Locked Room Murder Collection

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Bob Farmer
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Locked Room Murder Collection

Postby Bob Farmer » January 8th, 2014, 5:38 pm

I'm looking for a good online mystery bookstore. Any suggestions?

Michael Canick ued to run one but it is long gone.

George Olson
Posts: 979
Joined: January 17th, 2008, 12:00 pm
Location: Tigard, OR

Re: Locked Room Murder Collection

Postby George Olson » January 8th, 2014, 5:54 pm

Try: Powells Books in Portland, OR. They also have a large selection of used magic books and some collectables.

www.powells.com

Doomo
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Re: Locked Room Murder Collection

Postby Doomo » January 8th, 2014, 5:59 pm

Watcha lookin fer in particular Bob?

Tony
RFA Productions yeah... It is cool stuff.

www.rfaproductions.com

Brad Henderson
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Joined: January 17th, 2008, 12:00 pm
Location: austin, tx

Re: Locked Room Murder Collection

Postby Brad Henderson » January 8th, 2014, 7:04 pm

post mortem books in the uk may be what you want, if they are still around.

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mrgoat
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Re: Locked Room Murder Collection

Postby mrgoat » January 8th, 2014, 7:11 pm


Bob Farmer
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Re: Locked Room Murder Collection

Postby Bob Farmer » January 8th, 2014, 7:40 pm

Thanks guys.

Actually, I have an extensive collection of locked room and impossible crime books that I want to "unload." The collection includes the very rare first edition and second edition of Robert Adey's classic LOCKED ROOM MURDERS (the second edition is selling fro crazy prices in the thousands of dollars). There are also some John Dickson Carr editions from the 1940s I've never seen for sale anywhere (Collier editions, blue hardbacks with skulls embossed and red edging).

So I thought the best way to sell the collection would either be to put it in some sort of auction, sell it to some other crazy locked room murder nut, or find a bookseller that would take the entire thing.

Mike Remington
Posts: 125
Joined: July 21st, 2008, 11:10 pm
Location: Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Re: Locked Room Murder Collection

Postby Mike Remington » January 8th, 2014, 10:14 pm

Aunt Agatha's in Ann Arbor, Michigan used to be good.

http://www.auntagathas.com/

Joe Mckay
Posts: 2026
Joined: April 13th, 2008, 6:56 am
Favorite Magician: Lubor Fiedler
Location: Durham, England

Re: Locked Room Murder Collection

Postby Joe Mckay » January 10th, 2014, 1:25 am

I don't read fiction (just non-fiction). But I always thought the thinking in these locked room mysteries were really cool. And would appeal to magicians since the ingenuity is similar to that behind a clever trick.

Seems there could be a nice article written for GENII about the sort of solutions and thinking that takes place in these stories.

Richard Hatch
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Location: Providence, Utah
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Re: Locked Room Murder Collection

Postby Richard Hatch » January 10th, 2014, 2:38 am

Murder by the Book in Houston might be worth contacting:
http://www.murderbooks.com/
They have hosted Jim Swain for book signing/readings when he's been on book tours.

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Matthew Field
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Favorite Magician: Slydini
Location: Hastings, England, UK

Re: Locked Room Murder Collection

Postby Matthew Field » January 10th, 2014, 3:09 am

In New York City there's the Mysterious Bookshop, http://www.mysteriousbookshop.com/, among others.

Matt Field

Bob Farmer
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Re: Locked Room Murder Collection

Postby Bob Farmer » January 10th, 2014, 8:49 am

Joe:

One of the books in my collection is LOCKED ROOM MURDERS by Robert Adey. The author read over 2,000 locked room/imposible crime books then he summarized them.

In part 1 of his book he lists the books by author and gives a brief description of the crime (i.e., the "effect).

In part 2, he lists the solutions (i.e., the "methods).

In part 3 he reduces all methods to 20 or so.

I have the first and second editions--the second edition sells for thousands of dollars, the first edition seems to be even rarer so, it's probably more.

Joe Mckay
Posts: 2026
Joined: April 13th, 2008, 6:56 am
Favorite Magician: Lubor Fiedler
Location: Durham, England

Re: Locked Room Murder Collection

Postby Joe Mckay » January 10th, 2014, 2:23 pm

Yeah - I have looked into getting that book in the past. But it has always been too expensive.

One of my favourite methods was mentioned by Karl Fulves once (I remember Jerry Sadowitz mentioning it in 'The Crimp' magazine).

You write a letter to your victim - and include a self-addressed envelope for the victim to post you a letter back in response.

On the edges of that self-addressed envelope you place a slow-acting poison.

Now - in your letter to the victim - you write something very hurtful and offensive. Which you are sure will cause him to write straight back.

He then sends you a letter in response using the addressed envelope you included with your original letter.

The victim winds up dead. And the the murder weapon ends up back in post - soon to arrive back at home.


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