The Detection Collection by
Simon Brett
pbk out October 05
(Orion)
at £10.99
The Detection Club's occasional publications have always been interesting and this
new anthology, celebrating the Club's (more or less) 75th anniversary, is no exception.
'More or less' because there is a touch of mystery about the Club's precise origins; it
began as a dining club in 1928 and its constitution seems to have come into being four
years later. Simon Brett rounds the book off with a concise history of the Club's
activities, although sadly (because he is a terrific short story writer) he does not
contribute a tale to this gathering from the great and the good of crime fiction. Indeed,
there are only eleven stories in this relatively slim volume – but crucially, they
include splendid work from the likes of P.D. James, whose 'The Part-Time Job' gets
the book off to a very enjoyable start. The final story, by Reginald Hill, features Andy
Dalziel and is exceptionally good. There are also welcome returns to the fray from John
Harvey's Charlie Resnick and Margaret Yorke's Patrick Grant and rare short stories
by Michael Ridpath, Clare Francis and Robert Goddard. A good Christmas present for
crime fans.
(
Martin Edwards
- author of the highly acclaimed Harry Devlin Mysteries)
