Patrick Quentin Books

The Man in the Net is a taut and well-crafted example of Patrick Quentin mystery thriller. Quentin typically sets up an unexpected scenario or unusual premise and this is more than fulfilled in this novel.John Hamilton left his lucrative job with a New York advertising agency to move to the country and try his hand at painting. His first show is not a success and he is under some pressure from his wife, Linda, to return to the city to make some money. Linda is having increasing difficulty coping with the dullness of life in the country and has succumbed to alcoholism, although she is able to keep this completely secret from everybody except John.So when John returns from a business trip to find his paintings slashed and Linda missing, later to be found dead, he cannot prove how unstable and violent she had become and the suspicions of the locals put him firmly in the frame for her murder.

A wave of murders rocks a sanitarium—and it's up to the patients to stop them Broadway producer Peter Duluth sought solace in a bottle after his wife’s death; now, two years later and desperate to dry out, he enters a sanitarium, hoping to break his dependence on drink—but the institution doesn’t quite offer the rest and relaxation he expected. Strange, malevolent occurrences plague the hospital; and among other inexplicable events, Peter hears his own voice with an ominous warning: “There will be murder.” It soon becomes clear that a homicidal maniac is on the loose, and, with a staff every bit as erratic as its idiosyncratic patients, it seems everyone is a suspect—even Duluth’s new romantic interest, Iris Pattison. Charged by the baffled head of the ward with solving the crimes, it’s up to Peter to clear her name before the killer strikes again. Reprinted for the first time in over thirty years, A Puzzle for Fools is the atmospheric and complex mystery that first introduced Peter Duluth; the character and his love interest Iris went on to star in eight more novels, two of which were adapted for film.

DEATH FREIGHTThe American Magazine was a glossy, lavishly illustrated “slick” aimed primarily at middle class women readers, filled not only with dastardly murders, but beautiful women and handsome men living the high life, the sweet spice of romance adding to the sordid criminal proceedings.Here are four clever, sophisticated mysteries from the pages of The American Magazine written by Hugh Wheeler in the early 1950s as “Patrick Quentin.” Each story takes the reader on a world tour of murder…The trip begins with “Mrs. B.’s Black Sheep” as a European Tour for Girls is quickly disrupted by theft and murder. In “Death Freight” a world-traveling writer bound for Zanzibar is thrown into a shipboard murder mystery involving an old flame and a pouch of stolen diamonds. “The Scarlet Box” takes us to Rome where an artist must solve the murder of a famous director to prove the innocence of a young woman he has grown to love. And in “The Laughing Man,” a San Francisco police inspector is pitted against a would-be serial killer who cackles as he kills.

This collection features a series of intriguing murder mysteries crafted by Patrick Quentin, showcasing his skill in weaving suspenseful narratives. Each tale delves into the psychology of crime, exploring the motives and consequences faced by the characters involved. With a blend of wit and dark themes, the stories promise to engage readers who appreciate classic whodunits and clever plot twists, making it a compelling read for mystery enthusiasts.

Puzzle für Söhnchen - bk226; Diogenes Verlag; Patrick Quentin; pocket_book; 1993

Peter Duluth, ein erfolgreicher Theaterproduzent, trifft auf einer Party auf das junge, hilfsbedürftige Mädchen Nanny Ordway. Nach einer kurzlebigen Anziehung wird Nanny tot in seiner Wohnung gefunden, was Peters Leben in einen Albtraum verwandelt: Seine Frau verlässt ihn, Freunde und Polizei verdächtigen ihn.