The Mankiller of Poojegai and Other Stoiries

Satterthwait displays his versatility in this collection of 11 short mystery stories, which range from whodunits solved by a Neanderthal to what the author believes to be the first murder set in an Internet chat room. These topics mirror Satterthwait's longer fiction, which includes his take on the Lizzie Borden case, Miss Lizzie, and a tribute to Oscar Wilde, Wilde West. ""A Conflict of Interests,"" the volume's best-realized tale, features his African series character Andrew Mbutu, and displays the knowledge of the region the author obtained during his time living in Kenya. Also notable are the grisly ""The Cassoulet,"" which is prepared with a secret ingredient that comes at a dear cost, and the comic ""A Mishap At The Manor,"" an affectionate poke at Agatha Christie.