Encyclopedia mysteriosa

by William L. DeAndrea

A good mystery is the essential element in every compelling plot. Encyclopedia Mysteriosa clues you in to the entire murky realm of detection. This comprehensive reference is an in-depth compendium that draws on 150 years of crime stories from the genesis of the mystery genre with the publication of Edgar Allan Poe's "Murders in the Rue Morgue" to the films of Alfred Hitchcock and television series like "The Fugitive.". Written and edited by two-time Edgar Award winner William L. DeAndrea, Encyclopedia Mysteriosa contains biographies of old and new writers and their memorable characters, as well as detailed entries on contributions to the genre on radio, television, and film. The evolution of the literature of detection progresses from the nineteenth-century master sleuths - Sherlock Holmes and Nick Carter - to the Golden Age when Ellery Queen and Agatha Christie produced their perennially popular stories. Miss Marple and Hercule Poirot can be found cheek-to-cheek with the hard-boiled