Hake Talbot was an American writer chiefly known for his impossible crime mystery novel Rim of the Pit

Rim of the Pit

Rim of the Pit is a locked-room mystery novel written by Hake Talbot, a pen name of Henning Nelms. Nelms published one other mystery novel as well as two short stories. After 1945, when it became very difficult to publish mystery fiction, Nelms could not get his third novel published. He then...

 (1944). His real name was Henning Nelms (1900-1986), which he reserved for writing non-fiction about showmanship (his chief occupation was as a stage magician).

During a poll by experts in 1981 arranged by Edward D. Hoch

Edward D. Hoch

Edward Dentinger Hoch was an American writer of detective fiction. Although he wrote several novels, he was primarily known for his vast output of over 950 short stories.-Biography:...

 for the preface of his anthology "All But Impossible!", Talbot's Rim of the Pit stood second , next only to Carr

John Dickson Carr

John Dickson Carr was an American author of detective stories, who also published under the pen names Carter Dickson, Carr Dickson and Roger Fairbairn....

's The Hollow Man

The Hollow Man

Hollow Man or The Hollow Man may refer to:*The Hollow Man , a locked room mystery novel by John Dickson Carr*The Hollow Man , a science fiction novel by the US writer Dan Simmons...

as the best locked-room mystery. Another novel, The Hangman's Handyman, which he wrote in 1942, was not so successful. He also wrote two short stories, The High House and The Other Side.