Murder on the Short List [Paperback]

Peter Lovesey (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 31, 2009

A shortlist of Peter Loveseys best ever stories . . . - . . including the Crime Writers Associations best short story of 2007 and featuring some of Loveseys most popular detectives Bertie, Prince of Wales, Sergeant Cribb and Rosemary and Thyme. Join the author in a brush with Adolf Hitler and take a walk on Beachy Head, the UKs favourite suicide spot surprises are guaranteed . . .

--This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Starred Review. Crippen and Landru's third collection of Lovesey's short mysteries is another triumph that brilliantly demonstrates the British author's range and wit. Lovesey, whose recent novels have been the superb fair-play puzzlers featuring Peter Diamond and Hen Mallin (The Secret Hangman, etc.), revives his earlier sleuths, the dogged Sergeant Cribb (in a Jack-the-Ripper-like whodunit, "Razor Bill") and the clueless Bertie, prince of Wales (in "Bertie and the Christmas Tree"), both of Victorian vintage. "Needle Match," which was chosen by the Crime Writers Association as the best short story of 2007, is a masterful example of misdirection set at Wimbledon in 1981 during a fiercely fought tennis match. Each of the 14 stories offers something to appeal to every mystery reader, no matter what subgenre is his or her favorite.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

From Booklist

Lovesey, one of Britain’s most highly respected and prolific crime writers, offers a collection of short crime stories that perfectly captures the essence of his considerable talent. Incorporating wry humor, startling twists, clever and unexpected plots, captivating characters, and subtle but unmistakable irony, the stories range from the chuckle-producing tale of a violent mobster who wants to buy a harp for his musician son, through the case of two silly men who fall for a get-rich-quick scheme, to the hilarious tale of a gang of oldsters who hatch a plot to steal hearing aids. In an informative preface, Lovesey offers readers an insight into where he found inspiration for the stories. Delightful, witty, and clever, this volume will make an appealing addition to collections with a strong fan base for Lovesey’s many ongoing series starring, among others, Sergeant Cribb, Peter Diamond, Hen Mallin, and Bertie, Prince of Wales. --Emily Melton --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 240 pages
• Publisher: Severn House Published Stock (August 31, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1847511082
• ISBN-13: 978-1847511089
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.4 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)

More About the Author

PETER LOVESEY is the author of the Peter Diamond mysteries, well known for their use of surprise, strong characters and hard-to-crack puzzles. He was awarded the Cartier Diamond Dagger in 2000, the Grand Prix de Litterature Policiere, the Anthony, the Ellery Queen Readers' Award and is Grand Master of the Swedish Academy of Detection. He has been a full-time author since 1975, and was formerly in further education. Earlier series include the Sergeant Cribb mysteries seen on TV and the Bertie, Prince of Wales novels. The Diamond novels, set in Bath, England, where Peter lived for some years, feature a burly, warm-hearted, but no-nonsense police detective whose personal life becomes as engaging to the reader as the intricate mysteries he solves. His team in Bath CID includes the ex-journo Ingeborg Smith, the long-serving Keith Halliwell and the meticulous John Leaman, all involved in what is essentially a fair-play procedural mystery series. Peter and his wife Jax, who co-scripted the TV series, have a son, Phil, also a teacher and mystery writer, and a daughter Kathy, who was a Vice-President of J.P.Morgan-Chase, and now lives with her family in Greenwich, Ct. Peter currently lives in Chichester, England. His website at www.peterlovesey.com gives fuller details of his life and books. "Try him. You'll love him," wrote the doyen of the mystery world, Otto Penzler, in the New York Sun.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Peter Lovesey is the best!, January 11, 2009

By 

Kate Collins, author (Indiana, USA) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Murder on the Short List (Paperback)

Peter Lovesey is one of the reasons I became a mystery author. His easy writing style, taut plots, and dry Brit wit charmed me from the first. This is a collection of short stories that shows his range of abilities. Truly enjoyable.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Nice to see Sergeant Cribb again, even briefly..., August 10, 2009

By 

windcheetah "catwind" (Moo Guernsy) - See all my reviews

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This review is from: Murder on the Short List (Hardcover)

I wish Lovesey would have continued Sergeant Cribb in at least a few more novels, but at least I get to see him in action again in this short story collection. He actually appears in two of the short stories, but the second is as a part of another Lovesey novel character's short story. Still, I liked most of the others, though I felt that a few had been written too hastily and lacked depth of character and plot. However, the others had tighter writing and a nice twist at the end, which made this Lovesey book worth adding to my collection.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Another Excellent Collection from on of UKs best, May 5, 2009

By 

Gordon (Wilburton, OK, United States) - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Murder on the Short List (Paperback)

Peter Lovesey, the master of the surprise ending once again gives us a collection of his short stories. So for those of you who can't subscribe to every mystery fiction magazine here is your chance for some excellent reading time.