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1、TheAmericanGunMysteryElleryQueenToC.RAYMONDEVERITTforonereasonandALBERTFOSTER,Jr.foranotherForewordForthehalf-dozenthtimeinaquartetofyearsIfindmyselfconfrontedwiththeformidabletaskofintroducinganewworkfromthepenofmyfriend,ElleryQueen.ItseemsonlyyesterdaythatIsatdowntowrit
2、eaprefacetoTheRomanHatMystery,thathistoriccasewhichIbulliedElleryintofictionizing—thefirstQueenadventuretobeputbetweencovers;andyetthatwasoverfouryearsago!Now,socontagiousisrecognitionofauthenticgenius,whetheritisinthecreationofanewocracyoranewcrime-storymetier,ElleryQuee
3、nhasbecomeasymboloftheunusualindetectivefictioninAmerica.InEn-glandhehadbeenhailedbynolessdistinguishedacriticthantheLondonTimesas“thelogicalsuccessortoSherlockHolmes”;andontheContinent,where(asVivoudieresaysinhisfloridbutearnesttribute)“M.Queenaprisd’assantlesrempartsdes
4、cyniquesdelettres,”hehasbeentrans-latedintoapolyglotoftongues(yea,evenuntotheScandinavian),sothathisbookshelvesbristlewithunfamiliar-soundingtitlesandhiscorres-pondencealoneprovideshissonandherwithasteadysupplyofforeignstampswhichwoulddelightthesoulofevenalessenthusiastic
5、minorphilatelist.Inthelightofsuchrecognition,therefore—Iamtemptedtosay“fame,”butthatwouldprobablycostmemyfriend—thereislittleIcanofferwhichwouldnotbesheerrepetition.Ontheotherhand,itshouldproveofinteresttoElleryQueen’sreaderstogethispersonalviewonthecasewhichformsthebasis
6、ofthepresentvolume.Iquoteverbatimaletterdatedsomemonthsago:Mylong-sufferingJ.J.:NowthatthepestiferousEgyptianissafelytuckedintohissarco-phagusandthelidclampeddown,perhapsIshallhavetimetoworkonaproblemwhoseactualinceptionandsolutionyounodoubtrecallfromhistoryandsomeconvers
7、ationsofimportancebetweenus.ForsometimeI’vebeenyearningtodotheHomecase.Whatanaffairitwasthatcenteredaboutthatsaltyoldcharacter,BuckHome,andthatagitatedtheserapaciousbrainssomeyearsago!Itisn’tsomuchbecauseIamendearedtomyownclevernessinthatfantasticbrushwithcriminalitythatI
8、proposetowritemynextopusaroundit.Oh,yes,thereasoningwasinterestingenough,andtheinvesti-gationwas
