“Complex puzzles, strange disappearances, unconventional murder techniques and spectral encounters abound in Tales of the Impossible, a standout collection of hard-hitting crime stories by Mystery Writers of America Grand Master Bill Pronzini.
Across a literary career spanning more than fifty years, Pronzini has published ninety novels, four non-fiction books, twenty story collections, numerous anthologies, and scores of articles, essays, and reviews. And his work has been translated into nineteen languages and published in nearly thirty countries.
Drawing inspiration from the master of the locked room mystery, John Dickson Carr, this rewarding new collection blends procedural, noir, detective fiction, historical narrative and gritty Westerns, paying homage to the subgenre while spotlighting some of Pronzini’s most beloved characters.
The collection opens with The Arrowmont Prison Riddle, set in rural north eastern United States in 1916 where Warden Parker contends with the inscrutable Buckmaster Gilloon after the failed execution of the remorseless Arthur Teasdale. Amid a raging storm, Teasdale vanishes from the gallows, leaving behind only his hood, which triggers a frantic investigation. When one of the guards is subsequently found murdered, Gilloon’s sharp deduction skills come to the fore, peeling back layers of deception. Parker finds himself haunted by Gilloon’s uncanny insight and the enduring mystery surrounding this enigmatic man.”
My review of this amusing, ingenious and endlessly surprising story collection was published today in the Blackpool Gazette, Burnley Express, Lancashire Post, Lancaster Guardian, Sheffield Star, Wigan Today (Wigan Observer & Wigan Post), and Yorkshire Evening Post. Previously, it was published in Book-marked, the website of popular book critic Pam Norfolk, on October 19, 2025. Archived online access to these reviews as they originally appeared can be found at these weblinks:
Blackpool Gazette, Book-marked, Burnley Express, Lancashire Post, Lancaster Guardian, Sheffield Star, Wigan Today (Wigan Observer & Wigan Post), and Yorkshire Evening Post.