Before I dive into Playing Dead: Short Stories by Members of the Detection Club, I want to mention the cover. This is perfect! The stories in this collection, edited by Martin Edwards, celebrate Simon Brett’s eightieth birthday. As Brett is the author of the mysteries featuring actor Charles Paris, the cover, curtains opening to reveal the contents, is perfect.
This is the latest book produced by members of the Detection Club, a small social network of crime writers. The stories cover a wide range of subjects, but some feature the theater or other tributes to Brett’s writing. He is the author of over 100 books, and does a brief recap of his career at the conclusion of this one, with “The Detection Club: A Personal Memoir” about his forty-five years as a member. It covers memories of Eric the Skull, P.D. James and Margaret Yorke.
If you’re a fan of British crime writers, you might want to pick up this book. Where else will you get a collection featuring so many great ones?
I’m not going to discuss every author and short story. I’ll mention a few of my favorites. L.C. Tyler’s “Crimes Ancient and Modern” is a fun little story with references to Brett’s brother and sister team, Blotto and Twinks. Peter Lovesey offers a short interlude in which he discusses Brett’s career as a radio producer and writer, then follows it with a short story set in that world, “Just a Minute”. Kate Ellis brings in actor Charles Paris in “Lookalike”. In “Criss-Cross”, John Harvey brings back his retired detective, Resnick, in a police procedural.
Readers of British crime writers will recognize the names of Ann Cleeves, Martin Edwards, Elly Griffiths, Catherine Aird, Christopher Fowler, and Ruth Dudley Edwards, just some of the other authors who contributed stories to the book. There’s also a section with biographies of the authors.
Playing Dead is a fine tribute to a deserving author. Short story readers will want to pick up this collection featuring the best of today’s writers.
Playing Dead” Short Stories by Members of the Detection Club, edited by Martin Edwards. Severn House, 2025. ISBN 9781448312962 (hardcover), 288p.
FTC Full Disclosure – I received a galley through NetGalley to review for a journal.
Cool. I haven’t read Simon Brett in years, but at one point I was reading his Charles Paris series plus his short stories and some standalones. Plus, I think I’ve read all the anthologies Martin Edwards has done, and I’m sure this will be on that list.
PS – Just an aside, but, when are we going to get rid of DST once and for all?!
Like you, I wish we could get rid of DST for good, or at least make a decision & just keep one. Although I actually like it lighter at night.
I hope you enjoy it, Jeff, when you get the book.