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Playing Dead

Short Stories by Members of the Detection Club

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0 of 1 copy available
Wait time: About 6 weeks
0 of 1 copy available
Wait time: About 6 weeks

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.
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.
With stories by Abir Mukherjee, Aline Templeton, Alison Joseph, Andrew Taylor, Ann Cleeves, Catherine Aird, Christopher Fowler, David Stuart Davies, Elly Griffiths, Frances Brody, John Harvey, Kate Ellis, L.C. Tyler, Liza Cody, Lynne Truss, Martin Edwards, Michael Jecks, Michael Ridpath, Michael Z. Lewin, Peter Lovesey, Ruth Dudley Edwards – and last, but very much not least, Simon Brett, who's brought back his much-loved amateur sleuth, washed-up actor Charles Paris, to tread the boards once again.

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    • Library Journal

      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

      Copyright 2025 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

    • Kirkus

      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!

      COPYRIGHT(2025) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

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