I appreciate the publisher allowing me to read this book. I really enjoyed reading it the plot was interesting and the characters made me want to know more about them. I highly recommend.

A treat for those who love golden oldies and mystery authors from long ago who have been forgotten. Wonder to discover them for the first time! Otto Penzler's anthologies are always a joy and beautifully compiled.

This is the kind of book that won't suit some readers, but for those of us who have a love for the golden age of detective fiction, it is a real treasure trove. From Ellery Queen to authors who were new to me (such as Cornell Woolrich), the range of detectives and situations was very enjoyable.

This was an insight into American authors of the time, which I am far less familiar with than with British authors, so there was a different underlying element to all stories that was enjoyable. A real variety in detectives was fun. Obviously these kind of stories are a matter of personal taste, but I suspect if you have even a passing interest in detective fiction that there will be something for you here,

First Class…
A wonderfully curated collection of American Golden Age Detection from editor Otto Penzler comprising of offerings from such classics as Ellery Queen, Rinehart, Gardner and more and each with an interestIng introduction. A good mix of the excellent, very good and good but something for everyone and an overall first class read.

I felt this was a strong collection of stories, showcasing a number of America’s finest mystery writers and it is the sort of anthology which having given you a taster, encourages you to go away and try some of the included author’s novels. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Otto Penzler is one of the most trusted names in mystery fiction, and this fine collection is worth any classic mystery lover’s time. Penzler writes a great and informative introduction to each story, which is the icing on the cake of this great read. For me, the gem of the collection was the Cornell Woolrich tale that finishes he collection. Penzler’s introduction and background on Woolrich is also excellent. I really enjoyed this thoughtful curation of stories and the informative background on each one from one of our greatest living mystery experts. I’d love to see another book of groceries to make this a series.

With thanks to Penzler Press, Otto Penzler, and NetGalley for this high-quality ARC.

4.5 stars

A very solid collection of mysteries written during the so-called Golden Age of American detective stories—the early to mid-1900s. Before every story, the editor Otto Penzler provides a brief description of the author, which adds some interesting context as to how popular these writers used to be back in their time.

All the stories were entertaining and twisty, and kept me turning the pages to find out the culprit. I personally loved the Perry Mason story the most, and it made me eager to read more from that series.

A wonderful collection of American detective pieces, short stories and two novellas. I loved them.

For mystery lovers, the short introductions are notable. Along with some biographical information, Penzler gives us the names of additional novels, story collections, and movies featuring these detectives or the author's work. This makes it a fantastic springboard for more exploration.

Golden Age Detective Stories is an anthology of American crime fiction from the first half of the 20th century (1925 - 1955) collected and curated by crime fiction historian Otto Penzler. Released 13th July by Penzler on the American Mystery Classics imprint, it's 312 pages and is available in hardcover, paperback, and ebook formats.

This is a selection of 14 short works from very well known golden age authors from Charlotte Armstrong to Anthony Boucher, Cornell Woolrich, Ellery Queen, and Mary Roberts Rinehart, et.al. All the authors are very well known and will be familiar to most readers. Of the stories selected, only half were previously familiar to me (and provided a welcome re-read, I had forgotten most of the denouements).

The detectives are selected from the authors' best known, and all of the stories are of a very high quality. Especially considering the addition of the information rich story notes, it's a very satisfying read overall.

In the introduction and story notes, we are gifted a multitude of plum trivia and factoids which are delightfully obscure and lift the whole to another level of wonderfully nerdy and edifying. Background such as Mr. Penzler provides really enhances the overall enjoyment of the stories themselves and I always (always!) look forward to reading his insightful commentary. This volume also provides guided reading notes for classroom or bookclub discussion which will come in handy for more formal discussion (or solo rumination).

Along with the classic and engaging stories, the background info and notes, and the discussion content, this is one of a series with coordinated cover art and layouts which provide a worthy service by protecting these early stories and presenting them to newer generations of readers.

Five stars. The stories themselves are solidly 3.5 - 5 stars, weighted toward the higher end of the scale. Despite being pretty firmly an e-reader prejudiced reader at this point (sorry, not sorry), I have acquired these in physical copies as well, and I love the way they look on my bookshelves. This would make a good selection for library acquisition, book club & classroom use, or plain reading enjoyment.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.

An excellent assortment of old-school detective stories. I really appreciated that the collection features a fair number of women writers as well. Good, classic mysteries full of hard-boiled detectives and smart and savvy secretaries, as well as a few pleasantly surprising characters (don't mess with nuns).

Interesting collections of detective stories. I have to admit I wasn't familiar with most of them and now I am curious to read more detective stories.

A brilliant anthology of some good old Murder mystery stories. Red this in about two sittings as could not put it down. Some stories weren’t as good as others but overall a really enjoyable read

1. The Enemy by Charlotte Armstrong. (1951) Detective Mike Russell
Who did kill the dog?
2. The Stripper by Anthony Boucher. (1947)Detective- Sister Ursula. Which of the four professors is the murderer called the stripper.
3. POSTICHE - Mignon C. Eberhart (1935) Detective - Susan Dare writer
Miriam Wiggenham is concerned that maybe her uncle Keller's death was not natural as has been certified. She asks Susan to investigate.
4. The Case of the Crimson Kiss - Erle Stanley Gardner (1948) Detective Perry Mason
Who did kill Carver L. Clements
5. The Enchanted Garden - H.F. Heard (1949) Detective - Mr. Mycroft
How is the accident that befell Miss Hetty Hess related to her death.
6. 5-4=murderer - Baynard Kendrick (1953) Detective - Captain Duncan Maclain
Blind Maclain is a witness to shooting in a diner, can he solve the case.
7. There's Death for Remembrance - Francis & Richard Lockridge (1955) Detective Pamela & Jerry Norton.
How and why does Fern Hartley die at a school reunion dinner.
8. The Monkey Murder by Stuart Palmer (1947) Detective - Hildegarde Withers
How can Withers prove that George Wayland is a wife strangler when the police have failed.
9. The Adventure of the African Traveler by Ellery Queen (1934) Detective - Ellery Queen
Ellery Queen is conducting a seminar with three students to study a current crime - that of the murder of Oliver Spargo. Who's theory will prove to be correct.
10. Puzzle for Poppy by Patrick Quentin (1946) Detectives - Peter and Iris Duluth
Who is trying to kill Poppy, the St. Bernard, for the inheritance.
11. From Another World by Clayton Rawson (1948) Detective - The Great Merlini
One unconscious female one dead male in a 'Locked's room scenario. Can the solution and guilty party discovered with their motive.
12. Goodbye. Goodbye! By Craig Rice (1946) Detective - John J. Malone
Is Doris Dawn trying to commit suicide or is someone trying to kill her.
13. Locked Doors by Mary Roberts Rinehart (1925) Detective - Hilda Adams
Nurse Adams' next case involves attending the home of the Reeds, husband and wife and two young sons. But what are they scared of, and why are all the rooms locked.
14. Mystery in Room 913 : The Suicide Room by Cornell Woolrich (1938) Detective - Striker
St. Andrew hotel, Room 913, are the deaths suicide. House detective Striker is not convinced.

A good selection of these Golden Age mysteries, and with each story there comes a short author biography. I enjoyed reading all of these well-written mysteries, though some more than others. Certainly a good start to finding more authors to read in this genre. An entertaining group of stories.
An ARC was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

This is a most enjoyable selection of 14 short stories by some of the biggest names in American GAD fiction. It serves as a great way into the American Mystery Classics series, as each author here already has, or soon will have at least one full length novel published in that series. It comes with an entertaining general Introduction by expert Otto Penzler, as well as notes preceding each entry. One advantage of this anthology is that it is arranged alphabetically by author surname, rather than chronologically. This worked well for me.
Inevitably not every story will suit the taste of every reader, but overall this is a strong set of tales. I have read novels by 12 of the 14 writers and admit that I am not a fan of Mignon Eberhart or of Mary Roberts Rinehart, but even their contributions were tolerably good.
Of the rest I thought "The Enemy" by Charlotte Armstrong both gripping and chilling, and the others which stood out were by Craig Rice, Clayton Rawson, Patrick Quentin and Erle Stanley Gardner.

Highly recommendable.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for the digital review copy.

Does what it says on the cover - a selection of hard boiled American detective fiction, when men were men and solved crimes with the aid of a much brighter female (but beautiful) assistant). A good selection with interesting notes introducing each story.

A nicely curated collection. Stories from this time period have a different flavor, but that does not take away from their quality. These stories are by top authors, and there is a nice variety. Recommended for mystery fans.

Thanks very much for the ARC for review!!

This book is a fun collection of American Golden Age detective stories from the likes of Ellery Queen and Craig Rice. I’m a big fan of UK Golden Age detective fiction, but don’t have as much experience of our American cousins’ work, and I’m glad I gave this book a try.

My favourite story was 5-4=Murderer, where a blind man solves a murder which takes place in a diner in the middle of a storm. Ingenious detection, unexpected killer and a protagonist to really root for.

Recommended for all lovers of mystery fiction.

Thanks to the editor, publisher and NetGalley for providing a review copy in exchange for honest feedback.

Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for providing an ARC of this book.

I’m a big fan of the golden age stories but not as familiar with those from the USA. This was a great introductory collection with some interesting commentary alongside the stories.

I just can't resist an anthology assembled by someone as knowledgeable in the subject of golden age mysteries as Otto Penzler. With all the anthologies I've read he has still managed to put this one together featuring detectives I'm familiar with yet stories that were new to me. There are 14 stories presented here and they are all different in their primary subject matter (well, aside from murder, that is). I read a collection like this literally from cover to cover because there is so much information included that is interesting to me. From the beginning Penzler had me reading the introduction to pick up revelations about these 14 authors and their careers. He went on to providing publication and print/film facts with each of the stories. I liked 13 of the stories very much (only 1 was a fizzle for me) and was surprised to find later that my favorite three were the final three in the collection. Goodbye, Goodbye! by Craig Rice (detective John J. Malone), Locked Doors by Mary Roberts Rinehart (detective Hilda Adams), and The Mystery of Room 913 by Cornell Woolrich (detective Striker) were my top three but they only shaded out others by a cat's whisker.

If you are new to the exploration of short mystery/crime stories written during this time, these selections are a great place to begin your journey. Readers who are already familiar with the authors or if you see a name you would like to explore, give this anthology a read. Many thanks to NetGalley and Penzler Publishers for an e-galley of this anthology.

“Golden Age Detective Stories”, a collection compiled by Otto Penzler, is a sampling of short mystery stories from the 1920s – 1940s(?), all of which feature private detectives. The common element here is that these are not your typical private eyes: we see hotel detectives, nurses, Broadway producers, blind veterans, attorneys, and even a magician to name a few, helping the police solve the crimes.

Like most of these collections, the stories can be a mixed bag, and some of the writing has not aged particularly well. But this is one book where patience is rewarded, as the stories seem to get better as one reads further. There are some great gems here, mostly by the names that most mystery fans will be familiar with.

My favorites? Erle Stanley Gardner shows why he’s the most popular American author of all time, as his Perry Mason solves a murder whilst in the middle of his client’s trial. Baynard Kendrick’s blind detective Captain Duncan Maclain solves a murder that he heard in a diner. Stuart Palmer has the police turn to Hildegarde Withers to catch a husband who murdered his wife. Ellery Queen brings along three college students to teach them how to solve mysteries. Clayton Rawson’s Great Merlini is called upon to solve a locked room riddle. Craig Rice has John Malone sober up enough to figure out whether someone is trying to kill Doris Dawn or is she just a suicidal girl looking for attention? Mary Roberts Rinehart has nurse Hilda Adams locked in a house watching the children while the parents are terrified of something they won’t discuss. And Cornell Woolrich has the hotel detective Striker investigating suicides that all take place in room 913…. But are they really suicides?

I requested and received a free advanced electronic copy from Penzler Publishers / American Mystery Classics via NetGalley. Thank you!