If you never read anything else in this collection, it is still worth the price of admission as long as your edition contains the complete copy of the essay, “The Grandest Game in the World.” Originally written in 1946 as an introduction to an aborted anthology to be called The Ten Best Detective Novels, a severely abridged version saw print in 1963, where it had been gutted of the most fascinating part: Carr’s break down of the body of work of each author to have been represented. Fully restored, it studies in detail A. Conan Doyle, Gaston Leroux, A. E. W. Mason, Agatha Christie, Ellery Queen, Anthony Berkeley, S. S. Van Dine, Phillip MacDonald, Rex Stout, and Dorothy L. Sayers. Carr offers a comprehensive examination of how each repeatedly fooled the reader while still playing fair and explores what made each of them great. That Carr can dissect and expound on the essence of the mystery novel while not spoiling any of the stories is a considerable testament. But fair warning: he had strong opinions on the application and execution of his craft. He is dismissive of certain styles of storytelling (although he would soften some of those stances later in life) and he pointedly snubs a couple of popular writers of the day for whom he had no respect. If you happen to be a fan of the disparaged practitioners, it is still fairly easy to ignore those particular criticisms--and it is best to do so. It leaves you more open to some fascinating lessons. ( )