[PW] "punchline" mysteries

[Dennis Lien]

At 12:21 PM 10/23/2007, you wrote:
>Hello from rainy Kentucky,
>
>I'm looking for suggestions of short mysteries that are what I call
>"punchline" mysteries; that is, the solution is given in the last sentence or
>paragraph.
>
>I've used "The Good Lord Will Provide" for this, and students are asking for
>others.
>
>Any suggstions?
>
>Thanks.
>
>Susie


A classic: "The Two Bottles of Relish" by Lord Dunsany.

I know you said "short," but the one novel-length mystery I can think of where
the killer is not actually named until the last couple words of the book is
Ellery Queen's THE FRENCH POWDER MYSTERY.

Dennis Lien / U of Minnesota Libraries // d-lien at umn.edu