Otto Penzler's Books

Agents of Treachery

By: Otto Penzler

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For the first time ever, legendary editor Otto Penzler has handpicked some of the most respected and bestselling thriller writers working today for a riveting collection of spy fiction. From first to last, this stellar collection signals mission accomplished. Including: * Lee Child with an incredible look at the formation of a special ops cell. * James Grady writing about an Arab undercover FBI agent with an active cell. * Joseph Finder riffing on a Boston architect who's convinced his Persian neighbors are up to no good. * John Lawton concocting a Len Deighton-esque story about British intelligence. * Stephen Hunter thrilling us with a tale about a WWII brigade. Full list of Contributors: James Grady, Charles McCarry, Lee Child, Joseph Finder, John Lawton, John Weisman, Stephen Hunter, Gayle Lynds, David Morrell, Andrew Klavan, Robert Wilson, Dan Fesperman, Stella Rimington, Olen Steinhauer

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Page Count

450

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Vintage Crime/Black Lizard

Published Date

ISBN 10

0307477525

ISBN 13

9780307477521

Dead Man's Hand

Crime Fiction at the Poker Table

By: Otto Penzler

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Dead Man's Hand

Crime Fiction at the Poker Table

By: Otto Penzler

Hit the jackpot with stories from Michael Connelly, Laura Lippman, Walter Mosley, Alexander McCall Smith, and more superstars of mystery. In “One Dollar Jackpot,” Michael Connelly’s curmudgeonly Harry Bosch finds himself going toe-to-toe with a professional poker player. Jeffery Deaver offers up “Bump,” a tale of a has-been actor trying to make it big by hustling cards. “Hardly Knew Her” by Laura Lippmann showcases a young woman learning about bluffing the hard way, while “In the Eyes of Children” by Alexander McCall Smith features a scam at a poker table on the high seas. With these, and more offerings from mystery greats such as Joyce Carol Oates, John Lescroart, Walter Mosley, Peter Robinson, and Eric Van Lustbader, Dead Man’s Hand is a suspenseful anthology that’s a big winner for any fan of crime fiction.

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405

Publisher

HMH

Published Date

ISBN 10

0156035308

ISBN 13

9780156035309

Murder for Revenge

12 New Original Stories

By: Otto Penzler

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Murder for Revenge

12 New Original Stories

By: Otto Penzler

This irresistible collection of original stories was born of a deliciously wicked idea: ask twelve of America's best writers to explore a single subject—people willing, often gleefully so, to kill for revenge. The result is a star-studded gathering of fiction's finest, and an infinitely satisfying banquet of . . . Murder for Revenge. In Lawrence Block's chilling contribution, a serial killer transforms one victim's brother into his greatest defender—to his eternal regret! Revenge more immediate sizzles in Mary Higgins Clark's "Power Play," as a dashing ex-president and his congresswoman wife outwit terrorists hunting bigger game. Phillip Margolin's career criminal has an alibi to die for—which becomes a nail in the coffin of self-defense. Joyce Carol Oates administers revenge most satisfying in "Murder-Two" as a brilliant lawyer defends her first criminal client—her worst enemy's son. And in Peter Straub's "Mr. Clubb and Mr. Cuff," a betrayed husband discovers that if you have to ask the price of revenge, you can't afford to pay for it. Here is delicious retribution in these and seven more superb, all-new stories by Thomas H. Cook, Vicki Hendricks, Joan Hess, Judith Kelman, Eric Lustbader, David Morrell, and Shel Silverstein: America's favorite writers gathered together in one unforgettable volume—a wickedly entertaining exploration of sweet, cold-blooded revenge.

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401

Publisher

Dell

Published Date

ISBN 10

0440613558

ISBN 13

9780440613558

Dangerous Women

By: Otto Penzler

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Dangerous Women

By: Otto Penzler

The acclaimed authors in this anthology are collectively responsible for dozens of "New York Times" bestsellers. Legendary editor Otto Penzler owns the Mysterious Bookshop in New York and is founder of the Mysterious Press and Otto Penzler books.

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246

Publisher

Mysterious Press

Published Date

ISBN 10

0446507199

ISBN 13

9780446507196

The Best American Mystery Stories 2008

By: Otto Penzler

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The Best American Mystery Stories 2008

By: Otto Penzler

Expect the unexpected and prepare to be entertained... No book published this year will deliver more thrills per page than this one.Here are twenty of the year's stand-out crime short stories, showcasing not only the very best of the genre, but also the very best American writing full stop. Previous editions of BAMS have included stories from: Michael Connelly, James Lee Burke, Walter Mosley, Joyce Carol Oates, Scott Turow, Ed McBain, Elmore Leonard and Jeffery Deaver.

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352

Published Date

ISBN 10

1847246885

ISBN 13

9781847246882

Classic American Crime Fiction of the 1920s

By: Leslie S Klinger

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Classic American Crime Fiction of the 1920s

By: Leslie S Klinger

Classic American Crime Writing of the 1920s—including House Without a Key, The Benson Murder Case, The Tower Treasure, The Roman Hat Mystery, The Tower Treasure, and Little Caesar—offers some of the very best of that decade’s writing. Earl Derr Biggers wrote about Charlie Chan, a Chinese-American detective, at a time when racism was rampant. S. S. Van Dine invented Philo Vance, an effete, rich amateur psychologist who flourished while America danced and the stock market rose. Edwin Stratemeyer, a man of mystery himself, singlehandedly created the juvenile mystery, with the beloved Hardy Boys series. The quintessential American detective Ellery Queen leapt onto the stage, to remain popular for fifty years. W. R. Burnett, created the indelible character of Rico, the first gangster antihero. Each of the five novels included is presented in its original published form, with extensive historical and cultural annotations and illustrations added by Edgar-winning editor Leslie S. Klinger, allowing the reader to experience the story to its fullest. Klinger's detailed foreword gives an overview of the history of American crime writing from its beginnings in the early years of America to the twentieth century.

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Page Count

1666

Publisher

Simon and Schuster

Published Date

ISBN 10

1681779269

ISBN 13

9781681779263

Dangerous Women

By: Otto Penzler

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Dangerous Women

By: Otto Penzler

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246

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Mysterious Press

Published Date

ISBN 10

0446507199

ISBN 13

9780446507196

Golden Age Bibliomysteries (An American Mystery Classic)

By: Otto Penzler

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Golden Age Bibliomysteries (An American Mystery Classic)

By: Otto Penzler

In these classic mystery tales, literature is a matter of life or death Of crime fiction’s many sub-genres, none is so reflexive and so intriguing as the “bibliomystery”: stories that involve crimes set, somehow, in the world of books. In Vincent Starrett’s “A Volume of Poe,” a bookseller is murdered; in Ellery Queen’s “The Adventure of the Three R’s,” the detective tracks the disappearance of a local Missouri author; and a killer stalks the stacks of the New York Public Library in Robert L. Blochman’s “Death Walks in Marble Halls.” With fourteen tales of bibliophilic transgression from the Golden Age of the mystery genre (the decades between the two World Wars), this volume collects stories guaranteed to entertain, featuring work from well-remembered authors such as Cornell Woolrich and Anthony Boucher and from those that are lesser-known today, such as Carolyn Wells and James Gould Cozzens. Edgar Award-winning anthologist, editor, bookseller, and mystery scholar Otto Penzler has focused extensively on the history of the bibliomystery, and his expertise shines in this enjoyable collection—both in the selection of stories, and in the informative and illuminating introductions that accompany each one.

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284

Publisher

Penzler Publishers

Published Date

ISBN 10

161316422X

ISBN 13

9781613164228

The Best American Mystery Stories 2014

By: Otto Penzler

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The Best American Mystery Stories 2014

By: Otto Penzler

“With so many great authors contributing to this fiction collection . . . it doesn’t take detecting skills to discover the gem. And every story dazzles . . . These stories, in prose both elegant and compelling, get to the heart of why people do what they do.” — USA Today The Best American Mystery Stories 2014 will be selected by “writing powerhouse” (USA Today) Laura Lippman. With her popular Tess Monaghan series and her New York Times best-selling standalone novels, Lippman has greatly expanded the boundaries of modern mystery fiction and psychological suspense.

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Page Count

397

Publisher

HarperCollins

Published Date

ISBN 10

0544032578

ISBN 13

9780544032576

The Best American Mystery Stories 2012

By: Otto Penzler

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The Best American Mystery Stories 2012

By: Otto Penzler

The Best American Series® First, Best, and Best-Selling The Best American series is the premier annual showcase for the country’s finest short fiction and nonfiction. Each volume’s series editor selects notable works from hundreds of magazines, journals, and websites. A special guest editor, a leading writer in the field, then chooses the best twenty or so pieces to publish. This unique system has made the Best American series the most respected — and most popular — of its kind. The Best American Mystery Stories 2012 includes Peter S. Beagle, Kathleen Ford, Mary Gaitskill, Lou Manfredo, Thomas McGuane, Gina Paoli, T. Jefferson Parker, Kristine Kathryn Rusch, Charles Todd, Daniel Woodrell, and others

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416

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HarperCollins

Published Date

ISBN 10

0547840551

ISBN 13

9780547840550

Murder at the Racetrack

Original Tales of Mystery and Mayhem Down the Final Stretch from Today's Great Writers

By: Otto Penzler

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Murder at the Racetrack

Original Tales of Mystery and Mayhem Down the Final Stretch from Today's Great Writers

By: Otto Penzler

Lawrence Block, in Keller by a Nose," asks what obsession holds more hazards than betting on the ponies. The answer will surprise you...Max Allan Collins's "That Kind of Nag" proves that it's bad to play the wrong horse, but worse to pick the wrong woman..."The Great, the Good and the Not-So-Good" by H.R.F. Keating warns against old English ladies at the racecourse...Joyce Carol Oates shows how a young woman teams to trust a prize stallion more than her violent lover in "Meadowlands"...and Scott Wolven's "Pinwheel" offers a Japanese lesson in flying horses and honor among thieves."--BOOK JACKET.

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248

Publisher

Mysterious Press

Published Date

ISBN 10

0446565172

ISBN 13

9780446565172

The Best American Mystery Stories Of The Nineteenth Century

By: Otto Penzler

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The Best American Mystery Stories Of The Nineteenth Century

By: Otto Penzler

An unparalleled treasury of crime, mystery, and murder from the genre’s founding century With stories by Washington Irving, Nathaniel Hawthorne, Mark Twain, Louisa May Alcott, L. Frank Baum, Edith Wharton, Stephen Crane, and Jack London, The Best American Mystery Stories of the Nineteenth Century is an essential anthology of American letters. It’s a unique blend of beloved writers who contributed to the genre and forgotten names that pioneered the form, such as Anna Katharine Green, the godmother of mystery fiction, and the African-American writer Charles W. Chesnutt. Of course, Penzler includes “The Murders in the Rue Morgue,” recognized as the first detective story, and with thirty-three stories spanning the years 1824–1899, nowhere else can readers find such a surprising, comprehensive take on the evolution of the American mystery story.

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629

Publisher

HarperCollins

Published Date

ISBN 10

0544302311

ISBN 13

9780544302310

The Best American Mystery Stories 2020

By: Box, C. J.,Otto Penzler

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The Best American Mystery Stories 2020

By: Box, C. J.,Otto Penzler

A collection of the year’s best mystery short fiction selected by New York Times best-selling and Edgar Award–winning author C. J. Box. C. J. Box , #1 New York Times best-selling author of the hugely popular Joe Pickett series, selects the best short mystery and crime fiction of the year in this annual “treat for crime-fiction fans” (Library Journal).

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429

Publisher

HarperCollins

Published Date

ISBN 10

1328636127

ISBN 13

9781328636126

Murder Is My Racquet

Fourteen Original Tales of Love, Death, and Tennis by Today's Great Writers

By: Otto Penzler

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Murder Is My Racquet

Fourteen Original Tales of Love, Death, and Tennis by Today's Great Writers

By: Otto Penzler

Murder is My Racquet is the most thrilling way to read about tennis, murder and intrigue. This collection of stories by famous mystery writers, including Ridley Pearson and Lawrence Block, deal with the prestige of the high-stakes race to become one of the few international tennis stars, the promotional opportunities involved, the elimination of tournament competition, and the strategy of tennis in general. Viewed as an elite game since its beginnings, tennis is the perfect sport for one-on-one play and murder! Authors also include Kinky Friedman, John Harvey, James W. Hall, Lisa Scottoline and many more!

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219

Publisher

Mysterious Press

Published Date

ISBN 10

0446569542

ISBN 13

9780446569545

The Best American Mystery Stories 2018

By: Otto Penzler

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The Best American Mystery Stories 2018

By: Otto Penzler

An anthology of the best mystery short stories published in 2017 selected by best-selling author Louise Penny.

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Page Count

435

Publisher

Mariner Books

Published Date

ISBN 10

0544949099

ISBN 13

9780544949096

Bismarck and the Development of Germany, Volume III

The Period of Fortification, 1880-1898

By: Otto Pflanze

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Bismarck and the Development of Germany, Volume III

The Period of Fortification, 1880-1898

By: Otto Pflanze

The Period of Fortification, 1880-1898The burst of capitalistic expansion that accompanied German unification came to an abrupt end with the crash of 1873, which opened a period of economic depression. Volume III describes the continuation of Bismarck's efforts to cope with the resulting economic and social problems that hindered his quest for a new national consensus in support of the Prussian-German establishment." It also brings to a climax theauthor's account of Bismarck's mounting political frustrations, their psychopathological consequences, and the struggle of his doctors to convert him to a healthier life-style. The final chapters deal with the fascinating story of Bismarck's conflict with Wilhelm II. The work ends with an account of the Bismarck legend that endures to this day and may yet influence Germany's current quest for reunification. Originally published in 1990. The Princeton Legacy Library uses the latest print-on-demand technology to again make available previously out-of-print books from the distinguished backlist of Princeton University Press. These editions preserve the original texts of these important books while presenting them in durable paperback and hardcover editions. The goal of the Princeton Legacy Library is to vastly increase access to the rich scholarly heritage found in the thousands of books published by Princeton University Press since its founding in 1905.

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487

Publisher

Princeton University Press

Published Date

ISBN 10

1400861098

ISBN 13

9781400861095

Death Sentences

Stories of Deathly Books, Murderous Booksellers and Lethal Literature

By: Otto Penzler

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Death Sentences

Stories of Deathly Books, Murderous Booksellers and Lethal Literature

By: Otto Penzler

What treats you have in store!' IAN RANKIN. Who knew literature could be so lethal? Here are 20 specially commissioned stories about deadly books from the world's best crime writers. By turns hair-raising and playful, packed with twists and turns, literary references and bookish conundrums, this is a treasure chest of bloodthirsty bibliophilia. Death Sentences has stories to die for from: Ian Rankin, Jeffery Deaver, Denise Mina, C.J. Box, Anne Perry, Peter Robinson, Stephen Hunter, Ken Bruen, Laura Lippman, F. Paul Wilson, Mickey Spillane & Max Allan Collins, Joyce Carol Oates, Peter Lovesey, Megan Abbott, R. L. Stine, Andrew Taylor, Joe R. Lansdale, John Connolly, Christopher Fowler and Nelson DeMille.

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Page Count

836

Publisher

Bloomsbury Publishing

Published Date

ISBN 10

1838932895

ISBN 13

9781838932893

The Great Detectives

The World's Most Celebrated Sleuths Unmasked by Their Authors

By: Otto Penzler

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The Great Detectives

The World's Most Celebrated Sleuths Unmasked by Their Authors

By: Otto Penzler

The origins of literature’s finest crime fighters, told by their creators themselves Their names ring out like gunshots in the dark of a back alley, crime fighters of a lost era whose heroic deeds will never be forgotten. They are men like Lew Archer, Pierre Chambrun, Flash Casey, and the Shadow. They are women like Mrs. North and the immortal Nancy Drew. These are detectives, and they are some of the only true heroes the twentieth century ever knew. In this classic volume, Otto Penzler presents essays written by the authors who created these famous characters. We learn how Ed McBain killed—and resurrected—the hero of the 87th Precinct, how international agent Quiller wrote his will, and how Dick Tracy first announced that “crime does not pay.” Some of these heroes may be more famous than others, but there is not one whom you wouldn’t like on your side in a courtroom, a shootout, or an old-fashioned barroom brawl.

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Page Count

298

Publisher

Open Road Media

Published Date

ISBN 10

1453266402

ISBN 13

9781453266403

The Best American Mystery Stories 2004

By: Otto Penzler

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The Best American Mystery Stories 2004

By: Otto Penzler

This volume brings together the genre's finest from the past year. With stories from mystery veterans and newly discovered talents, this thrilling collection is sure to appeal to crime fiction fans of all tastes.

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452

Publisher

Mariner Books

Published Date

ISBN 10

0618329676

ISBN 13

9780618329670

The Case of the Baited Hook

A Perry Mason Mystery

By: Erle Stanley Gardner

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The Case of the Baited Hook

A Perry Mason Mystery

By: Erle Stanley Gardner

Perry Mason risks his freedom to prove the innocence of an unidentified client: “Fast-paced . . . the question of whodunit, as always, gets an unexpected answer.” —Publishers Weekly The bait is half of a $10,000 bill, delivered to Perry Mason by a man who promises the second half of the note should his companion, a silent masked woman, ever require the lawyer’s services. When a dead body is discovered soon after, Mason feels the hook―but how can one prove the innocence of a person whose identity is unknown? Suspecting he’s been set up, but curious nonetheless, Perry sets out to solve the mystery from the ground up, beginning with the face behind the veil. The more he learns, the more complex his investigation becomes. Uncovering a convoluted case of stock fraud, divorce, and inheritance, Mason’s nearly left reeling―that is until, with the help of Della Street and Paul Drake, he pulls off one of his most daring gambits ever to finally cast light on the killer. Filled with memorable characters, a multitude of motives, and just a few red herrings, The Case of the Baited Hook is classic Perry Mason, showcasing the character’s brilliance and pizazz with a plot that pushes his powers into overdrive. As puzzling as it is entertaining, the book exemplifies the style that made Edgar Award winner Erle Stanley Gardner one of the most popular authors of the twentieth century and inspired the hit HBO series. “A good Perry Mason yarn . . . Perry moves fast to outmaneuver his opponents.” —Kirkus Reviews (starred review) “[The] Mason books remain tantalizing on every page and brilliant.” —Scott Turow, #1 New York Times–bestselling author of The Last Trial "A good starting point for those new to Gardner’s celebrated attorney.”― Publishers Weekly

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194

Publisher

Penzler Publishers

Published Date

ISBN 10

1613161735

ISBN 13

9781613161739

The Big Book of Ghost Stories

The Most Complete Collection of Uncanny, Spooky, Creepy Tales Ever Published

By: Otto Penzler

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The Big Book of Ghost Stories

The Most Complete Collection of Uncanny, Spooky, Creepy Tales Ever Published

By: Otto Penzler

Over a thousand pages of haunted—and haunting—ghost tales: the most complete collection of uncanny, spooky, creepy tales ever published! Edited and with an introduction by Otto Penzler. Including stories by Joyce Carol Oates, Rudyanrd Kipling, Isaac Asimov, James MacCreigh, and many more! Featuring eerie vintage ghost illustrations. The ghost story is perhaps the oldest of all the supernatural literary genres and has captured the imagination of almost every writer to put pen to the page. Here, Edgar Award-winning editor Otto Penzler has followed his keen sense of the supernatural to collect the most chilling and uncanny tales in the canon. These spectral stories span more than a hundred years, from modern-day horrors by Joyce Carol Oates, Chet Williamson and Andrew Klavan, to pulp yarns from August Derleth, Greye La Spina, and M. L. Humphreys, to the atmospheric Victorian tales of Rudyard Kipling, Edith Wharton, and H. P. Lovecraft, not to mention modern works by the likes of Donald E. Westlake and Isaac Asimov that are already classics. Some of these stories have haunted the canon for a century, while others are making their first ghoulish appearance in book form. Whether you prefer possessive poltergeists, awful apparitions, or friendly phantoms, these stories are guaranteed to thrill you, tingle the spine, or tickle the funny bone, and keep you turning the pages with fearful delight. Including such classics as “The Monkey’s Paw” and “The Open Window” and eerie vintage illustrations, and also featuring haunted mansions, midnight frights, lovers from beyond the grave, rapping, tapping, wailing shades, and ghosts, ghouls, and specters galore! AlsoFeaturing haunted mansions, midnight frights, lovers from beyond the grave, rapping, tapping, wailing shades, and ghosts, ghouls, and specters galore!

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Page Count

850

Publisher

Vintage Crime/Black Lizard

Published Date

ISBN 10

034580600X

ISBN 13

9780345806000

Book's by Otto Penzler

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