Ellery Queen #1

When gangland boss Nick Cardoni is killed by a rigged birthday cake, his dying curse reaches from the grave—at least that's what Brad Brannigan, his rival, desperately believes as members of his mob start dying under inexplicable circumstances. Ellery Queen and Inspector Queen investigate a case where the accused killer is supposedly dead, forcing them to uncover whether they're dealing with a genuine supernatural vengeance or a very human murderer exploiting superstition and fear. The truth behind "The Corpse That Killed!" promises to be far more cunning than any ghost.

Ellery Queen investigates a puzzling pair of seemingly motiveless murders—first a gentle old woman kills a politician, then a bedridden man leaves his iron lung to murder a prize-fighter—each uttering the cryptic phrase "It's better this way." When Ellery discovers both victims appear on the same mysterious chain letter, he races to protect the next name on the list before another killer strikes. A classic locked-mystery where the detective must uncover what connects these disparate murderers and understand who—or what—is orchestrating this deadly chain of events.

Slippery Slim crashes a masquerade ball eyeing the priceless Hopeless Diamond necklace worn by the host, Mrs. Fullvalt—but his evening of thievery takes an unexpected turn when he charms his way onto the dance floor and catches the attention of the diamond's owner herself. In this 1952 humor-crime tale, the clever crook discovers that sometimes the best-laid heist plans get derailed by a little romance and a costume contest gone wrong.