The name of the English writer Daphne Du Maurier (1907–1989) is familiar to readers all over the world; her books have become classics of twentieth-century literature and have been translated into many languages. A master of intrigue and a subtle psychologist, Daphne Du Maurier, like no one else, knows how to keep the reader in suspense; it is not without reason that her work has invariably inspired famous film directors, including the famous Alfred Hitchcock, who made successful films based on her works: “Rebecca”, “The Birds” and “The Inn” Jamaica"". Over her long creative life, Daphne Du Maurier published a dozen novels, plays, novelized biographies and a book about Cornwall, as well as several author’s collections of short prose: “Birds” (in this edition this collection also includes the story “Merry Christmas”, which remained unknown for a long time Russian reader), “Blue Lenses”, “Rendezvous” and “Not Later Than Midnight”. Daphne Du Maurier's mini-masterpieces, reflecting the author's multifaceted talent, stun with an exceptional variety of themes, plots and moods, but remain equally original and fascinating, like everything that came from Du Maurier's pen.