{"product_id":"9781453256824","title":"The Great Merlini: The Complete Stories of the Magician Detective","description":"OpenRoad - \u003cb\u003eStories from the Edgar Award–winning author of the famous locked-room mystery, \u003ci\u003eDeath of a Top Hat\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003c\/b\u003e\u003cb\u003e\"a cornerstone of detective fiction\" (\u003ci\u003eThe New York \u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eTimes\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cb\u003e).\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e     \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e   The Great Merlini waits impatiently at the door of the Hotel Astor. Inspector Church is late for his meeting with the famed magician, with whom he consults when homicide cases venture outside the realm of the possible. A ventriloquist has attempted suicide in the wake of his wife's mysterious strangulation. Among the suspects are a snake charmer, a nine-foot giant, a tattooed man, and a gaggle of crap players—and this is one of Merlini's simple cases. He will pick out the killer, with no more effort than he might a rabbit in a top hat.\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e    \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e   In these twelve short stories, all originally published in \u003ci\u003eEllery Queen Mystery Magazine\u003c\/i\u003e, cofounder of Mystery Writers of America and Special Edgar Award winner Clayton Rawson's greatest detective confronts puzzles that would leave a lesser magician's head spinning. From vanishing blackmailers to murderous mediums, no cosmic crime can baffle the Great Merlini.","brand":"MysteriousPress.com\/Open Road","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47143288340720,"sku":"9781453256824","price":6.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0737\/7593\/9824\/files\/9781453256824_p0.jpg?v=1763847161","url":"https:\/\/shop-qa.barnesandnoble.com\/products\/9781453256824","provider":"Barnes \u0026 Noble (DEV)","version":"1.0","type":"link"}