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Ten Year Stretch: Celebrating a Decade of Crime Fiction at CrimeFest
The twenty brand new crime stories in this book have been specially commissioned to celebrate the tenth anniversary of CrimeFest, described by the Guardian as "one of the 50 best festivals in the world." Contributors come from around the world and include the legendary Maj Sjöwall who, together with partner Per Wahlöö, was the originator of Nordic noir. The editors are Martin Edwards and Adrian Muller. Martin Edwards is responsible for many award-winning anthologies and Adrian Muller is one of the co-founders of CrimeFest.
Contributors to Ten Year Stretch are:
Bill Beverly, Simon Brett, Lee Child, Ann Cleeves, Jeffery Deaver, Martin Edwards, Kate Ellis, Peter Guttridge, Sophie Hannah, John Harvey, Mick Herron, Donna Moore, Caro Ramsay, Ian Rankin, James Sallis, Zoë Sharp, Yrsa Sigurðardóttir, Maj Sjöwall, Michael Stanley and Andrew Taylor.
Contributors to Ten Year Stretch are:
Bill Beverly, Simon Brett, Lee Child, Ann Cleeves, Jeffery Deaver, Martin Edwards, Kate Ellis, Peter Guttridge, Sophie Hannah, John Harvey, Mick Herron, Donna Moore, Caro Ramsay, Ian Rankin, James Sallis, Zoë Sharp, Yrsa Sigurðardóttir, Maj Sjöwall, Michael Stanley and Andrew Taylor.
368 pages, Paperback
First published April 26, 2018
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 31 reviews
August 12, 2018
In honor of a decade of CrimeFest, Edwards and Muller have assembled top-notch talent in this entertaining anthology of 20 original short stories.
Lee Childs, Jeffery Deaver, Ian Rankin, Sophie Hannah, and John Harvey are among the better known authors participating in this book. But don't let the lesser known artists keep you from reading. There is some real talent among them.
I liked that all of the stories are new, specifically for this anthology. It was like a smorgasbord of the juiciest rib-eye steak and loaded baked potato.
It's really hard to pinpoint my favorite of all the stories, but one of my favorites is by Jeffery Deaver which featured characters from his prior books. Another one I immensely enjoyed is THE LAST LOCKED ROOM ... a suspenseful mystery with a surprising ending.
Many thanks to the authors / editors / Poisoned Pen Press / Netgalley for the digital copy of this anthology. Opinions expressed here are unbiased and entirely my own.
April 8, 2019
Ten Year Stretch is a collection of twenty short stories of the crime genre. They are written for the tenth anniversary of CrimeFest and royalties go to charity.
Bill Beverly -The Hired Man: A young man follows a girl from college to St Paul, Minnesota, where he has an unexpected encounter with a mobster.
Simon Brett - The Last Locked Room: A man solves the cold case mystery of his grandfather’s murder in an excellent locked room mystery.
Lee Child – Shorty and the Briefcase: an injured cop is instrumental in solving a case while on his back with a leg in traction.
Ann Cleeves – Moses and the Locked Tent Mystery: a safari employee solves the mysterious death of an Englishwoman killed inside a locked tent.
Jeffery Deaver – The Blind Date: a serial killer tale with a perfect twist.
Martin Edwards – Strangers in a Pub: a blackly funny tale of an ex-cop meeting a contact in a pub for some PI work.
Kate Ellis – Crime Scene: a crime-writer finds himself inside his own plot.
Peter Guttridge – Normal Rules Do Not Apply: a big-name crime writer is murdered at the Bristol CrimeFest so authors speculate about who, among them, is the murderer.
Sophie Hannah – Ask Tom St Clare: a woman is extremely dissatisfied with the PI she hires to find her missing boyfriend.
John Harvey – Blue and Sentimental: A saxophonist engages a PI to look for her lover, missed also by the lover’s husband and sons.
Mick Herron – How Many Cats Have You Killed?: Herron details his own career as a spy, and confesses (in advance) to a murder he’s about to commit.
Donna Moore – Daylight Robbery: Polly Fulton’s father-in-law comes to stay. His obnoxious son is constantly critical, but Polly and Col get on OK.
Caro Ramsay – The Snapperoody: The younger sister prides herself on her observation skills, she has a newly-passed-down Box Brownie (her Snapperoody) and she’s not stupid.
Ian Rankin – Inside the Box: At a colleague’s farewell, Rebus and Calder muse on another colleague, recently buried, and the jewellery heist he investigated years earlier. A little extra dose of Rebus.
James Sallis – Freezer Burn: His children are surprised when Daddy is thawed out: he claims he is (and always was) a freelance assassin. But then they have to drive him to meet a client.
Zoë Sharp – Caught on Camera: A freshly graduated detective in the New London Police Service takes on a gun man in a heroic act at a motorway toll booth, so why is her new boss less than impressed?
Yrsa Sigurðardóttir – Road Trip: Signy is determined to get her follow-up story on her exclusive interview with the murderer’s mother, even if it means driving an unsafe car on isolated icy roads.
Maj Sjöwall – Long Time No See: fifty-five-year-old Blomman has lived rough for years; she’s almost at her current abode when she encounters a friend from high school. Netta is amazed at how accepting Blomman is with her lot.
Michael Stanley – The Ring: Having encountered an angry Mrs Joubert at 15 Fairfield St, the recycler tries to check her bins when she’s not about to drive past in her shiny BMW. One week, he gets a nasty shock in her bin…
Andrew Taylor –The Five-Letter Word: On the first day of his leave, DI Richard Thornhill attends the house of a wealthy lady as a favour to his wife. But it’s not the nasty word written on the lawn with weedkiller that’s most disturbing.
This collection proves that all of these authors, many better known for longer works, are also talented short story writers. There’s the added bonus that readers unfamiliar with some of these names can get a taste without investing in a whole novel. Several are about crime writers (obviously a topic about which they have intimate knowledge); two even set their stories at the CrimeFest for which the book is published. Many are amusing, although the humour is often quite dark, and a few are truly chilling. Twenty excellent doses of crime.
Bill Beverly -The Hired Man: A young man follows a girl from college to St Paul, Minnesota, where he has an unexpected encounter with a mobster.
Simon Brett - The Last Locked Room: A man solves the cold case mystery of his grandfather’s murder in an excellent locked room mystery.
Lee Child – Shorty and the Briefcase: an injured cop is instrumental in solving a case while on his back with a leg in traction.
Ann Cleeves – Moses and the Locked Tent Mystery: a safari employee solves the mysterious death of an Englishwoman killed inside a locked tent.
Jeffery Deaver – The Blind Date: a serial killer tale with a perfect twist.
Martin Edwards – Strangers in a Pub: a blackly funny tale of an ex-cop meeting a contact in a pub for some PI work.
Kate Ellis – Crime Scene: a crime-writer finds himself inside his own plot.
Peter Guttridge – Normal Rules Do Not Apply: a big-name crime writer is murdered at the Bristol CrimeFest so authors speculate about who, among them, is the murderer.
Sophie Hannah – Ask Tom St Clare: a woman is extremely dissatisfied with the PI she hires to find her missing boyfriend.
John Harvey – Blue and Sentimental: A saxophonist engages a PI to look for her lover, missed also by the lover’s husband and sons.
Mick Herron – How Many Cats Have You Killed?: Herron details his own career as a spy, and confesses (in advance) to a murder he’s about to commit.
Donna Moore – Daylight Robbery: Polly Fulton’s father-in-law comes to stay. His obnoxious son is constantly critical, but Polly and Col get on OK.
Caro Ramsay – The Snapperoody: The younger sister prides herself on her observation skills, she has a newly-passed-down Box Brownie (her Snapperoody) and she’s not stupid.
Ian Rankin – Inside the Box: At a colleague’s farewell, Rebus and Calder muse on another colleague, recently buried, and the jewellery heist he investigated years earlier. A little extra dose of Rebus.
James Sallis – Freezer Burn: His children are surprised when Daddy is thawed out: he claims he is (and always was) a freelance assassin. But then they have to drive him to meet a client.
Zoë Sharp – Caught on Camera: A freshly graduated detective in the New London Police Service takes on a gun man in a heroic act at a motorway toll booth, so why is her new boss less than impressed?
Yrsa Sigurðardóttir – Road Trip: Signy is determined to get her follow-up story on her exclusive interview with the murderer’s mother, even if it means driving an unsafe car on isolated icy roads.
Maj Sjöwall – Long Time No See: fifty-five-year-old Blomman has lived rough for years; she’s almost at her current abode when she encounters a friend from high school. Netta is amazed at how accepting Blomman is with her lot.
Michael Stanley – The Ring: Having encountered an angry Mrs Joubert at 15 Fairfield St, the recycler tries to check her bins when she’s not about to drive past in her shiny BMW. One week, he gets a nasty shock in her bin…
Andrew Taylor –The Five-Letter Word: On the first day of his leave, DI Richard Thornhill attends the house of a wealthy lady as a favour to his wife. But it’s not the nasty word written on the lawn with weedkiller that’s most disturbing.
This collection proves that all of these authors, many better known for longer works, are also talented short story writers. There’s the added bonus that readers unfamiliar with some of these names can get a taste without investing in a whole novel. Several are about crime writers (obviously a topic about which they have intimate knowledge); two even set their stories at the CrimeFest for which the book is published. Many are amusing, although the humour is often quite dark, and a few are truly chilling. Twenty excellent doses of crime.
September 23, 2019
This is a really excellent collection of short stories, published in celebration of ten years of CrimeFest, a Brighton festival...2018 origin. They take minutes to read yet pack a wallop. Since some of the authors were new to me I now have more books to add to my lists.
Bill Beverly, Simon Grett, Lee Child, Ann Cleeves, Jeffery Deaver, Martin Edwards, Kate Ellis, Peter Guttridge, Sophie Hannah, John Harvey, Mick Herron, Donna Moore, Caro Ramsay, Ian Rankin, James Sallis, Zoe Sharp, Yrsa Siguroardottir, Maj Sjowall, Michael Stanley and Andrew Taylor.
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Poisoned Pen Press paperback
Bill Beverly, Simon Grett, Lee Child, Ann Cleeves, Jeffery Deaver, Martin Edwards, Kate Ellis, Peter Guttridge, Sophie Hannah, John Harvey, Mick Herron, Donna Moore, Caro Ramsay, Ian Rankin, James Sallis, Zoe Sharp, Yrsa Siguroardottir, Maj Sjowall, Michael Stanley and Andrew Taylor.
Library Loan
Poisoned Pen Press paperback
April 11, 2018
Ten Year Stretch was a comprehensive collection of short stories. It had quite a few subgenres represented which I thought made the book well rounded. I find these collections are a great way to experiment and find new genres and authors to try. Included in this one novel were some locked door mysteries, Nordic noir, classic mystery, and many more. Some better known authors were interspersed with some new to me ones as well which made the collection more interesting. If you are looking to break into a new genre or are looking for authors to try, I'd recommend this book to show you a wide range. There is bound to be one or two (or more in my case) that will catch your eye! Congratulations on Crime Fest celebrating ten years with a wonderful collection.
June 12, 2018
I loved this book but I am always disappointed by short stories as they are over far too soon!! The next dilemma is that I now have a longer list of authors I need to read!
May 20, 2018
Great collection of 20 stories. Though some are much better than others, there really isn't a bad one in the bunch.
I love these collections as they give you a sample of authors, some which you might have heard about but not yet read. The Last Locked Room and Road Trip were my favorites.
Stories are 3 to 5 stars.
I love these collections as they give you a sample of authors, some which you might have heard about but not yet read. The Last Locked Room and Road Trip were my favorites.
Stories are 3 to 5 stars.
May 4, 2018
"Ten Year Stretch" is a collection of twenty new short stories written to celebrate the tenth anniversary of CrimeFest. A couple of the authors even worked CrimeFest into their stories. Although most of us can't attend the convention in Bristol, we can still help celebrate with this collection of stories.
Although I wouldn't give each story in the collection 5 stars, I've given the book 5 stars because of the quality of the collection as a whole. I like the fact that all of the stories are new, specifically for this anthology. It includes stories from a wide variety of authors, some more well-known that others. I enjoyed stories from some authors I regularly follow, but the stories featured different characters from their regular series characters, such as the "Blind Date" but Jeffrey Deaver, which has clever, surprising ending. I also enjoyed a story set in Africa by Ann Cleeves, a new author to me. Other highlights include "The Last Locked Room" by Simon Brett, "Shorty and the Briefcase" by Lee Child, and "Ask Tom St Clare" by Sophie Hannah.
There is also a history of CrimeFest following the stories, along with short biographies of each of the contributing authors. This is an excellent collection for mystery lovers and fans of short stories.
I received this book from NetGalley, through the courtesy of Poisoned Pen Press. The book was provided to me in exchange for an honest review.
Although I wouldn't give each story in the collection 5 stars, I've given the book 5 stars because of the quality of the collection as a whole. I like the fact that all of the stories are new, specifically for this anthology. It includes stories from a wide variety of authors, some more well-known that others. I enjoyed stories from some authors I regularly follow, but the stories featured different characters from their regular series characters, such as the "Blind Date" but Jeffrey Deaver, which has clever, surprising ending. I also enjoyed a story set in Africa by Ann Cleeves, a new author to me. Other highlights include "The Last Locked Room" by Simon Brett, "Shorty and the Briefcase" by Lee Child, and "Ask Tom St Clare" by Sophie Hannah.
There is also a history of CrimeFest following the stories, along with short biographies of each of the contributing authors. This is an excellent collection for mystery lovers and fans of short stories.
I received this book from NetGalley, through the courtesy of Poisoned Pen Press. The book was provided to me in exchange for an honest review.
March 7, 2018
4 stars.
As a fan of crime fiction and short stories in general-I was keen to read this compilation of stories that was commissioned to celebrate Crime Fest. These 20 stories were gripping, exciting, surprising and all possessed unique, specific voices, angles and darkness. What they share is the common theme of eerie mystery. One of the reasons I love short stories is that they inevitably leave you wanting more....and wondering what happens next. I liked this compilation so much that I plan to seek out other writing by these authors! For fans of true crime, British Procedurals, even old fashioned mysteries...this book really has something for fans of all kinds of crime writing.
*advance copy received in exchange for an honest review. Thanks to Poison Pen Press and Netgalley for the opportunity.
As a fan of crime fiction and short stories in general-I was keen to read this compilation of stories that was commissioned to celebrate Crime Fest. These 20 stories were gripping, exciting, surprising and all possessed unique, specific voices, angles and darkness. What they share is the common theme of eerie mystery. One of the reasons I love short stories is that they inevitably leave you wanting more....and wondering what happens next. I liked this compilation so much that I plan to seek out other writing by these authors! For fans of true crime, British Procedurals, even old fashioned mysteries...this book really has something for fans of all kinds of crime writing.
*advance copy received in exchange for an honest review. Thanks to Poison Pen Press and Netgalley for the opportunity.
June 11, 2021
Ten Year Stretch, edited by Martin Edwards, is a collection of all new short stories with an unusual raison d’être but with the usual variability in appeal. Jeffery Deaver could write a million stories and I probably wouldn’t like any of them; the same is true of Ian Rankin. Lee Child’s contribution was good, and I enjoyed Donna Moore’s "Daylight Robbery" and Caro Ramsay’s "The Snapperoody" well enough to search West Coast libraries (in vain) for ebooks by either of them.
But it was Mick Herron’s short essay, "How Many Cats Have You Killed," which earned this book a fourth star. It reassured me that my profound aversion to any account of animal suffering - even fictional suffering by fictional animals - is, if not rational, at least by no means unique.
But it was Mick Herron’s short essay, "How Many Cats Have You Killed," which earned this book a fourth star. It reassured me that my profound aversion to any account of animal suffering - even fictional suffering by fictional animals - is, if not rational, at least by no means unique.
April 7, 2021
This book was written in honor of the 10 year anniversary of Crimefest, a convention for people who read and write thrillers. The stories are original, and most are pretty short. I found them to be kind of uneven - Ian Rankin delivers, as does Caro Ramsey, Yrsa Sigurdardottir and Maj Sowell. But some of the other stories weren’t as strong. However, the book is a good sampling - you’re sure to find at least one writer you want to read more of - and the stories are quick, easy reads.
Worth checking out if you’re a fan of the genre.
Worth checking out if you’re a fan of the genre.
May 29, 2019
A decidedly mixed bag of mystery/thriller stories. A few are pretty good, some are outright terrible, and most are just kind of fun.
July 27, 2025
The Hired Man
Meandered a bit, but it was interesting to see where the story went.
The Last Locked Room
I enjoyed this. Managed to pack a lot in to not very many words. Felt for the character and their motivation.
Shorty and the Briefcase
I'm not Reacher's biggest fan, but Child showed he can really write here. Not much to the story, but great prose where every word counts.
Moses and the Locked Tent Mystery
A bit short on detail but strong voice and enjoyable short story.
Blind Date
Fun, although a little predictable.
Strangers in a Pub
Great start but after the madcap beginning it became a bit plodding and the plot mostly resolved itself.
Crime Scene
Not much of a mystery to it, but it was a fun read.
Normal Rules Do Not Apply
Just a bit of fun but the CrimeFest stuff was too on the nose for me.
Ask Tom St Clare
Super short but a good read.
Blue and Sentimental
I think I'm right in saying this was the longest story in the book. I didn't like the opening so I skipped this. Felt the writing was clunky and it wasn't getting to the point. (And why would you hire a private eye and tell them to come to your gig??)
How Many Cats Have You Killed?
Not really a story but it was hilarious. I forgive all the meta CrimeFest stories, they made this worthwhile.
Daylight Robbery
Nicely written, maybe a bit lacking in anything happening. Easy to see where it was going.
The Snapperoody
I didn't like the writing style on this one and found it hard to follow.
Inside the Box
I'm not the biggest fan of Rankin's writing, but the story was fun and engaging.
Freezer Burn
Strange one, sort of sci-fi, didn't bother tying to take itself too seriously.
Caught On Camera
Almost skipped this one because it was dystopian speculative fiction and not really my thing. But glad I stuck with it, interesting where she took the story.
Road Trip
Writing was a bit stilted but it was atmospheric and the character was fleshed out enough you started to care what would happen to her.
Long Time, No See
Did a good job bringing the characters to life (and death!) but not enough happened in this for me. The only events were in the last couple of paragraphs and the character decisions weren't set up or explored enough.
The Ring
Enjoyed this one. Good amount of twists and turns for a short story. Sympathetic characters.
Five-letter word
Very strong writing and liked the mystery, but it was too short, and didn't show how (or if) the villains were caught.
Meandered a bit, but it was interesting to see where the story went.
The Last Locked Room
I enjoyed this. Managed to pack a lot in to not very many words. Felt for the character and their motivation.
Shorty and the Briefcase
I'm not Reacher's biggest fan, but Child showed he can really write here. Not much to the story, but great prose where every word counts.
Moses and the Locked Tent Mystery
A bit short on detail but strong voice and enjoyable short story.
Blind Date
Fun, although a little predictable.
Strangers in a Pub
Great start but after the madcap beginning it became a bit plodding and the plot mostly resolved itself.
Crime Scene
Not much of a mystery to it, but it was a fun read.
Normal Rules Do Not Apply
Just a bit of fun but the CrimeFest stuff was too on the nose for me.
Ask Tom St Clare
Super short but a good read.
Blue and Sentimental
I think I'm right in saying this was the longest story in the book. I didn't like the opening so I skipped this. Felt the writing was clunky and it wasn't getting to the point. (And why would you hire a private eye and tell them to come to your gig??)
How Many Cats Have You Killed?
Not really a story but it was hilarious. I forgive all the meta CrimeFest stories, they made this worthwhile.
Daylight Robbery
Nicely written, maybe a bit lacking in anything happening. Easy to see where it was going.
The Snapperoody
I didn't like the writing style on this one and found it hard to follow.
Inside the Box
I'm not the biggest fan of Rankin's writing, but the story was fun and engaging.
Freezer Burn
Strange one, sort of sci-fi, didn't bother tying to take itself too seriously.
Caught On Camera
Almost skipped this one because it was dystopian speculative fiction and not really my thing. But glad I stuck with it, interesting where she took the story.
Road Trip
Writing was a bit stilted but it was atmospheric and the character was fleshed out enough you started to care what would happen to her.
Long Time, No See
Did a good job bringing the characters to life (and death!) but not enough happened in this for me. The only events were in the last couple of paragraphs and the character decisions weren't set up or explored enough.
The Ring
Enjoyed this one. Good amount of twists and turns for a short story. Sympathetic characters.
Five-letter word
Very strong writing and liked the mystery, but it was too short, and didn't show how (or if) the villains were caught.
April 27, 2018
Twenty tantalising, terrifying tales wrapped up in a showstopper anthology is destined to take crime fiction lovers by the throat and leave them reeling! Ten Year Stretch is jam-packed full of criminal deliciousness! With some top names in Crime Fiction it will prove impossible to resist! It would be impossible to review all the short stories so I have chosen just a couple to focus on for this review but really if you love crime fiction then it would be a travesty to miss this little beauty!
My first pick was Donna Moore's "Daylight Robbery": Sharp, straight to the point and filled with barbed wit this short story is jam-packed with character, setting and plot. Appearances and perceptions can really be deceptive can't they as Polly discovers that looking after her husbands jail-bird father is turning out a little different than she expected!
In Caro Ramsay's "The Snapperoody" sibling rivalry, a camera and the Famous Five make a trip to Millport one never to be forgotten!
Jeffery Deaver's "Blind Date" will leave you with a pounding heart and a racing pulse. Dating strangers might be off your list of things to do once you have read this!
My first pick was Donna Moore's "Daylight Robbery": Sharp, straight to the point and filled with barbed wit this short story is jam-packed with character, setting and plot. Appearances and perceptions can really be deceptive can't they as Polly discovers that looking after her husbands jail-bird father is turning out a little different than she expected!
In Caro Ramsay's "The Snapperoody" sibling rivalry, a camera and the Famous Five make a trip to Millport one never to be forgotten!
Jeffery Deaver's "Blind Date" will leave you with a pounding heart and a racing pulse. Dating strangers might be off your list of things to do once you have read this!
January 4, 2025
Nothing notable, IMHO. Some were barely 2 stars. Short stories are not my favs but after reading some masters at it during the last 5 years when I went on a few short stories kicks? These are often crass and gross and some read like they were handed in during a college writing class for assignment.
Some are older for these authors' careers too or at least written before 2018- so I was surprised at the lack of English word depth levels with expression for adjective/adverb skills etc. or even vocabulary spectrum. Maugham or many of the best short story writers of the last century or two cut to the chase for the length of the piece appropriately, as well. Didn't use the tell, tell, tell either half as much. Much more a few dynamic "shows" do it so much better. Only one or two of these stories did closer to the show nuance. Or even a conclusion that would be deemed "ending".
I despair for all the excellent English words that have been discarded too. Swears and bicker- you own the most territory word count for the chosen of this era? Noir doesn't mean vulgar or bad nasty jerks? Does it? Maybe about 4 or 5 seem noir to me.
Some are older for these authors' careers too or at least written before 2018- so I was surprised at the lack of English word depth levels with expression for adjective/adverb skills etc. or even vocabulary spectrum. Maugham or many of the best short story writers of the last century or two cut to the chase for the length of the piece appropriately, as well. Didn't use the tell, tell, tell either half as much. Much more a few dynamic "shows" do it so much better. Only one or two of these stories did closer to the show nuance. Or even a conclusion that would be deemed "ending".
I despair for all the excellent English words that have been discarded too. Swears and bicker- you own the most territory word count for the chosen of this era? Noir doesn't mean vulgar or bad nasty jerks? Does it? Maybe about 4 or 5 seem noir to me.
May 16, 2018
Rubbish rubbish rubbish.... dear god these stories are awful there’s no mystery to them at all also some of the crimes are unbelievable and pointless and as short stories don’t make sense I am sorry but in any story be it a novel or one or two words you need a beginning a middle and an end or cliff hanger if you prefer some stories in this book do it well others are just plain lazy and the characters don’t make any sense or feel real utter tripe.
March 14, 2019
I'm not usually a fan of short stories but this compilation has changed my mind! There wasn't anything too dark which is the only negative I can find...I love to feel a bit disturbed by fictional crime stories!
February 9, 2021
I don't read a ton of short stories, but I chose this book because I wanted a quick exposure to several writers whose work I had never read. It did not disappoint. All of the stories were entertaining, and I thoroughly enjoyed breezing through the quick plots.
July 25, 2018
fun book of short stories commemorating the 10th anniversary of Crimefest.
September 10, 2018
a wonderful and diverse collection of short stories from a wise variety of authors showing the power of short crime fiction and celebrating a fantastic 10 years of crimefest!!
HAPPY READING!!!
HAPPY READING!!!
September 22, 2018
Enjoyed reading some new authors. Some very good short stories
October 17, 2018
Several were good to read and actually had and ending.
November 15, 2018
A patchy anthology. Some good, some indifferent. I guess it’s hard fitting a whodunnit into a short story. Shout out to Ian Rankin for a fun Rebus tale.
May 21, 2019
Disappointed. Not even a couple of really good stories can raise this anthology above the 3*** level.
December 1, 2020
Great collection of clever short stories!
July 15, 2021
Mostly pretty good
Excellent - Guttridge, Herron, Stanley, & Taylor
4 were dreadful and a waste of time
Excellent - Guttridge, Herron, Stanley, & Taylor
4 were dreadful and a waste of time
August 1, 2022
More misses than hits
August 25, 2024
Out of the 20 short stories, I particularly liked 8, which were by Bill Beverly, Lee Child, Ann Cleeves, Jeffery Deaver, Donna Moore, Caro Ramsay, Zoe Sharp and Michael Stanley.
October 19, 2018
A brilliant collection of short stories from some of the greatest names in Crime Fiction. I loved them all and you can find out how much on my blog jenmedsbookreviews.com. Highly recommended
February 3, 2018
Ten Year Stretch collects shorts stories to celebrate the tenth anniversary of Crimefest. And boy what a collection. Some of the crime genres best writers turn their skills to the short story. The best thing about reading collections like this are the authors you’ve never read before. All the stories are well crafted and some are even Locked Room mysteries. The standouts for me were The Last Locked Room by Simon Brett, Shorty and the Briefcase by Lee Child and also Zoe Sharp’s Caught on Camera. An excellent collection that deserves to be as successful as Crimefest.
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February 20, 2018I'm an avid mystery reader. Usually novels, but I enjoyed many of these short stories..There seems to be something for almost everyone in this collection - one was darker than I like, and one was too 'gimmicky' for me. After reading this collection, I'd definitely like to go to Crimefest some time!
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