The Third Mystery Read online

  Contents

  COPYRIGHT INFO

  A NOTE FROM THE PUBLISHER

  The MEGAPACK® Ebook Series

  THE AFRICAN FISH MYSTERY, by James Holding

  THE EBONY STICK, by Earl Derr Biggers

  CHICKENS FOR CHARLIE, by Arlette Lees

  DOUBLE DOUBLE-CROSS, by Jack London Berkebile

  THE DOOMDORF MYSTERY, by Melville Davisson Post

  CAPTAIN ROGERS, by W.W. Jacobs

  A BORDERLINE CASE, by Rufus King

  JUDGE BARCLAY’S WIFE, by William Hope Hodgson

  THE ARCHDUKE’S TEA, by H.C. Bailey

  THE IMPETUOUS MISTRESS, by George Harmon Coxe

  AARON’S PERFECT PLANS, by Pauline Tyson Stephens

  BUTTERFLY OF DEATH, by Harold Gluck

  MORGUE REUNION, by Norman A. Daniels

  FOOTPRINTS IN THE SNOW, by Maurice LeBlanc

  DROPS OF DEATH, by George Allan England

  THE BITER BIT, by Wilkie Collins

  THE FACES OF DANGER, by Rufus King

  THE KNIGHT’S CROSS SIGNAL PROBLEM, by Ernest Bramah

  THESE SHOES ARE KILLING ME, by Leroy Yerxa

  THE MYSTERY OF THE DOWNS, by John R. Watson and Arthur J. Rees

  TOO MANY SPIES, by Joseph J. Millard

  WHO KILLED GILBERT FOSTER?, By E. Hoffmann Price & Ralph Milne Farley

  TO REMEMBER YOU BY, by Rufus King

  THE YELLOW MOTH, by Fred M. White

  WHO MURDERED MR. THOMAS? A Puzzle Story, by Edgar Rice Burroughs

  THE SKINS YOU LOVE TO TOUCH, by Janet Fox

  COPYRIGHT INFO

  The Third Mystery MEGAPACK® is copyright © 2014 by Wildside Press, LLC. All rights reserved. Cover art © Helenos / Fotolia.

  * * * *

  The MEGAPACK® ebook series name is a trademark of Wildside Press, LLC. All rights reserved.

  * * * *

  “The African Fish Mystery,” by James Holding, was originally published in Ellery Queen’s Mystery Magazine, April 1961.

  “The Ebony Stick,” by Earl Derr Biggers, originally appeared in Collier’s Weekly, September 9, 1916.

  “Chickens for Charlie,” by Arlette Lees, was originally published in Yellow Mama, April 2012.

  “Double Double-Cross,” by Jack London Berkebile, was originally published in Delaware County Daily Times, Aug. 10, 1940.

  “The Doomdorf Mystery,” by Melville Davisson Post, was originally published in 1918.

  “Captain Rogers,” by W.W. Jacobs, originally appeared in Harper’s Monthly, February 1901.

  “A Borderline Case,” by Rufus King, was originally published in Ellery Queen’s Mystery Magazine, December 1959.

  “Judge Barclay’s Wife,” by William Hope Hodgson, is taken from Adventure, Oct. 1912.

  The Archduke’s Tea, by H.C. Bailey, was originally published in 1920.

  The Impetuous Mistress, by George Harmon Coxe, was originally published in 1958.

  “Aaron’s Perfect Plans,” by Pauline Tyson Stephens, was originally published in America’s Greatest Comics #3, 1942.

  “Butterfly of Death,” by Harold Gluck, was originally published in Smashing Detective Stories, September 1951.

  “Morgue Reunion,” by Norman A. Daniels, was originally published in 10-Story Detective, November, 1946.

  “Footprints in the Snow,” by Maurice LeBlanc, is taken from The Eight Strokes of the Clock.

  “Drops of Death,” by George Allan England, was originally published in Munsey’s Magazine, January 1922.

  “The Biter Bit,” by Wilkie Collins, was originally published as “Who Killed Zebedee?” in 1881.

  “The Faces of Danger,” by Rufus King, was originally appeared in Ellery Queen’s Mystery Magazine, November 1960.

  “The Knight’s Cross Signal Problem,” by Ernest Bramah, is taken from Four Max Carrados Detective Stories (1914).

  “These Shoes Are Killing Me,” by Leroy Yerxa, was originally published in Mammoth Detective, May, 1943.

  The Mystery of the Downs, by John R. Watson and Arthur J. Rees, originally appeared in 1918.

  “Too Many Spies,” by Joseph J. Millard, was originally published in Whiz Comics 35, October 1942.

  “Who Killed Gilbert Foster?” by E. Hoffmann Price & Ralph Milne Farley, was originally published in Five-Novels Monthly, January 1936.

  “To Remember You By,” by Rufus King, was originally published in Ellery Queen’s Mystery Magazine, August 1957.

  “The Yellow Moth,” by Fred M White, originally appeared in The Daily Mail, London, 1898.

  “Who Murdered Mr. Thomas? A Puzzle Story,” by Edgar Rice Burroughs, was originally published in Script, April 16, 1932.

  “The Skins You Love to Touch,” by Janet Fox, originally appeared in Shadows 9, copyright © 1986 by Charles L. Grant. Reprinted by permission of the author’s estate.

  A NOTE FROM THE PUBLISHER

  For the third volume in this series, we have selected a choice list of mystery stories (both modern and classic) for your reading pleasure. With great tales by such stalwarts as Earl Derr Biggers (Charlie Chan), Ernest Bramah (Max Carrados), Edgar Rice Burroughs (Tarzan), and James Holding (Leroy King), we’re sure this is a collection you’ll savor.

  Enjoy!

  —John Betancourt

  Publisher, Wildside Press LLC

  www.wildsidepress.com

  ABOUT THE SERIES

  Over the last few years, our MEGAPACK® ebook series has grown to be our most popular endeavor. (Maybe it helps that we sometimes offer them as premiums to our mailing list!) One question we keep getting asked is, “Who’s the editor?”

  The MEGAPACK® ebook series (except where specifically credited) are a group effort. Everyone at Wildside works on them. This includes John Betancourt (me), Carla Coupe, Steve Coupe, Shawn Garrett, Helen McGee, Bonner Menking, Colin Azariah-Kribbs, A.E. Warren, and many of Wildside’s authors…who often suggest stories to include (and not just their own!)

  RECOMMEND A FAVORITE STORY?

  Do you know a great classic science fiction story, or have a favorite author whom you believe is perfect for the MEGAPACK® ebook series? We’d love your suggestions! You can post them on our message board at http://movies.ning.com/forum (there is an area for Wildside Press comments).

  Note: we only consider stories that have already been professionally published. This is not a market for new works.

  TYPOS

  Unfortunately, as hard as we try, a few typos do slip through. We update our ebooks periodically, so make sure you have the current version (or download a fresh copy if it’s been sitting in your ebook reader for months.) It may have already been updated.

  If you spot a new typo, please let us know. We’ll fix it for everyone. You can email the publisher at [email protected] or use the message boards above.

  The MEGAPACK® Ebook Series

  If you enjoyed this ebook, check out Wildside Press’s MEGAPACK® series…

  THE GOLDEN AGE OF SCIENCE FICTION

  1. Winston K. Marks

  2. Mark Clifton

  3. Poul Anderson

  4. Clifford D. Simak

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  6. Charles L. Fontenay

  7. H.B. Fyfe (vol. 1)

  8. Milton Lesser (Stephen Marlowe)

  9. Dave Dryfoos

  10. Carl Jacobi

  11. F.L. Wallace

  12. David H. Keller, M.D.

  13. Lester del Rey (vol. 2)

  14. Charles De Vet

  15. H.B. Fyfe (vol. 2)

  16. William C. Gault

  17. Alan E. Nourse

  18. Jerome
Bixby

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  20. Evelyn E. Smith

  21. Edward Wellen

  22. Robert Moore Williams

  23. Richard Wilson

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  25. Raymond Z. Gallun

  26. Homer Eon Flint

  27. Stanley G. Weinbaum

  28. Edward Wellen

  29. Katherine MacLean

  30. Roger Dee

  31. Sam Merwin

  32. Frederik Pohl

  33. C.M. Kornbluth

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