “Satan’s Search Warrant”, another hard-boiled crime classic with typical violence, murder and twisting plot convolutions.

"HE" was really an "IT" He was incapable of love or mercy, or hate. And he certainly never felt the lack. He was almost pure thought. He was just doing what he had to do - looking for the right body to play host to him. Once he found it and moved in, he would execute one of the most incredible plans ever conceived. He would be hailed as a hero on his own planet and... EARTH WOULD NEVER KNOW WHAT HIT IT!

“An engaging pair of detectives” at a traveling carnival look to capture a heartless killer in this entry in the Edgar Award–winning series (The New York Times). As a band of carnies moves through the Midwest putting on shows for the rubes, it seems a killer is traveling along with them. The first victim is one of the pint-size performers, and two more tragedies soon follow. Fortunately, Ed Hunter and his uncle Ambrose are there—and they have some sleuthing experience in their recent past. So even though Ed’s a little distracted by a fetching female, they intend to track down this midway murderer . . .

A dead man and a pile of missing money have two Chicago detectives investigating the deceased’s daughter in this entry in the Edgar Award–winning series. Tens of thousands of dollars have disappeared from the city of Chicago’s coffers, and the late Jason Rogers is the likely embezzler. So Rogers’s daughter seems to be the one to interview to determine where the funds are stashed. But the nephew-and-uncle team of Ed and Ambrose Hunter is hitting a brick wall as the woman remains tight-lipped and loyal. The pair of private detectives is going to have to dig deeper if they want to balance the books of justice . . . “[Fredric Brown is] a real pro—a natural storyteller.” —The New York Times Book Review

Happy Ending by Fredric Brown and Mack Reynolds: In this collection of captivating science fiction and mystery stories, Fredric Brown and Mack Reynolds showcase their storytelling prowess. From interstellar adventures to mind-bending mysteries, "Happy Ending" promises a thrilling and satisfying read for fans of speculative fiction. Key Aspects of the Book "Happy Ending": Genre Diversity: The book features a diverse array of science fiction and mystery stories, showcasing the authors'' versatility and imagination. Plot Twists and Suspense: Brown and Reynolds masterfully weave intriguing plots and unexpected twists that keep readers engaged from start to finish. Collaborative Genius: "Happy Ending" brings together the creative genius of two acclaimed authors, resulting in a compilation of unforgettable tales. Fredric Brown (1906-1972) and Mack Reynolds (1917-1983) were esteemed authors in the realms of science fiction and mystery. Brown was known for his short stories and novels, while Reynolds contributed to both science fiction and political fiction. Their collaborations in "Happy Ending" showcase their storytelling prowess and creative vision.

In these 23stories, Brown never rails to surprise and delight. Time after time the reader anticipates the ending only to discover that once more the author has proved too clever. Yet Brown never "cheats," never feeds false clues, and his endings are always plausible. His imagu00adination is by turns puckish, grim, outu00adlandish--but forever fresh. Brown''s stories run from the fifty-word "Mistake" to a novelette ("The Case of the Dancing Sandwiches"). In "Granny''s Birthday," a two-page short short, with Granny supervising like a benign queen, the party goes splendidly, marred only by manslaughter and murder.

The first in a new series of Fredric Brown double-novels, The Far Cry / The Screaming Mimi could very well have been subtitled "The Way of the Knife." And since this is Fredric Brown we''re talking about, the razor''s edge isn''t limited to the blade itself; it is a metaphor for the narrow ledge the characters navigate. Taken together we find Brown at the height of his powers. As with many of Brown''s narratives, the main characters are fueled by an alcoholic haze and are never far from their next drink. Although the boozing never becomes the story, it keeps the protagonists constantly teetering on the edge of collapse. The novels are daring for their time, awash in taboo subjects and frank language that would never, ever make it into the mystery films of the same period. It''s why people read potboilers in the first place. They wanted the gritty underbelly they couldn''t get anywhere else. The Screaming Mimi is an early take on the serial killer sub-genera, written long before it became mystery mainstream. The Far Cry is one of Brown''s darkest stories--a serpent''s tail that coils tighter and tighter around the narrator as attempts to unravel the knot of a young woman''s murder. One novel takes place in an authentically rendered Chicago--nightclubs, press rooms and police precincts; the other casts its drama in the forlorn deserts of New Mexico--a haunting, vast emptiness where ghosts don''t have to be seen to be felt.Fredric Brown double-novels are newly edited and presented in a format that gives these works the treatment they deserve. Reading a book is more than just reading a story.The Far Cry / The Screaming Mimi features a new introduction by Sci-Fi great Barry N. Malzberg, whose decades-long appreciation of Fredric Brown makes for a stirring kick-start to the new series.

Short fiction originally published between 1941 and 1965.

13 Science Fiction stories. Paradox Lost, Puppet Show, The Last Train, It Didn''t Happen, Knock, Obedience, Ten Percenter, Aelurophobe, Wine Kleine Nachtmusik, Nothing sirius, The New One, Double Standard, Something Green, all Science Fiction Stories.

Hank was spinning quite a space lie—something about earrings wearing their owners. The crew got a boot out of the yarn—until they got to thinking.

Mystery and science fiction writer Fredric Brown (1906-1972) remains best-known for his short fiction. His story "Arena" (in this volume) became the basis for a "Star Trek" episode of the same title. "Arena" was also voted by the membership of the Science Fiction Writers of America as one of the twenty finest SF stories of all time. In addition to "Arena," this volume contains five more of Brown''s classic tales: "Daymare," "The Little Lamb," "The Geezenstacks," "The Hat Trick," and "Don''t Look Behind You."

In the aftermath of 9/11, the potential terror of weapons of mass destruction--from nuclear, biological, and chemical to dirty bombs--preoccupies national security experts. In Chemical Warfare, Frederic J. Brown, presents a cogent, innovative framework for understanding the historical forces that have restrained the use of WMD and how they continue to have relevance today. Analyzing both world wars, he argues that the restraints on use were complex and often unpredictable and ranged from the political to the technological. The author offers a detailed examination of American chemical warfare policy as it was shaped by industry and public sentiment, as well as national and military leaders. The organization of the book into three parts reflects the importance of battlefield experiences during the First World War and of international political restraints as they evolved during the interwar years and culminated in ""no first use"" policies by major powers in World War II. Part I examines the use of chemical weapons in World War I as it influenced subsequent national policy decisions. Part II focuses on the evolution of political, military, economic, and psychological restraints from 1919 to 1939. Part III discusses World War II during two critical periods: 1939 to early 1942, when the environment of the war was being established largely without American influence; and during 1945, when the United States faced no credible threat of retaliation to deter its strategic and battlefield use of chemical weapons. Written at the height of controversy about the U.S. use of chemicals in Vietnam, Chemical Warfare offers a valuable historical perspective, as relevant now in its analysis of chemical and also nuclear policy as it was when first published.

Starduster Yes, I''m Max Andrews. I''m one of the guys who fought and bled and worked to get to Mars. I figure what I gave up in those early years gave me the right to pilot the next big jump. I''ve lied and stolen for that right. I''d have killed, too, but I didn''t have to. Instead, I let a woman give her life so I could have my chance, my door to space. You think I''d stop at anything, now? I''ll be on that rocket, blasting away on America''s biggest adventure, the hop out into the stars themselves. Only Fred Brown could have written this deeply moving science fiction novel about one man''s epic, life-long struggle to open mankind''s pathway to the stars.

Maybe a woman''s place was in the home in 1949 -- but then again, maybe it wasn''t for a woman sheriff! A classic mystery by Fredric Brown, ripped from the pages of the Summer, 1949 issue of Mystery Book Magazine.

Welcome to Black Cat Weekly. I can’t believe it’s been 100 issues! Time flies when you’re having fun. To help make this issue special, I asked Barb Goffman and Michael Bracken to contribute some special stories of their own. I think you’ll agree, they are among the highlights of this issue. On the mystery side , we also have stories by Nancy Pickard, Bradley Harper, and a novel from the legendary Fredric Brown—his classic Knock Three-One-Two. And what issue is complete without a solve-it-yourself mystery by Hal Charles? On the more fantastic side of things, we have another of Darrell Schweitzer’s historical interviews with a legend of science fiction, this time Robert Sheckley. Conducted in 1981, it talks about his becoming fiction editor of Omni magazine, the science fiction community in New York City, and more. As for fiction, we have that, too, of course. Fantasy from Joseph Payne Brennan and Aeryn Rudel. Science fiction from Larry Tritten, Frank Belknap Long, and a rare novel, The Green Girl, from Grandmaster Jack Williamson. A big thanks to everyone who made the first 100 issues possible, including Acquiring Editors Michael Bracken, Barb Goffman, Paul Di Filippo, Darrell Schweitzer, and Cynthia Ward, staffers Sam Hogan, and Karl Wurf, and of course all our readers! -- John Betancourt, Editor Here’s the complete lineup: Mysteries / Suspense / Adventure: “Wolfhound” 2023 by Bradley Harper [short story] “Things That Go Bump” 2022 by Hal Charles [Solve-It-Yourself Mystery] “If Only You Would Leave Me” by Nancy Pickard [Barb Goffman Presents short story] “The Lord Is My Shamus” 2012 by Barb Goffman [short story] “The Downeaster ‘Alexa’” 2021 by Michael Bracken [short story] Knock Three-One-Two, by Fredric Brown [novel] Nonfiction: “Speaking with Robert Sheckley” by Darrell Schweitzer [interview] Science Fiction & Fantasy: “The Smile Price” by Aeryn Rudel [Michael Bracken Presents short story] “Exit Laughing” by Larry Tritten [short story] “The Miniature Menace,” by Frank Belknap Long [short story] “The Seventh Incantation,” by Joseph Payne Brennan [short story] The Green Girl, by Jack Williamson [novel]

A small-town reporter must investigate a murder in a motel—before he becomes the story—in this mystery from an Edgar Award winner and “real pro” (The New York Times Book Review). Bob Spitzer is a young newspaperman in Arizona, and the owner of the local motel has just called. A woman named Amy Waggoner has been found naked and stabbed to death on the premises. As the reporter and the police chief survey the lurid scene, Spitzer reflects on the fact that he once showed a romantic interest in the victim—a fact that could put the spotlight of suspicion directly on himself. His only hope for taking the heat off is to put his investigative skills to work—not something he needs to do very often working for a weekly rag in a sleepy town—and locate the elusive murderer . . .

In the 1960s the masters of crime fiction expanded the genre’s literary and psychological possibilities with audacious new themes, forms, and subject matter—here are five of their finest works This is the first of two volumes gathering the best American crime fiction of the 1960s, nine novels of astonishing variety and inventiveness that pulse with the energies of that turbulent, transformative decade. In The Murderers (1961) by Fredric Brown, an out-of-work actor, hanging out with Beat drifters on the fringes of Hollywood, concocts a murder scheme that devolves into nightmare. This late work by a master in many genres is one of his darkest and most ingenious. Dan J. Marlowe’s The Name of the Game Is Death (1962) channels the inner life of a violent criminal who freely acknowledges the truth of a prison psychiatrist’s diagnosis: “Your values are not civilized values.” Written with unnerving emotional authenticity, the story hurtles toward an annihilating climax. Charles Williams drew on his experience in the merchant marine for his thriller Dead Calm (1963). A newlywed couple alone on a small yacht find themselves at the mercy of the mysterious survivor they have rescued from a sinking ship, in a suspenseful story that chillingly evokes the perils of the open ocean. In the beautifully told and sharply observant The Expendable Man (1963), Dorothy B. Hughes’s final masterpiece of suspense, a young man in the American Southwest runs afoul of racial assumptions after he picks up a hitchhiker who soon turns up dead. In twenty-four brilliantly constructed novels, Richard Stark (a pen name of Donald Westlake) charted the career of Parker, a hard-nosed professional thief, with rigorous clarity. The Score (1964), a stand-out in the series, finds Parker and his criminal associates hatching a plot to rob simultaneously all the jewelry stores, payroll offices, and banks in a remote Western mining town, only to come up against the human limits of even the most intricate planning. Volume features include an introduction by editor Geoffrey O''Brien (Hardboiled America), newly researched biographies of the writers and helpful notes, and an essay on textual selection.