Ellery Queen's Mystery Magazine used these words to describe the extraordinary accomplishments of Edward D. Hoch. Whether he is writing about sleuths or crooks or spies, Hoch always includes a strong puzzle element in his stories. Each challenges the reader to unravel the mystery before the hero does.
Two of Hoch's most famous characters are British espionage agent Jeffery Rand and his half-Scottish, half-Egyptian wife Leila Gaad. During the height of the Cold War, Rand outsmarted Soviet agents, and in the more murky world of contemporary diplomacy he continues to face intriguing mysteries. In these 15 tales, Rand must discover why a dying spy wrote the word "labyrinth", how can someone fight a non-existent war -- and pass a lie-detector test about it, what do miraculous cures in Scotland have to do with the CIA, and other strange conundrums.
Even when Rand retires and joins The Old Spies Club, he and Leila continue in a world of double-agents, double-crosses, and constant peril.
