This is an enjoyable collection of stories, not all of which are "mysteries" as many people might define them. The narrators are often better than the source material which is a plus. The subject matter ranges from the serious to the ridiculous (such as the overlong Mark Twain story about a stolen elephant, which is pretty funny at first, but stays beyond its welcome.) O'Henry's equally non-serious contribution about the great French detective, Tick Tock, works better. There is also a minor Sherlock Holmes adventure and appearances by the Thinking Machine and Dr. Thorndyke. ( )