A Fine and Private Place

From the Grand Master Edgar Award–winning author, a Golden Age mystery featuring amateur sleuth Ellery Queen investigating a mobster's bizarre death. Nino Importuna has a soft face, but when he smiles, it's terrifying. His Central Park penthouse is lavish, but it was bought with the blood of his enemies. His criminal empire controls mining, electronics, and food—legitimate corporations that he runs with a murderer's touch. When he catches one of his capos stealing from him, Importuna could either kill the man or send him to prison. Instead, he makes a simple demand: He wants the thief's daughter to be his wife. On their 5th wedding anniversary, Importuna signs his fortune over to his young bride. Soon after, the nine-fingered mobster is killed by nine blows to the head and Ellery Queen receives a nine-letter note that holds the key to the homicide. In the legendary detective's final case, nine is the magic number. "Ellery Queen clearly is, after Poe, the most important American in mystery fiction." —Otto Penzler, editor of The Best American Mystery Stories "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, author of Nine Times Nine