First published 1981
England's Detection Club breaks three decades of silence with a collection of thirteen interconnected mysteries. Each story revolves around trial by jury, but the authors twist this concept in unexpected directions. P. D. James opens with Great-aunt Allie's deadly flypapers. Dick Francis delivers twenty-one good men seeking truth. Patricia Highsmith reveals what the cat dragged in. The tales span exotic India to English schoolrooms, featuring childhood criminals, otherworldly crimes, and ghostly passion. Michael Gilbert renders his verdict of three while Ngaio Marsh investigates a morepork's cry. Julian Symons closes the collection as someone waits for Mr McGregor. These dozen plus one stories stand alone as individual puzzles yet connect through their shared jury theme, creating a tapestry where blind luck meets calculated murder and schoolboy schemes collide with supernatural justice.
Genres: short-stories, mystery, crime
Vibes: suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: supernatural-elements, twist-ending
Setting: England, India
Period: 20th-century
491 pages · Hardcover · J. Curley