Guilty Parties: A Crime Writers' Association Anthology

220 Pages·2014·1.08 MB·English

by  Edwards Martin

HEY JUDE © 2014 BY FRANCES BRODY
DEADLINE © 2014 BY N.J. COOPER
THE DEATH OF SPIDERS © 2014 BERNIE CROSTHWAITE
MOMENTS MUSICAUX © 2014 JUDITH CUTLER
A LIBERATING AFFAIR © 2014 CAROL ANNE DAVIS
A GLIMPSE OF HELL © 2014 MARTIN EDWARDS
THE CONFESSIONS OF EDWARD PRIME © 2014 KATE ELLIS
TELL IT TO THE BEES © 2014 JANE FINNIS
PACIFIED © 2014 CHRISTOPHER FOWLER
THE FRANKLIN’S SECOND TALE © 2014 PAUL FREEMAN
SECOND CHANCE © 2014 JOHN HARVEY
ALL YESTERDAY’S PARTIES © 2014 PAUL JOHNSTON
PARTY OF TWO © 2014 RAGNAR JONASSON
READER, I BURIED THEM © 2014 PETER LOVESEY
THE LAST GUILTY PARTY © 2014 PHIL LOVESEY
WHAT’S THE TIME, MR WOLF? © 2014 CHRISTINE POULSON
THE WIDE OPEN SKY © 2014 KATE RHODES
SKELETON CREW © 2014 CHRIS SIMMS
FLATMATE WANTED: SMOKERS WELCOME © 2014 C.L. TAYLOR
DIRECTOR’S CUT © 2014 ALINE TEMPLETON
LIKE FATHER, LIKE SON © 2014 RICKI THOMAS
GIVING SOMETHING BACK © 2014 L.C. TYLER
THE ART OF OLD AGE © 2014 YVONNE EVE WALUS
THE MAN IN THE NEXT BED © 2014 LAURA WILSON
GUILTY PARTIES
A Crime Writers’ Association Anthology
Edited by
Martin Edwards
This eBook is copyright material and must not be copied, reproduced,
transferred, distributed, leased, licensed or publicly performed or used in any
way except as specifically permitted in writing by the publishers, as allowed
under the terms and conditions under which is was purchased or as strictly
permitted by applicably copyright law. Any unauthorised distribution or use of
this text may be a direct infringement of the author’s and publisher’s rights and
those responsible may be liable in law accordingly.
First published in Great Britain and the USA 2014 by SEVERN HOUSE
PUBLISHERS LTD of 19 Cedar Road, Sutton, Surrey, England, SM2 5DA.
eBook edition first published in 2014 by Severn House Digital
an imprint of Severn House Publishers Limited Collection Copyright © 2014 by
Crime Writers’ Association Foreword Copyright © 2014 by Alison Joseph
Introduction Copyright © 2014 by Martin Edwards For Copyright in the
individual stories please consult the list here.
The right of Edited by Martin Edwards to be identified as the author of this work
has been asserted in accordance with Copyright, Designs & Patents Act 1988.
British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data Guilty parties : a Crime Writers’
Association anthology.
1. Detective and mystery stories, English.
I. Edwards, Martin, 1955-editor of compilation.
823’.087208092-dc23
ISBN-13: 978-07278-8387-2 (cased)
ISBN-13: 978-1-84751-516-2 (trade paper) ISBN-13: 978-1-78010-534-5 (ePub)
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.
This ebook produced by
Palimpsest Book Production Limited,
Falkirk, Stirlingshire, Scotland
CONTENTS
Cover
Title Page
Copyright
Foreword – Alison Joseph
Introduction – Martin Edwards
Hey Jude – Frances Brody
Deadline – N.J. Cooper
The Death of Spiders – Bernie Crosthwaite
Moments Musicaux – Judith Cutler
A Liberating Affair – Carol Anne Davis
A Glimpse of Hell – Martin Edwards
The Confessions of Edward Prime – Kate Ellis
Tell it to the Bees – Jane Finnis
Pacified – Christopher Fowler
The Franklin’s Second Tale – Paul Freeman
Second Chance – John Harvey
All Yesterday’s Parties – Paul Johnston
Party of Two – Ragnar Jónasson
Reader, I Buried Them – Peter Lovesey
The Last Guilty Party – Phil Lovesey
What’s the Time, Mr Wolf? – Christine Poulson
The Wide Open Sky – Kate Rhodes
Skeleton Crew – Chris Simms
Flatmate Wanted: Smokers Welcome – C.L. Taylor
Director’s Cut – Aline Templeton
Like Father, Like Son – Ricki Thomas
Giving Something Back – L.C. Tyler
The Art of Old Age – Yvonne Eve Walus
The Man in the Next Bed – Laura Wilson
FOREWORD
R
ather like letter writing, or music on vinyl, the death of the short story seems
to be constantly anticipated. ‘Oh, people don’t read short stories,’ it is said, in
publishing circles, or by magazine editors. ‘The days of the short story are
numbered.’ Well, if this volume is anything to go by, the short story, on the
contrary, has a very healthy future.
The short story is in the DNA of crime fiction. One only has to glance at the
eminent history of the genre to see that short stories were absolutely central to
the work of some of our greatest crime writers. There is the work of Conan
Doyle, of course, but also the likes of Allingham, Christie, Chesterton and
Simenon all knew that some tales demand the brevity and elegance that only a
short story can give.
This CWA Anthology continues that proud tradition. Since our foundation in
1953, the nature of crime writing has evolved and broadened, the
characterization ever richer, the story-telling more exploratory, experimental,
surprising. The genre continues to be popular because people love being told a
proper story. A reader reaching for a crime story knows that they will be given a
page-turning narrative and a real resolution.
And the popularity of the short form of our genre reflects that. A crime short
story can be writ large or small. It can describe the culmination of a lifetime in
one moment of change; or, it can be a little tale of neat resolution. It can chart
unimaginable evil, or quiet homicide, or just a dull day in a copper’s life. It can
talk of death, of love, of vengeance. It can describe psychological torment, or the
orderly processes of a detective’s puzzle-solving. Sometimes it doesn’t even
need to have a crime.
The CWA Anthology is always an opportunity to showcase the huge range of
talent within the genre and the writers represented here are no exception. Some
are familiar names, some are people who have never contributed before; some
British, some from overseas. As a collection of work it proves the continued
importance of short stories, an importance which I am sure will continue to
grow, not only in print form, but also within the proliferations of web-based and
electronic forms, so that a bite-sized chunk of narrative is just the thing for a
short train journey, or a moment between meetings.
I am delighted to introduce this collection and to celebrate the work of the
featured authors. I also wish to thank, once again, our publishers, Severn House,
and our wonderful editor, Martin Edwards. And as even a cursory dipping-in
will demonstrate, the crime short story is in robust form, and all set to continue
the rich tradition of the genre.
Alison Joseph
CWA Chair