Murder in Miniature and Other Stories — Leo Bruce

Of the 28 stories that comprise this book, only two were previously collected. Ten stories feature the popular sleuth Sgt Beef, eight stories feature Sgt Grebe, and ten stories have no series character. The stories were written in the 1950s for newspapers, but readers will recognize Bruce's gift for entertaining dialogue and characterization. There are brilliant passages in this book, and if mystery fans can only read a few pages a night before going to bed, this is the ultimate night stand book. As the New York Times said, these are "brisk little narratives." Bruce is indeed the pre-eminent author of the classic detective novel, and readers of this story collection will not be disappointed.