THE WATCHMAKER and THE IRON STAIRCASE are two fine examples of Georges Simenon's short stories. Simenon is father of the psychological crime novel, and these carefully observant tales are excellent examples of his style.

Set in rural New York, THE WATCHMAKER investigates the consequences of a volatile father-son relationship. In THE IRON STAIRCASE, the confrontation is between husband and wife. In both stories, family tensions wring the participants in one of the oldest dramas in the human predicament.