Preface: One Author, Lightly Grilled

 
Part 0: Where It All Began

• We Got from There to Here Without a Jet
  The History of Mystery

• Classical Shakespearean Mysteries
  The Real Golden Age

 
Part 1: Genres Defined — The Successful Killer Is Flexible and Open-Minded

• Cuddling Up With A Warm, Fuzzy Murderer
  Cozies I Have Known

• The Four-Minute Detective
  Hardboiled Novels I Have Known

• Why History Is Necessary
  How Historical Mysteries are Done

• Locked Room Conventions, Visited
  All Dressed Up and No Way to Go

• The Big Concrete Apple Mystery
  What It Is

• The Clues Are Blowin' In The Wind
  The Answers are Blowin' through Her Head

• A Learned Disquisition On Police Procedurals
  A Law Enforcement Manual

• Not So Cocksure About The Legal Thriller
  The Legal Thriller: Order in the Court!

• We Bill Separately, The Stockroom Managers (British Mysteries)
  Yes, We Have That Item in Stock and Can Ship Today

 
Part 2: You, Too, Can Be A Cold-Blooded Killer!

• What To Do Until The Cops Arrive
  Etiquette for Murderers with Time on Their Hands

• No-Nos At The Crime Scene, The Basics
  It's Hard to Restrain Oneself, But Do Not . . .

• Even Poisoners Have Bad Days
  Nasty Stuff a Poisoner Says When He Is Not Feeling Well

• Where Were You When The Victim Got It?
  Unassailable Alibis

• Hey! Get A Brand New Social Life, With Minimal Effort!
  Advice About Getting Back into the Swim of Dating Killers

 
Part 3: So You Want To Be A Writer? Or Are You Just Having A Bad Day?

• In the Big Inning
  Notes to Myself on How to Begin a Mystery Novel

• Are You Qualified? A Quiz.
  Have You Got What It Takes to Write a Mystery?

• Writer's (Not Lawrence) Block
  Activities for the Blocked Writer

• A Day In The Writing Life — It's Work, Folks
  How to Stay Active While Bound by Duct Tape to a Chair That Is Chained to a Desk and Wired to Emit 50,000 Volts of Especially Nasty Electricity If You Try To Escape

 
Part 4: Everyone Gets In On The Act, Because Murder Is Fun!

• From The Desk Of A Vacationing Critic
  Mystery Novel Review Form

• Letter To The Editor From Boiling Mad
  Oh, The Injustice of It All

• The Public Service Information Desk Is Open
  Information Agencies As Close As Your Keyboard

• Sins Of The Reader
  Spoiling the Experience