A MYSTERY COLLECTOR’S BOOKSHELF

by Steven Steinbock

My name is Steve Steinbock, and I’m a research geek. That should come as no surprise to regular Criminal Brief readers. Give me a simple project like finding the annual rice consumption of Guatemala, and before you know it I’m learning the grammar of the Q’eqchi’ and Xinca peoples and experimenting with authentic Mayan rice dishes. I can’t help myself. There are probably medications to control my malady, but then life wouldn’t be anywhere as interesting.

My mystery reference shelf actually consists of five shelves and a couple scattered piles. Looking at these shelves (they’re right behind me, where I’m sitting right now, and where I do most of my writing), they’re an odd mix. There are a half dozen story anthologies that don’t belong there, as well as some overflow “To Be Read” books. The Chicago Manual of Style, The Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology, and a Hebrew grammar guide don’t really belong there, either.

The other day I was curious about the sort of titles published by Century Books, back in the early 1950s. I have several novels by Rog Phillips, and they all have pretty lurid covers, and I was just curious. As I reached behind me for my Hancer’s Price Guide, I decided that this snatch of the bander would be devoted to part one of my Top Ten Mystery Reference books.

In no particular order and with brief annotation, here we go:

1. Chris Steinbrunner and Otto Penzler, eds., Encyclopedia of Mystery and Detection (New York: McGraw Hill, 1976). The bindings are coming apart on my copy. Great entries, biographies, checklists, and more pertaining to mystery writing, films, radio, etc.

2. William L. DeAndrea, ed., Encyclopedia Mysteriosa (New York: Prentice Hall, 1994). Another classy and comprehensive reference from the two-time Edgar winner.

3. Kate Stine, ed., The Armchair Detective Book of Lists (New York: Otto Penzler Books, 1995). Yup, just lists. All the Edgars, Hammetts, Anthonys, and Daggers; the complete Haycraft-Queen list and Queen’s Quorum, as well as favorite lists from over a dozen critics and experts. (Stay tuned, it looks like Poisoned Pen Press will be publishing Roger Sobin’s ultimate book of lists in the near future).

4. Ellery Queen, Queen’s Quorum (New York: Biblo & Tannen, 1969). A “History of the Detective-Crime Short Story as Revealed by the 125 Most Important Books Published in this Field since 1845.”

5. Jacques Barzun and Wendell Hertig Taylor, A Catalog of Crime (New York: Harper & Row, 1989). A brilliant, albeit highly opinionated “Reader’s Guide” with more than 5,000 books briefly reviewed. Even when I disagree with them (which is more often than not) I’m always entertained by their comments.

I’ll stop at five for this week. But I invite readers to share their own favorite reference works, as well as to guess which remaining texts I’ll list next week. But for now, I’m going to try out a Mayan rice recipe that I just found.