Young mystery fans will be enthralled by this compelling volume of classic detective fiction. Not even Sherlock Holmes or Hercule Poirot can solve the dilemma of which one of these fifteen exciting and intriguing short stories to read first. The list of suspects – including such classic and contemporary writers as Italo Calvino, Agatha Christie, Ellery Queen, Damon Runyon, and Andrew Vacchs – may offer clues but no solution. Both the burden of proof and the delectation of detection must fall upon the reader as ultimate sleuth. Stories are vital. There’s more wisdom in a story than in volumes of philosophy, and there’s a hunger for stories in all of us. – Philip Pullman