The Mammoth Book of Locked-Room Mysteries And Impossible Crimes

Introduction HEY, PRESTO! By Mike Ashley

The impossible-crime story is like a good trick. In fact it has to be better than a good trick. Not only must the puzzle fascinate and mystify, but the solution must be just as surprising, yet believable. How often have you had a magician’s trick explained and then felt deflated? It almost feels a cheat. Well, these stories had to avoid that. When you read the solution to the crime, you should be able to say, “That was clever. I’d never have thought of that.”

That’s what I hope we’ve done in this book. I’ve endeavoured to bring together a collection of stories that seem utterly baffling and where the solution is equally amazing. Not an easy trick.

Yet despite the impossible crime being such a difficult story to write, it remains at the core of the mystery story. These stories are as much “howdunits” as “whodunits”. They’re puzzles. They challenge the reader to try and solve the method before the author reveals all.

The whole point about an impossible crime is that when first discovered it must seem as if there was no possible way that the crime could have been committed. The most common approach is the locked-room mystery. In these the victim is found murdered in a room locked from the inside. He’s usually alone, and there is no other way into or out of the room. To make it even more fun he may have been shot or stabbed, but there is no murder weapon. There are endless variations on the theme. Other impossible scenarios are bodies found in the snow but with no other footprints beyond his own; property stolen from within a locked safe or room under constant watch; people or things disappearing in full view of an audience. The Golden Rule is that the solution to these crimes must be rational – there should be nothing supernatural or beyond current knowledge and understanding.

You’ll have seen a number of these ideas in David Renwick’s excellent Jonathan Creek television series, and I’m delighted that Mr Renwick has written a special foreword for this book.

You’ll find all these ideas and more in this anthology. What I looked for was originality, ingenuity, and a story that did not disappoint. I hope it lives up to both my and your expectations.

For those interested in discovering more about locked-room mysteries and impossible crimes I have provided a capsuled history as an Afterword.

Now, prepare to be baffled.