The Velvet Touch

Nick Velvet, the choosey crook, who steals only the valueless -does so for a hefty fee of course. Sandra Paris, the White Queen, is also a thief, a mistress of bizarre crimes, who does "Impossible Things Before Breakfast." Nick Velvet and Sandra Paris sometimes compete, sometimes work together - as in the theft of a snake-charmer's basket on the front cover. The author, Edward D. Hoch, is a legend of ingenuity in the world of mystery writing. Author of more than 800 short stories, winner of the Edgar Award, former President of the Mystery Writers of America, and contributor to every issue of Ellery Queen's Mystery Magazine