Playing Dead: Short Stories by Members of the Detection Club in Bloomington, MN

Members of the Detection Club, the most prestigious group of crime writers in the world, celebrate the eightieth birthday of their former president
–
the original king of cozy crime, Simon Brett
with this stunning collection of all-new short stories.
A long-married crime-writing couple plot murder most horrid, with a jaw-dropping twist . . . A group of school friends dig up a long-buried dark secret . . . A widower joins a local amdram society, with surprisingly dramatic results . . . A deranged fan stalks a celebrated TV personality . . . An online romance turns sour . . . and much, much more.
From police procedurals to the sharpest satire, from historical mystery to dark and twisted chillers, these twenty-two original tales, written by some of Britain’s most remarkable bestselling authors, are essential reading for crime and mystery fans.
With stories by
Abir Mukherjee
,
Aline Templeton
Alison Joseph
Andrew Taylor
Ann Cleeves
Catherine Aird, Christopher Fowler
David Stuart Davies
Elly Griffiths
Frances Brody
John Harvey
Kate Ellis
L.C. Tyler
Liza Cody
Lynne Truss
Martin Edwards
Michael Jecks
Michael Ridpath
Michael Z. Lewin
Peter Lovesey
Ruth Dudley Edwards
– and last, but very much not least,
Simon Brett
, who’s brought back his much-loved amateur sleuth, washed-up actor Charles Paris, to tread the boards once again.