Whodunit #1

Detective Sergeant Barney O'Toole investigates the murder of Dude Masterson, a man with no shortage of enemies—including the brutal gangster Hogan, cab driver Russell Thayer, and nightclub singer Dorabelle Lee. When a smashed wristwatch points to 1:30 a.m. as the time of death, each suspect produces an alibi, but O'Toole spots a detail others missed: the radio frozen on station WLAX, which went off the air hours before. What looked like an airtight case begins to unravel when the detective realizes the murder weapon wasn't time—it was misdirection.

When wealthy old Jabez Balker dies leaving his sons a fortune bound by a peculiar trust—one that cancels the entire estate if any heir is murdered—Detective Murdock finds himself investigating the shotgun killing of Arthur Balker in his own home. With blackmail, hidden motives, and a corpse that reveals more than one clue, Murdock must untangle which of the Balker brothers had both means and motive to pull the trigger.

When a multi-millionaire is found dead behind the target pit at his own rifle-shooting competition, Inspector Hawk must untangle a web of suspects—each with potential motive and secrets to hide. A overlooked detail about a simple kitchen chair becomes the key that unravels a scheme involving chloroform, sailor knots, and a killer hiding in plain sight among the estate's staff and guests. With motives ranging from financial desperation to wounded pride, only careful investigation can expose who truly pulled the trigger.

When counterfeit bills flood the city, Miss Jones spots a phoney $20 at a department store, setting off a police investigation that rounds up suspects—but the bogus currency keeps appearing. Special Investigator Bradley traces the scheme to an ingenious plot involving a prison guard, stolen engraving plates, and a convict named Ace Dugan, forcing him to connect the dots between a subway fire distraction and small-denomination counterfeits being passed upstate. Can Bradley outsmart the criminal network and recover the missing plates before the swindle spreads further?

When Carlton Tech's championship teams suddenly start collapsing during competitions, alumnus Detective Dan Clark returns to campus to investigate the mysterious sabotage. As inexplicable exhaustion plagues the school's athletes, Dan uncovers a sinister chemical scheme that threatens not only the upcoming track and swimming meets, but the reputation of Coach Chuck Wilson, who faces firing. With the help of Shorty from the Globe newspaper, Dan must expose the mastermind behind the "Formula for Foul Play" before the next competition begins.

At a Peters' party, guests play an innocent parlor game writing fake suicide notes—until Mr. Peters uses a real gun to turn the game deadly, claiming his wife took her own life. When detective work and forensic science expose the truth hidden in the paraffin wax test, the real story of that tragic evening comes to light in this clever whodunit from the case book of Edgar Peck.

When a young man struck down by a hit-and-run driver turns out to have won $26,000 on a horse bet, medic Bill suspects foul play—especially when the bookie claims he paid off the full amount. As Bill digs deeper into the circumstances surrounding John Andrews' death, he uncovers a web of unlikely suspects, each with their own secrets about that fateful day. The truth lies buried somewhere between the butcher shop, the racetrack, and those who were closest to the victim.