Step into the captivating world of Hildegarde Withers, the sharp-witted schoolteacher-turned-detective, in this definitive collection of Stuart Palmer’s beloved mysteries. Featuring 15 novels and stories, this volume brings together some of the most thrilling cases of the ever-curious and relentlessly clever Miss Withers, whose keen intellect often outshines the police in solving the most perplexing crimes. From The Penguin Pool Murder, where Miss Withers first demonstrates her remarkable ...

On a trip to the New York Aquarium with her third-grade class, a teacher discovers a dead body: "One of the world's shrewdest and most amusing detectives" ( The New York Times).For the third graders at Jefferson School, a field trip is always a treat. But one day at the New York Aquarium, they get much more excitement than they bargained for. A pickpocket sprints past, stolen purse in hand, and is making his way to the exit when their teacher, th...

The Penguin Pool Murder by Stuart Palmer is the first novel in the popular Hildegarde Withers Mysteries. First published in 1931, the story introduces readers to the unforgettable amateur detective Hildegarde Withers, a sharp-witted and unconventional schoolteacher who unexpectedly becomes involved in solving a mysterious crime. The story begins when Miss Withers takes her class on a school trip to the Central Park Zoo in New York City. What should have been an ordinary excursion turns int...

His Honor finds a public-spirited corpse; the school-ma’am detective finds a murderer; and Inspector Piper discovers what was wrong with the four Fates, the beautiful marble hussy, and the nice young man with the beard. A Miss Hildegarde Withers Mystery!

This collection brings together the most thrilling and ingenious mysteries featuring Stuart Palmer’s beloved amateur sleuth, Hildegarde Withers. A sharp-witted schoolteacher with a knack for crime-solving, Miss Withers finds herself entangled in baffling cases that leave even the most seasoned detectives puzzled. In The Riddle of the Lady from Dubuque, The Riddle of the Yellow Canary, The Riddle of the Blue Fingerprint, The Riddle of the Doctor’s Double, and many other gripping stories, Mi...

When a Hollywood cartoonist is poisoned, sharp-witted sleuth Miss Withers must draw her own conclusions. "[Miss Withers is] . . . still one of the best" (Anthony Boucher).At Hollywood's most renowned cartoon studio, there are a few things you simply do not draw: snakes, cows with udders, violence, and death. So when Janet Poole finds a doodle of the studio's famous cartoon penguin with a noose around its neck, she takes the drawing as a threat. Someone at the studio...

On vacation in California, the spinster sleuth stumbles onto the case of a man murdered in mid-air—"[Withers is] still one of the best" (Anthony Boucher).Because of the fog, the man in the brown suit arrives five minutes late for the ferry to Catalina Island. If he wishes to reach his destination today, his only option is the Dragonfly, a twelve-seat prop plane that makes up in speed what it lacks in comfort. The ride is bumpy, and all of the passengers—in...

The savvy Miss Withers investigates a mysterious hanging-while-driving in this delightful addition to a classic cozy mystery series.As snow falls on the steps of the New York Public Library, a line of cars moves sluggishly down Fifth Avenue. Oblivious to the traffic, a blue Chrysler roadster tears down the street, hops the curb, and slams to a halt. The car is empty, its driver thrown half a block back. He's stone dead, his cigarette still burning, and a noose tied ...

A corrupt politician's trophy wife is targeted during a train ride: "The best of the Hildegarde Withers stories, and that is saying a good deal" ( The New York Times).Oscar Piper doesn't belong on Mexican trains. A New York City detective, he's in the Dominican Republic as part of an international delegation come to cut the ribbon on a new transcontinental highway. This grants him the honor of a trip to Mexico City on the hottest, dustiest train ...

A sharp-witted Manhattan schoolteacher tackles eight little mysteries in this collection from the author of The Puzzle of the Happy Holligan.When not teaching third graders, middle-aged singleton Hildegard Withers enjoys sipping orange pekoe tea, reading Sherlock Holmes stories, and tending to her tropical fish. And from time to time, she also helps her friend, Insp. Oscar Piper, with some puzzling cases . . ."The Riddle of the Lady from Du...

A librarian who just came into money dies in a New York hotel room, and justice is overdue: "Full of fun and delightful people. A really terrific plot" ( Chicago Daily News).With a seven-hundred-dollar inheritance in her pocket, small town librarian Harriet Bascom went to the track. By the time she left she had thousands—enough to live life the way she had always wanted: with champagne, music, and love. The champagne and music flow freely once she arrives ...

Spinster sleuth Hildegarde Withers and Inspector Oscar Piper are on the case of murder among the dog breeders, in a case reminiscent of S.S. Van Dine's "The Kennel Murder Case" (1933).