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A review by david611
Asimov's Mysteries by Isaac Asimov

4.0

This is a very good mix of thirteen crime and mystery stories (excepting one or two) by Mr. Asimov, some written during the earliest stages of his writing career. At times it felt like reading Sherlock Holmes, albeit based in a science-fictional scenario. A few scientific descriptions (although not too technical), which are usually expressed within dialogues, could tend to go beyond the grasp of understanding with an under-average, un-scientific mind. All the stories are wonderful, although some need to be given special admiration.

Paté de Foie Gras was an intensely interesting story, scientifically extrapolated upon a folk-tale that kids usually listen to during their school days.

Marooned Off Vesta and Anniversary is a combination of two stories, the second one of which was written as a sequel on the preceding story's twentieth anniversary of its publication. The first story (unedited, as claimed by the writer in his foreword) has been very well written considering that it was the writer's first published story in a magazine while he was in his late teens, in the infamously well-remembered commencing year of WWII, 1939. Anniversary continues, as the characters from the first story meet up on the twentieth anniversary of their events in the first story. The two combine together to exhibit the element of mystery.

Obituary deals with murder using an experimental time-travel phenomenon. An amazing story.

The Key is a well devised mystery tale, which also discusses about a certain group of extremists with their idea about of reducing the global population by ninety-nine percent through killing. It talks about the rigid nature of their emotions, lacking empathy, and their incapability to connect very well with other people's emotions.

The book ends with The Billiard Ball, another lovely idea based upon Einstein's Theory of Relativity.