Dead Simple

by Harry Bingham, Mark Billingham, Angela Marsons

A woman reports a crime to the police, with unexpected results
The grieving widow who finds that she's about to lose more than just her husband
When a man attempts the perfect murder, it's not quite as easy as he thinks
Two men in prison play a deadly game of Scrabble
A young woman tries to trick an old man and gets more than she bargained for
Sometimes crimes are solved in ways you can't explain
A murderer about to be hanged finds that's not the worst thing that can happen
You never know who's going to turn up at your door Original stories from Mark Billingham, Clare Mackintosh, James Oswald, Jane Casey, Angela Marsons, Harry Bingham, Antonia Hodgson and CL Taylor - specially written for Quick Reads.

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

128 pages, Paperback

First published February 2, 2017

About the author

Harry Bingham is best known for his Fiona Griffiths crime series, which has drawn rave reviews from critics, authors and readers alike.

If you've read and enjoyed one of Harry's books, make diddle-darn sure that you've signed up to the Fiona Griffiths Readers Club, by hopping right over here:
http://www.harrybingham.com/lev-in-gl...

You'll get a free, lovely welcome gift - and you'll be the very first to know when Fiona Griffiths is back with a further adventure . . .

Reviews

[Carolyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a slim book of eight brief short stories, each with a sting in the tail from masters of crime fiction, Clare Mackintosh, Angela Masters, Harry Bingham, C.L. Taylor, Mark Billingham, James Oswald, Jane Casey, Antonia Hodgson. Billed as a "Quick reads" book this is an excellent sampler of their work and great for when you want an enjoyable short read at night or in a waiting room. My favourite? The Funeral by Clare Mackintosh - that really does have a great twist!

[Rachel (not currently receiving notifications) Hall · Rating 2 out of 5]

A collection of eight short stories from a range of top crime authors. Disappointing and all too brief to provide much entertainment or suspense. Expected more from a very disappointment Quick Read.

[Karen · Rating 4 out of 5]

A review will follow but I really enjoyed this mini collection of short stories. All with a sting in the tail!

[Erica⭐ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Within this Quick Reads collection, there is so much to look forward to, including everything from a Scrabble game in prison gone wrong, to a sinister ending for someone's old friend. The authors who are included have managed to compact so much darkness into such a short amount of pages and it was just fantastic. I was gripped right the way through and loved each and every one of the short stories inside. I think a particular favourite of mine has to be the short provided by Clare Mackintosh though. I just couldn't get over how it ended. In all honesty, that's how all of the shorts made me feel, leaving me reeling once finished.

[Christine · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a collection of eight crime stories by different bestselling authors. Of course, there are some stories I enjoy more than others, as is expected in a collection with a variety of stories. Many have surprising, twist endings. Standout stories for me are the ones by Clare Mackintosh. Angela Marsons, and Harry Bingham. This book is great as a introduction to some of these authors you haven't read before or as a way to get t oread more works by authors you're already familiar with. Overall, it's a good collection for crime fiction fans.

[Samantha · Rating 4 out of 5]

By now you know that I love short stories as I can finish something during week after a busy day. It really makes me feel like I have accomplished something.

This is a collection of eight short stories from best selling crime authors. This is where I have a confession, I have never actually actually read any of these authors, so I was excited to get started to see if I will discover a new favourite. I do have quite a few novels by these authors though on my shelf to read soon!

These stories range from a couple of pages to 20-30. I didn't enjoy all of the stories, however my favourite three were: The Funeral by Clare Mackintosh, Old Tricks by Jane Casey and The Perfect Murder by Harry Bingham. I really managed to get into these and I would have enjoyed fuller length novels featuring these I think.

Overall this is a good Quick Read, it allows you to try authors work perhaps you haven't before and You can finish a story in around 15 minutes. Some of the stories I felt did need to be longer as it didn't give the reader long enough to get into it, however I think this is a brilliant book to release fo the Quick Reads program this year and recommend you to pick this up. Like me, you may discover some brand new authors.

[Jen · Rating 4 out of 5]

A short sharp and snappy collection of stories that does exactly what it says on the cover. From some of the greatest names in Crime writing comes a delightful mixture of stories, all of which left me either grinning at the cunning or stunned by the simple but effective twist which flipped the story in a full one-eighty. Absolutely brilliant.

It’s only a short story collection, each one lasting about ten or so pages, so there really isn’t a lot I can say without giving away each plot line. I did enjoy the way in which tables were turned on the characters in some of the stories and for me the highlights were Angela Marsons’ story which completely threw me – totally unexpected – Claire Mackintosh’s tale of someone getting their just desserts and James Oswald’s story which featured one of my favourite crime fiction detectives, Tony McLean (and a wonderful cameo from the fabulous Grumpy Bob – love him.)

It’s quick. It’s cheap. It’s a fluffing good read and a great way to dip your toe in the waters of some perhaps unfamiliar authors work.

[✨ Lauren ✨ · Rating 3 out of 5]

I don’t really have anything to say about this combination of short stories other than it was okay?

[Robyn Ghafoor · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good, fast read. Some stories were better than others.

Most were good, others were a bit confusing.

[Plum-crazy · Rating 3 out of 5]

As ever with short stories there were some I liked more than others, unsurprisingly the ones I weren't as keen on were the author's whose books I haven't really enjoyed. Here's a very brief summary of my thoughts....

"Hardscrabble" - Mark Billingham - liked it but that was only what I'd expect from one of my favourite authors. Me biased? Naw.... ;o)

"Funeral" - Clare Mackintosh - really liked this. Okay you might spot the twist coming but it made me smile :o)

"Dead Men Tell No Tales" - James Oswald - Can't say I was overly impressed with this but to be fair I don't like the series either.

"Old Tricks" - Jane Casey - Probably my favourite of the selection. Would be great for TV & in fact reminded me of something off "Inside No 9".

"Tell No Lies" - Angela Marsons - Mmm...well it was obvious from the outset what the twist here was going to be. Nothing impressive...but again don't like what I've read by this author.

"The Perfect Murder" - Harry Bingham - Liked this, a bit of a different take.

The Night Before the Murder"- Antonia Hodgson - Alright.

"Bird in a Cage" - C L Taylor - Quite liked this one.

Overall not a bad selection & a nice quick read. If you haven't read any of the authors before it will probably encourage you to do so.

[Alison · Rating 4 out of 5]

There are some big name authors here and a few I haven’t had the pleasure of reading before. Some very short stories but they all pack a punch. Great variety and some fantastic ideas. I enjoyed all of them for different reasons and would find it hard to pick a favourite from them which is possibly unfair anyway because they are all individual subjects .. but if I had to I think the one that resonated most was ‘The Perfect Murder’ it just goes to show how easy it would be to plot a crime!

A great selection and introduction to the crime/thriller genre and plenty of appeal to make one want to read a longer book by any of these writers.

[Sarah Baines · Rating 5 out of 5]

8 short stories and all of them fabulous. My particular favourite is "Dead Men Tell No Tales" by James Oswald - an author I'd never read before. " The Perfect Murder" by Harry Bingham - again an author I'd never read before - was another favourite , closely followed by "Hardscrabble" by Mark Billingham. Brilliant stuff.

[Trudie · Rating 4 out of 5]

quite like these quick reads, each story is nicely wrapped up in a few pages. Definitely a read in your lunch break kind of book

[Aileen · Rating 3 out of 5]

A Quick Reads 2017 collection of eight short ‘killer reads’ from bestselling crime authors. All too brief to get into any depth, but they were entertaining and passed a couple of hours.

[Jess · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good book of crime shirt stories. A few of my favourite:
Clare Mackintosh The Funeral - a woman poisons her husband and at the funeral is poisoned in the same way by an act of kindness.
Old Tricks Jane Casey - a con woman gets tricked and frightened. It is a lessons of morals and the good and the bad.
The Perfect Murder Harry Bingham - A man looks at a bucket list he made years ago and he has written the perfect murder. He does this step by step and at the end adds another thing to his list. Commit more murders.
The Night Before the Hanging - Antonia Hodgson - this was such a good twist to the story. The man coming to help is revealed to be the killer that has got away with murder.
Bird in a Cage - CJ Taylor - the most disturbing of all the stories. Dead birds, bullies and revenge but locking the bully in a cage with the dead birds and enjoying it.

[Eloise Mohan · Rating 4 out of 5]

8 short stories that I just devoured in one sitting.

Each story is fast paced, unique and had the thrills to keep you enticed.

A compilation of fabulous authors for a quick hour of reading.

TW: Murder, death, domestic violence, animal neglect

[Jenny Smith · Rating 4 out of 5]

I don’t often like short stories but I really enjoyed these and found them gripping!

[Denise Williams · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another from the Quick Reads collection. An enjoyable set of short stories, all with a twist.

[Emma · Rating 2 out of 5]

Disappointing endings in nearly all. Some were barely stories at all. Shame.

[Kevin Bufton · Rating 4 out of 5]

This anthology was released as part of the Quick Reads initiative, something of which I am thoroughly in support. It’s a series of short books aimed at adults who don’t read often, or who find reading a chore, to discover the joy of reading books for pleasure.

How can you not love a mission like that?

While I might not be the target demographic, a good story is a good story, or – as it might be – eight good stories are eight good stories.

Because that’s what we have here: eight stories from British crime writers. None of them is any less than good, and about half of them are better than that. We get a good mix of the gritty (Billingham’s ‘Hardscrabble’ and Marsons’s ‘Tell No Lies’ both end in a particularly grim manner), the darkly humorous (Casey’s ‘Old Tricks’ is a case in point), and even a touch of the paranormal (‘Dead Men Tell No Tales’ by James Oswald plays this trope very well).

Clare Mackintosh’s ‘The Funeral’ has a nice Robert Bloch vibe to it, albeit without Bloch’s trademark humour. Bingham does double-duty as both editor and author, with ‘The Perfect Murder’ which is a delightfully light-hearted look at mental disintegration. Taylor’s ‘Bird in a Cage’ is a psychological piece with a well-crafted reveal of what brought the protagonist to their ruin.

My favourite short is Antonia Hodgson’s ‘The Night Before the Hanging’, the only historical piece in the anthology. It’s a fine story of revenge, with an added twist of the knife, and a main character that is an utter bastard. A great tale, and an author I want to try more of.

All in all, this is well worth the couple of hours it will take you to read through it.

[Richard · Rating 4 out of 5]

Can’t believe this collection is nearly 8 years old.

Original stories from Mark Billingham, Clare Mackintosh, James Oswald, Jane Casey, Angela Marsons, Harry Bingham, Antonia Hodgson and CL Taylor - specially written for Quick Reads.

With 8 established authors of the day, back in 2017 this anthology is awash with skill and brilliance. Writers who have continued to meet with success and lead the field in this genre. For no other reason this is worth the small cost to read their short stories. Indeed, for some, a stray contributor may be less well known and you may be unfamiliar with their style and approach to crime fiction.

I love the whole concept of Quick Reads and prompting reading in manageable portions. A bit like small fish n’ chips until you can manage a large haddock or cod.

Such a range of authors here to whet one’s appetite and not a dud amongst them; each contribution has merit and real worth and hopefully will lead to readers looking up their respective series and outstanding work.

I especially enjoyed The Night before the Hanging by Antonia Hodgson. Old Tricks by Jane Casey got me tense and wanting more and in The Funeral, Clare Mackintosh shows the promise that has blossomed ever since her debut in 2015. But really, as stated already, all have merit. They demonstrate skill and ability across each 8 stories and it was a joy to read and refine my TBR lists.

[The Cookster · Rating 3 out of 5]

Rating: 2.5/5

In the absence of new Quick Reads publications this year I decided to delve into the back catalogue for a title that I missed first time around. This book was part of the programme from The Reading Agency back in 2017. I am very much a fan of the scheme, and although I have to admit that I was a little disappointed to see that this year's offering comprises re-issues of previously featured stories rather than new material, it does mean that I could sample publications that had previously passed me by. Plus, the aims of encouraging people to take up reading or to lure back lapsed readers still remains.

This collection contains eight stories from a variety of authors - some that I am familiar with and others that I was reading for the first time. It is actually debatable whether they they do actually warrant the description of "short stories" as they are actually more like a "micro story". They really are very short. and you could almost expect to see each one as an individual chapter within a full length novel as an aside to the central plot. The stories are well-written and make for easy, entertaining reading, though the extremely short format does put some very restrictive constraints on the writers.

[Richard Kettlewood · Rating 3 out of 5]

RA

This is the second time I've read a short story crime collection opened by a Mark Billingham effort. The story was well crafted, but was let down by a logically implausible ending for the sake of a hand-break twist; surprising for someone of the his credentials. The outstandingly worst story was The Funeral: coffins NEVER disappear behind a curtain to be cremated in a village church! Cremations happen at crematoriums AFTER the church service. This gross error broke what could have been a good story. And how had she robbed him for ten years if they'd only been married 6 months? Most of the other stories were much better. The Night Before the Hanging is an excellent historical tale, and my favourite was the subtle Old Tricks playing on predictable tropes cleverly. The Perfect Murder was let down by unnecessarily imperfect shopping: who buys 1 metre of electrical cable? They'd look at you weird in a shop. And it would be barely enough to get round a neck and wrap around your hands. So, lets write cremations at crematoriums and buy 3 metres of cable and we could have absorbing stories.

[Donna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dead Simple is a collection of short crime stories from well known authors. The stories got me hooked from the outset, and I found myself page-turning super fast. I am currently on maternity leave and super busy with baby and home, and I do find these short stories very enjoyable. They can be read in ten minutes, yet they are stories you can dwell on long after the read has finished. You really do feel you have accomplished something at the end of the day. As an author myself I am taking a real interest in writing a few of these myself. I felt that I learned a lot about the form just from these examples. Tricks such as keeping the writing short and punchy... twisting and turning the plot...having a bunch of key characters to play out. A strong motive. Excellent reads!

[Helen White · Rating 5 out of 5]

The first of two Quick Reads that I picked up at my local library, this appealed to me because, although I was familiar with the featured authors, with the exception of CL Taylor I had not read anything by them. This book is a collection of short stories from some of the best writers of the genre. Although too short to really reel you in as a reader, I found the shorts gave me a taste of the author’s style and has given me a few new names to look for at the library! I especially enjoyed the tales from Mark Billingham, James Oswald, Jane Casey and Harry Bingham, and incidentally I thought the short from Taylor was better than the novel I recently read by her. Well worth picking up if you want to try some new authors.

[Victoria Goldman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Quick Reads are an ideal purchase if you love reading but struggle to fit it into your day. And Dead Simple is the perfect choice if you're a fan of crime fiction and psychological thrillers.

Not only is the book itself small, but there are eight fantastic short stories inside, so you can dip in and out of the book to suit your reading time. I loved these twisty tales - all are unique and there's something to appeal to everyone.

Dead Simple is also a great introduction to six top crime writers and certainly left me wanting to check out their novels. It's good fun, with plenty of darkness and humour. And it only costs you £1!!!

[S.M. Jenkin · Rating 5 out of 5]

I don't usually read crime novels, so this was a good opportunity for me to try out some authors. There was a good selection of styles, some I liked more than others. There was a good twist in each of these, and I liked how each author was able to show the reasoning behind their characters actions.

I loved the stories by Clare Mackintosh (ironic) , Jane Casey (brrrr! creepy) and Antonia Hodgeson (something very satisfying about this one). C.L Taylor wrote an atmospheric piece, ending on a suitable tense cliffhanger. What will happen next?

Some more authors to be added to my 'to-read' list...

[Jodi Wray · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is another book in the quick reads series, eight killer reads from eight bestselling authors including Angela Marsons and James Oswalds. This is not something I would normally read (crime fiction) so I thought I would give it a go. I enjoyed most of the short stories in this book and its encouraged me to try other "light crime" reading since. Each story brings something different so it kept each short read interesting.
A good introduction to crime fiction and various authors. A successful choice

[Carla Warren · Rating 5 out of 5]

Eight Quick Reads. And that is absolutely what it was.

A fantastic collection of short thriller stories from a combination of well known and not so well known crime authors.

Each story left me shocked and even gobsmacked. Sometimes wanting more yet still satisfied at the way it ended.

The stories in this collection were all short and brief, exactly what you’d expect, and perfect when you don’t have much time on your hands and love to read.

With so much darkness compacted into each individual story an easy five out of five from me.

[FeedMyReads · Rating 5 out of 5]

This set of eight short stories from eight great authors is a truly great way for people to get into reading, for those already reading it's a great chance to try a different genre or even to just find a new author or two. All of the stories are based around crime and each one stands up on merit as being a great short story.

For me the quick reads books are a great idea and when you have them being delivered brilliantly well by brilliant authors it makes it obvious this is something they have to keep going.