Quintet: The Cases of Chase and Delacroix: Signed. Limited Edition

Versatile author Lupoff, whose previous works include Sherlockian pastiches and Lovecraftian fiction, makes a successful transition to impossible crimes in this collection of six stories (three original) that are reminiscent of Ed Hoch's puzzlers, even if they are not as accomplished or clever. Lupoff's sleuths are Akhenaton Beelzebub Chase, who wisely goes by Abel Chase, of San Francisco, and his attractive associate, Claire Delacroix. Chase's breadth of knowledge and interests are Holmesian, although some readers may find Lupoff's conceit that Chase's tips accounted for Joe DiMaggio's batting prowess a bit much. The imagination displayed in the problems the detectives are pitted against (a deep-sea diver disappears from a diving suit, a passenger vanishes from a two-person airplane in midair) isn't quite matched by the solutions, but Hoch fans should find this volume enjoyable.