Deadly Pleasures: A Crime Writers' Association Anthology

241 Pages·2013·7.28 MB·English

by  Edwards Martin

Copyright Information
THE FRAME © 2013 BY SIMON BRETT
THE PIRATE © 2013 BY ANN CLEEVES
DAY OR NIGHT © 2013 BY LIZA CODY
ZOUNDS! © 2013 BY LINDSEY DAVIS
MR HALKETT'S HOBBY © 2013 BY MARTIN EDWARDS
KILLING THE SWANS © 2013 BY RUTH DUDLEY EDWARDS
BRYANT AND MAY IN THE FIELD © 2013
BY CHRISTOPHER FOWLER
FEDORA © 2013 BY JOHN HARVEY
LAST EXIT TO FUENGIROLA © 2013 BY DAVID HEWSON
CLICK © 2013 BY ALISON JOSEPH
ANGELA'S ALTERATIONS © 2013 BY PETER LOVESEY
THE LAST RESORT © 2013 BY CLAIRE McGOWAN
THE POLAR BEAR KILLING © 2013 BY MICHAEL RIDPATH
ENCHANTRESS © 2013 BY PETER ROBINSON
NIGHT NURSE © 2013 BY CATH STAINCLIFFE
CATCH-13 © 2013 BY ANDREW TAYLOR
THE WRONG MAN © 2013 BY CHARLES TODD
THREESCORE AND TEN © 1980 ESTATE OF MARGARET YORKE
First published under the title 'The Reckoning' in Woman.
DEADLY PLEASURES
A Crime Writers' Association Anthology
....
Edited by
Martin Edwards
~vern
JIg
This first world edition published 2013
in Great Britain and in the USA by
SEVERN HOUSE PUBLISHERS LTD of
19 Cedar Road, Sutton, Surrey, England, SM2 5DA.
Trade paperback edition first published in Great Britain and the USA 2013
by SEVERN HOUSE PUBLISHERS LTD
Collection copyright © 2013 by Crime Writers' Association
Foreword copyright © 2013 by Peter James
Introduction copyright © 2013 by Martin Edwards
For copyright in the individual stories please consult
the list on prelim page ii.
All rights reserved.
The moral right of the author has been asserted.
British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data
Deadly pleasures: an anthology of original stories from
members of the Crime Writers' Association.
I. Detective and mystery stories, English.
2. Short stories, English.
I. Edwards, Martin, 1955-editor of compilation II. Crime Writers'
Association (Great Britain)
823' .087208092-dc23
ISBN-13: 978-0-7278-8317-9 (cased)
ISBN-13: 978-1-84751-488-2 (trade paper)
Except where actual historical events and characters are being
described for the storyline of this novel, all situations in this
pUblication are fictitious and any resemblance to living persons
is purely coincidental.
All Severn House titles are printed on acid-free paper.
Severn House Publishers support The Forest Stewardship Council [FSC],
the leading international forest certification organisation. All our titles that
are printed on Greenpeace-approved FSC-certified paper carry the FSC logo.
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~ F8C"C01301M1
Typeset by Palimpsest Book Production Ltd.,
Falkirk, Stirlingshire, Scotland.
Printed and bound in Great Britain by
TJ International, Padstow, Cornwall.
CONTENTS
Foreword Peter James vii
Introduction Martin Edwards IX
The Frame Simon Brett 1
The Pirate Ann Cleeves 21
Day or Night Liza Cody 25
Zounds! Lindsey Davis 35
Mr Halkett's Hobby Martin Edwards 49
Killing the Swans Ruth Dudley Edwards 61
Bryant and May in the Field Christopher Fowler 69
Fedora John Harvey 89
Last Exit to Fuengirola David Hewson 103
Click Alison Joseph 123
Angela's Alterations Peter Lovesey 141
The Last Resort Claire McGowan 159
The Polar Bear Killing Michael Ridpath 169
Enchantress Peter Robinson 187
Night Nurse Cath Stainc1iffe 207
Catch-13 Andrew Taylor 213
The Wrong Man Charles Todd 221
Threescore and Ten Margaret Yorke 235
FOREWORD
Ih ave always loved short stories, ever since I first discovered
the genre in my teens, when I was studying French litera
ture, and came across the brilliant and often shocking tales
by Guy de Maupassant. I did not realize at the time, but he
had carved a reputation as one of the fathers of the modem
short story. It is years since I last read his work, but I can still
remember them as vividly as if I had read them yesterday. All
of them were beautifully written, exquisitely crafted, and left
a lasting resonance.
That to me is one of the great powers of a good short story.
The sting in the tail of the tale that stays with you long after
you have finished. And some, like Maupassant's, remain with
you, and prick you, for all of your life.
There has been discussion over the years about the word
count that separates a short story from a novella, and a novella
from a novel. Very curiously, this has changed in the thirty
two years (gulp!) that I have been a published author. Back
in 1980, when, with almost delirious happiness I signed my
first ever publishing contract-for my spy thriller, Dead Letter
Drop, with the then publishing house, WH Allen - I noted
that the contract specified my novel should be a minimum of
fifty thousand words. But for at least the past twenty years,
my publishing contracts now specify a minimum of eighty
thousand, and anything less is considered a novella. But how
much less than that to be a short story?
According to the Guinness Book of Records, the shortest
ever recorded correspondence was between Victor Hugo and
his publisher. He had just submitted the first draft of his
manuscript of The Hunchback Of Notre Dame, and his accom
panying letter was one digit long: It was simply a question
mark: '?'.
The reply he received, a week or so later, from his editor,
was equally short and succinct: '!'.
viii Foreword
The shortest known short story, consisting of just six words,
is attributed to Ernest Hemingway, although the provenance
has never been conclusively substantiated.
'For sale: Baby shoes. Never worn.'
It is brilliant, because, like all great short stories, and indeed
all great writing, it fires the imagination of the reader. So many
questions, and no answers, except the ones we invent.
This latest collection by CWA members is a wonderful
assortment of fine, inventive writing, and extremely ably edited
by Martin Edwards. Every story in this collection is a gem,
every story will make you pause to reflect at the end. And I
guarantee there are some here that we will all remember in
thirty years' time. You are in for a treat, I promise you!
Peter James
CWA Chair
2011-2013
INTRODUCTION
T
his year sees the Crime Writers' Association reach its
Diamond Jubilee, and this anthology celebrates that
notable anniversary in a suitably murderous way. From
humble beginnings, when John Creasey convened a meeting
of fellow mystery writers, and a dozen people who attended
at the National Liberal Club on Guy Fawkes' Night in 1953
agreed to form the Association, the CWA has grown in size
and reputation, so much so that today, it numbers in its ranks
many of the world's leading authors of popular fiction. And it's
good to know that John's son Richard is now himself a member
of the CWA.
The distinguished list of contributors to this anthology
includes a host of award-winners. Many are writers whose
novels have been turned into highly successful TV series,
such as DCI Banks, Vera, Blue Murder, Cribb, Resnick, Anna
Lee, Fallen Angel and Shetland, while David Hewson has
reversed the process by writing novels based on the Danish
TV series The Killing. The generosity of these very busy
people, who have taken the time to write original stories for
the book despite their countless other commitments, speaks
volumes for the affection and loyalty that the CWA inspires.
As usual with CWA anthologies, I've been keen to include
stories by a number of authors who have not previously contrib
uted to the series. And they have come up with some wonderful
stories, as well as offering readers a chance to catch up with
several of their favourite characters. Fans of Bryant and May,
Jack Kiley, Inspector Rutledge and Michael Ridpath's Icelandic
books are in for a real treat. Those, like me, who mourn the
long-time absence from the bookshelves of that terrific char
acter Anna Lee will find a clue to her fate - or perhaps it is
a red herring? - in Liza Cody's contribution. There is a story
from a talented newcomer to the genre, Claire McGowan, and
as well as that Rutledge mystery from one (or rather two!) of
x Introduction
the CWA's overseas members, the American mother and son
partnership who write together as Charles Todd.
John Harvey's story is a fascinating take on a highly topical
and difficult criminal subject, while Lindsey Davis has written
a story which is a sort of companion piece to her contribution
to the CWA's Golden Jubilee anthology, Mysterious Pleasures.
Peter Robinson's story began life in a different form, as a
piece for performance by Peter, alongside the legendary Martin
Carthy, at the Beverley Folk Festival last year. The collection
as a whole demonstrates the wide and exciting range of modem
crime writing. The book offers police detectives and private
eyes, humour and history, poignancy and psychological
suspense. And . . . well, as you will see, there are plenty of
tales of the unexpected.
My original plan for this anthology was that, in reflecting
the vibrancy of the current crime fiction scene, and of the
CWA, it should contain nothing but brand new stories. Whilst
the book was in the course of preparation, however, the CWA
lost one of its most senior and distinguished members, and a
former Chair, Margaret Yorke. Margaret, who died late in 2012,
was not only one of the most gifted modem practitioners of
psychological suspense in a domestic, but distinctly uncosy,
setting, but also a staunch supporter of the CWA . She was an
accomplished short story writer and had contributed to CWA
anthologies in the past, most recently at the time of our Golden
Jubilee. I felt it would be a fitting tribute to include one of
her stories, which had previously reached only a limited read
ership, and I am very glad that her family not only agreed,
but took the trouble to read through Margaret's stories, and
choose one which they felt was a suitable example of her gifts.
It scarcely seems credible that ten years have passed since
I edited the CWA's Golden Jubilee anthology, Mysterious
Pleasures. The title of this collection, shared with an excellent
American magazine edited by George Easter, again reflects
the pleasures that fictional crime can offer. And for me, as
editor, being the first person to read the stories written by so
many superb writers has proved especially enjoyable.
My thanks go to all the contributors, and to Margaret's
family, for their kindness in helping to make this book possible.
Introduction xi
I'm also grateful to Edwin Buckhalter and his colleagues at
Severn House for their support for the project, and to Peter
Ja mes for his foreword. The result is a collection which will,
I feel sure, give countless readers pleasure.
Martin Edwards