Who doesn’t love a list? No-one who matters, that’s who. And since I’ve now read all twenty of the translated short stories of Paul Halter it seems inevitable that I should have my own preferences laid out for everyone to disagree with.
First, however, that twentieth story: ‘The Helm of Hades’ (2019), in the new March/April 2019 edition of Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine. Thematically, we’re in similar waters to ‘The Man with the Face of Clay’ (2011): an archaeologist returned from exotic locales — in this case Conrad Berry “having spent two fruitless years digging in a site near Nafplio, in Peloponnesia, [being] on the point of leaving, when one of his workers had stumbled across traces of Mycenaean civilisation on the Doric site” — with a mixture of superstitious awe and vague promises/threats following him home. For Berry claims to have found the Helm of Hades, a bronze helmet that rendered the lord of the underworld invisible, and stories of unhappy occurrences seem to follow in its wake:
Previously, he had talked about two workers at the site being brutally attacked at twilight on the eve of departure. Not only had they been unable to identify the assailant, they had denied even seeing one. According to them, it was as if the rocks themselves had moved before falling on them… The nature of their injuries—severe bruises and a broken arm—meant that their story could not be taken lightly.
Yeah, you’re wrong.
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Well, obvs.
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I knew it would be “The Cleaver!” I just knew it!!
And you’re right! This story makes me love Halter.
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Huzzah! Something we can all agree on! Except Christian. But he’s Scandinavian, and so probably too polite to make much of a fuss.
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We’re all boors.
And it’s not “The Cleaver” I take issue with, but any list that features “Abominable Snowman” in position 12 is wrong. And “Golden Ghost” in position 4. Change those two around and you’ve got a functioning list. Not wholly correct, but okay.
🙂
(“The Cleaver” is tops.)
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I have not read enough of these stories to make a proper judgment of your list, but “Rippermania” should have been the gate-closer of this list, because “Murder in Cognac” is miles ahead of “Rippermania.” “The Man with the Face of Clay” is awful and should have been either number 20 or 19. However, I agree with picking “The Cleaver” as your number 1. For me, it probably would have been a toss up between “The Cleaver” and “The Flower Girl.”
Anyway, interesting list. I hope Pugmire decides to do another collection with the translations that have appeared in EQMM. It would be very handy to have them all in one collection.
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hey JJ you have ranked night of the wolf very highly but maybe I am not understanding the solution correctly I have a few questions if you can answer them would be spoilers so is there a way I can pm you?
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Hey Umer — happy to help. You can either post your question here, or email me at the_invisible_event(at)outlook.com
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