A long-married crime-writing couple plot murder most horrid, with a jaw-dropping twist. A group of school friends dig up a long-buried dark secret. A widower joins a local amdram society, with surprisingly dramatic results. A deranged fan stalks a celebrated TV personality. An online romance turns sour. And much, much more.
From police procedurals to the sharpest satire, from historical mystery to dark and twisted chillers, these twenty-two original tales, written by some of Britain’s most remarkable bestselling authors, are essential reading for crime and mystery fans. Members of the Detection Club, the most prestigious group of crime writers in the world, celebrate the eightieth birthday of their former president, the original king of cozy crime - Simon Brett, with this stunning collection of all-new short stories.
Playing Dead, edited by Martin Edwards, will be published March 4, 2025. Severn House provided an early galley for review.
I was not familiar with the Detection Club, so I appreciated Edwards' introduction that outlined the group's long history. And the book closes with Brett's own look back at his time with the group. In between is a variety of tales to keep the mystery enthusiast engaged.
Short stories can be a tricky format as is, but adding the overlay of a mystery/crime genre to it makes it even more so. Some of the authors in this collection rose to that challenge; others (in my eyes) appear to have struggled a little with it. I do find that tends to be the case with any anthology collections I pick up - some just hit better than others.
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