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.
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