Rocket to the Morgue by Anthony Boucher is one of the classic mysteries re-printed by Penzler Publishers under their American Mystery Classics imprint. Writing in the 1940s, Boucher was known for his versatile talents within Science Fiction, Fantasy and Mystery fiction. A prolific contributor to each of these genres, Boucher utilized his familiarity with the publishing world to add depth and humor to his work. Rocket to the Morgue is a classic detective novel representative of its time with all the requisite elements: an insightful and quirky detective, a plethora of potential suspects from all levels of society, and a seemingly unsolvable locked door case to confound the police. What distinguishes this novel, however, is its setting within the incestuous and often cut-throat world of Los Angeles pulp fiction. Boucher provides his inside view of the experience of a writer in the pressurized atmosphere that he himself inhabited. Along the way, he does not neglect to provide a charming, fast-paced and well-plotted mystery to challenge any armchair sleuth. Delightful for its reflection of a revered era of detective fiction, and surprising for its unexpectedly modern approaches to class/gender stereotypes, Penzler Press has done a favor to modern mystery fans by introducing Rocket to the Morgue and Boucher to a new crop of readers.

Thanks to NetGalley and Penzler Press for an ARC of this book in return for an unbiased review.