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Mystery Stories Written by Michael E. Grost

Welcome to my web site. This site features original mystery short stories, all written by Michael E. Grost. The links below lead to the short stories.

IMPORTANT NEWS! Several stories are available as an e-book. Please click for JAKE SOLVES THE IMPOSSIBLE in EPUB or Kindle format. It is free. If this link does not work, please e-mail me, and I will send you the e-book.

Please mail your comments to me at mike@mikegrost.com. (Clicking here will bring up mail.) I am eager to hear what you think. You can also visit my web sites Guide to Classic Mystery and Detection, Classic Film and Television, Classic Comic Books and A History of American Art, and my personal home page.

BREAKING NEWS: I have an article in the current issue #45 of the mystery journal OLD-TIME DETECTION, edited by Arthur Vidro. And the previous issue #44 has an impossible crime story by me. You can subscribe by e-mailing oldtimedetection@netzero.net.

My stories are "real mystery tales", with puzzle plots, clues, detectives, and a cast of suspects. They tend to be cheerful, comic and colorful, with real plots. I hope you enjoy them!

The Jacob Black "Impossible Crime" Tales

Jacob Black solves impossible crime mysteries. He is a novelist and Hollywood screen writer.

A Detective Is Born Jake's first case, in silent movie Hollywood in 1923.
Murder Makes a Sequel A light-hearted sequel to "A Detective Is Born", set at a Hollywood charity benefit.
Extra! Extra! Jake's most baffling case, at an airfield near Los Angeles.
A Mystery Shot in One Long Take Eerie events on the set of Louis Feuillade's latest movie thriller, in Nice, France.
Horror at the High School Jake encounters some truly sinister events, when he goes back to his old high school.
Hell's Hacks Jake goes hard-boiled when gangsters try to take over Los Angeles' taxicabs.
Trial by Fire Jake's policeman friend, Lt. Moe Apfelbaum, stands up to the mob.
The Hollywood Toy Express Jake solves a strange movieland riddle.
The One Dollar Mail Robbery of Buzzard's Corners Mystery out West.
Banning the Blues Mystery ensues when Jake directs a racecar film, in red-green Technicolor.
The Big Box A sequel to "Banning the Blues", at the Hollywood premiere of Jake's movie.
It Came Out of Nowhere Jake encounters nutty events on a baseball diamond.
The Dream Factory A mystery in Paris.
The Villain who Vanished A killer disappears - from a locked room.
The Tree of Life Mystery in a mansion on a dark and stormy night.
A Long Evening Jake goes to a speakeasy.
Gorilla with a Pearl Earring Strange events at a boxing match.
The Hunt for Fred October A missing persons case.

Towards the end of each story, Jake solves the mystery, while standing or sitting under a tree. For more information on Jake's trees, including links to pictures, click here.

The Paul Henderson "High Technology" Mysteries

Paul Henderson is a volunteer policeman in a small city - and computer whiz - who good-naturedly battles crime with his own high tech inventions.

The inventions here are not existing ones used today. Instead, they are my own original ideas about what detectives might want to use. I had fun using my imagination, and hope you have fun reading the story!

The stories are available as an e-book. Please click for HIGH TECH DETECTIVE in EPUB or Kindle format. It is free. If this link does not work, please e-mail me, and I will send you the e-book.

The Election Day Mystery A dying message leads to a sinister conspiracy.

Short-short Mysteries

To Cake the Dead A culinary impossible crime.