The Best Mysteries of Isaac Asimov

"Almost every mystery story I write belongs to the 'armchair detective' variety. Our hero listens to a puzzling story of some kind that seems to have no solution and, taking into account only what he is told, comes up with the answer in so cogent a fashion that every other character in the story (and the reader, too) is at once convinced of its legitimacy.... My stories are, in short, not exercises in violence, not thrillers, not psychological suspense stories. They are, generally speaking, puzzles, and rather intellectual ones." Now that I've quoted the author, let me add that most but not all of these puzzles were too tough for me. Then, when the solution was revealed, I was invariably like, "Aw, I'm a stupe!" I'd say he set out to emulate the whodunits he loved and wound up topping them instead. I've never seen any better, or even equal, and I highly recommend this collection to anyone who loves puzzles of any description. As an added bonus, the masterful prose of Mr. Asimov. Get this book.