An Inner Sanctum Mystery

One of the comic-book greats, Ernie Colon, treats readers by vividly illustrating four chilling mysteries based on the classic radio horror show Inner Sanctum Mysteries. Illustrated with his trademark black-and-white style, the terror within includes a doll that cries out the name of the devil, a grotesque enslaver that only one man can see and the story of someone buried alive!

In this mystery from an Edgar Award–winning author, sleuth Peter Duluth steps in when his rebellious nephew is charged with murder. Patrick Quentin, best known for the Peter Duluth puzzle mysteries, also penned outstanding detective novels from the 1930s through the 1960s under other pseudonyms, including Q. Patrick and Jonathan Stagge. Anthony Boucher wrote: “Quentin is particularly noted for the enviable polish and grace which make him one of the leading American fabricants of the murderous comedy of manners; but this surface smoothness conceals intricate and meticulous plot construction as faultless as that of Agatha Christie.” Jake Duluth is a man alone. Three years after the suicide of his beloved wife, the wall between Jake and his son, Bill, has only grown higher. Bill’s constant impulsiveness has driven Jake to distraction, while Jake’s constant concern for his publishing business alienates Bill even more. But when Bill is accused of murdering Jake’s business partner after falling in love with the man’s much younger wife, Jake has no choice but to believe his son and call in someone with much more experience in such sinister matters—his brother, Peter. Now, with Bill’s life at stake, Jake and Peter must follow a trail of secrets and twisted loyalties if they are going to uncover a culprit neither could have ever imagined.

A deranged killer sends a doctor on a quest for the truth - deep into the recesses of his own mind. 'Deserves its reputation as one of the greatest mysteries of all time' PUBLISHERS WEEKLY, starred review What really happened to Inis St. Erme? What was his fatal mistake? Was it when he and his bride-to-be first set out to elope in Vermont? Or did his deadly error occur later, when they picked up a terrifying hitch-hiker, or when the three stopped at 'Dead Bridegroom's Pond' for a picnic? Dr Riddle is determined to find out, but he soon uncovers a series of bizarre coincidences that leave him questioning his sanity and his innocence. After all, he too walked those wild, deserted roads the night of the murder, stranded and struggling to get home to New York City. The more he reflects, the more his own memories become increasingly uncertain, as he veers into the irrational territory of pure terror...

Andy Blake is no sooner married to Arab that he realizes his home is not a love nest but an arsenal. True, the fragile, blonde Arabella had won prizes only in shotgun contests, but she didn’t discriminate against rifles and pistols. As Andy wistfully says, ''The worst thing about Arab’s guns is that they come in handy. She can track down trouble the way a detector spots land mines.'' Andy and Arab are plunged into this bang-up mystery when they attend an auction sale where a pistol starts a bidding contest between two oddly assorted customers. Andy, who also knows his guns, is sure that the pistol isn’t worth more than thirty bucks. He is therefore both flabbergasted and interested to hear the bidding skyrocket to two hundred dollars, especially since one of the bidders is a red-head whose legs he finds the most interesting exhibit at the auction. As Andy and Arab leave the auction he idly says to her, ''The person who bought that rod make a down payment on a time bomb. That red-head wasn’t bidding in the hundreds just to stimulate interest in the auction in general. I got a hunch the new owner will meet a lot of unpleasant people. Who bought the thing?'' Taking his arm, Arab answered happily, ''I did.''

The House, first published in 1947 (along with A Composition for Four Hands in the two-novel compendium Duet of Death), is a gothic mystery narrated by Isobel Stone, a young woman just shy of her 21st birthday. Isobel returns to her family home, a rambling, grotesque mansion, after spending 15 of her 21 years living away in boarding schools. Her father, mentally and physically ill, is found burned to death in his car soon after her return, and Isobel is alone in the house with only her mother and a handful of servants. But a sinister mood infects the household — the servants are terrified, her mother wanders the house late at night, and strange lights are seen in the upper windows when the house is thought to be empty. Hilda Lawrence (1906-1976) was an American author of several Crime Fictions, including Death of a Doll and The Pavilion.