title: The Vicious Circle: Mystery and Crime Stories by Members of the Algonquin Round Table
author:  Otto Penzler 
description: As mystery expert Penzler admits in his introduction, this volume contains "little classic detection... and less nail-biting suspense" than the usual crime fiction anthology, but those curious about the legendary figures of the Algonquin Round Table-a group of New York City writers and critics from the 1920s, many affiliated with the New Yorker-will get at least a taste of the wit and sophistication for which they were known. Of the dozen selections, the highlights are three parodic pieces by S.J. Perelman, notably the laugh-out-loud "Farewell, My Lovely Appetizer," a send-up of the hard-boiled genre that's a clear literary precursor to Woody Allen's Kaiser Lupowitz stories. Another stand-out is the wickedly absurd "The Mystery of the Poisoned Kipper" by Robert Benchley, perhaps best known today as the grandfather of the author of Jaws. While some tales disappoint, readers new to these authors may be inspired to sample more of their work. <BR>Copyright &copy; Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
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  Wielder’s Prize
  
  
  Elle Cardy
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
    
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  First Published 2019  
  PO Box 6162 Woolloongabba, Queensland 4102, Australia.
  
  
  WIELDER’S PRIZE copyright © 2019 by Elle Cardy
  
  
  Map copyright © 2019 by Lynda R Young
  
  
  All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in
  a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic,
  mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior written
  permission of the publisher.
  
  
  This is a work of fiction. Names, character, places and incidents are either
  the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any
  resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events
  or locales is entirely coincidental.
  
  
  Cover design by Lynda R Young
  
  
  Email the author at [ellecardy@xandory.com](mailto:ellecardy@xandory.com)
  
  
  
  
  
    
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  To Tim  
   _You know why_
  
  
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  Contents
  
  
  ****[PART ONE Chapter 1](part