Murder in Any Degree

Nine short stories make up Murder in Any Degree, which The Century Co. published in 1913, a year after Stover at Yale had made Owen Johnson (1878-1952) a national success. The pieces include the title story along with ‘One Hundred in the Dark,’ ‘Even Threes,’ ‘The Lie,’ ‘A Comedy for Wives,’ and ‘My Wife’s Wedding Presents,’ a mix of comic and serious short fiction written for the magazine audiences of the day. First editions carried illustrations by F. R. Gruger and Leon Guipon, two of the busiest American magazine artists of the period. For readers who know Johnson only through his Lawrenceville schoolboy tales, this collection shows the adult, satirical side of his work and makes a natural next stop. Free PDF download available on BDeBooks.