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Ink and Daggers
An enthralling anthology of 20 CWA Dagger Award-shortlisted gripping and thrilling stories for the most hardened crime fan.
Featuring bestselling authors such as Neil Gaiman, Ann Cleeves, Christopher Fowler and Val McDermid.
OVER TWENTY CWA DAGGER AWARD-WINNING SHORT STORIES FROM THE BEST OF THE BEST IN CRIME FICTION
Legendary editor, Maxim Jakubowski, delivers another chilling anthology collecting stories of cold-blooded murder, revenge and crimes-gone-wrong from the best of the best in crime fiction. Spine-chilling and gripping, these tales will grip you with their devious narrators and crafty twists.
Featuring classic stories from Neil Gaiman, Ann Cleeves, Christopher Fowler, Val McDermid, Lavie Tidhar, Chris Simms, Christine Poulson, James Sallis, Victoria Selman, Conrad Williams, Stuart Neville, George Pelecanos, Simon Brett, John Lawton, Ken Bruen, Mickey Spillane & Max Allan Collins, Peter Robinson, Martyn Waites and Kevin Wignall.
Featuring bestselling authors such as Neil Gaiman, Ann Cleeves, Christopher Fowler and Val McDermid.
OVER TWENTY CWA DAGGER AWARD-WINNING SHORT STORIES FROM THE BEST OF THE BEST IN CRIME FICTION
Legendary editor, Maxim Jakubowski, delivers another chilling anthology collecting stories of cold-blooded murder, revenge and crimes-gone-wrong from the best of the best in crime fiction. Spine-chilling and gripping, these tales will grip you with their devious narrators and crafty twists.
Featuring classic stories from Neil Gaiman, Ann Cleeves, Christopher Fowler, Val McDermid, Lavie Tidhar, Chris Simms, Christine Poulson, James Sallis, Victoria Selman, Conrad Williams, Stuart Neville, George Pelecanos, Simon Brett, John Lawton, Ken Bruen, Mickey Spillane & Max Allan Collins, Peter Robinson, Martyn Waites and Kevin Wignall.
373 pages, Kindle Edition
Published September 26, 2023
About the author
Maxim Jakubowski
288 books168 followersMaxim Jakubowski is a crime, erotic, and science fiction writer and critic.
Jakubowski was born in England by Russian-British and Polish parents, but raised in France. Jakubowski has also lived in Italy and has travelled extensively. Jakubowski edited the science fiction anthology Twenty Houses of the Zodiac in 1979 for the 37th World Science Fiction Convention (Seacon '79) in Brighton. He also contributed a short story to that anthology. He has now published almost 100 books in a variety of areas.
He has worked in book publishing for many years, which he left to open the Murder One bookshop[1], the UK's first specialist crime and mystery bookstore. He contributes to a variety of newspapers and magazines, and was for eight years the crime columnist for Time Out and, presently, since 2000, the crime reviewer for The Guardian. He is also the literary director of London's Crime Scene Festival and a consultant for the International Mystery Film Festival, Noir in Fest, held annually in Courmayeur, Italy. He is one the leading editors in the crime and mystery and erotica field, in which he has published many major anthologies.
His novels include "It's You That I Want To Kiss", "Because She Thought She Loved Me", "The State Of Montana", "On Tenderness Express", "Kiss me Sadly" and "Confessions of a Romantic Pornographer". His short story collections are "Life in the World of Women", "Fools for Lust" and the collaborative "American Casanova". He is a regular broadcaster on British TV and radio and was recently voted the 4th Sexiest Writer of 2,007 on a poll on the crimespace website.
Jakubowski was born in England by Russian-British and Polish parents, but raised in France. Jakubowski has also lived in Italy and has travelled extensively. Jakubowski edited the science fiction anthology Twenty Houses of the Zodiac in 1979 for the 37th World Science Fiction Convention (Seacon '79) in Brighton. He also contributed a short story to that anthology. He has now published almost 100 books in a variety of areas.
He has worked in book publishing for many years, which he left to open the Murder One bookshop[1], the UK's first specialist crime and mystery bookstore. He contributes to a variety of newspapers and magazines, and was for eight years the crime columnist for Time Out and, presently, since 2000, the crime reviewer for The Guardian. He is also the literary director of London's Crime Scene Festival and a consultant for the International Mystery Film Festival, Noir in Fest, held annually in Courmayeur, Italy. He is one the leading editors in the crime and mystery and erotica field, in which he has published many major anthologies.
His novels include "It's You That I Want To Kiss", "Because She Thought She Loved Me", "The State Of Montana", "On Tenderness Express", "Kiss me Sadly" and "Confessions of a Romantic Pornographer". His short story collections are "Life in the World of Women", "Fools for Lust" and the collaborative "American Casanova". He is a regular broadcaster on British TV and radio and was recently voted the 4th Sexiest Writer of 2,007 on a poll on the crimespace website.
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Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews
March 23, 2024
This is a collection of 19 short stories by authors who have all won the Crime Writers’ Association’s Dagger award. I read it while I was ill, and consequently could only read two or three stories each day.
With the exception of one—an nonconformist attempt that didn’t work—these are well-written stories that kept me captivated until near the end, yet you will note that my ratings ranged from five stars to one star (or “no star” for the nonconformist entry). The tales were all absorbing, some even gripping, until I reached the end, and then felt either elated, or (more often) upset, with the final paragraph. [An example would be Juror 8, which had me clutched until almost the end, and then let go, without providing an emotional release, that just left me feeling bummed out. Peggy Lee singing “Is that all there is?” kept ringing through my head for over an hour after finishing it.]
I realized, while I slowly read them, that a good author—and these 19 authors were first-rate—can produce an engrossing short narrative, but the crux of a good short story is the ending. The ending must produce a wallop or the story falls flat. It must affect the reader, touch them, grab them by the throat—or it is just a ‘slice of life’ narrative, basically meaningless.
So, these are my ratings for the 19 stories in the book. The final rating depended, to a large extent, on that final paragraph, and whether it left me feeling ‘wham’ or just discontented.
(Note: Still one of the better collection of short stories that I have read.)
THE CONSULTATION OF BLONDE by Val McDermid. ***
THE CASE OF DEATH AND HONEY by Neil Gaiman. *****
THE DEAD THEIR LIVES IMPLORE US by George Pelecanos. ***
THE HUNTED by Victoria Selman. *****
EAST OF SUEZ, WEST OF CHARING CROSS ROAD by John Lawton. ***
MOTHER’S MILK by Chris Simms. **
LOVE by Martyn Waites. *
RETROSPECTIVE by Kevin Wignall. ****
BAG MAN by Lavie Tidhar. ***
THE WASHING by Christopher Fowler. *****
WEDNESDAY’S CHILD by Ken Bruen. *
ACCOUNTING FOR MURDER by Christine Poulson. (No *—not a story)
ROSENLAUI by Conrad Williams. *
METHOD MURDER by Simon Brett. *****
JUROR 8 by Stuart Neville. ***
A LONG TIME DEAD by Mickey Spillane & Max Allan Collins. ****
THE PLATER by Ann Cleeves. *****
WHAT YOU WERE FIGHTING FOR by James Sallis. *
THE PRICE OF LOVE by Peter Robinson. ***
With the exception of one—an nonconformist attempt that didn’t work—these are well-written stories that kept me captivated until near the end, yet you will note that my ratings ranged from five stars to one star (or “no star” for the nonconformist entry). The tales were all absorbing, some even gripping, until I reached the end, and then felt either elated, or (more often) upset, with the final paragraph. [An example would be Juror 8, which had me clutched until almost the end, and then let go, without providing an emotional release, that just left me feeling bummed out. Peggy Lee singing “Is that all there is?” kept ringing through my head for over an hour after finishing it.]
I realized, while I slowly read them, that a good author—and these 19 authors were first-rate—can produce an engrossing short narrative, but the crux of a good short story is the ending. The ending must produce a wallop or the story falls flat. It must affect the reader, touch them, grab them by the throat—or it is just a ‘slice of life’ narrative, basically meaningless.
So, these are my ratings for the 19 stories in the book. The final rating depended, to a large extent, on that final paragraph, and whether it left me feeling ‘wham’ or just discontented.
(Note: Still one of the better collection of short stories that I have read.)
THE CONSULTATION OF BLONDE by Val McDermid. ***
THE CASE OF DEATH AND HONEY by Neil Gaiman. *****
THE DEAD THEIR LIVES IMPLORE US by George Pelecanos. ***
THE HUNTED by Victoria Selman. *****
EAST OF SUEZ, WEST OF CHARING CROSS ROAD by John Lawton. ***
MOTHER’S MILK by Chris Simms. **
LOVE by Martyn Waites. *
RETROSPECTIVE by Kevin Wignall. ****
BAG MAN by Lavie Tidhar. ***
THE WASHING by Christopher Fowler. *****
WEDNESDAY’S CHILD by Ken Bruen. *
ACCOUNTING FOR MURDER by Christine Poulson. (No *—not a story)
ROSENLAUI by Conrad Williams. *
METHOD MURDER by Simon Brett. *****
JUROR 8 by Stuart Neville. ***
A LONG TIME DEAD by Mickey Spillane & Max Allan Collins. ****
THE PLATER by Ann Cleeves. *****
WHAT YOU WERE FIGHTING FOR by James Sallis. *
THE PRICE OF LOVE by Peter Robinson. ***
September 28, 2023
Fowler and Cleeves,brilliant.
December 10, 2023
This is a collection of short stories by authors who have all won the Crime Writers' Asssociation's Dagger Award.
- The Consolation Blonde by Val McDermid
5 stars
An explosive start to the collection with a clever read-this-carefully-else-you'll-miss-the-twist ending.
- The Case of Death and Honey by Neil Gaiman
It felt a little jarring going from McDermid's writing into Gaiman's but once I settled into the change in style (and realised it features Sherlock Holmes!), this was a satisfying little read. I have also expanded my knowledge of bee-keeping.
- The Dead Their Eyes Implore Us by George Pelecanos
- Hunted by Victoria Selman
A short, sharp story. At only 4 pages this is the shortest in the book but creates a twisted atmosphere from the very first sentence.
- East of Suez, West of Charing Cross by John Lawton
5 stars
- Mother's Milk by Chris Simms
A dark and grim tale with something reminiscent of Roald Dahl.
- Love by Martyn Waites
- Retrospective by Kevin Wignall
5 stars
- Bag Man by Lavie Tidhar
- The Washing by Christopher Fowler
5 stars
- Wednesday's Child by Ken Bruen
- Accounting for Murder by Christine Poulson
A clever way of telling a story. If you hate clearing out your used reciepts, this is definitely NOT the short story for you.
- Rosenlaui by Conrad Williams
Another short story featuring Sherlock Holmes. If I had read any Conan Doyle before reading this, I feel I would have enjoyed it more but was very atmospheric.
- Method Murder by Simon Brett
An entertaining and ironic tale but not particularly memorable
- Juror 8 by Stuart Neville
A rather grim tale of revenge.
- A Long Time Dead by Mickey Spillane & Max Allan Collins
I appreciate this short story was written by two different people and decades apart. I could not tell which author wrote which part but I personally do not feel it has aged well and unfortunately the story itself did not work for me.
- The Plater by Ann Cleeves
Unexpected.
- What You Were Fighting For by James Sallis
- The Price of Love by Peter Robinson
5 stars
With a main character to root for and a setting so strong you can smell the sea salt, I enjoyed unravelling the mystery while I was reading. This was a very satisfying conclusion to the book.
A mixed collection which has allowed me to discover some new authors to try. The order of the short stories was a little jarring for me as the reader was dragged between various different settings and time periods.
3 Stars.
- The Consolation Blonde by Val McDermid
5 stars
An explosive start to the collection with a clever read-this-carefully-else-you'll-miss-the-twist ending.
- The Case of Death and Honey by Neil Gaiman
It felt a little jarring going from McDermid's writing into Gaiman's but once I settled into the change in style (and realised it features Sherlock Holmes!), this was a satisfying little read. I have also expanded my knowledge of bee-keeping.
- The Dead Their Eyes Implore Us by George Pelecanos
- Hunted by Victoria Selman
A short, sharp story. At only 4 pages this is the shortest in the book but creates a twisted atmosphere from the very first sentence.
- East of Suez, West of Charing Cross by John Lawton
5 stars
- Mother's Milk by Chris Simms
A dark and grim tale with something reminiscent of Roald Dahl.
- Love by Martyn Waites
- Retrospective by Kevin Wignall
5 stars
- Bag Man by Lavie Tidhar
- The Washing by Christopher Fowler
5 stars
- Wednesday's Child by Ken Bruen
- Accounting for Murder by Christine Poulson
A clever way of telling a story. If you hate clearing out your used reciepts, this is definitely NOT the short story for you.
- Rosenlaui by Conrad Williams
Another short story featuring Sherlock Holmes. If I had read any Conan Doyle before reading this, I feel I would have enjoyed it more but was very atmospheric.
- Method Murder by Simon Brett
An entertaining and ironic tale but not particularly memorable
- Juror 8 by Stuart Neville
A rather grim tale of revenge.
- A Long Time Dead by Mickey Spillane & Max Allan Collins
I appreciate this short story was written by two different people and decades apart. I could not tell which author wrote which part but I personally do not feel it has aged well and unfortunately the story itself did not work for me.
- The Plater by Ann Cleeves
Unexpected.
- What You Were Fighting For by James Sallis
- The Price of Love by Peter Robinson
5 stars
With a main character to root for and a setting so strong you can smell the sea salt, I enjoyed unravelling the mystery while I was reading. This was a very satisfying conclusion to the book.
A mixed collection which has allowed me to discover some new authors to try. The order of the short stories was a little jarring for me as the reader was dragged between various different settings and time periods.
3 Stars.
June 9, 2024
Excellent assortment of short stories
November 7, 2026
If these are the best short stories that actually won an award, then this is a sad state of affairs.
While some stories are good, not great, but good, they hardly deserve the Ink and Daggers award.
One story in particular had me puzzled.
The story is called Accounting for Murder by #Christine Paulson and goes something like this.
Note, this is just an example, not wat the author actually wrote.
Item 1. Flowers delivered to Mrs. Peters - 17 pounds. Followed by date and address.
Item 2. Candles delivered to Mrs. Rutterby - 8 pounds. Followed by date and address.
Item 3. Dry cleaning picked up and delivered to Mr. Brown - 24 pounds. Followed by date and address.
Item 4. Cakes for all occasions - 34 pounds. Followed by date and address.
Item 5. Wine and spirits - 50 pounds. Followed by date and address.
On and on it goes, listing items with the price, date and address.
By item 19 I had enough, was this a murder mystery or a kind of shopping and delivery list?
And this, THIS list wins an AWARD!!!
The other stories weren't much better. So, my advice to aspiring short story writers ... don't try to write a good story, write a silly, bordering on the ridiculous, story and it might not only get accepted and published, it might actually win an award.
As for the narrator ... OMG FIRE HER!!! She's one of these women that read with a little girl's voice. So annoying I rather hear nails scraping on a board. Why do women do this, why can't they read in a normal grownup voice, why do they have to pretend to be silly little girls? Don't narrating companies audition their readers?
While some stories are good, not great, but good, they hardly deserve the Ink and Daggers award.
One story in particular had me puzzled.
The story is called Accounting for Murder by #Christine Paulson and goes something like this.
Note, this is just an example, not wat the author actually wrote.
Item 1. Flowers delivered to Mrs. Peters - 17 pounds. Followed by date and address.
Item 2. Candles delivered to Mrs. Rutterby - 8 pounds. Followed by date and address.
Item 3. Dry cleaning picked up and delivered to Mr. Brown - 24 pounds. Followed by date and address.
Item 4. Cakes for all occasions - 34 pounds. Followed by date and address.
Item 5. Wine and spirits - 50 pounds. Followed by date and address.
On and on it goes, listing items with the price, date and address.
By item 19 I had enough, was this a murder mystery or a kind of shopping and delivery list?
And this, THIS list wins an AWARD!!!
The other stories weren't much better. So, my advice to aspiring short story writers ... don't try to write a good story, write a silly, bordering on the ridiculous, story and it might not only get accepted and published, it might actually win an award.
As for the narrator ... OMG FIRE HER!!! She's one of these women that read with a little girl's voice. So annoying I rather hear nails scraping on a board. Why do women do this, why can't they read in a normal grownup voice, why do they have to pretend to be silly little girls? Don't narrating companies audition their readers?
July 29, 2026
- The Consolation Blonde by Val McDermid
- The Case of Death and Honey by Neil Gaiman
- The Dead Their Eyes Implore Us by George Pelecanos
- Hunted by Victoria Selman
Only 4 pages this is the shortest in the book
- East of Suez, West of Charing Cross by John Lawton
- Mother's Milk by Chris Simms
A dark and grim tale with something reminiscent of Roald Dahl.
- Love by Martyn Waites
- Retrospective by Kevin Wignall
- Bag Man by Lavie Tidhar
- The Washing by Christopher Fowler
- Wednesday's Child by Ken Bruen
an interesting little 1st person tale with a couple of twists
- Accounting for Murder by Christine Poulson
A tedious story told through receipts-- only!
- Rosenlaui by Conrad Williams
short story featuring Sherlock Holmes.
- Method Murder by Simon Brett
An entertaining and ironic tale but not particularly memorable
- Juror 8 by Stuart Neville
tale of revenge.
- A Long Time Dead by Mickey Spillane & Max Allan Collins
- The Plater by Ann Cleeves
Unexpected.
- What You Were Fighting For by James Sallis
- The Price of Love by Peter Robinson
July 28, 2024
Anthologies can be very hit and miss. They are a mixed bag; some will be great, whilst some will be mediocre or will totally miss the mark. I actually came to this anthology because of one writer, Neil Gaiman. His short story which features here, The Case of Death and Honey, is one that I haven't read before, despite being a big fan of his. As it turned out, his was one which I didn't take to as much.
Anthologies can be a great way of discovering new authors. Many of these writers are new to me, so I have enjoyed that aspect of this collection. But, as I suspected may happen, there were some that I preferred over the others. For me, the best of the bunch were:
The Consolation Blonde - Val McDermid
Hunted - Victoria Selman
Mother's Milk - Chris Simms
Retrospective - Kevin Wignall
Juror 8 - Stuart Neville
A Long Time Dead - Mickey Spillane & Max Allan Collins
For fans of crime fiction, this can offer some satisfying short tales. You may even discover some new authors for yourself.
Anthologies can be a great way of discovering new authors. Many of these writers are new to me, so I have enjoyed that aspect of this collection. But, as I suspected may happen, there were some that I preferred over the others. For me, the best of the bunch were:
The Consolation Blonde - Val McDermid
Hunted - Victoria Selman
Mother's Milk - Chris Simms
Retrospective - Kevin Wignall
Juror 8 - Stuart Neville
A Long Time Dead - Mickey Spillane & Max Allan Collins
For fans of crime fiction, this can offer some satisfying short tales. You may even discover some new authors for yourself.
August 9, 2026
This is a collection of short stories that were shortlisted for the Crime Writers Association Dagger Awards. While none of these stories won the Dagger prize the year they were entered, they were too good to be unacknowledged so were compiled into this volume. I recognized some of the authors' names, such as Neil Gaiman, Ann Cleves and Val McDermid. I liked most of them. I find it refreshing to read short stories especially by authors who usually write novels because the short story format requires a focus and an immediacy that novels do not and maybe it is understood by everyone but me that there is usually a surprise ending. Now, I want to read the compilation of short stories that actually won the Dagger Award, a book titled, "Daggers Drawn."
November 12, 2023
There's plenty of authors I love featured in this anthology and some new to me. There's plenty of great story with some very surprising twists and a great story.
These authors are master storyteller and I loved them all.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this ARC, all opinions are mine
These authors are master storyteller and I loved them all.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this ARC, all opinions are mine
May 30, 2026
I normally do not read short stories but I do read lots of mysteries. I have read & like some of the authors. However, with a few exceptions, I did not like most of the stories. Personal opinion. 2.5 stars
September 1, 2026
Anthologies are always a mixed bag, and this one is no exception. But I like reading authors and styles I wouldn't usually pick up. A few stories were really great and if you're into crime stories, give this collection a try.
October 23, 2026
20 stories, ranging a wide range of topics. Some are longer, with multiple chapters, while others are very short and faster reads. Interesting overall. You won't love them all but you will find something that you enjoy within the various stories shared.
December 4, 2023
A collection of short stories by members of the Crime Writers' Association. Of note are The Case of Death and Honey by New Gaiman, Mother's Milk by Chris Simms and Juror 8 by Stuart Neville.
December 20, 2023
Read it as I wanted to read some unfamiliar authors. For the most part, I enjoyed it.
May 7, 2024
Stand out favorites of this short crime story collection are The Consolation Blonde, Hunted, and The Case of Death and Honey.
February 22, 2025
For every one good short story in this book there are 5 terrible ones that are dreadful to work through!
June 1, 2025
Maybe I don't like mystery short stories. Maybe I don't like award winners (or runners up).
I found most of these stories close to unreadable.
I found most of these stories close to unreadable.
July 18, 2025
2.5. A good collection of short stories. Some very good, some forgettable.
October 12, 2025
I think I had read several before. Not bad.
November 4, 2025
3.5. I was a little disappointed in these stories. Since all had won awards I was expecting more.
January 27, 2026
Not too surprising for an anthology but I liked some and not others. Especially not the ones with unnecessary crudity.
February 4, 2026
Great to Listen to while working at your job.
August 19, 2026
I liked some of the stories more than others - glad they were put together otherwise I would not have come across them.
August 30, 2026
ACCOUNTING FOR MURDER by Christine Poulson is incredible. I heard the audiobook version and I'm going back to hear this again.
Read
October 10, 2026No rating as I was underwhelmed by the plots of the first five I read and couldn't stomach the language!
February 29, 2024
An entertaining book. Very fast read. I enjoyed it but only a couple of the stories seemed to stick in my mind.
Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews