Paul Halter's book of "Impossible Crime" short stories
The Night of the Wolf (2006)
Wildside Press, Rockville, MD
This is the first English translation of Paul Halter's short mystery fiction. The book consists of ten "Impossible Crime" stories written mostly in the 1990's. Mr. Halter has received both popular and critical acclaim in his native France for his atmospheric, plot-driven stories written in the tradition of John Dickson Carr's best work. Carr (1906-1977) was a prolific American mystery writer who resided in England for several years, He is considered the greatest practitioner of the 'Locked Room" or "Impossible Crime" murder mystery. He specialized in stories that featured a crime (usually a murder) that occurred in a locked or watched room into which there was no apparent access. An "Impossible Crime" story would run along the same lines in that a murder would be committed without any apparent means by any of the possible suspects.
Halter deploys at least three different detectives to solve the crimes. Owen Burns (a sort of Sherlock Holmes/Oscar Wilde combination) for stories set at the turn of the 19th century. Irving Farrell (an elderly man who has a knack of encountering unusual crimes in 1920's England) and Dr. Alan twist (a criminologist often called upon by the police to solve unusual crimes in mid to late Twentieth century Europe).
Several of these stories take place during or just after a snowfall, which allows Halter to work his literary trickery with footprints (or the lack thereof) in the snow. Architecture plays an important role in his stories either by setting a mood or by playing a direct part in the mysteries themselves. Though the stories often have supernatural overtones, most of the solutions to the crimes are logically explained and a careful reader might, by correctly interpreting Halter's clues, be able to solve the mysteries before the detectives offer their explanations.
Whether Halter is describing a murderous snowman, a dancing corpse, a modern "Lorelei", an avenging ghost or a werewolf as seen from both the lupine and human perspectives, he often evokes the best of not only John Dickson Carr but the mastery of Agatha Christie and the artistry of G. K. Chesterton.
John Pugmire (a co-translator and great admirer of Halter) has provided this chronology of the stories in The Night of the Wolf:
1988 "The Dead Dance at Night"
1990 "The Night of the Wolf"
1992 "Rippermania"
1993 "The Tunnel of Death"
1998 "The Flower Girl"
1998 "The Call of the Lorelei"
1999 "Murder in Cognac"
2000 "The Cleaver"
2000 "The Golden Ghost"
2002 "The Abominable Snowman"
John has graciously provided the following information on additional Paul Halter short stories appearing in EQMM since the publication of The Night of the Wolf:
June 2007 "The Robber's Grave"
Sep/Oct 2008 "Nausicaa's Ball"
June 2010 "The Gong of Doom"
The Night of the Wolf (2006)
Wildside Press, Rockville, MD
This is the first English translation of Paul Halter's short mystery fiction. The book consists of ten "Impossible Crime" stories written mostly in the 1990's. Mr. Halter has received both popular and critical acclaim in his native France for his atmospheric, plot-driven stories written in the tradition of John Dickson Carr's best work. Carr (1906-1977) was a prolific American mystery writer who resided in England for several years, He is considered the greatest practitioner of the 'Locked Room" or "Impossible Crime" murder mystery. He specialized in stories that featured a crime (usually a murder) that occurred in a locked or watched room into which there was no apparent access. An "Impossible Crime" story would run along the same lines in that a murder would be committed without any apparent means by any of the possible suspects.
Halter deploys at least three different detectives to solve the crimes. Owen Burns (a sort of Sherlock Holmes/Oscar Wilde combination) for stories set at the turn of the 19th century. Irving Farrell (an elderly man who has a knack of encountering unusual crimes in 1920's England) and Dr. Alan twist (a criminologist often called upon by the police to solve unusual crimes in mid to late Twentieth century Europe).
Several of these stories take place during or just after a snowfall, which allows Halter to work his literary trickery with footprints (or the lack thereof) in the snow. Architecture plays an important role in his stories either by setting a mood or by playing a direct part in the mysteries themselves. Though the stories often have supernatural overtones, most of the solutions to the crimes are logically explained and a careful reader might, by correctly interpreting Halter's clues, be able to solve the mysteries before the detectives offer their explanations.
Whether Halter is describing a murderous snowman, a dancing corpse, a modern "Lorelei", an avenging ghost or a werewolf as seen from both the lupine and human perspectives, he often evokes the best of not only John Dickson Carr but the mastery of Agatha Christie and the artistry of G. K. Chesterton.
John Pugmire (a co-translator and great admirer of Halter) has provided this chronology of the stories in The Night of the Wolf:
1988 "The Dead Dance at Night"
1990 "The Night of the Wolf"
1992 "Rippermania"
1993 "The Tunnel of Death"
1998 "The Flower Girl"
1998 "The Call of the Lorelei"
1999 "Murder in Cognac"
2000 "The Cleaver"
2000 "The Golden Ghost"
2002 "The Abominable Snowman"
John has graciously provided the following information on additional Paul Halter short stories appearing in EQMM since the publication of The Night of the Wolf:
June 2007 "The Robber's Grave"
Sep/Oct 2008 "Nausicaa's Ball"
June 2010 "The Gong of Doom"
