Mysterious Pleasures: A Celebration of the Crime Writers' Association 50th Anniversary [Paperback]

Martin Edwards (Editor), Robert Barnard (Contributor), Lindsey Davis (Contributor), Colin Dexter (Contributor), Reginald Hill (Contributor), H.R.F. Keating (Contributor), Peter Lovesey (Contributor), Val McDermid (Contributor), Ian Rankin (Contributor)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 1, 2003

Ever since its creation, the Crime Writers’ Association has championed the very best in murder and mystery. Now, to commemorate the 50th anniversary of this esteemed organization, Mysterious Pleasures showcases the short stories of some of its most illustrious members. All the contributors are winners of the CWA’s prestigious Diamond or Gold Dagger Awards, or have served as chairman. These are tales that alternately tantalize, intrigue, shock, surprise, and thrill—a myriad of styles united only by genre and by the sheer quality of the writing.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Did you know that the much-prized Gold Dagger Award given out by the British Crime Writers' Association was known as the "Crossed Red Herring Award" when the group had its first luncheon in 1953? (It went to Winston Graham, of Poldark fame.) Editor Edwards notes this without apparent irony in his introduction to a well-chosen collection of stories by CWA award winners put together to mark the golden anniversary of the influential organizationâ€"a shrewd mixture of old favorites such as Margery Allingham's "One Morning They'll Hang Him" and John Creasey's "The Chief Witness" (according to Edwards, one third of CWA's early members "happened to be Creasey himself under his many pseudonyms") and eight new tales written for this anthology by such big names as Colin Dexter, Reginald Hill, Val McDermid and Ian Rankin. The stories cover the range of what we've come to expect from British crime fiction at its best, from the traditional cop on the beat story with a twist in its tail (Hill's "The Game of the Dog") to McDermid's tough and dark "The Consolation Blonde," which appropriately enough is about a male writer who loses a major literary award and takes out his frustration on his date. This could be the perfect volume to take along on your next trip to England, especially with all the recent airport delays.
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Review

“…this one should sell well to fans of British mysteries given the all–star cast of contributors.” -- Publishers Weekly

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Product Details

• Paperback: 370 pages
• Publisher: Little, Brown Book Group; First British Edition edition (November 1, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0316725633
• ISBN-13: 978-0316725637
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.4 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #4,659,879 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)