13 Quick Tricks: And a Few Long Cons

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Bill Adams, the author of Tilt and co-author of The Unwound Way and The End of Fame, shows his skill as a mystery writer in these 26 clever short stories, many of which appeared in Ellery Queen's Mystery Magazine and elsewhere.

Alfred Karns, Accessory: An overheard conversation presents a dilemma.
Professional Suicide: An agent comes to regret sleeping with his client's wife.
The Iceman Cooleth: The state lottery presents some dangerous choices to a numbers runner.
Requiem for Three Sharks: They hanged him at noon by the railroad clock.
A Garden Full of Snow: An aggressive process server gets a surprise.
Paper Tiger: Getting rid of somebody is easy if you can do the paperwork.
Mug Shot: Some easy money is too easy.
A Very Short Week: Are you going to have that breakdown today?
How I Became a Criminal: I needed the money, of course.
Feedback: Can he escape the beating of his own heart?
Message in a Bottle: It was a cliche, but J.D. was intrigued.
Three Quick Tricks: Sleight of hand, or sleight of mind?
Blue Note: His plan didn't work out as he had hoped.
Asp: Can he thwart the Emperor's would-be assassins? Should he?
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Severed Connection: The perfect murder is one that cannot be traced back to you.
Nobody Gets Me: Eddie is less than enthusiastic about Paul's murder appeal.
Ken Finds Himself in California: A charming sponger discovers that he has a future as a detective.
Accidental Life: There is another world, but where is the path to it?
Unexpected Order: Life is amazing, under the right circumstances.
The Doubter and the Doubt: A medieval fable about men and foxes.
P. S. -- Semper Fidelis: Barry remembers how he lost his fear of dogs.
Jack Rabbit Country: Sleep deprivation reveals a colorful world.