The Omnibus Of Modern Crime Stories - The 50’s

Published in 1991

As Simple as ABC (1951) - Ellery Queen
Three very old veterans from the civil war die one after the other in odd circumstances. They leave behind them a “war treasure” that turns out to be made of old and worthless confederate money.
7/10

Money to Burn (1957) - Margery Allingham
When a woman returns to the street where she grew up she discovers that Louise, one of her friends, is forced to pay back a huge debt contracted to her father. Adlebert, the man you takes this money, regularly burns some of it in front of her. When the police investigates this case of ‘defacing the coins of the realm’ they find out that Adebert is counterfeiting money and only burns his bad print.
7/10

The Gentlest Brother (1955) - David Alexander
In order to avenge the death of his sister, a Jesuit brother pushes a local crook to kill him. This is order to make sure that the low-life goes to the electrical chair for murder.
3/10


One Way Street (1946) - Anthony Armstrong
A police inspector and his retired father investigate the murder of man in a taxi. The driver had been stopped in Trafalgar Square by a man intent at crossing the road despite the heavy traffic.
5/10

Murder at the Dog Show (1957) - Mignon G. Eberhart
Dr Richard Marly, whose girlfriend trains dogs for a dog show, investigates the murder of a Mrs Florie Carrister. It turns out that her project to open a kernel wasn’t taken too kindly by the competition.
5/10

Always Trust a Cop (1952) - Octavus Roy Cohen
Tex Graham, an ex marines and a murderer, calls his old friend Johnny Norton, not knowing that he has become a cop and is obliged to reveal his presence to the FBI. Their meeting doesn’t go too well and Tex tries to escape the situation by wearing Johnny’s police uniform.
4/10

The Withered Heart (1956) - Jean Potts
A man who hates his wife kills her on the day she is supposed to go to her sister. He arranges everything as a car crash. Unfortunately he forgets one essential element: her dog, which she never leaves alone.
6/10

The Girl Who Married a Monster (1953) - Anthony Boucher
A starlet marries a man who in the past had killed several women for their insurance money. She plans to frame him for the murder of her cousin, who looks very much like her.
6/10

Between Eight and Eight (1950) - C.S. Forrester
Manners is a murderer who is spending his last 8 hours before being executed. He manages to escape from his cell. After a mad run he takes refuge at Ethel’s place, one of the many women he had seduced when he was a free man. Unfortunately for him, a bout of pneumonia and feverish thoughts about his coming execution give him a heart attack.
6/10

Knowing what I know Now (1952) - Barry Perowne
On a train trip to London, a murderer changes the label of his trunk and places it on a similar trunk. This will have fatal consequences for its owner, a Canadian art student hunted by a particularly unpleasant souvenir from her childhood.
[Very atmospheric story.]

7/10