The Union Club Mysteries
The Union Club Mysteries is a collection of mystery short stories by American author Isaac Asimov featuring his fictional mystery solver Griswold. It was first published in hardcover by Doubleday in 1983 and in paperback by the Fawcett Crest imprint of Ballantine Books in 1985. The book collects thirty stories by Asimov, originally printed in "Gallery" magazine, together with a foreword and afterword by the author. Each story is set at a club known as the Union Club, in which a conversation between three members prompts a fourth member, Griswold, to tell about a mystery he  has solved. These are often tall stories, and often based on his time in US intelligence. The format is based on that utilized by P. G. Wodehouse in recounting his golf stories. Asimov wrote a total of 55 Union Club stories. As well as the 30 in this book, three more were collected in "The Best Mysteries of Isaac Asimov" (Doubleday, 1986). The other 22 have never been collected in any of Asimov's books. One of these 22, "Getting Even," is also part of Asimov's "Azazel" series of fantasy stories. Contents. "Foreword" "Afterword" <nowiki>*</nowiki> Other Union  Club stories. <nowiki>*</nowiki> Reception. Dave Langford reviewed "The Union Club Mysteries" for "White Dwarf" #70, and stated that "I like detective stories, but Asimov tries the patience with trivial, moronic 'puzzles'." According to reviewer John H. Jenkins, these stories are not rated particularly well by Asimov fans, and are less well regarded than his better known "Black Widowers" mysteries. He does regard a few of them more highly, particularly "No Refuge Could Save" and "Hide and Seek," but feels the brevity and format of the stories allows the author little scope. It is also open to question whether  they are supposed to be serious mysteries or tall stories.