Almost Perfect Crimes: Mini-Mysteries for You to Solve

I got this because I purchased another of Hy Conrad's books, Whodunit - You Decide!: Mini-Mysteries For You To Solve, and it was the best part of the trip. If you don't already have that one, get it before you get this one. This one is good too, but not quite as good. Some of the mysteries are a little improbable (one in particular involving a crystal wind chime used as a lens for the suns rays to ignite something inside a victims apartment) although so far most of them are good (my girlfriend and I haven't quite finished it yet). My biggest complaint is that the way the book is laid out is very inconvenient. Each mystery has various kinds of evidence as well as an "analysis of evidence". Instead of presenting the evidence in a separate section right after each mystery (which is what the other book did), the evidence is organized by type (e.g. autopsy, witness affidavits, research) in the back of the book. And within each section, the evidence for each mystery is organized alphabetically rather than in the order that the mysteries are presented in. So you have to go flipping all over the book to gather all the evidence. It's a pain. That said, it wouldn't stop me from buying it again!

"Almost Perfect Crimes" by Hy Conrad is a book of challenging mini-mysteries. It has a unique format for solving the mysteries. The first part of the book is the mini-mysteries themselves, which are usually two pages long. There are questions at the end of the puzzle that the reader is supposed to answer after solving the puzzle. Conrad also tells you how many clues are needed to solve the puzzle. The next section is the Evidence Section, which has clues to help solve the case. Each puzzle will have clues in some, but not all of the Evidence Section. The Evidence Section itself is divided into several parts: Affidavit file; Autopsy Reports; Crime Scene Reports; Lab and Hospital Reports; Miscellaneous Examinations; Miscellaneous Searches; Research; and Wills and Insurance. After the Evidence Section is an "Analysis of Evidence" Section that helps sort out the evidence and gives even more clues. Finally, there is the Solution Section, which answers the questions asked in the puzzles and gives very detailed explanations as to how the crime was committed. "Almost Perfect Crimes" is one of the best book of mini-mysteries that I've read. The puzzles range from easy ("The Bearded Lady", "The Flighty Freshman" and "Accidents will Happen" to the clever but difficult ("Checking Out", "Swallowing the Gun" and "The Show Girl Murders"). The Clue Section is well done, with the clues to each puzzle nicely scattered. What I liked best about the Clue Section is that it's in alphabetical order by puzzle title. The same is true in the Explanation of Evidence section and Solution section and it's perfect because it's impossible to accidentally see the answer to the next puzzle. It is initially a bit confusing switching back and forth between the sections, but as long as you take note of the title of the puzzle you are trying to solve it works out fine. A few of the puzzles require a stretch of the imagination, namely "Psychic Suicide" and "The Phantom Intruder", but most of the puzzles are well-plotted and well thought out. Highly recommended.

This collection of mini-mysteries is just superb! They are by no means easy, but are great fun nonetheless. The way the evidence is organized into autopsies, CSI reports etc. makes the reader feel like a real detective. Very good, though kinda short.

For only a few dollars, you can challenge yourself and your friends in solving 15 fiendishly clever whodunits. Great for parties. Note that some of the stories in this book have also appeared in a slightly altered form at "The Case" website. Buyer beware!