"Five excellent tales with a twist"

Crime novelist Elizabeth George provides five excellent tales with a twist.

Exposure. A college class visits a British estate to see the artwork when one of the students dies. Thomas Lynley, who is visiting too, knows murder occurred. He seeks to uncover the killer in his own indomitable manner. This is an-exciting story reminiscent of Agatha Christie.

The Surprise of his life. A man suffering from impotence thinks his trophy wife is cheating on him. When he obtains what he thinks is proof, he plans to kill her. However, things don't go as planned. Readers will love this story for its exquisite irony.

Good Fences Aren't Always Enough. When Anfisa moves to 42 Napier Lane, the neighbors hoped she would do needed renovation. Instead her actions attract the rats. When the neighbors complain she ignores them until the night they decide to take matters into their own hands. This is a page-turner with shocking results.

Remember, I'll Always Love You. After Eric dies, his wife Charlotte tries to track down his family to inform them of his death, but she has no address or phone number. She learns why her husband kept his past secret but by then it is too late. This poignant tale touches the heart while stimulating the mind.

I, Richard. Malcolm Cousins believes that Richard III was not responsible for the deaths of his nephews and the town drunk Bernie Perryman has the proof. To get the document, Malcolm has an affair with Bernie's wife and plans on using her to get it. Malcolm obtains his wish, but it doesn't give him the pleasure he expects. This is an enthralling story of treachery and deceit.

Harriet Klausner

Reviewed by Harriet Klausner
Posted October 1, 2002

Summary

Hailed by The New York Times as "a master of the British mystery," award-winning author Elizabeth George is one of our most distinguished writers, cherished by readers on both sides of the Atlantic. Her first collection of short stories is an extraordinary offering that deftly explores the dark side of everyday people--and the lengths to which they will go to get what they want most.... In these five tantalizing and original tales, George plumbs the depths of human nature--and human weakness--as only she can. From the chilling tale of a marriage built on an appalling set of lies that only death can reveal, to the final, title story about a penniless schoolteacher whose ambition turns murderous, I, Richard is filled with page- turning drama, danger, and unmatched suspense. Whether the setting is urban or suburban, affluent or middle class, no one is safe from menace. Thanks to Inspector Thomas Lynley, a squabbling group of Anglophiles discovers a killer in its midst...But little help is on hand when a picture-perfect town is shattered by an eccentric new resident's horrifying pet project.... And when a wealthy husband is haunted by suspicions about his much- younger wife, it becomes clear that a man's imagination can be his own worst enemy... Ironic, revealing, and undeniably entertaining, this imaginative collection proves once again why Elizabeth George is one of today's best-loved authors. I, Richard belongs in the library of each and every mystery devotee.