Detective stories existed for centuries before the concept of the detective himself--amateur or professional--was fully formulated, and tales of mystery and intrigue have been thrilling readers since ancient times. The Lock & Key Library is the classic overview of the history of the genre, at once a rousing read for fans of the unsolved and unknown as well as an essential literary resource for anyone who seeks to understand the roots of modern pulp fiction.

Here adventurous readers will find tales from ancient times, the first detective story of modern literature (it's by Voltaire, and it's in Volume IV), and classic and beloved--but often hard-to-find--writings by the likes of Charles Dickens, Rudyard Kipling, Robert Louis Stevenson, and other luminaries of fiction.

Assembled and edited by American author and journalist JULIAN HAWTHORNE (1846-1934), son of writer Nathaniel Hawthorne, and first published in 1909, this 10-volume mystery collection will delight armchair detectives and readers of the classics.

Hardcover: 5.5" x 8.5"