Playing Dead

February 1, 2025

The 80th birthday of British crime writer Simon Brett (the author of over 100 mysteries featuring characters such as washed-up actor Charles Paris; Mrs. Pargeter, the widow of a thief; and brother and sister Blotto and Twinks) is celebrated in this collection of short stories written by members of the Detection Club, a small social network of crime authors. Since the Detection Club is composed of some of the greatest current crime writers, it's easy to recognize the authors of these short stories: Ann Cleeves, Abir Mukherjee, Elly Griffiths, Martin Edwards, and Christopher Fowler, among others. The stories may include references to Brett's characters; a number are set in the world of theater. The highlight may be Brett's own memoir about his 45 years as a member of the Detection Club, when he spent time with authors such as P.D. James and Margaret Yorke. He also brings back Charles Paris in "Cast, in Order of Appearance." With an introduction by Edwards and biographies of the 22 authors (including Brett). VERDICT Fans of mystery short stories will want to pick up this collection by the finest British crime writers today. The stories are original and a fine salute to Brett and his work.--Lesa Holstine

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January 15, 2025
In this anthology, 22 members of Britain's Detection Club gather under the banner of its current president to honor his immediate predecessor, Simon Brett, on his 80th birthday. Edwards' introduction indicates that he gave his contributors free rein, and many of them took him at his word. Andrew Taylor traces the consequences of four schoolmates' discovery of a body on forbidden ground. Michael Ridpath presents a couple's curdled revenge for an online scam. Catherine Aird revisits the 1593 murder of Christopher Marlowe, and Elly Griffiths reimagines the incident that sparked Wilkie Collins to writeThe Woman in White. John Harvey produces an efficient mini-procedural for Charlie Resnick. Michael Jecks' copper crashes a funeral in order to unearth a Ponzi scheme. Frances Brody follows her hero from the acquisition of 120 Churchill Crowns--a set of commemorative coins--till his death. Abir Mukherjee does right by a wrongfully convicted rapist. Other contributors echo Brett's work more closely. Peter Lovesey and Lynne Truss plant their crimes in the world of radio broadcasting, and Ann Cleeves, Alison Joseph, David Stuart Davies, Michael Z. Lewin, and Aline Templeton stage theirs in the theater. Brett's best-known franchise detective, actor Charles Paris, appears in Kate Ellis' tale of impersonation gone wrong, and Ruth Dudley Edwards' resourceful hero seems a lot like Brett himself. L.C. Tyler and Christopher Fowler push Brett's antic wit even further, and editor Edwards pushes anagrams to their limit. Liza Cody provides a triple haiku just 39 words long. The last and longest story is by Brett himself, not to be outdone, who plays on the title of his first novel, Cast, in Order of Disappearance, in another Charles Paris misadventure that rings down the curtain with an appropriate anticlimax. Lots of acting, lots of playing, a fair amount of meta. Happy birthday!

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March 1, 2025
This short-story collection is made up of contributions from members of the Detection Club, a prestigious but intimate dining club of mystery writers whose founding members included Agatha Christie and Dorothy L. Sayers. Each story is atmospheric, playing with structure, form, and the reader's expectations of classic murder mysteries. It's a treat to see these mystery masters' skills distilled down to their greatest parts. Standout stories include L.C. Tyler's "Crimes Ancient and Modern," in which two police detectives investigate the simultaneous deaths of a married crime-writing duo; Alison Joseph's "Murder at Mousecomb," in which an understudy does her deceased best friend's opening monologue, detailing the ongoing murder investigation, only occasionally remembering to introduce the play; and Christopher Fowler's "The Luncheon," in which two business rivals meet for a meal to discuss personal matters and their schemes against each other. This collection will appeal to most mystery readers, but especially those with a taste for Golden Age tales.

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