Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
Edwards follows 2011's Original Sins with another solid anthology from British crime authors who range from well-known veterans such as Robert Barnard and Ann Cleeves to relative newcomers such as Bernie Crosthwaite and L.C. Tyler. Of the 17 selections, 16 are original to this volume, while the late H.R.F. Keating's Inspector Ghote story, "The Visitor," had limited distribution. In Edwards's clever "Squeaky," the wife of a magician/ventriloquist pulls her own disappearing act. In Susan Moody's "Deck the Halls with Poison, Ivy," a controlling mother pushes her daughters too far with unexpected results. Yvonne Walus's "Masks for Every Occasion" offers a surprising solution as crime profiler Dr. Elizabeth Mphela tries to unmask a serial killer striking down key figures in the World Cup matches being played in South Africa. Peter James, in his succinct foreword, extols the virtues of the short story form. (Mar.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by Library Journal Review
This anthology follows the success of Crime Writers' Association's (CWA) recent Original Sins, also edited by Edwards (The Serpent Pool; The Coffin Trail). All 17 stories were written for this volume, with the exception of the late H.R.F. Keating's "The Visitor," which stars Inspector Ghote in a crafty tale about the Mumbai of old, better known as Bombay. Jane Finnis's "All that Glisters" is a contemporary revenge story from an author best known for her historicals. Some writers, such as Amy Myers, bring in their series characters for a short visit. Other award-winning names are here, such as foreword writer Peter James, Robert Barnard, and Ann Cleeves. Welcome additions include such promising newcomers as Dan Waddell, L.C. Tyler, and Claire Seeber. Verdict This is a veritable candy box full of guilty pleasures, both cozy and dark. It's a perfect way to sample a range of U.K. crime fiction flavors. (c) Copyright 2012. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
Original Sins, 2011, etc.). Brevity is not only the soul of wit but the heart of this otherwise rather heartless collection. Four entries ring down the curtain in seven pages or less. Peter James reveals the downside of online romance; Claire Seeber shows a wifely worm turning; L.C. Tyler's con-man bridegroom meets his match; Dan Waddell's feverish monologue presents an abortive connubial reunion. The best of the longer (but not much longer) stories, Yvonne Walus' World Cup serial killer and editor Edwards' creepy adventures of a ventriloquist's dummy, compress plots that could have been drawn out to much greater length, making their economy still another virtue. Susan Moody provides a malicious antidote to the obligatory Christmas visit to mother, and Robert Barnard uses a former foster child's visit to his foster home as the basis for a scenario as bizarre as it is breathless. Amy Myers and Alanna Knight recount cases for signature detectives Jack Colby and Inspector Jeremy Faro. Trickery and double meanings lurk in the clever titles chosen by Bernie Crosthwaite ("The Golden Hour"), Sarah Rayne ("The Unknown Crime") and H.R.F. Keating ("The Visitor"--the one reprint here, but an unexpectedly haunting Inspector Ghote rarity abundantly worth a long second look). The roster of usual suspects is complemented by Ann Cleeves, Judith Cutler, Carol Anne Davis and Jane Finnis--some of them merely going through their accustomed paces, but never with less than a high professional finish. The one cavil: very few guilty consciences on display here. Ah, that's England.]] Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
