Diagnosis: Murder

In five short stories and one long novelette, Rufus King introduces Colin Starr, a young physician whose medical knowledge enables him to detect murder where a less able doctor would have signed a certificate of death from natural causes. Because of his shrewd understanding of human psychology as well as his application of scientific knowledge to seemingly unrelated facts, Dr. Starr is a unique detective in the annals of crime. Included in this volume are:

The Case of the Three Baleful Brothers

The Case of the Prodigal Bridegroom

The Case of the Sudden Shot

The Case of the Imperious Invalid

The Case of the Buttoned Collar

The Case of the Lonely Ladies


Rufus King (1893-1966) was an American author of Whodunit crime novels. He created four series of detective stories, the most famous being Lieutenant Valcour. Modern critics are rediscovering Rufus King's work. Mike Grost, on Golden Age Detective, features a long writeup of King, stating: "King had a vivid writing style, with colorful characters, events, and images. He was clearly a born writer."