These six masters include Ellery Queen, in what is his, to me, best short novel. I think the conclusion is truly surprising.
Michael Gilbert seldom produces anything but a masterful work, and this is another, with Patrick Petrella as the chief protagonist. It gives such a great look at England's criminal underground.
Ed McBain is a favorite to lots of people, though not to me. You will probably like this entry.
Georges Simenon is another I don't much care for. I've wondered why and think maybe it's at least partly because the original is in French and what I read is a translation. Madame Simenon has a prominent part in this story and that helps.
Erle Stanley Gardner is an uneven writer. This is rather contrived, but interesting.
Finally, this John D. MacDonald story is not about Travis McGee, is not, in fact, part of any series, but is an interesting story, one we might need to laugh at ourselves about.
All in all, this is a good collection. ( )