"In age he was anywhere from forty-five to fifty; in appearance lean and wiry, and as hard as nails, with a straggling moustache and short beard of a sandy red, and a shock head of hair of the same tint. He acknowledged no front name-called and signed himself Magnum, tout court, like a peer or prince." Magnum was no mere detective, he left crime as such to the police, and would only consult when there was a truly scientific puzzle to unravel. Yet as scientific consultant he solved mysteries, foiled criminals, and protected the public interest. Distinctive in appearance (with his bushy red eyebrows and corresponding beard) and commanding in personality (with a quick temper and a high regard for his own self-importance), he maintained exacting standards for his own scientific work, balanced with a keen business sense. In Magnum, author Max Rittenberg formed the mold for the scientific detective archetype. All seventeen Magnum stories are collected here. In some, Magnum meets with impossible crimes; in others, it's a race against time as Magnum must piece together puzzling clues. Murderers, kidnappers, counterfeiters, thieves, and others meet their match in Magnum, Scientific Consultant. Mike Ashley introduces this collection with details of Max Rittenberg's life and work, as well as insightful discussion of the development of the scientific detective in mystery fiction. His collation of these stories and his dialogue with the family of Max Rittenberg provides us with both a forgotten mystery series and a better understanding of their rightful place within the history of the detective story.
