This collection of new stories from the Detection Club was edited by Peter Lovesey and published in 2006. Like the earlier tribute to Julian Symons, this volume was designed to honour the 80th birthday of Symons’s successor as President of the Detection Club, H.R.F. Keating.
In a foreword, Dick Francis said: ‘Harry must be quite a guy to rouse Len Deighton to write his first short story for thirty years and to have Simon Brett, the current Ruler of the Detection Club, creating in verse…
The book was conceived without Keating’s knowledge, and members of the Club, with the collaboration of his wife Sheila, presented it to him as a surprise gift. The book includes a story by Keating, selected by Sheila, featuring ‘his almost lifelong companion, Inspector Ghote’. Each author prefaced his or her story with a few remarks about their affection for Keating.
Lionel Davidson – Tuesday’s Child
Reginald Hill – Uncle Harry
Colin Dexter – The Case of the Curious Quorum
P.D. James – Hearing Ghote
Liza Cody – Kali in Kensington Gardens
Catherine Aird – Perfidious Albion
Peter Lovesey – Popping Round to the Post
James Melville – Mayhem at Mudchester
Andrew Taylor – Keeping My Head
Tim Heald – Bearded Wonder
Robert Barnard – Sisters under the Skin
Simon Brett – Initial Impact
June Thomson – A Case for Inspector Ghote
Michael Z. Lewin – Friends of the Garrick
Jonathan Gash – Bundobast on Voyage
Michael Hartland – Different Time, Different Place
H.R.F. Keating – Arkady Nikolaivich