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The Starlings & Other Stories: : A Murder Squad & Accomplices Anthology
Twelve pictures, twelve tales of crime and mystery. Written by Murder Squad and their accomplices, these page-turning short stories open up a world of intrigue, suspense and fear. With contributions from celebrated crime writers including Ann Cleeves, Cath Staincliffe and Martin Edwards, each tale has been inspired by the atmospheric and evocative work of Pembrokeshire-based photographer David Wilson.
The stories, all illustrated with the images that inspired their authors, include modern day love and betrayal, historical murder mysteries, and crime in the Welsh countryside.
Murder Squad is a collective of six crime writers from the north of England. Ann Cleeves is a crime fiction author whose books include Raven Black and Silent Voices. Martin Edwards is the author of the Lake District Mysteries. Cath Staincliffe is the author of Dead to Me and creator of TV series Blue Murder. Chris Simms is the author of the DI Spicer series. Kate Ellis has written the the Joe Plantagenet series and the DI Wesley Peterson series. Margaret Murphy is the author of Darkness Falls and Weaving Shadows.
The stories, all illustrated with the images that inspired their authors, include modern day love and betrayal, historical murder mysteries, and crime in the Welsh countryside.
Murder Squad is a collective of six crime writers from the north of England. Ann Cleeves is a crime fiction author whose books include Raven Black and Silent Voices. Martin Edwards is the author of the Lake District Mysteries. Cath Staincliffe is the author of Dead to Me and creator of TV series Blue Murder. Chris Simms is the author of the DI Spicer series. Kate Ellis has written the the Joe Plantagenet series and the DI Wesley Peterson series. Margaret Murphy is the author of Darkness Falls and Weaving Shadows.
224 pages, Paperback
First published September 7, 2015
About the author
Ann Cleeves
123 books9,028 followersAnn is the author of the books behind ITV's VERA, now in it's third series, and the BBC's SHETLAND, which will be aired in December 2012. Ann's DI Vera Stanhope series of books is set in Northumberland and features the well loved detective along with her partner Joe Ashworth. Ann's Shetland series bring us DI Jimmy Perez, investigating in the mysterious, dark, and beautiful Shetland Islands...
Ann grew up in the country, first in Herefordshire, then in North Devon. Her father was a village school teacher. After dropping out of university she took a number of temporary jobs - child care officer, women's refuge leader, bird observatory cook, auxiliary coastguard - before going back to college and training to be a probation officer.
While she was cooking in the Bird Observatory on Fair Isle, she met her husband Tim, a visiting ornithologist. She was attracted less by the ornithology than the bottle of malt whisky she saw in his rucksack when she showed him his room. Soon after they married, Tim was appointed as warden of Hilbre, a tiny tidal island nature reserve in the Dee Estuary. They were the only residents, there was no mains electricity or water and access to the mainland was at low tide across the shore. If a person's not heavily into birds - and Ann isn't - there's not much to do on Hilbre and that was when she started writing. Her first series of crime novels features the elderly naturalist, George Palmer-Jones. A couple of these books are seriously dreadful.
In 1987 Tim, Ann and their two daughters moved to Northumberland and the north east provides the inspiration for many of her subsequent titles. The girls have both taken up with Geordie lads. In the autumn of 2006, Ann and Tim finally achieved their ambition of moving back to the North East.
For the National Year of Reading, Ann was made reader-in-residence for three library authorities. It came as a revelation that it was possible to get paid for talking to readers about books! She went on to set up reading groups in prisons as part of the Inside Books project, became Cheltenham Literature Festival's first reader-in-residence and still enjoys working with libraries.
Ann Cleeves on stage at the Duncan Lawrie Dagger awards ceremony
Ann's short film for Border TV, Catching Birds, won a Royal Television Society Award. She has twice been short listed for a CWA Dagger Award - once for her short story The Plater, and the following year for the Dagger in the Library award.
In 2006 Ann Cleeves was the first winner of the prestigious Duncan Lawrie Dagger Award of the Crime Writers' Association for Raven Black, the first volume of her Shetland Quartet. The Duncan Lawrie Dagger replaces the CWA's Gold Dagger award, and the winner receives £20,000, making it the world's largest award for crime fiction.
Ann's success was announced at the 2006 Dagger Awards ceremony at the Waldorf Hilton, in London's Aldwych, on Thursday 29 June 2006. She said: "I have never won anything before in my life, so it was a complete shock - but lovely of course.. The evening was relatively relaxing because I'd lost my voice and knew that even if the unexpected happened there was physically no way I could utter a word. So I wouldn't have to give a speech. My editor was deputed to do it!"
The judging panel consisted of Geoff Bradley (non-voting Chair), Lyn Brown MP (a committee member on the London Libraries service), Frances Gray (an academic who writes about and teaches courses on modern crime fiction), Heather O'Donoghue (academic, linguist, crime fiction reviewer for The Times Literary Supplement, and keen reader of all crime fiction) and Barry Forshaw (reviewer and editor of Crime Time magazine).
Ann's books have been translated into sixteen languages. She's a bestseller in Scandinavia and Germany. Her novels sell widely and to critical acclaim in the United States. Raven Black was shortlisted for the Martin Beck award for best translated crime novel in Sweden in 200
Ann grew up in the country, first in Herefordshire, then in North Devon. Her father was a village school teacher. After dropping out of university she took a number of temporary jobs - child care officer, women's refuge leader, bird observatory cook, auxiliary coastguard - before going back to college and training to be a probation officer.
While she was cooking in the Bird Observatory on Fair Isle, she met her husband Tim, a visiting ornithologist. She was attracted less by the ornithology than the bottle of malt whisky she saw in his rucksack when she showed him his room. Soon after they married, Tim was appointed as warden of Hilbre, a tiny tidal island nature reserve in the Dee Estuary. They were the only residents, there was no mains electricity or water and access to the mainland was at low tide across the shore. If a person's not heavily into birds - and Ann isn't - there's not much to do on Hilbre and that was when she started writing. Her first series of crime novels features the elderly naturalist, George Palmer-Jones. A couple of these books are seriously dreadful.
In 1987 Tim, Ann and their two daughters moved to Northumberland and the north east provides the inspiration for many of her subsequent titles. The girls have both taken up with Geordie lads. In the autumn of 2006, Ann and Tim finally achieved their ambition of moving back to the North East.
For the National Year of Reading, Ann was made reader-in-residence for three library authorities. It came as a revelation that it was possible to get paid for talking to readers about books! She went on to set up reading groups in prisons as part of the Inside Books project, became Cheltenham Literature Festival's first reader-in-residence and still enjoys working with libraries.
Ann Cleeves on stage at the Duncan Lawrie Dagger awards ceremony
Ann's short film for Border TV, Catching Birds, won a Royal Television Society Award. She has twice been short listed for a CWA Dagger Award - once for her short story The Plater, and the following year for the Dagger in the Library award.
In 2006 Ann Cleeves was the first winner of the prestigious Duncan Lawrie Dagger Award of the Crime Writers' Association for Raven Black, the first volume of her Shetland Quartet. The Duncan Lawrie Dagger replaces the CWA's Gold Dagger award, and the winner receives £20,000, making it the world's largest award for crime fiction.
Ann's success was announced at the 2006 Dagger Awards ceremony at the Waldorf Hilton, in London's Aldwych, on Thursday 29 June 2006. She said: "I have never won anything before in my life, so it was a complete shock - but lovely of course.. The evening was relatively relaxing because I'd lost my voice and knew that even if the unexpected happened there was physically no way I could utter a word. So I wouldn't have to give a speech. My editor was deputed to do it!"
The judging panel consisted of Geoff Bradley (non-voting Chair), Lyn Brown MP (a committee member on the London Libraries service), Frances Gray (an academic who writes about and teaches courses on modern crime fiction), Heather O'Donoghue (academic, linguist, crime fiction reviewer for The Times Literary Supplement, and keen reader of all crime fiction) and Barry Forshaw (reviewer and editor of Crime Time magazine).
Ann's books have been translated into sixteen languages. She's a bestseller in Scandinavia and Germany. Her novels sell widely and to critical acclaim in the United States. Raven Black was shortlisted for the Martin Beck award for best translated crime novel in Sweden in 200
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Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews
September 21, 2015
First of all it has to be said that “The Starlings and other stories” is really a most beautiful book – in every way. The starting point for each short story is a picture – and that picture then inspired the author who follows it to write a tale – and boy were there some GREAT tales to be had here alongside the hauntingly evocative images.
I loved every story – from those that made me shiver to those that made me tearful, every single one was purely brilliant in it’s own way. The photograph at the start of each tale just gave them so much more depth – setting a visual image in your head as a reader, then leading you into some dark and twisty tales that will engage and enthrall you.
There is an immense amount of talent on display here (not only from Mr Wilson either) each author adding their own indomitable style to things and giving us a varied and utterly compelling set of stories that will stay with you a long time. This is one of those times where I won’t tell you much else – I won’t review each individual one because the point here, very much so, is to have an immersive experience with the imagery and the storytelling.
I will perhaps tell you my favourite – that was Mountains out of Molehills by Valerie Laws – but that’s it. The rest you’ll have to discover for yourself – including the tale of the title “The Starlings” from Editor of the book Ann Cleeves.
Other authors you will find here: Cath Staincliffe, Mary Sharratt,Chris Simms, Jim Kelly, Margaret Murphy, Toby Forward, Martin Edwards, Helena Edwards,Kate Ellis and Christine Poulson.
All in all fantastic. A book lover’s dream – if you are a collector you need this for your shelf.
Highly Recommended.
I loved every story – from those that made me shiver to those that made me tearful, every single one was purely brilliant in it’s own way. The photograph at the start of each tale just gave them so much more depth – setting a visual image in your head as a reader, then leading you into some dark and twisty tales that will engage and enthrall you.
There is an immense amount of talent on display here (not only from Mr Wilson either) each author adding their own indomitable style to things and giving us a varied and utterly compelling set of stories that will stay with you a long time. This is one of those times where I won’t tell you much else – I won’t review each individual one because the point here, very much so, is to have an immersive experience with the imagery and the storytelling.
I will perhaps tell you my favourite – that was Mountains out of Molehills by Valerie Laws – but that’s it. The rest you’ll have to discover for yourself – including the tale of the title “The Starlings” from Editor of the book Ann Cleeves.
Other authors you will find here: Cath Staincliffe, Mary Sharratt,Chris Simms, Jim Kelly, Margaret Murphy, Toby Forward, Martin Edwards, Helena Edwards,Kate Ellis and Christine Poulson.
All in all fantastic. A book lover’s dream – if you are a collector you need this for your shelf.
Highly Recommended.
June 22, 2017
Beautiful book with a collection of clever, dark and mysterious stories each based on a stunning black and white photograph taken in west Wales . Loved it.
Did Not Finish
November 17, 2025DNF
I wanted to like these short stories but didn't. The first story was interesting but like the second tale neither really 'mysteries' and instead they leaned more towards mystical. Not bad in of itself, but not expected.
Eventually I jumped to the Ann Cleeves story and while I enjoyed her word smithing the story was was somehow not satisfying.
So worth a try. I just recommend you locate it at the library/
June 7, 2022
3.5 stars
September 8, 2023
The Homecoming and Secrets were the best of the twelve tales. The others were a bit predictable or ended stupidly.
December 9, 2015
I love crime, and I love short stories, and it's pretty unusual to find an anthology of crime stories, and especially one with nice pictures in, so this one was a Must-Read. The book is built around a series of very atmospheric B&W photographs of Welsh landscapes taken by photographer David Wilson. The 12 stories by 12 writers are all very different, but each has that satisfying darkness at the core which you also see in the images that inspired them. And each story is itself inspiring, making you want to get up right now and go tramping around those haunting wild Welsh places. A few of the stories stand out - among them Sirens by Mary Sharratt was unusual, compelling, magical, with lovely - almost poetical - use of language. Starlings by Ann Cleeves - essential reading for Vera's fans because he we have some interesting bits of her backstory (she's some lass, that Vera); Valerie Laws' Mountains out of Molehills throws you in at the deep end, almost head first into the pigs' trough ... but actually tells a sensitive tale of a young lad's struggle with masculinity and dawning sexuality; Sorted by Toby Forward was a surprise - very different from his young adult novels, and shocking and insightful in its detail, spare with its words. All told, a great anthology, a real winter warmer, just right for long dark evenings snug by the fire.
March 9, 2020
An excellent collection of very short stories to fill ten/fifteen minutes at a time. I particularly loved Ann Cleeves’ Vera story which returned us to her back story as a young girl.
Very rarely you get a collection of novellas that are all enjoyable but on this occasion they were all entertaining and together with a photograph at the start of the story to add to the intrigue, I’d happily recommend this book and it’s popular authors.
Very rarely you get a collection of novellas that are all enjoyable but on this occasion they were all entertaining and together with a photograph at the start of the story to add to the intrigue, I’d happily recommend this book and it’s popular authors.
March 13, 2024
Loved every single word on every page.
December 31, 2015
Twelve photographs taken by David Wilson in Pembrokeshire are used by twelve authors to inspire short stories; interpret what they see and invest their own narrative into the photograph. An unusual concept that has worked reasonably well. But for all that I was left somewhat disappointed. Some of the endings were weak and needed more. One contained two continuity howlers, which I am surprised were not spotted by an editor or proof reader. See if you spot them.
My favourites were The Starlings by Ann Cleeves in which she reprises Vera Stanhope; The Man Who Didn't Breathe by Jim Kelly; Mountains Out Of Molehills by Valerie Laws - full of menace, and Sorted by Toby Forward that reminded me so much of Gone Girl.
So, some entertaining stories, some not so good. Overall 3.5 stars from me with my 60th and last book for 2015.
My favourites were The Starlings by Ann Cleeves in which she reprises Vera Stanhope; The Man Who Didn't Breathe by Jim Kelly; Mountains Out Of Molehills by Valerie Laws - full of menace, and Sorted by Toby Forward that reminded me so much of Gone Girl.
So, some entertaining stories, some not so good. Overall 3.5 stars from me with my 60th and last book for 2015.
January 31, 2016
Two of my children bought this as a gift for me; my daughter happy to keep one copy for herself. Curiously, at least three of these twelve stories mention feeding folk to the pigs, which, I confess wasn't something I thought the Welsh routinely guilty of. Neither had I before read all the contributors so it was a good opportunity to sample them. There is mystery, landscape, the coast - most beautifully described by Margaret Murphy - and dark dealings as folk manipulate and lie and cheat, and the whole is a selection which deserves re-reading.
April 13, 2021
I’m a huge fan of the crime genre and Ann Cleeves and, having decided to become more familiar with short stories, I was delighted to find this book. It’s a wonderful idea to base stories on photographs and some of these stories were gripping. The three stars is more my fault than any criticism of the writers - I just cannot seem to invest in short stories. I like slow-burning, character development, and weaving of exposition and back story.
Back to full length novels for a bit...
Back to full length novels for a bit...
June 13, 2017
For my full review click on the link below:
https://crossexaminingcrime.wordpress...
https://crossexaminingcrime.wordpress...
December 24, 2025
'The Starlings & Other Stories' is a collection of 12 crime short stories, six of which are written by members of a Northern 'Murder Squad' writing group and six which are written by others (called their accomplices). The collection is edited by Ann Cleeves, who also wrote the story titled 'The Starlings'.
The stories are all very good and have some unexpected twists. What I especially liked about this book, is that the writers each took a black and white photo shot by David Wilson around Pembrokeshire as the prompt for their story. The photos are quite eerie and give a good sense place and make me really want to see an exhibition of his work someday.
I read this book on my Kindle which really doesn't do the photos justice. In reviews of the physical edition of the book, I've read that the photographs really make the book something special. I've yet to see a copy, but already think it's one I'd like to have on my shelves.
The stories are all very good and have some unexpected twists. What I especially liked about this book, is that the writers each took a black and white photo shot by David Wilson around Pembrokeshire as the prompt for their story. The photos are quite eerie and give a good sense place and make me really want to see an exhibition of his work someday.
I read this book on my Kindle which really doesn't do the photos justice. In reviews of the physical edition of the book, I've read that the photographs really make the book something special. I've yet to see a copy, but already think it's one I'd like to have on my shelves.
October 28, 2019
12 photographs. 12 writers. 12 short stories.
Simple concept, executed well. It is always hard to review anthologies, because some work is extraordinary; other work, not so much.
The photographs were startling in B/W. Gorgeous stepping stones into stories as varied as the 12 writers.
Homecoming: Cath Staincliffe
I could read an entire novel of this. The short story was too short. I want more. I want to hear more from Hugh. Poor, dear Hugh.
The Starlings: Ann Cleeves
WTF happened at the end? Did that wretched Margaret Lawlor get what was coming to her?
Port Lion: Margaret Murphy
Oh, no. no. no. Between girlfriends. Could these boys be such sociopaths? ARRGGH. Write a book of this.
Through the Mist: Martin Edwards
Is it wrong that I cared not at all what happened to any of these dimwits?
Simple concept, executed well. It is always hard to review anthologies, because some work is extraordinary; other work, not so much.
The photographs were startling in B/W. Gorgeous stepping stones into stories as varied as the 12 writers.
Homecoming: Cath Staincliffe
I could read an entire novel of this. The short story was too short. I want more. I want to hear more from Hugh. Poor, dear Hugh.
The Starlings: Ann Cleeves
WTF happened at the end? Did that wretched Margaret Lawlor get what was coming to her?
Port Lion: Margaret Murphy
Oh, no. no. no. Between girlfriends. Could these boys be such sociopaths? ARRGGH. Write a book of this.
Through the Mist: Martin Edwards
Is it wrong that I cared not at all what happened to any of these dimwits?
July 8, 2017
Only read Ann Cleeves' story, but was disappointed. It started very interesting, but suddenly was over. I was reminded of the comic with complex math equations all over the board and almost hidden in the middle it says "Step 2: And then a miracle occurs." This story just suddenly went from Vera deliberating to a miracle Vera has solved it. Wanted more story, not miracle.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 27, 2018
I chose to read this book because I really like Ann Cleeves, and it was a chance to read some stories written by the other members of the Murder Squad.
Now I have a lovely list of books to to add to "Want to Read". Each story was inspired by a different black and white photograph. The photographs are quite striking.
Now I have a lovely list of books to to add to "Want to Read". Each story was inspired by a different black and white photograph. The photographs are quite striking.
October 28, 2024
This compilation includes many dark short stories by 12 different authors. All different, and interesting to read different authors of the same genre to see how they create the characters and how they write.I admire Ann Cleeves writing the most. Her stories are well developed, include intrigue and sophisticated character development.
December 6, 2021
What a great read!
I like short stories at the best of times but this collection is truly outstanding!
What a great Xmas present it would make for your favourite crime reader.
Stay safe,
Peter
I like short stories at the best of times but this collection is truly outstanding!
What a great Xmas present it would make for your favourite crime reader.
Stay safe,
Peter
April 28, 2018
A most beautiful book - haunting stories inspired by a series of beautiful black and white photographs by Welsh photographer David Wilson - all included the volume - and from which each author has developed a mysterious and moving story
Read
October 14, 2019Only read The Starlings.
November 18, 2019
Many of these short stories were very good. I really enjoyed them plus it gave me some names of authors that I might read in the future.
November 24, 2023
I dont normally read short stories but i like ann cleeves so picked this one up. A very dark set of stories set in Wales enjoyed
March 4, 2019
I came across this book as I was browsing the available books on my Overdrive app. I had never heard of the Murder Squad (a group six British authors who write crime fiction) before. But, having just read and enjoyed Raven Black by Ann Cleeves, I decided to give this collection of short stories a try.
Inspired by a collection of black and white photographs taken in Wales, each member of the "Murder Squad" writes a short story involving a crime. Each scene is set by the photo at the beginning of the story and each story perfectly matches this scene and portray a crime set within that scene. The photos are beautiful black and white landscapes shot in Wales and serve as a wonderful method to help the reader to visualize the "scene of the crime".
A fantastic read!
Inspired by a collection of black and white photographs taken in Wales, each member of the "Murder Squad" writes a short story involving a crime. Each scene is set by the photo at the beginning of the story and each story perfectly matches this scene and portray a crime set within that scene. The photos are beautiful black and white landscapes shot in Wales and serve as a wonderful method to help the reader to visualize the "scene of the crime".
A fantastic read!
October 10, 2015
The Starlings & Other Stories is a compilation of crime and mystery short stories inspired by 12 photographs taken by David Wilson of rural Pembrokeshire. David takes atmospheric and evocative black and white pictures of the Welsh landscape and these have inspired a series of equally dark and tense short stories. The authors are a collective of six crime writers from the North of England (the Murder Squad) and six 'accomplices', and it is edited by one of the authors, Anne Cleeves, who has also written a short 'Vera' story as her own contribution. The authors all chose a different one of David's photos to inspire their stories - and the use of the images provides a theme which links the stories, rooting them in the Welsh setting.
The stories themselves take a mix of approaches, from the contemporary to the historical, from conventional crime to stories with a more supernatural slant. For me the standout story was actually the first one in the book, 'Homecoming' by Cath Staincliffe. As I've discovered with other fiction I've read of Cath's she does a brilliant job of developing the emotional aspect of a mystery and that's not an easy feat in the context of a short story.
The collection is accompanied by the glossy photos that were the inspiration and this makes for an unusually beautiful crime fiction book. As well as being excellent photographs, using the set of images as a theme for the anthology gives a similarity between the stories that makes this a cohesive collection making this a worthwhile buy for any crime fiction lover.
The stories themselves take a mix of approaches, from the contemporary to the historical, from conventional crime to stories with a more supernatural slant. For me the standout story was actually the first one in the book, 'Homecoming' by Cath Staincliffe. As I've discovered with other fiction I've read of Cath's she does a brilliant job of developing the emotional aspect of a mystery and that's not an easy feat in the context of a short story.
The collection is accompanied by the glossy photos that were the inspiration and this makes for an unusually beautiful crime fiction book. As well as being excellent photographs, using the set of images as a theme for the anthology gives a similarity between the stories that makes this a cohesive collection making this a worthwhile buy for any crime fiction lover.
April 12, 2016
The concept is simple enough. Give 12 writers a photo each, get them to write a short inspired by it and publish the collection. But these are David Wilson's brilliant dark brooding photographs of rural Pembrokeshire: of decaying farmhouses, low angles, leafless trees and threatening skies. And the authors are the Murder Squad and Accomplices, a group of seasoned award winning crime and thriller writers. The book is heavy as each story is preceded by a high quality copy of the Wilson photograph the author was inspired by. I devoured the book in one sitting, a breathless set of glittering well crafted mysteries twisting, surprising, shocking and moving. Loved it.
October 18, 2015
A beautiful book with some great short stories therein. Full review at classicmystery.wordpress.com
August 15, 2016
A strong mystery/thriller/dark fiction story collection
For a full review, please go to http://areviewerdarkly.blogspot.com/ and follow me on Twitter @josenher
For a full review, please go to http://areviewerdarkly.blogspot.com/ and follow me on Twitter @josenher
Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews