Cat of Many Tails (#19)
New York City is terrorized by a serial killer, and only Ellery Queen can stop the panic
In the dog days of August, it is no surprise to see New Yorkers perspire. But this summer, a killer called the Cat gives the city a new reason to sweat. He selects his victims seemingly at random and strangles them, then escapes without leaving a clue. As the death toll climbs, and the press whips the public into horrified frenzy, Gotham teeters on the edge of anarchy. Ellery Queen, the brilliant amateur sleuth, has gone into retirement when the Cat begins to kill. As his father, a seasoned homicide detective, leads the investigation into the murder, Ellery tries to avoid getting involved.
But as the body count rises, he can no longer resist the urge to hunt. The Queens are known for their curiosity—and everyone knows how curiosity can affect a cat.
Reviews
“The impact of mass murder on the soul of a city has never, that I can recall, been depicted with such convincing vividness.”Anthony Boucher, New York Times
“Probably the best New York mystery of all time.”Edward D. Hoch
“Marvelous . . . one of his best.”Classic Mysteries
“Ellery Queen moves beyond the traditional whodunit into psychological thriller territory, crafting a gripping tale of fear, media frenzy, and urban paranoia . . . With its chilling atmosphere and deeply introspective detective, Cat of Many Tails is not just a mystery—it’s a reflection on the fragility of reason in the face of fear.”
“A new Ellery Queen book has always been something to look forward to for many years now.”Agatha Christie
“Ellery Queen is the American detective story.”Anthony Boucher
“As an anthologist, Ellery Queen is without peer, his taste unequalled. As a bibliographer and a collector of the detective short story, Queen is, again, a historical personage. Indeed, Ellery Queen clearly is, after Poe, the most important American in mystery fiction.”Otto Penzler, Publisher of The Mysterious Press