The Sedgemoor Strangler and Other Stories of Crime
Short-story aficionados should flock to this marvelous collection of 16 nail-bitingly suspenseful tales from the popular British crime writer. Perfect murders, serial stranglers, mysterious paintings, deadly practical jokes, gorilla suits--they're all here. It's been said that writing short mystery fiction is tougher than writing mystery novels (not enough room for characters to develop, the argument goes), but Lovesey makes it look like a walk in the park. He even makes his "gimmick" stories--a Sherlock Holmes pastiche, a murder mystery set on theTitanic,a tale in which a dead man appears to have committed a robbery--look effortless, a trick many writers have yet to master. These stories have appeared in such magazines and anthologies asEllery Queen's Mystery Magazine,The Strand, andDeath by Horoscope,but even those who have read them all before will want to read them again. A comprehensive bibliography of Lovesey's published stories will send fans scurrying for more.David PittCopyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved