Private Detective

It's normal for Charles Bainbridge, chief inspector of Scotland Yard, to be called to the scene of a crime, but this is the third murder in quick succession where the victim's chest has been cracked open and their heart torn out. Bainbridge suspects there's a symbolic reason for the stolen hearts, so he sends for supernatural specialist Sir Maurice Newbury and his determined assistant, Miss Veronica Hobbes. Unfortunately, neither of them are in much shape to take the case....

The original collection of these stories, published in 1994 in England, did not include "The Adventure of the Cardboard Box" because it was considered "too shocking." It was later added to the first American edition.

Das Tal des Grauens (Originaltitel: The Valley of Fear) ist der vierte Roman von Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, in welchem die Figuren Sherlock Holmes und Dr. Watson auftauchen. Die Geschichte wurde erstmals zwischen September 1914 und Mai 1915 im englischen Strand Magazine veröffentlicht und erschien als Buchausgabe in London und New York 1915. Der Haupthandlungsstrang, welcher im ersten Teil beschrieben wird, spielt im Jahre 1888 in der englischen Grafschaft Sussex, während der zweite Teil aus einer Rückblende in das Jahr 1875 besteht. Der zweite Teil ist geographisch im amerikanischen Pennsylvania angesiedelt.

FEAT DESC

At first glance, the death of media mogul “Big Bill” Argosy appears to be suicide. But his widow, Laila, thinks otherwise. Because Big Bill made enemies - lots of them. And he’d rather fight to the death than take his own life. When the authorities refuse to investigate, Laila turns to the one person who can see connections in the universe where others can’t: Zip Ono, a young private investigator - and practicing Buddhist. Zip quickly learns that there’s no shortage of suspects who might very well want Argosy dead.

The Danube Express was once the most famous train on the continent. Linking east and west, it was the fastest route from the Alps to the Black Sea, until airplanes and automobiles made it obsolete. When a group of savvy investors revived it in the 1970s, it became an express only in name. But when a Hungarian actress disappears from the train, it turns out to be more than a publicity stunt. Soon it is clear that a killer lurks on the Danube Express, and plans on taking it all the way to the end of the line.

London's gourmet detective is contemplating an empty bank account and, worse, an empty stomach, when a phone call solves both problems at once. Over lunch, Desmond Lansdown, world-renowned actor and burgeoning restaurateur, hires the detective for a chef-hunt, sending him to Italy to eat until he can decide which cook Lansdown should hire. It's a demanding gig, but this detective is never one to shy away from hard work. However, it doesn't take long for this plush assignment to turn prickly.

PI Jarvis Mann was captivated by the sultry tones of his female client.... Emily White with girl next door looks and shimmering eyes that begged for help…. She is being stalked but isn’t certain by whom…and this wasn’t the first time.

When a boy is found dead with the skin of a hare’s head in his hand, everyone knows who killed him—Willis Newland, just released from prison after serving twenty years for an identical murder. But what if everyone’s wrong? Detective Colly Newland reluctantly agrees to investigate a case that seems to involve the whole town, including her dead husband’s extended family. But the deeper she digs, the more secrets she unearths.

Hot on the heels of Best Cases of the Continental Op comes Honest Gain: Dicey Cases of the Continental Op, another original compilation from Skyboat Media. The Continental Op is back on the case, tracking down thieves and murderers from the steep streets of San Francisco to the rough and tumble Wild West in Arizona. These six stories featuring the Continental Op show that this private eye is not afraid to get his hands dirty in order to get the job done right, or get himself hurt in the process.

L'apparente serenità dei fiabeschi villaggi dei Cotswolds viene spezzata dall'ingombrante presenza di John Sunday, impiegato dell'Ufficio Salute e Sicurezza di Mircester. Negozianti, luci natalizie, persino i bambini cadono vittima della sua cocciuta applicazione delle norme. In breve, Sunday si ritrova con più nemici che capelli in testa. Una sera, durante la riunione di un vero e proprio comitato di protesta nei suoi confronti, i presenti - tra cui Agatha - assistono a uno spettacolo orribile, quello di Sunday agonizzante in un bagno di sangue nel giardino della canonica.

Wir schreiben das Jahr 1897. Dr. Watson liest mit Begeisterung den gerade erschienenen Roman "Dracula" von Bram Stoker. Als wenig später in London eine blutleere Leiche gefunden wird, glaubt Watson an Vampire. Und dann begegnet ihm im Londoner Nebel ein Werwolf. Gemeinsam mit Sherlock Holmes, dem messerscharf deduzierenden Meisterdetektiv aus der Baker Street, begibt sich Watson auf eine phantastische Irrfahrt.

Bastian Pastewka liest "Hercule Poirots Weihnachten". Eine schöne Bescherung für Hercule Poirot! Der alte Simeon Lee hat zu Weihnachten den Familien-Clan zusammengerufen - doch das ist alles andere als eine traute Runde. Das ungeliebte Familienoberhaupt bringt mit seinem despotischen und provozierenden Verhalten alle gegen sich auf. Als er am Heiligen Abend mit durchschnittener Kehle aufgefunden wird, bedauert niemand seinen Tod. Ein Motiv hätten alle Anwesenden gehabt und nun ist der Weg zur reichen Erbschaft frei.

Private investigator Delanie Fitzgerald and her computer-hacker partner Duncan Reynolds are back for more sleuthing in Glitter, Glam and Contraband. In this fast-paced mystery, the Falcon Investigations team is hired to find out who is stealing from the talent at a local drag show. Delanie gets more than she bargains for and a few makeup tips in the process. Meanwhile, a mysterious sound in the ceiling of her office vexes Delanie. She uses her sleuthing skills to track down the source and uncover a creepy contraband operation.

Undercover im Land der Fjorde. Nach dem Sturz in die Schweizer Reichenbachfälle gilt Sherlock Holmes offiziell als tot und reist unerkannt umher, begleitet von seinem Assistenten und Biografen David Tristram. Er nennt sich Sven Sigerson und gibt vor, Norweger zu sein. Und das obwohl er kein Wort norwegisch spricht. Kann das gutgehen? Die Feuerprobe wartet auf ihn, als ihn ein äußerst bizarrer Fall ausgerechnet nach Norwegen lockt: Dort ist die Stabkirche von Storavik spurlos verschwunden.

As October of 1900 draws to a close, London’s foggy, lamplit streets are hit by a string of burglaries which puzzle Scotland Yard. When they culminate in a gruesome murder, Sherlock Holmes is called in to investigate. But has he put the wrong man behind bars?

Taking a break from his holiday visiting his nephew, Jim, Athelstan Digby agrees to look after the old bookshop of Keldstone so that his hosts, the Lavenders, can attend their cousin's funeral. On the first day of his tenure, three suspicious characters enquire after a copy of The Life and Times of Mr Badman by John Bunyan.

Jack Franklin ist eine Koryphäe auf dem Gebiet der Detektivkunst. Durch sein kriminalistisches Genie hat er gemeinsam mit seinem Gehilfen Pat Murry auf allen Kontinenten erfolgreich gegen das Verbrechen gekämpft. In Nebraska stoßen sie auf ein mordendes Ungetüm und in der Grenzregion zu Kanada muss das Rätsel um einen mysteriösen Doppelmord gelöst werden. In diesem Band stecken fünf aufregende Fälle für den Weltdetektiv Jack Franklin.

Eine schreckliche Tragödie hat vor den Toren von New York stattgefunden. Ein junger Mann hat seinen Vater ermordet und scheint vollkommen durchgedreht zu sein. Sherlock Holmes wird von der Mutter des armen Kerls kontaktiert. Holmes und Dr. Watson machen sich also auf den Weg nach Amerika. Dort treffen sie den Ganoven Tammany Hall und - niemand wird das jemals mit voller Gewissheit sagen können - einem Geist, der an der Westküste vor allem unter dem Namen Sleepy Hollow bekannt geworden ist.

Alto meno di un metro e sessanta, con una curiosa testa a forma d'uovo e un superbo paio di baffi attentamente curati, Hercule Poirot non fa certo una grande impressione, eppure questo buffo ometto è riuscito ad accattivarsi l'interesse di milioni di lettori. Apparso per la prima volta nel 1920 il detective belga, protagonista di trentadue romanzi e numerosi racconti, ha risolto con successo decine di casi per oltre mezzo secolo, prima di scomparire definitivamente nel 1975, precedendo di poco la sua autrice.