Vintage Crime from CWA by Martin Edwards

Release: August 11, 2020
Format: Ebook
Publisher: Flame Tree Press
Source: Random Things Tours
Find it at: Amazon, B&N

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Vintage Crime from CWA Review:

If you are a fan of crime fiction, you must read this book. Most of the stories listed are gripping and very entertaining. I read them all and have categorized them as per the below:

My Top Three:

Below are my top three stories that made the book so memorable!

• Footprint in the Sky: AMAZING! The best one in the collection. A perfect blend of suspense and crime as Dorothy wonders if she murdered someone while sleepwalking.
• Top Deck: I loved Keith and his curiosity to know if his boss murdered someone or not. The twist is something I did not expect.
• Moving on – One of my favorites. You don’t know who is the crazy one between Martin and Gerard. They both act suspiciously over Anna’s death and had me guessing.

What I Loved

The below stories were also delightful and I loved reading them.

• Strolling in the Square One Day: Quarles is interesting in the story. I enjoyed the way he he tries to get the photos from the blackmailer and how he tries to solve the case.
• The Service Flat: A gripping tale of a woman who feels that someone is using her flat when she is not at home. The story is short and suspenseful where you don’t know if Marion is crazy or if something sinister is happening in her flat.
• The Nuggy Bar – A very simple story, but so nice in the way the author narrates it. I loved the details, research and the project planning that Hector implements for the perfect murder.
• The Woman who Loved Elizabeth David – Another standout suspense crime tale. One of the creepiest scenes in this book where the protagonist hides rats to get her revenge.
• In those Days – A very disturbing tale about a women who writes a letter to a man detailing the events to his sister’s death. I loved the way the author tells the story via letters.
• Turning Point – An adultery themed crime tale. I enjoyed this mainly due to the Mel’s feelings for Philip.
• The Hand that feeds me – This was beautiful and different as told from a dog’s perspective! A very interesting collection to the anthology.

What I Liked

While the below stories are not as great as the ones listed above, they are still very entertaining.

• The woman who had everything – A very entertaining black comedy that is different from the others.
• The Perfect Alibi – A fun story with twists and turns, but I found the sergeant and the rookie annoying.
• Nowhere to be found – An interesting tale that starts off well. However, the ending felt weak.
• Money is Honey – Great start to the anthology. Although the reveal appears suddenly, I wanted to find out what happened to Mr. Mallet.
• Cuckoo in the Wood – The shortest story in the anthology. It is a nice story but too short to be memorable.
• Melusine – A classic crime tale of jealousy and possessiveness. This was very entertaining.
• All She Wrote – A nice end to the book, and a twist that made the story memorable.

What I wanted to like, but couldn’t

I am sure there are readers who found the following stories fascinating. However, they were either lengthy, convoluted or confusing for my taste. These were “The Egyptian Garden”, “Sins of Scarlet”, “Interior, With Corpse”, “Cold and Deep” and “Inspector Ghote and the Noted British Author” (which was unfortunate because I loved the references to India, but couldn’t grasp the plot)

Overall, this collection offers an eclectic range of crime novels from various decades and has something for everyone.

Book Tour Schedule

I am thrilled to be hosting a spot on the Vintage Crime from CWA by Martin Edwards Blog Tour hosted by Random Things Tours.