Murder on the Short List

by Peter Lovesey

Yes, the scarecrow, painted on the cover, is on the Short List. The line-up is Peter Lovesey's strongest ever, for not only does it feature Needle Match, chosen by the Crime Writers Association as the best short story published in 2007, but also some of his most popular detectives Bertie, Prince of Wales, Sergeant Cribb and Rosemary and Thyme. You will be mystified by elephants in a London side street; a hearing aid heist by a gang of geriatrics; an underworld boss in search of a harp; a short, fat man who jumped for England; a brush with Adolf Hitler; and a walk on Beachey Head, the favourite suicide spot. You've had the call. Step up now. Surprises are guaranteed.

Genres: Mystery, Short Stories

235 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2008

About the author

Peter Harmer Lovesey, also known by his pen name Peter Lear, was a British writer of historical and contemporary detective novels and short stories. His best-known series characters are Sergeant Cribb, a Victorian-era police detective based in London, and Peter Diamond, a modern-day police detective in Bath. He was also one of the world's leading track and field statisticians.

Reviews

[Riju Ganguly · Rating 5 out of 5]

Peter Lovesey is a Grandmaster of Crime Fiction. This collection, containing some of the most charming and sharp instances of his writing, is a prime example of his dazzling powers.
Starting with a witty 'Foreword' and concluded with 'A Peter Lovesey Checklist', the book contains fourteen stories. I loved all of them, with particular favourites being~
1. The Field;
2. Bullets— one of the finest homages to Father Brownesque detectives;
3. Razor Bill;
4. A Blow on the Head;
5. The Best Suit;
6. Second Strings;
7. Say That Again;
8. Popping Round to the Post;
9. Window of Opportunity;
10. The Case of the Dead Wait.
The book is recommended to all lovers of mystery and crime fiction in the most glowing terms that's possible, goes without saying.

[Vic Lauterbach · Rating 5 out of 5]

This group of stories showcases Lovesey's versatility. Some are very clever mysteries while others are just mildly amusing crime stories, and most include at least one good twist. Be advised that this is a quick read. It lasted less than half of a transatlantic flight, but it was several hours well spent!

[Susan · Rating 3 out of 5]

I usually avoid short story collections, but it's summer, and Peter Lovesey is such a terrific writer that I picked this up.
Not bad. Some stories are better than others. The one that stood out for me was "Popping Round to the Post."

[Diane · Rating 3 out of 5]

I confess that I am not a fan of short stories. I prefer more character development.

[Damaskcat · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a marvellous collection of short stories by Peter Lovesey featuring some of his series characters though Peter Diamond does not make an appearance in this selection. Bertie – the Royal detective – is bumbling around as usual and failing to find the villain or the swag but Sergeant Cribb is as resourceful as ever. There are murders in unlikely places such as a tennis match at Wimbledon and Beachy Head – that favourite haunt of suicides.

Rosemary and Thyme make an appearance in the final – longer – story in this marvellous collection in a case involving dubious mince pies. The author writes excellent novels but I sometimes thing his short stories are even better than the novels. There is something for everyone in this collection and stories which have both modern and historical setting. I particularly liked the stories with the twist at the end which always neatly upsets any conclusions the reader might have come to about the villain.

[H (trying to keep up with GR friends) Balikov · Rating 3 out of 5]

Enjoy murder mysteries? Surely, you know Peter Lovesey. He is the darling of BBC's television with long-running series such as The Last Detective and Rosemary & Thyme. Critics praise his clever traditional mystery plotting and dark humor. The short story format is a tough test for those who would be praised.

I acquired this book to see if this collection of short stories was going to knock me for a loop. No such luck. It is an uneven collection that includes some of the detectives that he has created for longer works, such as Sergeant Cribb. The first stories were very disappointing and I almost gave up. There are some excellent ones if you persevere. Needle Match is a beaut about a murder on court during the great Wimbledon tennis tournament. A Blow on the Head shows Lovesey's skill with plot and misdirection.

A bit more than 3 stars seems appropriate for a book that can effectively please and distract in many of these stories.

[Susan · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a pleasant collection of short stories by a popular author. It includes some of his best-known detectives--Lovesey's career has been a long one, including many different series--but not Jack Diamond, his current series character. Despite the title, not all of the stories involve murders.

[Deanne · Rating 3 out of 5]

Would like to give this 4 stars, but though a lot of the stories are very good, there's a few that were not upto Mr Lovesey standard. Also didn't know he was responsible for Rosemary and Thyme, clever sleuths without the brawn.

[Peggy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This a collection of short stories. Some are a little humorous, some a very short. Peter Lovesey is a cleaver writer, and I read these a couple at a time. It was nice to be able to read a quick story between longer books.

[Greg · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good short stories using several characters and situations.

[Dalia · Rating 3 out of 5]

I didn't realise that Lovesey had created Rosemary and Thyme. These weren't mysteries really, almost comedy shorts but entertaining.

[Lynn Kearney · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm not usually a fan of short stories but this collection is terrific - good mysteries, historical references,witty premises.

[Les Wilson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Overall a very good read. Some of the stories are better than others, as is the case in nearly all short story collection.

[Val · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am not a great lover of short stories and picked this book up in error. I am glad I did. This was a good variety of murder mystery stories with even a Rosemary and Thyme story. Recommend

[Anne · Rating 2 out of 5]

Short stories that are just a little too clever and too short.They are amusing but I prefer more meat in my mystery reading.

[Myra Leysorek]

I enjoyed these short stories. They are playful stories with a twist.