Cockney cat burglar and jewel thief Jethro is as smart as he is streetwise, but even he has to be a bit nimble to prosper in the austerity-ridden world of postwar England. Having barely survived the war, Jethro tells everyone he's gone straight and takes up as a stagehand around London's many theatres. But the truth is that hiding in plain sight around London's West End is the perfect cover for his diamond capers in wealthy Mayfair and Belgravia.

There's nothing more mysterious than a locked box. Whether it's a literal strongbox, an empty coffin, the inner workings of a scientist's mind, or an underground prison cell, there are those who will use any means necessary to unlock the secrets of The Mystery Box.

With this anthology, bestselling author Brad Meltzer introduces twenty-one original stories from today's most prominent mystery writers. In Laura Lippman's "Waco 1982," a young reporter