Playing Dead Short Stories by Members of the Detection Club

<p><b><i>Members of the Detection Club, the most prestigious group of crime writers in the world, celebrate the eightieth birthday of their former president </i></b><b>–</b><b><i> the original king of cozy crime, Simon Brett </i></b><b>–</b><b><i> with this stunning collection of all-new short stories. </i></b><br><br>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.<br><br>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.<br><br>With stories by <b>Abir Mukherjee</b>, <b>Aline Templeton</b>, <b>Alison Joseph</b>, <b>Andrew Taylor</b>, <b>Ann Cleeves</b>, <b>Catherine Aird, Christopher Fowler</b>, <b>David Stuart Davies</b>, <b>Elly Griffiths</b>, <b>Frances Brody</b>, <b>John Harvey</b>, <b>Kate Ellis</b>, <b>L.C. Tyler</b>, <b>Liza Cody</b>, <b>Lynne Truss</b>, <b>Martin Edwards</b>, <b>Michael Jecks</b>, <b>Michael Ridpath</b>, <b>Michael Z. Lewin</b>, <b>Peter Lovesey</b>, <b>Ruth Dudley Edwards</b> – and last, but very much not least, <b>Simon Brett</b>, who’s brought back his much-loved amateur sleuth, washed-up actor Charles Paris, to tread the boards once again.</p>