"Thou Shalt Not Kill."

All New Orleans is disturbed at the rumour that one of its civic treasures, a fragment of the Gutenberg Bible, has been stolen. But when the rumour becomes a fact and is followed by a series of murders so hideous that every paper's headlines screamed each new phase of the case, the concern changes to panic. Each new crime centres on the same group of people: wealthy, respected and influential. Yet the police and District Attorney struggle to find a definite clue on which to base an arrest.

Each of the suspects could benefit from the death of the murder victims, and each new clue further embroils the seemingly most innocent. In the deft weaving of the plot, and in the vivid delineation of District Attorney Dan Farrell-honest, capable and trustworthy-the journalist Wade-shrewd and persistent-Terry Sheldon-rich, impulsive and hot-headed-and Winifred Gonzales, with a charm too rich for youth and face too young for age, the authors have provided a set of characters the reader will remember long after the book is finished.

The Gutenberg Murders was originally published in 1931. This new edition includes an introduction by crime fiction historian Curtis Evans.