Playing Dead: Short Stories by Members of the Detection Club

by Martin Edwards, Abir Mukherjee (contributor), Aline Templeton (contributor)

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.

Genres: Mystery, Short Stories, Fiction, Mystery Thriller, Anthologies, Crime

288 pages, Hardcover

Published March 4, 2025

About the author

Martin Edwards has been described by Richard Osman as ‘a true master of British crime writing.’ He has published twenty-three novels, which include the eight Lake District Mysteries, one of which was shortlisted for the Theakston’s Prize for best crime novel of the year and four books featuring Rachel Savernake, including the Dagger-nominated Gallows Court and Blackstone Fell, while Gallows Court and Sepulchre Street were shortlisted for the eDunnit award for best crime novel of the year. He is also the author of two multi-award-winning histories of crime fiction, The Life of Crime and The Golden Age of Murder. He has received three Daggers from the Crime Writers’ Association and two Edgars from the Mystery Writers of America and has also been nominated three times for Gold Daggers. In addition to the CWA Diamond Dagger (the highest honour in UK crime writing) he has received four other lifetime achievement awards: for his fiction, short fiction, non-fiction, and scholarship. He is consultant to the British Library’s Crime Classics, a former Chair of the CWA, and since 2015 has been President of the Detection Club.

Reviews

[Sue · Rating 4 out of 5]

Playing Dead, edited by Martin Edwards, is a collection of various types of crime stories written by 22 authors to commemorate the 80th birthday of Simon Brett, a former president of the Detection Club, a group well known to chronic readers of British mysteries. As with all such collections, the styles and perceived quality vary. Much will depend on individual taste though I found several excellent and only one that left me scratching my head.

Among my favorites: Just a Minute by Peter Lovesey; Sanctuary by Martin Edwards (really took me for a ride); Silver Fox by Michael Ridpath ; The Luncheon by Christopher Fowler (masterful tone and wit from a much missed writer); and Full Circle by Abir Mukherjee. These are not procedurals or simple crime solving tales. There are twists of personalities, of plots, of tactics, and of story telling. I found that I really enjoyed many of these twisted characters and their authors. There is a brief biography of each author provided at the end of the book.

Thanks to Severn House and NetGalley for an eARC. This review is my own.

[Shannon M (Canada) · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a collection of short stories written by members of the Detection Club (UK group), in honour of their past president Simon Brett’s 80th birthday. I am not familiar with Mr. Brett’s work, but evidently it includes writing plays as several of the stories revolve around radio and theatre performances, and some around book publishing.

I read these slowly, two or three a day, because it is difficult to switch quickly from one author’s style to another’s. Still, overall, I found most to be mediocre. I like my short stories to have a “snap” at the end, and only a few of these met that criteria.

Here are my ratings:

*Crimes Ancient and Modern (L.C. Tyler): A crime writing duo (a married couple) with murderous intentions. Cues interpreted. Deaths solved. 4 stars.

*Dead Ground (Andrew Taylor): A body, first discovered by four teenagers, but not reported. Rediscovered 25 years later. Then the underlying story, the narrator, the narrator’s dying mother, and the one teenager who knew more about the event, now wanting more. A nice twist at the end. 5 stars.

*Sleeping Beauty (Ann Cleeves): Average. Nothing special via plot although the writing is good. 3 stars.

*Just a Minute (Peter Lovesey): Different setup, although predictable ending. 3.5 stars.

*Lookalike (Kate Ellis): A bit better than average. A good twist. 4 stars.

*Sanctuary (Marin Edwards: An amusing parody of the crime writing industry. 5 stars.

*Murder at Mousecomb (Alison Joseph): A monologue that rambles. Not exciting, but the rambling does have an unexpected twist. 3 stars.

*Silver Fox (Michael Ridpath): Internet scam. Wrong man. Good ending. 5 stars.

*The Woman in the Whitechapel (Elly Griffiths): Incompressible. 1 star.

*Criss-Cross (John Harvey): Too many characters. No surprises. 2 stars.

*Dead In Deptford (Catherine Aird): Boring. 1 star.

*The Luncheon (Christopher Fowler): A conversation between two dreadful women. Not very interesting. 2 stars.

*An Old-fashioned Murder Mystery (David Stuart Davies): Supposedly a farce but doesn’t make much sense. 1 star.

*Bells and Whistles (Lynne Truss): A farce—BBC and the police force. Held my interest, barely. 2.5 stars.

*After Henry? No Commitments (Michael Jecks): Group of suspects. Who murdered Henry? 2.5 stars.

*Character Assassination (Liza Cody): No story. 0 stars.

*Blood on Ice (Frances Brody): Interesting at first, but meaningless ending. 2 stars.

*Full Circle (Abir Mukherjee): Maltreatment of foreigners in UK. No mystery, no twist. Good writing. 3 stars.

*Showtime (Michael Z Lewin): Meaningless. 1 star.

*Publish and Be Damned (Ruth Dudley Edwards): Satire on crime fiction/publishing industry. 4 stars.

*The Kintsugi Vase (Aline Templeton): Well written but no big reveal. 3 Stars.

*Cast, in Order of Reappearance (Simon Brett): Theatre again. Farce again. No special ending. 3 stars.

Thanks to the Greater Victoria Public Library for providing this ebook on loan.

[Trisha · Rating 3 out of 5]

An eclectic and interesting set of mysteries. I love short story anthologies, they are a great way to fit in some reading if you are low on reading time or feeling rushed and stressed. This was a fun set, each story with an interesting mystery that felt unique and quick.

I loved the intro that gave us the club background and information about the history of the set and those that contributed. It was a fun set and a nice way to read in the small downtimes that I had.

There were a few stories that were stand outs, by authors I really like, but the whole set really was an interesting, eclectic set of mysteries.

A huge thank you to the author and publisher for providing an e-ARC via Netgalley. This does not affect my opinion regarding the book.

[Leah · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a collection of twenty-two short crime stories, all written by members of the Detection Club in honour of their past president Simon Brett’s 80th birthday. Well, 21 of them are – the 22nd is written by Simon Brett himself. It has a short introduction by Martin Edwards, where he tells a little about Brett’s long career, not just as a successful novelist but also as a producer of some of the most popular BBC radio panel games – Just a Minute, I’m Sorry I Haven’t a Clue, to name but two – and a writer of radio sitcoms, such as After Henry. I had no idea of the extent of his career beyond novels, so appreciated learning more about him. Brett himself contributes the afterword, which he fills with Detection Club anecdotes and much name-dropping – it’s very funny and finishes the collection off nicely.

The stories themselves are very mixed, as tends to happen in this kind of collection. A few of the authors have paid tribute to Brett by referencing some part of his career. This worked for me some of the time, such as the story based on Just a Minute, but at other times it left me lost, feeling that I was missing the necessary knowledge to get the in-joke. I expect these stories would work better for people more familiar with Brett’s many series and shows. Most of the authors, however, have written straightforward stories, one or two including their own series character. I gave half the stories either 4 or 5 stars, while the rest mostly fell into the middling range, with only three outright duds. So overall, I felt this was an okay collection lifted by a few excellent stories.

Here are a few of the (seven) 5-stars…

Silver Fox by Michael Ridpath – A handsome, late-middle-aged Icelander, Oskar, has found an easy and flattering way to make a bit of extra money online. It seems people are willing to pay for photos of him, doing ordinary things like sitting in a café or walking on a beach. What he doesn’t know is that the purchasers are using his pictures to create online romantic identities to scam lonely women. One such woman is Bonnie, who gets scammed out of $30K. Her violent husband finds out, gets a techie friend to trace the photos and assumes that Oskar is the scammer. He sets out to find and confront Oskar and get the money back. A dark story that gets darker as it goes along – well paced and well told.

Publish and Be Damned by Ruth Dudley Edwards – A cosy author is cancelled when he makes an inappropriate joke at a publishing lunch. He takes his revenge by writing a satire of the publishing industry, full of sex and gore, which is a runaway success. But his revenge doesn’t stop there… Another very well written story by an author I haven’t read before but will certainly seek out. This is great fun, making gentle mock of ‘sensitivity readers’ and all the other nonsense authors have to go through in order to get published these days.

Criss-Cross by John Harvey – A man is found beaten to death on Hampstead Heath. It turns out he had been a cop back in the day, but was thrown out when his wife accused him of domestic violence. It was later suspected that he had killed his now ex-wife in an arson attack, but it was never proved. The official investigating officer is Alex Hadley, but it turns out it’s up to retired cop, Charlie Resnick, to solve the case. I haven’t read any of Harvey’s long-running Charlie Resnick series, but I may have to – this is a great story, bleak, but very well written.

The Kintsugi Vase by Alice Templeton – Our narrator has always fan-worshipped an acting couple – Rosalind France and Ned Kenton. They have a house nearby and, when they’re there, the narrator is Rosalind’s manicurist. So over the years she gets to know Rosalind a little but she never loses the stars in her eyes. Ned has always played the field, but the marriage survives – part of their glamour comes from being a couple. Then Ned dies in an accident. Or was it? This is an examination of fan-worship and how it allows us to overlook or forgive the flaws in our heroes and heroines. But what happens when the fan is forced to face the truth? Very well done – another author I’ll need to check out!

Cast in Order of Appearance by Simon Brett – Jobbing actor Charles Paris has been hired for a touring production of a mystery play. The leading part is played by a man who was once a big TV star and still has a loyal if ageing following. He’s a sexist pig who preys on the young female cast members in every production he’s in. The director is a feminist activist. Not the ideal mix! This is entertaining, with lots of humour – it’s a take on #MeToo and all its consequences, but done lightly enough not to be annoying. Great fun!

So a mix of dark and light with lots of variety. Although lots of the stories were just okay, the good ones made me glad I’d read the collection even if it does seem to have added several more authors to my list! One of whom, appropriately, is Simon Brett...

NB This book was provided for review by the publisher, Severn House via NetGalley.

www.fictionfanblog.wordpress.com

[Mona J. (MyameeGirl) · Rating 2 out of 5]

DNF'd @ 40% - This book of short stories sounded really cool and I was definitely looking forward to reading it. However, I feel like I'm not the target audience for this one. A lot of people really enjoyed these stories, unfortunately I was not one of them. From the first 11 stories, I gave 4 stars to two of them, but the rest were 3 star or less and just didn't hold my interest. One story, I didn't even understand what the mystery was supposed to be. I did like the concept of the book being short stories from members of the Detection Club as they celebrated the 80th birthday of Simon Brett. Happy Birthday, ol' chap! Sorry this one missed the mark for me. xx
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for supplying an eARC in return for an honest review.

[Martin Maenza · Rating 3 out of 5]

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.

[Susan Johnston · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am fond of anthologies. I like the way they are “short and sweet” stories.. I am fond of the anthologies put together by Martin Edward’s. In fact, I always request his books for reading and review. But I found this particular collection even more enjoyable than most. I loved the way he had the various authors “honour” Simon Brett, with a nod here and a wink there.

The stories themselves were diverse and clever. There was lots of revenge and malice and skullduggery. Most had a satisfying end and all were entertaining. In fact, if I had the hard copy, it would sit by my bed with my other anthologies to be sampled from time to time. Five purrs and two paws up.

[Gene Jablonski · Rating 3 out of 5]

Short stories. Some very good and others not so good.

[Silver Screen Videos · Rating 4 out of 5]

When a group of the best current British mystery writers produces a tribute anthology in honor of their club’s former president, you can expect the book to contain some excellent stories. That’s the case with “Playing Dead,” which contains 22 stories written by members of the famed Detection Club. The book, edited by current club president Martin Edwards, is a tribute to his predecessor, Simon Brett (who contributed one story). Unfortunately, despite the authors’ pedigree, about one-third of the tales are routine or outright duds. As a result, “Playing Dead’ is a solid read, but not as good as it should be.

The Detection Club is an exclusive club comprising British mystery writers who were invited by the existing membership. Initially, the club was dedicated to the tradition of Fair Play in mystery writing, as set out in some informal rules. The club’s lineage dates from 1930, when it was founded by Anthony Berkeley. Its first president was G. K. Chesterton, and other presidents included Dorothy Sayers and Agatha Christie. Simon Brett served as president from 2000 to 2015. During Brett’s tenure, the club published a similar tribute in honor of his predecessor, H. R. F. Keating, on his 80th birthday. Martin Edwards continues that tradition with “Playing Dead” as Brett approaches 80. All stories in this collection are new, and many authors pay tribute to Brett’s own writing background in some way.

The stories in “Playing Dead” follow no particular order by author or theme, and I think editor Edwards front-loaded the collection with some of the best. The book gets off to a great start with “Crimes Ancient and Modern” by L. C. Tyler. A husband-and-wife mystery writing team finds both their careers and marriage falling apart. In desperation, they hatch elaborate schemes to murder each other. The manner of their ultimate demise (no spoiler since the author reveals this detail in the story’s first sentence) is a good twist. A more serious tale, “Dead Ground” by Andrew Taylor, follows. Readers will immediately note this story’s similarity to “The Body” (filmed as “Stand by Me”) by Stephen King. Four teenagers regularly hang out in a wooded area near their homes. One day, they find a dead body in the woods. Unlike King’s teens, they don’t report the discovery, and the body isn’t uncovered by anyone else until 20 years later. The ending will surprise most readers, but in the best Detection Club Fair Play tradition, the author provides all the necessary clues.

“Just a Minute” by Peter Lovesey (who sadly died since contributing this story) pays homage to Simon Brett’s history as a radio producer. The story takes its title from a long-running British game show of the same name. A convicted serial killer agrees to reveal the location of his victims’ bodies if the prison stages a performance of the show with him as a contestant. (Imagine a “Jeopardy” episode with Ted Bundy playing.) The story probably resonates better with readers familiar with the radio show, but I still enjoyed it. “Bells and Whistles” by Lynn Truss is also set against the backdrop of a popular radio show, this time a fictional 1950s detective series. Unfortunately, it’s one of the weakest stories in the collection. The author plays the scenario for laughs, but the jokes don’t connect. Instead, the story rambles far too long.

A popular theme in Simon Brett’s mysteries is a mysterious death that occurs in connection with a theater production. Several stories in “Playing Dead” involve variations on that premise. Brett himself contributes a story featuring his favorite character, third-rate actor Charles Paris. In the anthology’s best story, “Cast, in Order of Reappearance,” Paris is cast in a regional theater production featuring an obnoxious “National Treasure” actor in the lead role. Humor abounds here, as Brett includes some offbeat references to cast members, including Paris’s own role as “Suspect Whose Work As A Doctor Gave Him Access To The Medication An Overdose Of Which Caused The First Murder Victim To Die.” He also reveals some idiosyncrasies of local theater, such as the “Repeated Cue,” where an actor receives the same line as a cue multiple times during the show and mixes up their lines, reciting the wrong response at the wrong time, thus causing a disruption in the play’s action. (This proves a significant plot point when a cast member dies soon after.) Brett also contributes a short essay describing his experiences with the Detection Club and the acquaintances he made over the years. That essay is as entertaining as many of the collection’s stories.

Although the cast in Brett’s story is staging a revival of a hoary mystery play, the tale itself is very much a product of 2025, with some #MeToo references. Several other stories in “Playing Dead” also incorporate modern-day themes. In “Silver Fox” by Michael Ridpath, a woman falls prey to an internet scammer who romances her online and persuades her to send him a substantial sum. However, the woman’s husband identifies the scammer from his picture, and the couple tracks him to his home in Iceland, seeking revenge. The story has some entertaining twists along the way. Ruth Dudley Edwards’ “Publish and Be Damned” is about a writer whose relating an “inappropriate “joke at a literary luncheon arouses the ire of the publisher’s “sensitivity” personnel. The publisher then drops the writer, who can’t find a new publisher. Rather than give up on his career, the writer gets his revenge in the best way. On a more serious note, Abir Mukherjee’s “Full Circle” is the story of an older woman who is clearly getting her affairs in order to prepare for… The reason for her actions becomes clear in the story’s final few pages, which pack an emotional wallop.

Unfortunately, not all the stories in “Playing Dead” live up to Brett and Edwards’ highest standards. More unfortunately, some of them are among the anthology’s longest tales. “Murder at Mousecomb” also involves the death of an actress in a touring theater production. The story is narrated by the actress’ understudy, and the timeline shifts repeatedly and confusingly from the present day to a recap of the understudy’s entire career. “Blood on Ice” by Frances Brody tells the life story of a man whose descent to petty crime and prison costs him everything, including his marriage. The plot is very predictable and more boring than depressing or illuminating. Two stories involve well-known historical figures, Wilkie Collins and Christopher Marlowe. Only readers very familiar with the pair will find these tales entertaining. Another lengthy story, “Criss-Cross” by John Harvey, reads like the script of a routine episode of a TV police drama like “Law and Order: SVU.”

I really enjoyed most of the contributions to “Playing Dead.” The authors showed off their talent and often paid homage to Simon Brett in their choices of subject and setting. (Charles Paris even makes a cameo appearance in one story.) However, I also felt the anthology had too many stories that weren’t worthy of selection. The members of the Detection Club represent the cream of the crop in British mystery fiction, and some stories fell considerably below that standard. Worse, they took up an inordinate percentage of the book’s overall content. My four-star rating is a solid recommendation for the anthology coupled with a regret that it wasn’t all it should have been.

NOTE: The publisher graciously provided me with a copy of this book through NetGalley. However, the decision to review the book and the contents of this review are entirely my own.

[Richard · Rating 4 out of 5]

Something for everyone here.

A beautifully collated selection of stories edited by the impressive Martin Edwards. This anthology of short stories by members of the Detection Club is in honour of Simon Brett.

There is a knack to writing in this abbreviated form and fashioning an entertaining piece, with elements of crime and mystery. I feel each author included here is a champion of this format and the eclectic cast of successful writers means there is a wide raging approach to this enterprise.

Consequently, it is like opening a tin of sweets at Christmastime.

I, like you, will have favourites, and I could highlight those that have resonated with me, surprised me beyond their name and existing books, while others have remained with me due to their originality and ability to stay in my consciousness.
It would be unfair to unpack the contents of this collection; for some, caramels and orange creams may be the last to be eaten in any assortment.
But there are some stories I will be returning to and re-reading because they were engaging and moved me. Among those I will name are: Just a Minute, The Luncheon and Full Circle. However, there are many more that I could highlight as this is a marvellous book full of delights and fun in this genre.

There is something for everyone here.

[CPE · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Detection Club is a club for mystery writers. The initiation ceremony is very much tongue in cheek. The putative member is asked (remember, this oath was written in 1930 or so):
“Do you promise that your detectives shall well and truly detect the crimes presented to them using those wits which it may please you to bestow upon them and not placing reliance on nor making use of Divine Revelation, Feminine Intuition, Mumbo Jumbo, Jiggery-Pokery, Coincidence or Act of God?”

“Do you as you hope to increase your Sales, swear to observe faithfully all these promises which you have made, so long as you are a Member of the Club?)”

If they solemnly promise to abide by the rules (possibly with one hand upon Eric the Skull), then they are told:
“You are duly elected a Member of the Detection Club, and if you fail to keep your promises may other writers anticipate your plots, may your publishers do you down in your contracts, may total strangers sue you for libel, may your pages swarm with misprints and may your sales continually diminish. Amen.”

The Club has a tradition of producing collections of short stories to honour the eightieth birthdays of distinguished members. Simon Brett, the immediate past-President, reaches that milestone in October 2025 and the current President, Martin Edwards, has edited an anthology by current members as a tribute. Although I write “current”, two of the stories are by David Stuart Davies and Christopher Fowler, who, sadly, didn’t live to see their stories in print.

Members are invited to join the Club because they are deemed to be good writers by their peers and there are 60 members, with only 30 being active members at the moment so, as you would expect, this collection of short stories, Playing Dead, is a set of stories by THE best mystery writers of today. The contributions are by:
Catherine Aird
Simon Brett (yes, he contributed to a volume in honour of himself!)
Francis Brody
Ann Cleeves
Liza Cody
David Stuart Davies
Martin Edwards
Ruth Dudley Edwards
Kate Ellis
Christopher Fowler
Elly Griffiths
John Harvey
Michael Jecks
Alison Joseph
Michael Z Lewin
Peter Lovesey
Abir Mukherjee
Michael Redpath
Andrew Taylor
Aline Templeton
Lynne Truss
L C Tyler

Oh, these stories are good! We have parodies (“Captain Brian Eastbourne called upon his friend Pierre Leroux, the famous French detective…” and we discover that a “strange fictional character called Roger Ackroyd” was among the house party); and we have chilling tales from John Harvey and Francis Brody. Christopher Fowler’s story is set at a luncheon for two women, where one has been sleeping with the other one’s husband. The dishes are listed as they would be on the menu, e.g. Jivara mousse with sake-soused goji berries and orange jelly. There is a (mostly) civilised discussion about the situation but what a superb ending! Martin Edwards has contributed a story where he has huge fun with characters’ names. Some other authors also take the opportunity to have fun, e.g. Lynne Truss’s Inspector Steine saying “[…] he was the writer apparently, quite drably dressed and sort-of starving-looking.”

This is an excellent set of stories and I cannot commend it highly enough – and believe me, I’m fussy! Sure, you might enjoy some stories more than me – and vice versa – for example, this made me laugh out loud but might leave you simply exasperated:

“Have you discovered a motive?”
“Just a very simple one.”
“Good man, Leroux. What is it?”
“The murderer wanted his victim dead.”

However, the stories are ALL of a high calibre, although they might not match your taste. Take your time and don’t rush through it – that way, you’ll appreciate each story. The same instruction might apply to that box of chocolates you’ve just opened…

#PlayingDead #NetGalley

[The Honest Book Reviewer · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 stars

I went into this collection expecting a lot, considering the contributors are all well respected authors in the genre. Admittedly, I have to read them all yet, but will hope to in the future, despite not enjoying every short story in this collection.

As with all short story collections, there should be something for everybody, and I thoroughly enjoyed some. I particularly enjoyed

- The Luncheon, by Chrisopher Fowler: great twists and the contrast of the setting to the conversation made this unforgettable. This may be the best structured story in the group.
- Silver Fox, by Michael Ridpath: a story of illusions and misunderstandings with a modern take that may have you thinking of those off-the-wall true crime documentaries you see all over the place now.
- Crimes Ancient and Modern, by LC Tyler: husband and wife writers try to outwit each other. It's slick and smart, and also blended with humour.
- Murder at Mousecomb, by Alison Joseph: a story I can easily imagine as a TV series. It was such a well told story that is dark but also with amazing characters and heart.
- An Old-Fashioned Murder, By David Stuart Davie: very short, but so engaging. This will also make you laugh. It's probably the quirkiest story in the collection.
Full Circle, by Abir Mukherjess: quite a dark tale, but so powerful and the characters are wonderful. This may be the most emotional tale in the collection.

The others stories are serviceable but not standouts for me. But the idea of being able to read a book of stories written by so many respected authors is something not to be missed. And every reader is sure to find something they love.

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

[The Cookster · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rating: 3.5/5

As I have commented previously in reviews, I am a huge admirer of writers who can successfully execute a short story. There is a real skil in delivering a properly rounded stories with sufficiently developed characters in such a concise format. No real surprise, therefore, that I was attracted to this compilation of 22 short stories by members of The Detection Club and honouring former club President, Simon Brett, ahead of his 80th birthday later this year.

I have read collections of short stories previously and, when there are as many as twenty-two contributions, it would not be churlish to anticipate there being a few duffers amongst them. That said, I am pleased to report it is not the case here. There is the somewhat unusual inclusion of a three-verse Haiku, which is cleverly constructed, but does seem a little out of place. However, that minor observation aside, I would say that 50% of the contributions are perfectly decent and the remaining half represent very good examples of the genre. There is also the bonus of an informative and amusing personal memoir relating to The Detection Club from Simon Brett. Overall, a good read for anyone who either loves short stories, or just fancies a change from the longer format.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for supplying an ARC in return for an honest review.

[Elisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

This may not be everybody’s cup of tea, but it is exactly the type of book I love: a collection of short stories by current members of the Detection Club. I’m an avid fan of classic mysteries, and an enthusiastic reader of the original Club founders. This collection features stories from authors whom I already know and love, as well as others that were new to me, and there isn’t a single bad one. Since they are part of an institution, all the writers show a deep knowledge and love for the genre. They understand all the tropes so well that they can play with them to surprise the readers. It was shocking to find that most of these characters are our contemporaries and carry cell phones and use the internet. My favorites were the humorous ones, especially Ruth Dudley Edwards’ “Publish and be Damned” and David Stuart Davies’ “An old-fashioned murder.” Michael Ridpath’s entry tackles a very contemporary problem. Legends like Catherine Aird and Peter Lovesey also collaborated. Extra points for Simon Brett’s own recollections of belonging to the Club. Dame Agatha would be proud of her successors.
I chose to read this book and all opinions in this review are my own and completely unbiased. Thank you, NetGalley/Severn House.

[Chazda · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Detection Club is the oldest mystery writer's club in the world, exclusive in that it's invitation only and they don't have (or need) a website. Agatha Christie, who I think is responsible for inspiring every mystery writer living today, was a member. Martin Edwards is currently the head of the group, taking over from Simon Brett.

One could easily say, The Great Simon Brett, as his career as an entertainer, screenwriter and novelist of really hysterical material is vast. Douglas Adams was discovered by Brett, who pushed him to go into radio.

The stories in this volume, even though they're all written for and in honor of Brett, cover a wide spectrum of styles within this genre-niche of theatre-inspired mysteries. Inside jokes and references are in there, something I only know because of a panel discussion that included Martin Edwards and Simon Brett earlier this year in Bristol.

You can't really go wrong with this one. Very enjoyable.

Some of the short stories I would say are amongst some of my favorite. There was one that wasn't quite for me, but that's expected in an ensemble authorship such as this. All in all, it's a solid collection of mysteries from some of the best, most experienced authors of the genre.

[Christine · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this collection of short stories written by members of the Detection Club of authors. (Past members included Agatha Christie and Dorothy L. Sayers.) The collection was written as a tribute for the 80th birthday of one of the members, Simon Brett. Brett himself makes a contribution to the collection and also writes an entertaining afterward about some of the wonderful authors he met as part of his membership in the Detection Club. 

Typical for most collections like this, not all the stories were my cup of tea. My overall rating of the book is 4 stars. However, there are a few gems that made the whole book worthwhile. Not surprisingly, my favorites were by authors I already enjoy - Ann Cleeves and Elly Griffiths. I also enjoyed a story by new-to-me author Kate Ellis, and I am interested in reading more by her. I loved the Charles Paris story that honoree Simon Brett contributed. Some things never change for Charles although I always root for things to turn out for him. I love the humor throughout the story. 

I received a copy of this ebook from NetGalley and Severn House for review consideration, but my review is voluntary and unbiased. 

[Shireen · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 stars

This is quite an excellent collection of short stories written by current members of the prestigious Detection Club, of which Agatha Christie herself, the "Queen of Crime", was president for a time. It is written as a gift to the former president of the club for his eightieth birthday, Simon Brett. The stories are a delightful mix of modern detective plots, irreverent send-ups of the classic "whodunnit?", and tasteful re-imaginings of old plots and old characters; heck, there's even a short poem. And Simon Brett himself gets the final word, as they say, with a cheeky revival of his own beloved character, Charles Paris. Any ardent fan of mysteries will recognise most, if not all, of the authors names published here; they represent the very best of the crime thriller and mystery genres working today in the UK. I definitely took my time reading this book, as I wanted to savour each of the stories as they came.

Thanks to NetGalley and Severn House for giving me access to a free digital ARC of this book to read and review. All opinions are my own and are provided here voluntarily.

[Kath · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a pretty cool anthology of short stories from the typewriters of the members of the Detection Club... no, me neither but boy do they have some quality authors... Some of whom I am very familiar with and have read extensively - Ann Cleeves, Elly Griffiths for example - some I have heard good thing of but have, for some reason, no got round to breaking my duck - Abir Mukherjee being the most notable of that category, and then there's those who I have never heard of...
I could single out some of those that I really loved but I guess there's little point as we all have different tastes and, anyway, if I start doing that my review will end up longer than one of the stories in this book!
But I read every story, even finishing the ones that weren't really for me, well... they are shorts! And I came out the other side with a whole bunch of authors to add to my TBR... sigh!
Which I guess is the main point of these things...
My thanks go to all the contributors, the Publisher, and Netgalley for the chance to read this book.

[BookswithLydscl | · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5*

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 collection of all-new short stories.

Based on this premise I was really looking forward to this collection and overall I felt that it was ok. There were a couple of stand out stories including Silver Fox, by Michael Ridpath, Crimes Ancient and Modern, by LC Tyler, An Old-Fashioned Murder, By David Stuart Davies and Full Circle, by Abir Mukherjee come to mind but for the most part I would say the stories were fine.

This felt like a passion project written for a friend and some of the stories probably should have stayed private but it's a quick and easy read and will appeal to fans of old fashioned crime fiction.

Thank you to Netgalley and Severn House for this digital review copy of "Playing Dead" in exchange for my honest and voluntary review.

[Esme Merrily · Rating 3 out of 5]

My thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
A collection of short stories written as a celebration of the eightieth birthday of Simon Brett, the former president of the Detection Group, by the group members – recognized and respected crime writers, among them Ann Cleeves, Christopher Fowler, Elly Griffiths and Kate Ellis.
It is surely a nice tribute to honour Simon Brett's lifework, but to be completely honest – a not very memorable one. The stories are interesting, for the most part, usually well written and quite fun, but I probably will forget them in a few weeks. There's not one story to truly shine, to stand out as really brilliant, original, twisted or suspenseful. Still, they are well crafted and entertaining, so overall a nice read.

#PlayingDead #NetGalley

[Verity Halliday · Rating 5 out of 5]

Playing Dead is a collection of 22 short stories by members of the venerable Detection Club, written to celebrate former president Simon Brett's eightieth birthday.

Normally with short story collections there's variable quality, but in this case all the authors are notable masters of their craft and have offered up excellent tales. Some of them have added Simon Brett-related Easter eggs, for example by giving roads the names of Brett's famous detectives or having a character read a Brett book within the story. Current president of the Detection Club Martin Edwards acts as editor (and presumably cajoler and requester of the stories) and has done a wonderful job of collecting the stories as he so often has before.

A first class collection, recommended to lovers of classic detective fiction.

[Denice Langley · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've read alot of books. When asked to recommend a book or author, I recommend anthologies. These books show the authors' skills as they write a story from beginning to end in fewer pages than most chapters. Many times the authors are flexing their skills in a different genre. The collections usually have a theme, this one is an homage to Simon Brett. Written by authors with varying fame, you'll find some celebrities and some debuts, but they all showcase their story telling skills. As always when reading, some stories are better than others, but all of them will cause readers to take note of the authors.
So the next time you're looking for something to read or someone asks you to recommend a book, or you're looking for the perfect gift for someone who read alot......grab an anthology. This one would make an excellent start.

[Pat · Rating 4 out of 5]

4-4.5 out of 5
Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for the ARC
A collection of 22 short stories, by members of a mystery writers' club, in honor of the 80th birthday of a former club president.
There are short short stories and some longer ones, providing a good selection to 'dip into' when you've got some time, or want a break if you're in the middle of a very long book.
Contributions from Michael Jecks, Ann Cleeves, Abir Mukherjee, Christopher Fowler, Lynne Truss, Kate Ellis and of course, Martin Edwards, plus many other mystery writers familiar to fans of the genre provide a wide range of writing styles and situations to keep a reader occupied.
Recommend to fans of British mystery writers, and mysteries in general - maybe you'll discover a new favourite author!

[Janalyn, the blind reviewer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Playing Dead, short stories by members of the detection club by multiple authors, whenever you have an anthology or collection of short stories written by many different authors, they’ll be some you love and some not so much as a fan of mysteries I must say I truly enjoyed most of these, although my favorite was the mic drop ending of The Luncheon, there were others that really came close. There was one. I really didn’t understand it, but I won’t mention which one it is because I don’t want to ruin it for that author nor anyone who’s a future reader of this awesome collection of stories. #NetGalley, #TheBlindReviewer, #PlayingDead, #MartinEdwards,

[Karin · Rating 3 out of 5]

This collection of short stories, celebrating Simon Brett’s 80th birthday, brings together an impressive lineup of Detection Club authors. As with any anthology, it’s a mix of hits and misses—some stories I really enjoyed, while others didn’t quite land for me.

Many of the authors were new to me, and I’ll definitely be looking out for more of their work. That’s actually what drew me to this collection in the first place—the chance to discover new writers.

Overall, it’s a bit of a mixed bag, but an enjoyable read. I’d give it a solid 3 stars.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for this Arc in return for an honest review

[Sagexox · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Fantastic variety of short stories in this collection to celebrate the 80th Birthday of Simon Brett... Happy Birthday, ole Chap! Eye, Eye! :D
This was Absolutely my cup of tea! Loved it! This reminds me of the mystery magazines i subscribed to back in the day and was So much fun to read!
I definitely had several favourites and would be hard pressed to pick my top five. Only maybe 2 or 3 weren't really speaking to me, but what an Amazing Collection overall!
Thank you to Severn House and Netgalley for this ARC, it is Top Notch :)

[zoe Hitchen · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent anthology , I’d go so far as to say the best I’ve read so far!
This collection is to honour the eightieth birthday of Simon Brett a former president of the Detection Club .
The club’s members are some of the most esteemed crime writers in the world and these short stories highlight their talent perfectly.
The authors include Elly Griffiths, Simon Brett , Martin Edwards and Christopher Fowler to name a few .
The stories make for an easy and enjoyable read.
A must read for any crime fiction reader.
Thanks to NetGalley and Severn House.

[Alyce Gibson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Martin Edwards has collected a series of short stories in honour of Simon Brett's 80th birthday. The stories have been written by the members of the esteemed Detection Club of London. Brett is the former president of the club, Edwards is the current president.

It's a wonderfully diverse series of stories. Some I like more than others but all worth the read. 4 out of 5 stars. Thank you to NetGalley and Severn House for the eARC of this delightful complilation.

[Sarah B · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a brilliant book of short 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 Simon Brett. This collection was filled with murder, new characters and authors. It was pure class!

[K · Rating 4 out of 5]

An excellent set of short stories put together to commemorate Simon Brett’s time as Chairman of the Detection Club. I enjoyed the mix of stories ranging from those based on the Golden Age crime stories to the more modern.
A good cross section of writers too.
Many thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for the arc.