MISS DARKNESS collects the finest short crime fiction of Fredric Brown. Included in this generous collection are some hard to find gems, such as The Case of the Dancing Sandwiches, The Jabberwocky Murders and The Pickled Punks. Brown’s reputation has not diminished over the years; in fact, his following has grown since his death in 1972. First editions of his books fetch hundreds of dollars, and even the vintage paperbacks fetch handsome sums. This is because his strong narrative voice and character driven stories read as fresh today as the time they were written. Better known for his crime novels (his first novel, The Fabulous Clipjoint, garnered an Edgar award) his short stories and novellas are in many ways superior. It is only that they are so difficult to track down that they are underappreciated. Time will eventually place Brown in the pantheon of revered American crime writers shared by Chandler, Hammitt, Goodis and Cain. The publication of MISS DARKNESS marks the 40th year of Fredric Brown’s passing and at last pays ample tribute to his treasured short fiction.