Welcome to a different world. It is a world of unparalleled wonder, a world of grisly murder, a world of grotesque humor, a world of unrelenting dread. Welcome to the world of Stanley Ellin. In this unique landscape of evil there exists a perfect dinner, a perfect child, a perfect wine, and a perfect dilemma. What a pity that each is so diabolically tainted! This volume contains 35 classic stories, all but one of which originally appeared in Ellery Queen's Mystery Magazine, the first seven winning awards in the prestigious contests it used to sponsor. Two ("The House Party" and "The Blessington Method") won Edgar Allan Poe Awards from the Mystery Writers of America; three others were nominated. Like Roald Dahl, Shirley Jackson, and John Collier at their best, Stanley Ellin presents a personal view of the world which is bizarre enough to be fascinating, yet true enough to be memorable. The malevolent plots and people in this volume will haunt your quiet hours long after you have finished reading it.