CRIME AND MYSTERY STORIES BY 20 VENDORS OF VILLAINYMystery Writers of America is pleased to present this sinister volume of larceny deception and murder brought to you by the very finest purveyors of perfidy Donald E Westlake tells a tale of a cheating wife who tries to turn the tables on her blackmailer only to find herself caught in a bigger web of lies than she could have imagined From Robert Bloch comes a story of a man whose very best friend has the very worst plans for his wife Miriam Allen deFord tells the mystery of a family that is disappearing off the face of the Earth one by one And master of suspense Cornell Woolrich takes us south of the border for a sultry tale of jealousy death and revenge from beyond the graveAnd now that the transaction is complete there is nothing left but to open the book and lose yourself in any one of these twenty suspenseful stories each written by a true merchant of menaceContentsForeword Lawrence BlockIntroduction Hilary WaughH as in Homicide Lawrence TreatDomestic Intrigue Donald E WestlakeThe Front Room Michael ButterworthThe Real Bad Friend Robert BlochWide O Elsin Ann GardnerDeath on Christmas Eve Ellery QueenGone Girl Ross MacdonaldThe Presidents Half Disme Ellery QueenAmateur Standing Suzanne BlancThe PeppermintStriped Goodbye Ron GoulartMarmalade Wine Joan AikenCounter Intelligence Robert L FishThe Man Who Played Too Well Don Von ElsnerNever Hit a Lady Fred S TobeyFarewell to the Faulkners Miriam Allen deFordThe Dead Past Al NussbaumThe Cries of Love Patricia HighsmithSomething Evil in the House Celia FremlinThe Tilt of Death Rod Amateau and David DavisThe Moon of Montezuma Cornell Woolrich