The History of Mystery

by Max Allan Collins

Collector Press, Portland, Oregon, 2001. Hardcover with dust jacket, 196 pages. Another big (11 X 12), bright, flashy book on the art of the mystery genre. Gold gilt on blue boards. Jacket has a cut out (in the magnifying glass), which is easily snagged. Hundreds of full color illustrations on glossy pages. Filled with pulp covers, vintage paperback covers, modern paperback covers, a few movie posters, screen shots ... even comics. My favorites, of course, are the vintage pb's and there are lots of them. The book is a great deal of fun.