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Malabar House #3.6 - Death in Darjeeling
The Perfect Crime: 22 Crime Stories from Diverse Cultures Around the World
Around the world in 22 murders…
Murder
Blackmail
Revenge
From Lagos to Mexico City, Australia to the Caribbean, Toronto to Los Angeles, Darjeeling to rural New Zealand, London to New York – twenty-two bestselling crime writers from diverse cultures come together from across the world in a razor sharp and deliciously sinister collection of crime stories.
Featuring Oyinkan Braithwaite, Abir Mukherjee, S.A. Cosby, Silvia Moreno-Garcia, J.P. Pomare, Sheena Kamal, Vaseem Khan, Sulari Gentill, Nelson George, Rachel Howzell Hall, John Vercher, Sanjida Kay, Amer Anwar, Henry Chang, Nadine Matheson, Mike Phillips, Ausma Zehanat Khan, Felicia Yap, Thomas King, Imran Mahmood, David Heska Wanbli Weiden and Walter Mosley.
Murder
Blackmail
Revenge
From Lagos to Mexico City, Australia to the Caribbean, Toronto to Los Angeles, Darjeeling to rural New Zealand, London to New York – twenty-two bestselling crime writers from diverse cultures come together from across the world in a razor sharp and deliciously sinister collection of crime stories.
Featuring Oyinkan Braithwaite, Abir Mukherjee, S.A. Cosby, Silvia Moreno-Garcia, J.P. Pomare, Sheena Kamal, Vaseem Khan, Sulari Gentill, Nelson George, Rachel Howzell Hall, John Vercher, Sanjida Kay, Amer Anwar, Henry Chang, Nadine Matheson, Mike Phillips, Ausma Zehanat Khan, Felicia Yap, Thomas King, Imran Mahmood, David Heska Wanbli Weiden and Walter Mosley.
448 pages, Hardcover
First published March 3, 2022
About the author
Vaseem Khan
46 books905 followersVaseem Khan is the author of two award-winning crime series set in India and the upcoming Quantum of Menace, the first in a series featuring Q from the James Bond franchise. His debut, The Unexpected Inheritance of Inspector Chopra, was selected by the Sunday Times as one of the 40 best crime novels published 2015-2020. In 2021, Midnight at Malabar House, the first in the Malabar House novels set in 1950s Bombay, won the CWA Historical Dagger. Vaseem was born in England, but spent a decade working in India. Vaseem is the current Chair of the UK Crime Writers Association.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 120 reviews
February 12, 2022
This is a superb and unsettling collection of crime stories, edited by Maxim Jakubowski with Vaseem Khan, that takes the reader round the globe. In the introduction the editors point out what used to be a crime and mystery genre that was all white, but it is now becoming much more diverse, and to illustrate this, there are 22 stories from both established and up and coming writers that include Oyinkan Braithwaite, Abir Mukherjee, S.A. Cosby, Silvia Moreno-Garcia, J.P. Pomare, Sheena Kamal, Vaseem Khan, Sulari Gentill, Nelson George, Rachel Howzell Hall, John Vercher, Sanjida Kay, Amer Anwar, Henry Chang, Nadine Matheson, Mike Phillips, Ausma Zehanat Khan, Felicia Yap, Thomas King, Imran Mahmood, David Heska Wanbli Weiden and Walter Mosley. I have no doubt that many are crime writers already familiar to crime fiction aficionados.
In Darjeeling, a senior tutor from St Peter's School falls from Tiger Hill to his death, Persis and Archie investigate, a club bouncer comes by information that tells him who killed Desiree, and a farmer is worried by his disappearing sheep. Gus and Harriet, wedding photographers, take crime scene pictures where a woman is murdered, a man outlines 10 lessons to Neicy, a woman takes on an uncomfortable commission to photograph a baby and a man is planning a new life in America with new identities for him and his wife Brenda. Young Selene finds herself isolated in the sinister remote but exclusive home of Manchester United's most expensive striker, guarded by the Brothers Grimm, a man finds himself forced into a lose-lose situation when his secret is discovered, a man faces betrayal and learns the true fate of his brother, and was a local massage worker pushed off a building to her death?
I enjoyed almost all of the stories in this great crime anthology, and in what can so often be the case with short stories, I was introduced to some brilliant writers for the first time, such as Sheena Kamal and Nadine Matheson, whetting my appetite for their other published works. This is a wonderful selection of diverse crime stories, entertaining, engaging and occasionally darkly humorous, that I have no hesitation in recommending highly to readers of the genre. Many thanks to the publisher for an ARC.
In Darjeeling, a senior tutor from St Peter's School falls from Tiger Hill to his death, Persis and Archie investigate, a club bouncer comes by information that tells him who killed Desiree, and a farmer is worried by his disappearing sheep. Gus and Harriet, wedding photographers, take crime scene pictures where a woman is murdered, a man outlines 10 lessons to Neicy, a woman takes on an uncomfortable commission to photograph a baby and a man is planning a new life in America with new identities for him and his wife Brenda. Young Selene finds herself isolated in the sinister remote but exclusive home of Manchester United's most expensive striker, guarded by the Brothers Grimm, a man finds himself forced into a lose-lose situation when his secret is discovered, a man faces betrayal and learns the true fate of his brother, and was a local massage worker pushed off a building to her death?
I enjoyed almost all of the stories in this great crime anthology, and in what can so often be the case with short stories, I was introduced to some brilliant writers for the first time, such as Sheena Kamal and Nadine Matheson, whetting my appetite for their other published works. This is a wonderful selection of diverse crime stories, entertaining, engaging and occasionally darkly humorous, that I have no hesitation in recommending highly to readers of the genre. Many thanks to the publisher for an ARC.
March 9, 2022
4.5⭐️
The Perfect Crime is a unique selection of short stories (some longer than the others), featuring authors from diverse cultural and ethnic backgrounds, revolving around themes of murder and mayhem, clandestine affairs, betrayals, hate crimes, corruption, blackmail and revenge.
From America to New Zealand and the UK to India, the settings for the stories are as varied as the stories themselves. We have a bouncer who discovers the identity of the person who murdered his girlfriend, the victim of hate crimes who decides to take matters into her own hands, a court reporter with a penchant for collecting buttons, a professional photographer who is roped in to take pictures of her boyfriend's child with his wife, an army veteran turned PI who discovers a human trafficking ring while driving through a “sundown town”, the mysterious death of a tutor of a prestigious school, wedding photographers who capture more than wedding photos on an assignment, a sheep farmer whose sheep are disappearing mysteriously, a young romance turned sour, a young woman dazzled by the attention of a celebrity sportsman only to find herself stranded in his home in a remote location, former bank robbers who have to hash out a mystery from their past, a prank by the graduating class of a military academy that triggers one of the administrator’s childhood phobias and trauma attached to the same and much more.
Edited by Maxim Jakubowski and Vaseem Khan this anthology features works by S.A. Cosby, Silvia Moreno-Garcia, J.P. Pomare Sulari Gentill, Nelson George, Rachel Howzell Hall, John Vercher, Sanjida Kay, Amer Anwar, Henry Chang, Nadine Matheson, Oyinkan Braithwaite, Abir Mukherjee, Sheena Kamal, Vaseem Khan, Mike Phillips, Ausma Zehanat Khan, Felicia Yap, Thomas King, Imran Mahmood, Walter Mosley and David Heska Wanbli Weiden.
Very rarely have I come across an anthology as impressive as this. I loved most of the stories and liked the rest. The narratives are crisp, well-paced and versatile in plot and characterization. While a few of them feature procedural crime-solving, others focus on the PoVs of the perpetrators or victims-turned-avengers. Not all these stories end on a tidy note , with many of them ambiguous leaving the reader guessing. My personal favorites were Ausma Zehanat Khan’s The Yellow Line, Silvia Moreno-Garcia’s The Land of Milk and Honey, Vaseem Khan’s Death in Darjeeling, J.P.Pomare’s For Marg, Amer Anwar’s Quiet Night In and Oyinkan Braithwaite’s Jumping Ship.
The Perfect Crime is an exquisitely curated selection of stories that kept me engaged till the very end. I thoroughly enjoyed it and loved discovering many new authors whose works I hope to explore further. If you are a fan of this genre , you wouldn't want to miss this one!
The Perfect Crime is a unique selection of short stories (some longer than the others), featuring authors from diverse cultural and ethnic backgrounds, revolving around themes of murder and mayhem, clandestine affairs, betrayals, hate crimes, corruption, blackmail and revenge.
From America to New Zealand and the UK to India, the settings for the stories are as varied as the stories themselves. We have a bouncer who discovers the identity of the person who murdered his girlfriend, the victim of hate crimes who decides to take matters into her own hands, a court reporter with a penchant for collecting buttons, a professional photographer who is roped in to take pictures of her boyfriend's child with his wife, an army veteran turned PI who discovers a human trafficking ring while driving through a “sundown town”, the mysterious death of a tutor of a prestigious school, wedding photographers who capture more than wedding photos on an assignment, a sheep farmer whose sheep are disappearing mysteriously, a young romance turned sour, a young woman dazzled by the attention of a celebrity sportsman only to find herself stranded in his home in a remote location, former bank robbers who have to hash out a mystery from their past, a prank by the graduating class of a military academy that triggers one of the administrator’s childhood phobias and trauma attached to the same and much more.
Edited by Maxim Jakubowski and Vaseem Khan this anthology features works by S.A. Cosby, Silvia Moreno-Garcia, J.P. Pomare Sulari Gentill, Nelson George, Rachel Howzell Hall, John Vercher, Sanjida Kay, Amer Anwar, Henry Chang, Nadine Matheson, Oyinkan Braithwaite, Abir Mukherjee, Sheena Kamal, Vaseem Khan, Mike Phillips, Ausma Zehanat Khan, Felicia Yap, Thomas King, Imran Mahmood, Walter Mosley and David Heska Wanbli Weiden.
Very rarely have I come across an anthology as impressive as this. I loved most of the stories and liked the rest. The narratives are crisp, well-paced and versatile in plot and characterization. While a few of them feature procedural crime-solving, others focus on the PoVs of the perpetrators or victims-turned-avengers. Not all these stories end on a tidy note , with many of them ambiguous leaving the reader guessing. My personal favorites were Ausma Zehanat Khan’s The Yellow Line, Silvia Moreno-Garcia’s The Land of Milk and Honey, Vaseem Khan’s Death in Darjeeling, J.P.Pomare’s For Marg, Amer Anwar’s Quiet Night In and Oyinkan Braithwaite’s Jumping Ship.
The Perfect Crime is an exquisitely curated selection of stories that kept me engaged till the very end. I thoroughly enjoyed it and loved discovering many new authors whose works I hope to explore further. If you are a fan of this genre , you wouldn't want to miss this one!
September 2, 2022
This is an outstanding short story collection edited by Vaseem Khan and Maxim Jakubowski. The high-quality stories of crime, murder, mayhem, mystery, horror, dark humour and revenge represent stories from various ethnic, cultural, and minority groups with locations at home and abroad. These uniformly entertaining alarming, puzzling and compelling stories represent diverse backgrounds, ethnicities, cultures, and settings from around the world. Some authors have already found great success in the crime fiction market. They include Black, Hispanic, Asian, and Indigenous authors from several continents.
The editors mention in their introduction that crime and mystery stories only a few decades ago were essentially by white authors, and their readership was the same. Some White authors began setting their mysteries in cultural settings with popular success featuring Black, Asian, Indigenous, and Latin protagonists. For instance, there was Bony Bonaparte, an Aboriginal detective, Inspector Ganesh Ghote of the Bombay police, Black American detective Virgil Tibbs, and the symbol of black power, Shaft, which were all written by white authors. Tony Hillerman set his stories in Indian reservations. Today they may seem to be examples of cultural appropriation, but their popularity paved the way for a new generation of diverse mystery writers and their readers to enjoy stories that immersed them in tales from different cultural and ethnic backgrounds and countries.
Vaseem Khan, an author I always enjoy, mentions that when he started writing, he believed his stories had to feature white characters prominently, but he now has two very popular series set in India with Indian proponents.
This anthology features 22 short stories that represent diversity in race, culture, and location. Many of the authors may already be known to mystery/crime fans. Some may not be familiar to readers, but the quality and entertainment value of their stories included in the volume make their books worth seeking out.
One of the short stories was by a writer new to me this year, Abir Mukherjee. He has a stellar series of mysteries set in India near the end of British occupation and rule. I read the entire series in quick succession, and they will be high on my favourite list for 2022. This anthology has caused me to seek out novels by some unfamiliar writers I might have missed.
It is almost impossible to list favourite stories in this book, they are all so good. Among my personal favourites are the Mayor of Duke City- S. A. Cosby.
Land of Milk and Honey-Silvia Moreno Garcia
Sundown-Sheena Kamal
For Marge-J. P. Pomare
Jumping Ship-Oyinkan Braithwaite
The Beautiful Game-Sandjia Kay
Gnomes Mans Land-Felicia Yap
Death in Darjeeling-Vaseem Khan
This is an important collection of high-quality and compelling stories of various styles, diverse characters and settings and will introduce readers to new authors to seek out, follow, and enjoy.
The editors mention in their introduction that crime and mystery stories only a few decades ago were essentially by white authors, and their readership was the same. Some White authors began setting their mysteries in cultural settings with popular success featuring Black, Asian, Indigenous, and Latin protagonists. For instance, there was Bony Bonaparte, an Aboriginal detective, Inspector Ganesh Ghote of the Bombay police, Black American detective Virgil Tibbs, and the symbol of black power, Shaft, which were all written by white authors. Tony Hillerman set his stories in Indian reservations. Today they may seem to be examples of cultural appropriation, but their popularity paved the way for a new generation of diverse mystery writers and their readers to enjoy stories that immersed them in tales from different cultural and ethnic backgrounds and countries.
Vaseem Khan, an author I always enjoy, mentions that when he started writing, he believed his stories had to feature white characters prominently, but he now has two very popular series set in India with Indian proponents.
This anthology features 22 short stories that represent diversity in race, culture, and location. Many of the authors may already be known to mystery/crime fans. Some may not be familiar to readers, but the quality and entertainment value of their stories included in the volume make their books worth seeking out.
One of the short stories was by a writer new to me this year, Abir Mukherjee. He has a stellar series of mysteries set in India near the end of British occupation and rule. I read the entire series in quick succession, and they will be high on my favourite list for 2022. This anthology has caused me to seek out novels by some unfamiliar writers I might have missed.
It is almost impossible to list favourite stories in this book, they are all so good. Among my personal favourites are the Mayor of Duke City- S. A. Cosby.
Land of Milk and Honey-Silvia Moreno Garcia
Sundown-Sheena Kamal
For Marge-J. P. Pomare
Jumping Ship-Oyinkan Braithwaite
The Beautiful Game-Sandjia Kay
Gnomes Mans Land-Felicia Yap
Death in Darjeeling-Vaseem Khan
This is an important collection of high-quality and compelling stories of various styles, diverse characters and settings and will introduce readers to new authors to seek out, follow, and enjoy.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 24, 2022
The Perfect Crime is a rare thing - an anthology that delivers a collection of pieces of uniformly high quality. Maxim Jakubowski and Vaseem Khan have brought together 22 enthralling crime-mystery-thriller short stories written by authors from diverse backgrounds, representing a variety of sub-genres, styles and settings from all around the world.
A brief prologue by each editor describes the history and importance of diverse representation in the popular crime-mystery-thriller genre. For too long, non-Caucasian writers were shunned by mainstream publishers, or expected to write only within the confines of their own ethnic or cultural group. Thankfully, there has been a change over recent years, with writers from diverse locations, cultures and ethnicities around the world enjoying considerable success in the competitive crime fiction market. As readers, our experience and enjoyment of high-quality crime fiction is all the greater for this trend.
The Perfect Crime contains works representing each continent and a wide variety of writing styles and approaches. All the authors whose work is represented are well-established writers who've enjoyed considerable critical and commercial success. While some stories resonated more for me personally than others, the uniformly high standard was evident throughout. The subject matter ranges from the darkest noir through traditional whodunnit to a humorous story about garden gnomes. My favourite stories were those by Vaseem Khan (contributor as well as editor), Sulari Gentill (a fellow Australian), Oyinkan Braithwaite and Ausma Zehanat Khan.
I'd wholeheartedly recommend The Perfect Crime as an engrossing and stimulating read to any reader interested in contemporary crime writing, particularly those who seek to introduce a more diverse flavour to their reading. As well as showcasing a few familiar favourite authors, The Perfect Crime has prompted me to add several full-length titles by authors I hadn't previously encountered to my TBR.
Thanks to the editors, Maxim Jakubowski and Vaseem Khan, all 22 contributing authors, publisher HarperCollins UK / HarperFiction and NetGalley UK for the opportunity to read and review this fabulous title.
For those interested in reading on, what follows are my précis of each individual story:
The Mayor of Dukes City by S.A. Cosby: Retired cage fighter Marcus works as a bouncer at the Lookout Bar and Grill, Pittsville Va. He’s still reeling from the brutal murder of his girlfriend Desiree almost a year earlier. One night at work, he unexpectedly witnesses an incident that identifies the perpetrator…
The Land of Milk and Honey by Silvia Moreno-Garcia: When iron-fisted patriarch Don Aurelio breaks his leg, poor cousin Arturo is summoned to the household to carry out the work inappropriate for Aurelio's wife and daughters. Romance and unaccustomed joy after Arturo's arrival gradually turn to hysteria and deadly horror as Aurelio’s youngest daughter Ofelia considers her future.
For Marg by J.P. Pomare: NZ sheep farmer Ted works the land alone since the disappearance of his wife, Marg. One day, he notices that fat lambs are disappearing from his flock. Suspecting the local Māori population, he sets a trap to catch the culprits, but stirs up more than he bargained for…
Sundown by Sheena Kamal: While refuelling in a small town in Washington State, Vancouver woman Nora is warned that this is a “sundown” town - not a safe place to be after dark for a person of colour like Nora, who’s part middle eastern, part First Nations Canadian. Driving out of town, Nora encounters a young El Salvadorian woman named Raquel, who tells a shocking tale, drawing Nora into a frightening rescue mission.
Death in Darjeeling by Vaseem Khan: It’s 1950 and Inspector Persis Wadia (India’s first female police detective) and criminalist Mr Archie Blackfinch travel to the hill town of Darjeeling to investigate the mysterious death of schoolteacher Jack Murphy. A coded message and an intriguing pool of suspects keep the detective on her toes...
A Murder of Brides by Sulari Gentill: It's 1922 and photographers Harriet Johns and Gus Beasley are in the (fictional) NSW town of Jindymarra to capture images of this season's newly-married couples in all their finery. They're accompanied by a certain author named Lawrence, who has a preoccupation with sex and a fear of the native fauna (D.H. Lawrence actually did spend time in Australia in 1922, during which time he wrote the novel Kangaroo). Johns and Beasley are called to assist police by photographing a nearby crime scene, which prompts in Lawrence an idea for a novel about the lady of the house having an affair with a gamekeeper.
The Ten Lessons of Big Matt Silver: A Noir Hip-Hop Screenplay by Nelson George: Via a series of vignettes delivered in a screenplay format, we follow the rise and fall of “Big Matt” Silver in the Hip-Hop Music industry. Along the way, he makes allies and enemies, is cast as both the hero and the villain and has more than one brush with the law. A gritty and evocative tale of loss and redemption.
Jumping Ship by Oyinkan Braithwaite: Ida is hesitant when she receives a text from Kaeto requesting her to photograph his newborn daughter, especially when she discovers that Kaeto’s wife, Mina, will also be at the house while she is there. She goes to the house and begins her work, but then Mina disappears, leaving Ida alone with the baby…
Paradise Lost by Abir Mukherjee: A Scottish gangster's money man escapes justice while his boss goes down, fleeing to a tropical island nation, where he plans to live off the spoils of the last heist in paradise. Only, life on the island isn’t all it’s cracked up to be, and he makes a plan to move on to a more acceptable location, with his wife and what remains of the money…
Clout Chaser by Rachel Howzell Hall: A Californian woman reflects on the unusual items she occasionally finds in her boyfriend’s pockets on laundry day. She then goes to update her online forum posts about a serial killer known as “The Great Pretender” (G.P.) who is preying on women in the surrounding area.
Either Way I Lose by John Vercher: It’s 1919 and in Omaha, Nebraska a young man named White is pressured by his employer to commit a crime for political purposes. Although it goes against everything his conscience tells him, he sees no option but to do what he’s told, and must face the horrifying ramifications of his decision.
The Beautiful Game by Sanjida Kay: Young Manchester woman Selene Jackson is swept off her feet after meeting MUFC’s latest “Golden Boy” Luke Allard in a club. Her family think all their Christmases have come at once when Selene is taken to live with Allard and his mother in their isolated moorland mansion. But Selene starts to have misgivings about her situation - she's bored and lonely - life as a WAG doesn't seem all that she expected. And what’s in the mysterious locked room in the cellar - the one she’s forbidden from entering?
Quiet Night In by Amer Anwar: Fifty-something Londoner Tej is planning a quiet night at home - beer, curry and football on the television - while his wife is out for the evening. No sooner has he settled down than there’s an unexpected knock at the door. It’s his friend from long ago, Baljeet ‘Billy’ Attwal, so he invites him in. Tej is unsettled by Billy’s insistence on reminiscing about their shared criminal past, which he'd much rather just put behind him, but there’s shocking news to come.
Ā-li-en by Henry Chang: A young Chinese woman falls or is pushed to her death from a building during a NYPD raid of a massage parlour. Kasey Lee, a lawyer from ALDA (Asian Legal Defense Associates) attempts to pursue justice on behalf of the woman’s family. Meanwhile, Sergeant Tony Kong goes undercover to identify and expose corrupt cops in Queens and Flushing - but what will it cost him?
The Long Con by Nadine Matheson: A woman watches as an envelope is pushed under her front door, addressed to her in the name of an alias she once used. The envelope contains recent photographs of a man she knew as David - a man she was once married to, a man she believed she’d killed four years ago…
A Breath of Change by Mike Phillips: Struggling writer Sam is sitting on a park bench in North London when his reverie is interrupted by the appearance of Simon, a friend from many years before, who asks him for a favour. Simon now works and moves in powerful circles, and has been anonymously sent a set of compromising photos of himself with his assistant, Claire. To complicate matters, Claire seems to have gone missing...
The Yellow Line by Ausma Zehanat Khan: Haniya Mirza works as an art restorer in central Toronto. After an altercation in the street, she becomes the target of a campaign of racial and sexual harassment by businessman Blair Hegland. Despite making numerous reports to the Hate Crimes Unit, Haniya continues to suffer. When Hegland is killed on the subway, Haniya is interviewed as a suspect by Inspector Esa Khattak.
Gnome Man’s Land by Felicia Yap: A humorous tale following Brigadier Herbert Poole, the Deputy Commandant of the Royal Military Academy at Sandhurst, in the lead up to the annual Sovereign’s Parade. A rigid adherent to protocol, Poole becomes agitated by the appearance of a large number of garden gnomes around Sandhurst as the day of the parade nears. He institutes Operation Bucket Garden to identify the culprit.
Chinook by Thomas King: Former cop - turned landscape photographer Thumps DreadfulWater is eating breakfast at the diner when he’s approached by Duke Hockney, Sheriff of Chinook, Montana. Hockney persuades a reluctant Thumps to accompany him to take a look at a crime scene - unpopular local shyster Sonny Martell has been found dead outside the Mustang western saloon and biker bar. Is it an accidental death or murder?
Buttons by Imran Mahmood: A disturbing monologue told from the perspective of Daniel, a court clerk with unusual traits. From Daniel’s thought processes and descriptions of incidents in his past, the reader discerns that he is a psychopath whose crimes have never been attributed to him. It’s with a sense of foreboding that we observe his date with Holly, who’s new to the area, and his preoccupation with the buttons on her blouse.
Hooch by David Heska Wanbli Weiden: Pudge Iron Shell is a bootlegger on the Rosebud reservation in southern South Dakota. The success of his business is based upon his reliability, honesty and range of stock. One evening, he takes an order that requires him to deliver to a house at Norris, 45 minutes away. There, he’s ambushed by gang members from the Pine Ridge reservation, who want to make him an offer he can’t refuse.
Bring me your Pain by Walter Mosley: Acme Green, a “brown-skinned son of Detroit” attends Pamela’s Patents in Santa Monica, California, hoping to secure design registration for his invention, alternately referred to as the tactile projector, empathy projector and pain projector. He demonstrates the machine to clearance officer Normandie Frisk, who is stunned by what she experiences. Things take a dark turn when Normandie invites Acme back to her home and introduces him to her husband, menacing truck-driver Bob Frisk.
A brief prologue by each editor describes the history and importance of diverse representation in the popular crime-mystery-thriller genre. For too long, non-Caucasian writers were shunned by mainstream publishers, or expected to write only within the confines of their own ethnic or cultural group. Thankfully, there has been a change over recent years, with writers from diverse locations, cultures and ethnicities around the world enjoying considerable success in the competitive crime fiction market. As readers, our experience and enjoyment of high-quality crime fiction is all the greater for this trend.
The Perfect Crime contains works representing each continent and a wide variety of writing styles and approaches. All the authors whose work is represented are well-established writers who've enjoyed considerable critical and commercial success. While some stories resonated more for me personally than others, the uniformly high standard was evident throughout. The subject matter ranges from the darkest noir through traditional whodunnit to a humorous story about garden gnomes. My favourite stories were those by Vaseem Khan (contributor as well as editor), Sulari Gentill (a fellow Australian), Oyinkan Braithwaite and Ausma Zehanat Khan.
I'd wholeheartedly recommend The Perfect Crime as an engrossing and stimulating read to any reader interested in contemporary crime writing, particularly those who seek to introduce a more diverse flavour to their reading. As well as showcasing a few familiar favourite authors, The Perfect Crime has prompted me to add several full-length titles by authors I hadn't previously encountered to my TBR.
Thanks to the editors, Maxim Jakubowski and Vaseem Khan, all 22 contributing authors, publisher HarperCollins UK / HarperFiction and NetGalley UK for the opportunity to read and review this fabulous title.
For those interested in reading on, what follows are my précis of each individual story:
The Mayor of Dukes City by S.A. Cosby: Retired cage fighter Marcus works as a bouncer at the Lookout Bar and Grill, Pittsville Va. He’s still reeling from the brutal murder of his girlfriend Desiree almost a year earlier. One night at work, he unexpectedly witnesses an incident that identifies the perpetrator…
The Land of Milk and Honey by Silvia Moreno-Garcia: When iron-fisted patriarch Don Aurelio breaks his leg, poor cousin Arturo is summoned to the household to carry out the work inappropriate for Aurelio's wife and daughters. Romance and unaccustomed joy after Arturo's arrival gradually turn to hysteria and deadly horror as Aurelio’s youngest daughter Ofelia considers her future.
For Marg by J.P. Pomare: NZ sheep farmer Ted works the land alone since the disappearance of his wife, Marg. One day, he notices that fat lambs are disappearing from his flock. Suspecting the local Māori population, he sets a trap to catch the culprits, but stirs up more than he bargained for…
Sundown by Sheena Kamal: While refuelling in a small town in Washington State, Vancouver woman Nora is warned that this is a “sundown” town - not a safe place to be after dark for a person of colour like Nora, who’s part middle eastern, part First Nations Canadian. Driving out of town, Nora encounters a young El Salvadorian woman named Raquel, who tells a shocking tale, drawing Nora into a frightening rescue mission.
Death in Darjeeling by Vaseem Khan: It’s 1950 and Inspector Persis Wadia (India’s first female police detective) and criminalist Mr Archie Blackfinch travel to the hill town of Darjeeling to investigate the mysterious death of schoolteacher Jack Murphy. A coded message and an intriguing pool of suspects keep the detective on her toes...
A Murder of Brides by Sulari Gentill: It's 1922 and photographers Harriet Johns and Gus Beasley are in the (fictional) NSW town of Jindymarra to capture images of this season's newly-married couples in all their finery. They're accompanied by a certain author named Lawrence, who has a preoccupation with sex and a fear of the native fauna (D.H. Lawrence actually did spend time in Australia in 1922, during which time he wrote the novel Kangaroo). Johns and Beasley are called to assist police by photographing a nearby crime scene, which prompts in Lawrence an idea for a novel about the lady of the house having an affair with a gamekeeper.
The Ten Lessons of Big Matt Silver: A Noir Hip-Hop Screenplay by Nelson George: Via a series of vignettes delivered in a screenplay format, we follow the rise and fall of “Big Matt” Silver in the Hip-Hop Music industry. Along the way, he makes allies and enemies, is cast as both the hero and the villain and has more than one brush with the law. A gritty and evocative tale of loss and redemption.
Jumping Ship by Oyinkan Braithwaite: Ida is hesitant when she receives a text from Kaeto requesting her to photograph his newborn daughter, especially when she discovers that Kaeto’s wife, Mina, will also be at the house while she is there. She goes to the house and begins her work, but then Mina disappears, leaving Ida alone with the baby…
Paradise Lost by Abir Mukherjee: A Scottish gangster's money man escapes justice while his boss goes down, fleeing to a tropical island nation, where he plans to live off the spoils of the last heist in paradise. Only, life on the island isn’t all it’s cracked up to be, and he makes a plan to move on to a more acceptable location, with his wife and what remains of the money…
Clout Chaser by Rachel Howzell Hall: A Californian woman reflects on the unusual items she occasionally finds in her boyfriend’s pockets on laundry day. She then goes to update her online forum posts about a serial killer known as “The Great Pretender” (G.P.) who is preying on women in the surrounding area.
Either Way I Lose by John Vercher: It’s 1919 and in Omaha, Nebraska a young man named White is pressured by his employer to commit a crime for political purposes. Although it goes against everything his conscience tells him, he sees no option but to do what he’s told, and must face the horrifying ramifications of his decision.
The Beautiful Game by Sanjida Kay: Young Manchester woman Selene Jackson is swept off her feet after meeting MUFC’s latest “Golden Boy” Luke Allard in a club. Her family think all their Christmases have come at once when Selene is taken to live with Allard and his mother in their isolated moorland mansion. But Selene starts to have misgivings about her situation - she's bored and lonely - life as a WAG doesn't seem all that she expected. And what’s in the mysterious locked room in the cellar - the one she’s forbidden from entering?
Quiet Night In by Amer Anwar: Fifty-something Londoner Tej is planning a quiet night at home - beer, curry and football on the television - while his wife is out for the evening. No sooner has he settled down than there’s an unexpected knock at the door. It’s his friend from long ago, Baljeet ‘Billy’ Attwal, so he invites him in. Tej is unsettled by Billy’s insistence on reminiscing about their shared criminal past, which he'd much rather just put behind him, but there’s shocking news to come.
Ā-li-en by Henry Chang: A young Chinese woman falls or is pushed to her death from a building during a NYPD raid of a massage parlour. Kasey Lee, a lawyer from ALDA (Asian Legal Defense Associates) attempts to pursue justice on behalf of the woman’s family. Meanwhile, Sergeant Tony Kong goes undercover to identify and expose corrupt cops in Queens and Flushing - but what will it cost him?
The Long Con by Nadine Matheson: A woman watches as an envelope is pushed under her front door, addressed to her in the name of an alias she once used. The envelope contains recent photographs of a man she knew as David - a man she was once married to, a man she believed she’d killed four years ago…
A Breath of Change by Mike Phillips: Struggling writer Sam is sitting on a park bench in North London when his reverie is interrupted by the appearance of Simon, a friend from many years before, who asks him for a favour. Simon now works and moves in powerful circles, and has been anonymously sent a set of compromising photos of himself with his assistant, Claire. To complicate matters, Claire seems to have gone missing...
The Yellow Line by Ausma Zehanat Khan: Haniya Mirza works as an art restorer in central Toronto. After an altercation in the street, she becomes the target of a campaign of racial and sexual harassment by businessman Blair Hegland. Despite making numerous reports to the Hate Crimes Unit, Haniya continues to suffer. When Hegland is killed on the subway, Haniya is interviewed as a suspect by Inspector Esa Khattak.
Gnome Man’s Land by Felicia Yap: A humorous tale following Brigadier Herbert Poole, the Deputy Commandant of the Royal Military Academy at Sandhurst, in the lead up to the annual Sovereign’s Parade. A rigid adherent to protocol, Poole becomes agitated by the appearance of a large number of garden gnomes around Sandhurst as the day of the parade nears. He institutes Operation Bucket Garden to identify the culprit.
Chinook by Thomas King: Former cop - turned landscape photographer Thumps DreadfulWater is eating breakfast at the diner when he’s approached by Duke Hockney, Sheriff of Chinook, Montana. Hockney persuades a reluctant Thumps to accompany him to take a look at a crime scene - unpopular local shyster Sonny Martell has been found dead outside the Mustang western saloon and biker bar. Is it an accidental death or murder?
Buttons by Imran Mahmood: A disturbing monologue told from the perspective of Daniel, a court clerk with unusual traits. From Daniel’s thought processes and descriptions of incidents in his past, the reader discerns that he is a psychopath whose crimes have never been attributed to him. It’s with a sense of foreboding that we observe his date with Holly, who’s new to the area, and his preoccupation with the buttons on her blouse.
Hooch by David Heska Wanbli Weiden: Pudge Iron Shell is a bootlegger on the Rosebud reservation in southern South Dakota. The success of his business is based upon his reliability, honesty and range of stock. One evening, he takes an order that requires him to deliver to a house at Norris, 45 minutes away. There, he’s ambushed by gang members from the Pine Ridge reservation, who want to make him an offer he can’t refuse.
Bring me your Pain by Walter Mosley: Acme Green, a “brown-skinned son of Detroit” attends Pamela’s Patents in Santa Monica, California, hoping to secure design registration for his invention, alternately referred to as the tactile projector, empathy projector and pain projector. He demonstrates the machine to clearance officer Normandie Frisk, who is stunned by what she experiences. Things take a dark turn when Normandie invites Acme back to her home and introduces him to her husband, menacing truck-driver Bob Frisk.
March 29, 2022
A really enjoyable collection, and helpful for discovering lots of new authors to try further.
October 23, 2022
I don't usually read short story collections,but was hoping to find new authors.I didn't. Apart from one or two,they range from bad to worse.
November 21, 2022
The mystery genre has been going through a sort of renaissance in the last five to ten years—and that "rebirth" has not only produced high-quality work, it has also significantly diversified the genre. As editors Khan and Jakubowski explain in the introduction, in the past the world of mystery writing was white-dominated and writers of color who did work in the genre often felt they had to write predominantly white characters. At that time, when a mystery was presented in a "foreign" or non-white culture, the authors were generally white and depicted such cultures through the lens of their own limited experience with the culture and their preconceived ideas about that culture.
In The Perfect Crime, Khan and Jakubowski have assembled an excellent body of mystery stories written by authors from geographically and culturally diverse backgrounds and placed in widely varying settings. As a reader of mysteries, I favor full-length works, but this collection of stories kept me engaged and left me eager to look up longer works by the authors of individual stories.
As is happening in some other genres, the world of mysteries is becoming more and more like the world we live in—global, not just local—and that makes for richer more interesting reading for all of us. Seeing the "real world" requires seeing and connecting with those who differ from us. A reality dominated by a single culture or community makes for less-than-satisfying living, just as it makes for less-than-satisfying reading.
I received a free electronic review copy of this title from the publisher via EdelweissPlus the opinions are my own.
In The Perfect Crime, Khan and Jakubowski have assembled an excellent body of mystery stories written by authors from geographically and culturally diverse backgrounds and placed in widely varying settings. As a reader of mysteries, I favor full-length works, but this collection of stories kept me engaged and left me eager to look up longer works by the authors of individual stories.
As is happening in some other genres, the world of mysteries is becoming more and more like the world we live in—global, not just local—and that makes for richer more interesting reading for all of us. Seeing the "real world" requires seeing and connecting with those who differ from us. A reality dominated by a single culture or community makes for less-than-satisfying living, just as it makes for less-than-satisfying reading.
I received a free electronic review copy of this title from the publisher via EdelweissPlus the opinions are my own.
December 27, 2022
A mixed bag by "Non-White" authors, varying from average to excellent. I have heard about and read only 3-4 authors who have contributed here. This was a good introduction to some unknown authors (to me) and I am planning to read more / full length novels by some of these.
Surprisingly, most of these authors are now settled in the US or the UK and are quite popular. Not sure if these authors would have become so popular if they had continued to reside in their native countries.
Surprisingly, most of these authors are now settled in the US or the UK and are quite popular. Not sure if these authors would have become so popular if they had continued to reside in their native countries.
May 28, 2022
The spice of life…
The blurb for this anthology claims that it includes stories from “twenty-two best selling crime writers from diverse cultures coming together from across the world”. I'll start by saying that I don't think this is an accurate description. All bar one of the authors lives in Britain, US, or one of the old Dominions. The exception is that there's one author from Nigeria. So while it is true that all the authors are from what we consider in our majority white countries to be ethnic minorities, I would find it hard to say that they represent “the world” unless we consider the English-speaking nations to constitute the world.
So, putting the fashionable diversity selling-point to one side (which is where I wish publishers would put it permanently), how does it work as an anthology of crime stories? As with most anthologies, I found it something of a mixed bag. It divided for me more or less half and half between stories in the poor-to-OK range and stories in the good-to-great range. Some of this is due to my subjective taste – any story, for instance, with excessive swearing or violence is always going to get a low rating from me, but these are such commonplaces in contemporary crime fiction that presumably plenty of people find them enjoyable. A couple of others played the anti-white racism game too unsubtly for my taste. Happily, though, despite that virtue-signalling blurb, most of the authors have steered clear of “diversity” as a subject and have concentrated on writing interesting and entertaining stories.
Overall, the good stories more than made up for the less good ones. I have added several authors to my list to read some of their novels in the future, which is always a sign of success in an anthology. There are noir stories, bleak stories, funny stories, tense stories, and stories that veer very close to horror, sometimes of the camp variety. Lots of originality and variety on display. I’m a bit out of touch with contemporary crime these days, but several of the names were familiar to me – Abir Mukherjee, Sulari Gentill, Ausma Zehanat Khan, etc., while many more were new to me which again is always part of the fun of anthologies.
Here’s a brief flavour of some of the ones I enjoyed most:
Jumping Ship by Oyinkan Braithwaite – Ida’s lover asks her to take some photographs of his new-born baby. She’s reluctant, but agrees. When she gets to his house, he is not there but his wife Mina and the baby are. Then Mina disappears – and later the body of Ida’s lover is discovered. This is very good, quite creepy and tense and very well written. I haven't read any of Braithwaite's work before, but when I looked her up I realised that she was the author of the recent very successful My Sister, the Serial Killer, which I’ve now added to my wishlist.
The Beautiful Game by Sanjida Kay – While on a night out with her sisters, Selene meets top footballer Luke Allard. He invites Selene to his house, and they become lovers. Next morning his mum Colette takes Selene under her wing, explaining how she has to behave now she’s Luke’s girlfriend. Selene’s family are thrilled that she has caught the eye of this rich and famous young man, and tell her she has to get a ring on her finger. But there's a room in Luke’s house... a room that Selene is told she must never enter… This is excellent – both tense and fun! It's so far over the top as to be almost camp horror, and it's very well written. Kay has also written several successful novels, though she’s new to me.
Chinook by Thomas King – A small town in the Rockies. A man is found dead outside the saloon. The police chief, Duke, brings in his pal, Thumps Dreadfulwater, on the investigation. The victim was a bad man so plenty of people might have wanted him dead, and Thumps and Duke work together to find out what happened. The investigation in this one is nearly non-existent but the story and storytelling are great fun. Thumps and Duke are a great pairing, and the small town setting is done very well. I haven't read anything by Thomas King before and unfortunately his Thumps Dreadfulwater books don’t seem to be easily available over here, but I have my fingers crossed that the publisher might put them out on Kindle at some point in the future.
Buttons by Imran Mahmood – Our narrator is Daniel, a narcissist, possibly autistic, with a fetish for buttons. Is he a serial killer? The question becomes important when he goes on a date – will he kill her? This is very well done, ambiguous and scary, and feels fresh and original. Again Mahmood has had a couple of successful novels, although to be honest neither of them appeals to me terribly much. I will look out for his name in the future though.
So, as I said, lots of introductions for me to new authors who have sparked my interest to investigate further. And because of the variety and range, I'm fairly sure every crime fiction fan will find some new authors and some stories to enjoy in this anthology. 3½ stars for me, so rounded up.
NB This book was provided for review by the publisher, HarperCollins.
www.fictionfanblog.wordpress.com
The blurb for this anthology claims that it includes stories from “twenty-two best selling crime writers from diverse cultures coming together from across the world”. I'll start by saying that I don't think this is an accurate description. All bar one of the authors lives in Britain, US, or one of the old Dominions. The exception is that there's one author from Nigeria. So while it is true that all the authors are from what we consider in our majority white countries to be ethnic minorities, I would find it hard to say that they represent “the world” unless we consider the English-speaking nations to constitute the world.
So, putting the fashionable diversity selling-point to one side (which is where I wish publishers would put it permanently), how does it work as an anthology of crime stories? As with most anthologies, I found it something of a mixed bag. It divided for me more or less half and half between stories in the poor-to-OK range and stories in the good-to-great range. Some of this is due to my subjective taste – any story, for instance, with excessive swearing or violence is always going to get a low rating from me, but these are such commonplaces in contemporary crime fiction that presumably plenty of people find them enjoyable. A couple of others played the anti-white racism game too unsubtly for my taste. Happily, though, despite that virtue-signalling blurb, most of the authors have steered clear of “diversity” as a subject and have concentrated on writing interesting and entertaining stories.
Overall, the good stories more than made up for the less good ones. I have added several authors to my list to read some of their novels in the future, which is always a sign of success in an anthology. There are noir stories, bleak stories, funny stories, tense stories, and stories that veer very close to horror, sometimes of the camp variety. Lots of originality and variety on display. I’m a bit out of touch with contemporary crime these days, but several of the names were familiar to me – Abir Mukherjee, Sulari Gentill, Ausma Zehanat Khan, etc., while many more were new to me which again is always part of the fun of anthologies.
Here’s a brief flavour of some of the ones I enjoyed most:
Jumping Ship by Oyinkan Braithwaite – Ida’s lover asks her to take some photographs of his new-born baby. She’s reluctant, but agrees. When she gets to his house, he is not there but his wife Mina and the baby are. Then Mina disappears – and later the body of Ida’s lover is discovered. This is very good, quite creepy and tense and very well written. I haven't read any of Braithwaite's work before, but when I looked her up I realised that she was the author of the recent very successful My Sister, the Serial Killer, which I’ve now added to my wishlist.
The Beautiful Game by Sanjida Kay – While on a night out with her sisters, Selene meets top footballer Luke Allard. He invites Selene to his house, and they become lovers. Next morning his mum Colette takes Selene under her wing, explaining how she has to behave now she’s Luke’s girlfriend. Selene’s family are thrilled that she has caught the eye of this rich and famous young man, and tell her she has to get a ring on her finger. But there's a room in Luke’s house... a room that Selene is told she must never enter… This is excellent – both tense and fun! It's so far over the top as to be almost camp horror, and it's very well written. Kay has also written several successful novels, though she’s new to me.
Chinook by Thomas King – A small town in the Rockies. A man is found dead outside the saloon. The police chief, Duke, brings in his pal, Thumps Dreadfulwater, on the investigation. The victim was a bad man so plenty of people might have wanted him dead, and Thumps and Duke work together to find out what happened. The investigation in this one is nearly non-existent but the story and storytelling are great fun. Thumps and Duke are a great pairing, and the small town setting is done very well. I haven't read anything by Thomas King before and unfortunately his Thumps Dreadfulwater books don’t seem to be easily available over here, but I have my fingers crossed that the publisher might put them out on Kindle at some point in the future.
Buttons by Imran Mahmood – Our narrator is Daniel, a narcissist, possibly autistic, with a fetish for buttons. Is he a serial killer? The question becomes important when he goes on a date – will he kill her? This is very well done, ambiguous and scary, and feels fresh and original. Again Mahmood has had a couple of successful novels, although to be honest neither of them appeals to me terribly much. I will look out for his name in the future though.
So, as I said, lots of introductions for me to new authors who have sparked my interest to investigate further. And because of the variety and range, I'm fairly sure every crime fiction fan will find some new authors and some stories to enjoy in this anthology. 3½ stars for me, so rounded up.
NB This book was provided for review by the publisher, HarperCollins.
www.fictionfanblog.wordpress.com
November 30, 2023
Don’t EVER read this book, it’s a waste of time. RUN. If I could I would have gave it 0 star, I gave one only because I had no other option.
February 6, 2022
Around the world in 22 murders ...
A unique and compelling collection of short stories than span the globe - with world-class writers such as Oyinkan Braithwaite on the call sheet. Each distinctly unique voice brings a refreshing and sharp new tale of murder, betrayal and crime from a unique perspective and place in the world from London to Lagos.
Of course with any collection of short stories, it's impossible to say you'll definitely like them all but these have been curated wonderfully to complement each other enough while being very different and standing out on their own.
A unique and compelling collection of short stories than span the globe - with world-class writers such as Oyinkan Braithwaite on the call sheet. Each distinctly unique voice brings a refreshing and sharp new tale of murder, betrayal and crime from a unique perspective and place in the world from London to Lagos.
Of course with any collection of short stories, it's impossible to say you'll definitely like them all but these have been curated wonderfully to complement each other enough while being very different and standing out on their own.
May 23, 2022
A few years ago, a good friend in the crime writing community told me about attending a Bouchercon and being struck by how in a conference with well over a thousand mystery readers and writers in attendance, she was one of only three black people in the room. A stark reminder of the work needed in our favourite genre, along with many others, to welcome and support a diverse array of different voices.
Fortunately, as The Perfect Crime shows, progress has been made (belatedly), and while the work must continue there’s now a host of crime writers of color all over the world bringing exceptional voices, fresh perspectives, and greater breadth and depth to a genre that’s been hugely popular for a century plus.
Editors Vaseem Khan (author of the Baby Ganesh Detective Agency novels) and Maxim Jakubowski have curated an exceptional collection of 22 stories from black, Hispanic, Asian, and indigenous authors on several continents. From legends like Walter Mosley and Mike Phillips to newer stars like SA Cosby, Oyinkan Braithwaite, Nadine Matheson, John Vercher, Sheena Kamal, Rachel Howzell Hall, and JP Pomare, The Perfect Crime is a wonderful showcase of superb crime writing. And frankly, it’s further evidence that there’s no excuse nowadays for any major event to have all-white lineups.
Could the best crime book of the year be a short story collection rather than a novel? There may be a debate to be had after reading The Perfect Crime. It’s a high-quality buffet of voices and perspectives historically overlooked, spanning locations from Lagos to the Caribbean, Toronto to Darjeeling.
In “Hooch”, Lakota author David Heska Wanbli Weiden takes us into the dangerous world of reservation bootlegging. Sulari Gentill offers a bite-sized rural mystery set in 1920s Australia in “A Murder of Bridges”. Cosby delivers a gritty, evocative tale with “The Mayor of Dukes County”, Pomare gives us a tale of revenge on a New Zealand sheep farm in “For Marg”, Silvia Moreno-Garcia takes us into mid-century Mexico, and Khan transports a classic mystery into the tea fields of mountainous India.
There are gems galore in this excellent anthology – it’s a veritable treasure trove which you could enjoy by dipping in and out of or devouring straight through. A must-have for mystery lovers’ shelve
Fortunately, as The Perfect Crime shows, progress has been made (belatedly), and while the work must continue there’s now a host of crime writers of color all over the world bringing exceptional voices, fresh perspectives, and greater breadth and depth to a genre that’s been hugely popular for a century plus.
Editors Vaseem Khan (author of the Baby Ganesh Detective Agency novels) and Maxim Jakubowski have curated an exceptional collection of 22 stories from black, Hispanic, Asian, and indigenous authors on several continents. From legends like Walter Mosley and Mike Phillips to newer stars like SA Cosby, Oyinkan Braithwaite, Nadine Matheson, John Vercher, Sheena Kamal, Rachel Howzell Hall, and JP Pomare, The Perfect Crime is a wonderful showcase of superb crime writing. And frankly, it’s further evidence that there’s no excuse nowadays for any major event to have all-white lineups.
Could the best crime book of the year be a short story collection rather than a novel? There may be a debate to be had after reading The Perfect Crime. It’s a high-quality buffet of voices and perspectives historically overlooked, spanning locations from Lagos to the Caribbean, Toronto to Darjeeling.
In “Hooch”, Lakota author David Heska Wanbli Weiden takes us into the dangerous world of reservation bootlegging. Sulari Gentill offers a bite-sized rural mystery set in 1920s Australia in “A Murder of Bridges”. Cosby delivers a gritty, evocative tale with “The Mayor of Dukes County”, Pomare gives us a tale of revenge on a New Zealand sheep farm in “For Marg”, Silvia Moreno-Garcia takes us into mid-century Mexico, and Khan transports a classic mystery into the tea fields of mountainous India.
There are gems galore in this excellent anthology – it’s a veritable treasure trove which you could enjoy by dipping in and out of or devouring straight through. A must-have for mystery lovers’ shelve
Read
June 24, 2022DNF @ 3 stories. Love the diversity, but the tales are too dark and disturbing for me.
February 11, 2023
Any anthology of short stories will have some that I like and some I don't. This is a meaty collection of stories, but few of them were to my taste. Most were dark, and "crime stories" describe most of them rather than mysteries or detective stories, which I realize may be exactly what some readers like. The book was put together with the commendable mission of emphasizing authors outside the more usual Anglo-American group, and includes authors who are African American, of Asian ethnicities, and in one case a Nigerian background.
March 9, 2023
Tre stelle giusto per gli ottimi racconti di Silvia Moreno Garcia e Oyinkan Braithwaite, e il piacevole Vaseem Khan. Detto questo, vorrei sapere dov’è stato questo giro del mondo: su ventidue racconti uno è ambientato in Nigeria, uno in Australia (e non in Nuova Zelanda, come dichiara la quarta di copertina), uno in Messico, uno in una innominata isola tropicale, e DICIOTTO negli Stati Uniti o nel Regno Unito.
Se lo avessi saputo prima non mi sarei disturbata a leggere l’antologia per intero, dato che cercavo varietà - e non l’ho trovata.
Se lo avessi saputo prima non mi sarei disturbata a leggere l’antologia per intero, dato che cercavo varietà - e non l’ho trovata.
January 15, 2023
I was excited about this one, and while it was interesting to see around the world in 22 murders it was rather a mixed bag in terms of the stories. I think part of it is that the stories needed more room, and there was a few that just didn't land the ending for me. My favourite story was Jumping Ship, and it was the highlight of the collection for me.
November 16, 2022
Quite a unique collection of mystery short stories. Given it’s diversity I think anyone could find one they love
October 16, 2023
Wonderful
March 24, 2022
Book reviews on www.snazzybooks.com
The Perfect Crime is a brilliantly curated collection of short stories that take us around the world, to different countries and communities, but all with a common thread - CRIME!
The 22 authors in this collection might be less mainstream or 'well known' than in some of the other anthologies edited by Jakubowski, but that perfectly highlights the point of this collection - to celebrate diversity in crime writing and avoid always highlighting the same authors over and over again. I recognised a few names in this collection - Sanjida Kay, Vaseem Khan (who edited the collection along with Maxim Jakubowski) and Imran Mahmood - so got to discover lots of great new authors, which I was thrilled about.
As expected, the stories are very varied - some are much grittier than others, some make for really uncomfortable reading (for a range of reasons) and some are surprisingly humorous (in a dark and twisted way!)! Unsurprisingly, I preferred over others, but all of them had their own unique style, twist or intrigue to them. A selection of my favourites are Death in Darjeeling, A Murder of Brides, Jumping Ship, Clout Chaser, The Beautiful Game, Quiet Night In and The Yellow Line - in fact, I enjoyed pretty much all of them. Such a good mix!
I don't think anyone will be disappointed at the standard of stories in this collection, and its focus on promoting authors from diverse backgrounds is brilliant.
Many thanks to HarperCollins for providing a copy of this novel on which I chose to write an honest review.
4.5 stars bumped to 5/5
The Perfect Crime is a brilliantly curated collection of short stories that take us around the world, to different countries and communities, but all with a common thread - CRIME!
The 22 authors in this collection might be less mainstream or 'well known' than in some of the other anthologies edited by Jakubowski, but that perfectly highlights the point of this collection - to celebrate diversity in crime writing and avoid always highlighting the same authors over and over again. I recognised a few names in this collection - Sanjida Kay, Vaseem Khan (who edited the collection along with Maxim Jakubowski) and Imran Mahmood - so got to discover lots of great new authors, which I was thrilled about.
As expected, the stories are very varied - some are much grittier than others, some make for really uncomfortable reading (for a range of reasons) and some are surprisingly humorous (in a dark and twisted way!)! Unsurprisingly, I preferred over others, but all of them had their own unique style, twist or intrigue to them. A selection of my favourites are Death in Darjeeling, A Murder of Brides, Jumping Ship, Clout Chaser, The Beautiful Game, Quiet Night In and The Yellow Line - in fact, I enjoyed pretty much all of them. Such a good mix!
I don't think anyone will be disappointed at the standard of stories in this collection, and its focus on promoting authors from diverse backgrounds is brilliant.
Many thanks to HarperCollins for providing a copy of this novel on which I chose to write an honest review.
4.5 stars bumped to 5/5
September 7, 2023
22 short stories about crime from a diversity of backgrounds - the idea was to show that crime writing doesn’t just belong to a certain segment.
Many of the writers are established and have written novels. Settings vary but are as diverse as NZ, Australia, India, the UK, the US and Latina America and others and over half the stories were very good.
I found this a good snackable read and introduced me to some interesting writers. One of it editors was Vaseem Khan which is how i found this and I love his work.
Many of the writers are established and have written novels. Settings vary but are as diverse as NZ, Australia, India, the UK, the US and Latina America and others and over half the stories were very good.
I found this a good snackable read and introduced me to some interesting writers. One of it editors was Vaseem Khan which is how i found this and I love his work.
April 22, 2022
The Perfect Crime is a brilliant collection of short crime stories from different cultures around the world!
22 amazing stories from 22 authors. I had a few favourites (listed below), discovered a few new authors and books to add to my list and genuinely enjoyed the whole reading experience.
Favourite stories:
For Marg - J P Pomare - after googling the author I found I have his other book on my tbr
Sundown - Sheena Kamal
Jumping Ship - Oyinkan Braithwaite - always love her short stories
Paradise Lost by Abir Mukherjee
Clout Chaser - Rachel Howzell Hall
The Beautiful Game - Sanjida Kay - this one actually gave me a nightmare after reading it just before bed!
Actually I'll stop there because I've basically listed every single story so far and there really weren't many of the 22 that I didn't love!
I definitely recommend this one if you like crime short stories!
22 amazing stories from 22 authors. I had a few favourites (listed below), discovered a few new authors and books to add to my list and genuinely enjoyed the whole reading experience.
Favourite stories:
For Marg - J P Pomare - after googling the author I found I have his other book on my tbr
Sundown - Sheena Kamal
Jumping Ship - Oyinkan Braithwaite - always love her short stories
Paradise Lost by Abir Mukherjee
Clout Chaser - Rachel Howzell Hall
The Beautiful Game - Sanjida Kay - this one actually gave me a nightmare after reading it just before bed!
Actually I'll stop there because I've basically listed every single story so far and there really weren't many of the 22 that I didn't love!
I definitely recommend this one if you like crime short stories!
August 14, 2024
One story down - saw the twist coming and still enjoyed every second of it! A short story is about as much time as I like to spend with morally grey, unlikeable characters. Story's NoveList theme: Framed!
Another story of a woman . Some interesting commentary on island life (locals vs expats vs politicians). Good length, not too interesting but not too boring. 3 stars.
The third story is by SB Cosby. I've suggested his works countless times, but this is the first I've personally read. SO GOOD! I definitely need to read his books! Amazing characterization, I got invested immediately. Plus, revenge. I love a revenge story!
The Silvia Moreno-Garcia story felt more horror than mystery, but I was here for it! Creepy house - check, gross/creepy family vibes - check, building dread - check. Plus, a side of murder! I loved the unexpected twist ending.
"For Marg" is by Maori author, JP Pomare. There is anti-Black and anti-Indigenous racism in this story, so I was curious about the author's background. There's also toxic masculinity which I thought was really well done. This is another revenge story in the end, my favorite!
"No murder in "Sundown" by Sheena Kamal and still SO GOOD. Takes place in WA. Some folks think WA doesn't have sundown towns. They are wrong.
"A Murder of Brides" by Sri Lankan Australian author Sulari Gentil - great description, I got a good sense of time and place. I did suspect the murderer, but I like how the story played out. Love a woman sleuth!
"The Ten Lessons of Big Matt Silver" by Nelson George is written as a movie script. It tells the tale of the rise and fall of "Big Matt Silver" and . I found it engaging, even though contemporary stories about musicians/music industry have never really interested me.
"Clout Chaser" by Rachel Howzell Hall - Protagonist is unlikeable and a little "off" from the first page. As I kept reading, the question was - is this the "normal" true crime type of obsession, or something else? Something I'm noticing with short stories is that the mysteries/twists are easier to solve/see coming. I want to read more of Hall's work!
"Either Way I Lose" by John Vercher - all I can say right now is that this story is utterly heartbreaking.
"The Beautiful Game" by Sanjida Kay - a gothic thriller. Loved it! I don't find soccer culture appeal at all, or really any professional athletic culture, but I do love a big house in the middle of nowhere. Isolation at its best!
"Quiet Night In" by Amer Anwar - This one was good! I saw it coming, but I still couldn't keep my eyes from racing along the text to find out. Story about an old man catching up with an old friend, chatting about old crimes gone awry. Then things get messy. This isn't the type of story I enjoy in movies, and I haven't read many crime stories, so I was surprised at how invested I was.
"A-LI-EN" by Henry Chang - This was GOOD and super upsetting. All about corrupt cops and how they abuse their power to continue to rape, kill, and imprison sex workers (specifically Asian sex workers in this story).
"The Long Con" by Nadine Matheson - Two con artists meet while competing for a mark, she wins, he proposes. They fall madly in love, get married, and go through the expected ups and downs. The she kills him. Or does she? Honestly, I loved it! Two bad people do bad things to each other . Technically it has an ambiguous ending, but I like to think
Another story of a woman . Some interesting commentary on island life (locals vs expats vs politicians). Good length, not too interesting but not too boring. 3 stars.
The third story is by SB Cosby. I've suggested his works countless times, but this is the first I've personally read. SO GOOD! I definitely need to read his books! Amazing characterization, I got invested immediately. Plus, revenge. I love a revenge story!
The Silvia Moreno-Garcia story felt more horror than mystery, but I was here for it! Creepy house - check, gross/creepy family vibes - check, building dread - check. Plus, a side of murder! I loved the unexpected twist ending.
"For Marg" is by Maori author, JP Pomare. There is anti-Black and anti-Indigenous racism in this story, so I was curious about the author's background. There's also toxic masculinity which I thought was really well done. This is another revenge story in the end, my favorite!
"No murder in "Sundown" by Sheena Kamal and still SO GOOD. Takes place in WA. Some folks think WA doesn't have sundown towns. They are wrong.
"A Murder of Brides" by Sri Lankan Australian author Sulari Gentil - great description, I got a good sense of time and place. I did suspect the murderer, but I like how the story played out. Love a woman sleuth!
"The Ten Lessons of Big Matt Silver" by Nelson George is written as a movie script. It tells the tale of the rise and fall of "Big Matt Silver" and . I found it engaging, even though contemporary stories about musicians/music industry have never really interested me.
"Clout Chaser" by Rachel Howzell Hall - Protagonist is unlikeable and a little "off" from the first page. As I kept reading, the question was - is this the "normal" true crime type of obsession, or something else? Something I'm noticing with short stories is that the mysteries/twists are easier to solve/see coming. I want to read more of Hall's work!
"Either Way I Lose" by John Vercher - all I can say right now is that this story is utterly heartbreaking.
"The Beautiful Game" by Sanjida Kay - a gothic thriller. Loved it! I don't find soccer culture appeal at all, or really any professional athletic culture, but I do love a big house in the middle of nowhere. Isolation at its best!
"Quiet Night In" by Amer Anwar - This one was good! I saw it coming, but I still couldn't keep my eyes from racing along the text to find out. Story about an old man catching up with an old friend, chatting about old crimes gone awry. Then things get messy. This isn't the type of story I enjoy in movies, and I haven't read many crime stories, so I was surprised at how invested I was.
"A-LI-EN" by Henry Chang - This was GOOD and super upsetting. All about corrupt cops and how they abuse their power to continue to rape, kill, and imprison sex workers (specifically Asian sex workers in this story).
"The Long Con" by Nadine Matheson - Two con artists meet while competing for a mark, she wins, he proposes. They fall madly in love, get married, and go through the expected ups and downs. The she kills him. Or does she? Honestly, I loved it! Two bad people do bad things to each other . Technically it has an ambiguous ending, but I like to think
September 11, 2022
I love learning about the landscapes and the cultures of the world, and I've found that one of the best ways to do so is through the crime fiction that I choose to read. An excellent source to feed this addiction of mine has long been the extraordinary short story anthology series published by Akashic, and when I learned that this book was being published, I knew I had to read it. After all, it contained stories written by several of my favorite authors.
Consequently, I could enjoy stories by authors I knew (S.A. Cosby, Sulari Gentill, Rachel Howzell Hall, Ausma Zehanat Khan, Vaseem Khan, Walter Mosley, Abir Mukherjee, David Heska Wanbli Weiden) while finding new-to-me authors like Silvia Moreno-Garcia and John Vercher, more of whose work I want to read.
The Perfect Crime takes readers all around the globe and introduces them to many cultures. There's not a bad apple in this anthology barrel, but I have to give special shout-outs to Rachel Howzell Hall's "Clout Chaser" and Ausma Zehanat Khan's "The Yellow Line." The tastiest of them all? John Vercher's "Either Way I Lose" set in 1919 Omaha, Nebraska. This story simply blew me away with its truth, power, and visceral, deeply emotional, knockout punch. Absolutely one of the best things I've read all year.
If you're an armchair traveling sleuth, you definitely need to get your hands on a copy of The Perfect Crime. I hope readers will be treated to a second volume in the future.
(Reading copy courtesy of the publisher and Net Galley)
Consequently, I could enjoy stories by authors I knew (S.A. Cosby, Sulari Gentill, Rachel Howzell Hall, Ausma Zehanat Khan, Vaseem Khan, Walter Mosley, Abir Mukherjee, David Heska Wanbli Weiden) while finding new-to-me authors like Silvia Moreno-Garcia and John Vercher, more of whose work I want to read.
The Perfect Crime takes readers all around the globe and introduces them to many cultures. There's not a bad apple in this anthology barrel, but I have to give special shout-outs to Rachel Howzell Hall's "Clout Chaser" and Ausma Zehanat Khan's "The Yellow Line." The tastiest of them all? John Vercher's "Either Way I Lose" set in 1919 Omaha, Nebraska. This story simply blew me away with its truth, power, and visceral, deeply emotional, knockout punch. Absolutely one of the best things I've read all year.
If you're an armchair traveling sleuth, you definitely need to get your hands on a copy of The Perfect Crime. I hope readers will be treated to a second volume in the future.
(Reading copy courtesy of the publisher and Net Galley)
May 16, 2023
Several very good stories, Ausma Zehanat Khan 's The Yellow Line reminded me to catch up with this favorite author. Thomas King 's Chinook was intriguing. Sheena Kamal, S.A. Cosby, Rachel Howzell Hall, and more.
August 22, 2022
Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC of
The Perfect Crime.
I love mysteries and though I'm wary of short story anthologies (they're often a mixed bag) I was pleasantly surprised by the collection of stories in The Perfect Crime.
Great diversity of characters, interesting plots, some of them are darkly comedic or just plain dark; others are wickedly vengeful and deliver a comeuppance readers would appreciate.
I'd highly recommend this to any mystery and/or crime thriller lover!
I love mysteries and though I'm wary of short story anthologies (they're often a mixed bag) I was pleasantly surprised by the collection of stories in The Perfect Crime.
Great diversity of characters, interesting plots, some of them are darkly comedic or just plain dark; others are wickedly vengeful and deliver a comeuppance readers would appreciate.
I'd highly recommend this to any mystery and/or crime thriller lover!
January 21, 2023
Some great stories, and some not so great stories. That is the mystery of a collection of short stories - like the great man’s Mum once said: “Life is like a box of chocolates. You never know what you are going to get”.
Overall a good read at a time when I just needed short reading sessions.
@JP Pomare’s Marg was the best for me. Maybe that is my Kiwi bias! 😉
Overall a good read at a time when I just needed short reading sessions.
@JP Pomare’s Marg was the best for me. Maybe that is my Kiwi bias! 😉
January 14, 2024
There are 9-10 stories here that I think are really quite good, the rest are just okay. Primarily, I am disappointed that most of these stories are from English authors, (although possibly descended from immigrants) and are set in England. These were touted as being “from diverse cultures around the world.” I wanted to see some different settings and try authors from other countries. There were some, but not enough imo.
March 10, 2022
Some truly standout pieces in this one!! Oyinkan Braithwaite was stellar as usual, and I paticularly enjoyed Sheena Kamal and Sanjida Kay's stories. My favourite was Asuma Zehanat Khan's.
Perfect for long time crime and mystery fans, or for someone trying to get into the genre!
Perfect for long time crime and mystery fans, or for someone trying to get into the genre!
April 15, 2022
3.5 stars
March 3, 2022
*** 4 stars***
This was a unique collection of crime stories from the different authors (many of whom I haven't heard of before but will certainly look into) which I believe was a great way to be introduced to soo many different names. It is fair to say maybe not all the stories will be to your liking (like for me) but that was just due to personal preference and how invested I was in the plot. It was overall very enjoyable read and I would recommend it to those who consider themselves a crime enthusiast!
Thanks to NetGalley and HarperCollins UK for the ARC.
This was a unique collection of crime stories from the different authors (many of whom I haven't heard of before but will certainly look into) which I believe was a great way to be introduced to soo many different names. It is fair to say maybe not all the stories will be to your liking (like for me) but that was just due to personal preference and how invested I was in the plot. It was overall very enjoyable read and I would recommend it to those who consider themselves a crime enthusiast!
Thanks to NetGalley and HarperCollins UK for the ARC.
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