Past Poisons: An Ellis Peters Memorial Anthology of Historical Crime

by Maxim Jakubowski (Editor), Paul Doherty (Contributor), Edward D. Hoch (Contributor)

Edith Pargeter, who also writes under the name Ellis Peters, previously combined her passion for history and storytelling in her creation of the much-loved monk, Brother Cadfael. It was she who paved the way for many others to explore the past through the thriving field of historical mysteries, and for this she was loved by readers and other writers alike.

Past Poisons is a bumper crop of outstanding new short stories by the leading American and British historical crime writers, all wishing to pay tribute to the work of Ellis Peters. Maxim Jakubowski is a former publisher and owner of the world-famous Murder One bookshop in London's Charing Cross Road. As well as being a writer and editor of various past cult publishing imprints, he is acknowledged as a disturbing and controversial voice in contemporary fiction. His collections have sold massively. He is a regular on television and radio where he is an expert on crime, erotica, and film. As a columnist for the Guardian he also writes on the arts for The Times. Maxim is literary director of the prestigious Crime Scene festival held at London's National Film Theatre. He is the author of many titles including Skin In Darkness, but also the editor for Past Poisons (An Ellis Peters Memorial Anthology of Historical Crime) and Murder Through the Ages.

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

356 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1998

About the author

Maxim 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.

Reviews

[Menno Beek · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a collection I bought because I hoped to be surprised by some great unknown historical fictional characters, but I liked the ones I knew already, like sister Fidelma and Gordianus the Finder the best. There was a great new story by Kate Ross, about a woman braving the masculine madness of Victorian London, but from the introduction we learn that she died right after writing this story. Strange to find such sadness in a book to commemorate Ellis Peters contributions to the genre. She would have loved Kate Ross to triumph with a series of her own, I guess.

[Andrew · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very entertaining collection of twenty stories set in a wide span of historical eras...edited by Maxim Jakubowski...who once sold me a crime novel & wished me well in his Charing Cross Road, London bookshop 'Murder One'...a real character!...& not a single one has a guilty butler or a female private-eye! (though Ellis Peters had a great eye for motive, means...& murderous men...and/or women?!).

[SB · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5⭐️

[Serena · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.8 stars

A Counter-Blast to Tobacco by Paul Doherty ****
Wheel in the Sky by Edward D. Hoch ****
Starstruck at San Simeon by Janet Laurence ***
Gordianus the Finder] Death by Eros by Steven Saylor ****
Damned Spot by Julian Rathbone ****
Showmen by Peter Lovesey ****
the Padder's Lesson by Molly Brown ***
To Dispose of an Abbot by Susanna Gregory ****
Mamur Zapt] and the Catherine Wheel by Michael Pearce ****
the Great Brogonye by David Howard ****
Harriette Wilson 01 the Unkindest Cut by Kate Ross ****
Claudia Seferius] Girl Talk by Marilyn Todd ****
Sister Fidelma] Invitation to a Poisoning by Peter Tremayne ****
the Last High Queen by Anne Perry ****
To Encourage the Others by Martin Edwards ***
Psalm for a Dead Disciple by Edward Marston ****
Handsel Monday by Catherine Aird ****
SPQR 08.5 An Academic Question by John Maddox Roberts ****
Lord John Grey 00 Hellfire by Diana Gabaldon ****
the Party May Yet be Living by Lindsey Davis ***

My Rating System:
* couldn't finish, ** wouldn't recommend, *** would recommend, **** would read again, ***** have read again.

[Gail Overholt · Rating 4 out of 5]

Finally!! It's finished! Whew.

Some stories were great, others, meh. Some memorable, others, not so much. In more than a few, I guessed the perpetrator beforehand, but that has never lessened my enjoyment of a mystery. The saying goes, we're entertained when we predict the outcome, but also when we're surprised by it.

Initially, I gave the book 3 stars, but as I reread the stories, I realize there are many more that I enjoy rather than dislike. Some of my favorites include:

1. "Death by Eros" by Steven Saylor: Maybe it was nostalgia—I lived in Naples for two years and it still retains some of its Grecian influence

2. "Damned Spot" by Julian Rathbone: Took me two readings to "get it," the second after I'd done a little research on the Cecils and Thomas Kyd.

3. "To Dispose of an Abbot" by Susanna Gregory: It reminded me of Margaret Frazer's Dame Frevisse novels, which I love.

4. "An Academic Question" by John Maddox Roberts: I'd just read The Song of Achilles by Madelaine Miller and was thus on an Achilles/Patroclus high.

5. "Hellfire" by Diana Gabaldon: Because Lord John Grey is the cat's pajamas, the bees' knees, da bomb, the bestest, and every other superlative you can throw at him.

[Anne · Rating 3 out of 5]

I discovered Ellis Peters (nom de plume of British historian Edith Pargeter) nearly two decades before I learned that she had pretty much invented the historical mystery novel. I was really lucky, then, to start with the best.

This is a great collection of short mystery stories from all time periods, mostly set in Europe. Some are better than others, and the authors' styles are varied enough so that any fan of historical mystery should find at least a few that he or she enjoys immensely.

[Leslie Jem]

page 115.
page 222 (9-16-15)

[kerrycat · Rating 5 out of 5]

I only read the Mamur Zapt (Michael Pearce) story - and aside from Owen cheating on Zeinab (how COULD he?) it was great fun. I wish I could slap Owen for that, though. Very bad boy.

[Sam · Rating 4 out of 5]

Such a clever way of bringing the past to life while going through the world of Middle Ages, just really love the way these novels just roll along.

[Cece · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not as good as it should be, considering who wrote it.