Do Not Exceed The Stated Dose by
Peter Lovesey
hbk out May 98
Published by Little Brown
at £16.99
Peter Lovesey is best known for his admirable novels, especially his three principal series featuring Sergeant Cribb, Bertie, Prince of Wales, and Peter Diamond. Yet he is an equally accomplished writer of short mystery stories and this, his third collection, provides an enjoyable reminder of
his talents. Both Bertie and Diamond are featured, but perhaps the strongest stories are the one-offs, including "Disposing Of Mrs Cronk," which was short listed for a CWA Dagger in 1996, "The Odstock Curse", "Quiet Please - We're Rolling" and the characteristically neat and witty "Never A
Cross Word."
One of the reasons why Lovesey's books are so popular is that they can always be relied on to give good value for money. Here, for instance, we have not only a short introduction from the author, but also a detailed checklist of his novels and stories - a boon for any collector. One hopes
that other publishers will follow the admirable example set here and recognise the value of including a checklist in the books of their more prolific writers. Short stories are supposed not to sell too well, but one hopes that Little, Brown's enterprise in bringing out this entertaining collection will be rewarded. It certainly deserves to be. This is a good showcase for the work of one of our most agreeable mystery-spinners.
(
Martin Edwards
- author of the highly acclaimed Harry Devlin Mysteries)
Do Not Exceed The Stated Dose by
Peter Lovesey