ROGER TORREY (1901—1946) was an American author who wrote dozens of novellas and short stories for pulp detective magazines such as “Black Mask” and many others. Torrey was highly respected by other pulp fiction writers, but unfortunately, like the detectives in his stories, he was a heavy drinker, and he died of acute alcoholism at the early age of forty-five. Four of Torrey’s stories are included in the present book, all of them excellent ones, and well worth reading.