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kellyvandamme's review
4.0
I stumbled upon CWA Anthology of Short Stories: Mystery Tour by Martin Edwards from Orenda Books in my Kindle app last year and decided to snap it up, since it had been a while I had read short stories and this seemed like a collection I’d enjoy. And it was! CWA (which stands for Crime Writer’s Association BTW) Anthology of Short Stories: Mystery Tour is an excellent mystery / thriller / crime collection featuring authors like Anna Mazzola, C. L. Taylor, Julia Crouch and Susi (S.J.) Holliday. One of my favourite stories in this collection was A Postcard from Iceland by Ragnar Jónasson. It is short and sweet, deliciously dark and entirely creepy.
noveldeelights's review
4.0
Oh, the dilemmas I was presented with when the opportunity to read this book came up. First of all, I’m not always interested in short sorties, unless they’re by my favourite authors but that’s more because I’m always worried I’ll miss out on something fabulous. For the most part though, I always feel short stories are … well, too short and just when I finally sink my teeth into them, they’re over and done with. But, this is Orenda and we love Orenda, we do! So, decision made and yes, I was going to read this book.
Which led me to dilemma two. How on earth do you tackle a collection like this? Do you pick out your favourite authors first? Do you dip in and out? Do you just start at the beginning like you would with a regular book and go from there? All of these would work perfectly well and it’s really up to your personal preference. I started from the beginning and worked my way to the end. That was just the easiest option for me or I would still be sitting here trying to decide which story to read first.
Edited by Martin Edwards, this anthology of short series takes us all over the world. From the UK to French Polynesia, from Iceland to Morocco, on trains and cruises and hikes. All have one theme in common. You guessed it, crime/mystery of course. This is such an incredible way to catch up with some of your favourite authors but also, a splendid way to be introduced to some you may not be familiar with.
Some of the stories are a tad longer than others but they’re all quite compelling and oozing atmosphere. It’s honestly incredibly impressive to see how much information the authors manage to squeeze into a short story. Remember my dilemma? Short they may be but they had plenty of meat on their bones for me to sink my teeth into.
There wasn’t one story in this collection that I didn’t enjoy. All are quite different in writing style and it’s a little bit like comparing apples with oranges but if you force me to pick one, I’d vote for the one written by Ragnar Jonasson. Days later, it’s still the one that pops into my head first. When you read it, you’ll see why. It carries quite the impact!
Which led me to dilemma two. How on earth do you tackle a collection like this? Do you pick out your favourite authors first? Do you dip in and out? Do you just start at the beginning like you would with a regular book and go from there? All of these would work perfectly well and it’s really up to your personal preference. I started from the beginning and worked my way to the end. That was just the easiest option for me or I would still be sitting here trying to decide which story to read first.
Edited by Martin Edwards, this anthology of short series takes us all over the world. From the UK to French Polynesia, from Iceland to Morocco, on trains and cruises and hikes. All have one theme in common. You guessed it, crime/mystery of course. This is such an incredible way to catch up with some of your favourite authors but also, a splendid way to be introduced to some you may not be familiar with.
Some of the stories are a tad longer than others but they’re all quite compelling and oozing atmosphere. It’s honestly incredibly impressive to see how much information the authors manage to squeeze into a short story. Remember my dilemma? Short they may be but they had plenty of meat on their bones for me to sink my teeth into.
There wasn’t one story in this collection that I didn’t enjoy. All are quite different in writing style and it’s a little bit like comparing apples with oranges but if you force me to pick one, I’d vote for the one written by Ragnar Jonasson. Days later, it’s still the one that pops into my head first. When you read it, you’ll see why. It carries quite the impact!
dogearedbooks's review
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
2.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder
Minor: Physical abuse and Infidelity
kathrynkaupa's review
1.0
I now know which authors to avoid!!
I thoroughly enjoyed the Killer Women anthologies and thought this would be as good. It really wasn’t.
It was sloppy, predictable and out right outlandish in places.
I thoroughly enjoyed the Killer Women anthologies and thought this would be as good. It really wasn’t.
It was sloppy, predictable and out right outlandish in places.
steph1rothwell's review
4.0
I rarely read short stories, and when I do they are usually all by the same author. Reading this proved to me that I am missing out on some fabulous stories and some great authors. Out of the twenty-eight that featured I had heard of about a dozen and read about eight.
They all had a common theme, that of travelling but all approached the subject in different ways. There were some fascinating places but also some which you would hope never to see.
I know that some of the reviewers chose to read these stories at random, picking known or favourite authors first but I chose to read them in the order they were in the book. I read a couple a day, that way each of the stories were getting the same amount of attention. I liked them all, I won’t say which was my most or least favourite, there are some clever, some humorous and some bizarre stories on offer. I didn’t dislike any of them.
I do find short stories harder to read than a full length novel, I find myself more aware of how many pages long they are. I wonder if it is similar for the author. Are they easier or harder to write?
I received my copy from the publisher for the review but I am eagerly looking forward to my limited edition copy arriving that will have been signed by some of the authors.
They all had a common theme, that of travelling but all approached the subject in different ways. There were some fascinating places but also some which you would hope never to see.
I know that some of the reviewers chose to read these stories at random, picking known or favourite authors first but I chose to read them in the order they were in the book. I read a couple a day, that way each of the stories were getting the same amount of attention. I liked them all, I won’t say which was my most or least favourite, there are some clever, some humorous and some bizarre stories on offer. I didn’t dislike any of them.
I do find short stories harder to read than a full length novel, I find myself more aware of how many pages long they are. I wonder if it is similar for the author. Are they easier or harder to write?
I received my copy from the publisher for the review but I am eagerly looking forward to my limited edition copy arriving that will have been signed by some of the authors.
itsallaboutthebooksuk's review
5.0
I’ve never really been one for short stories, it’s not that I didn’t think I’d like them, it was more the fact when I’m reading a story I like to really get my teeth into it. I love the character building and suspense as the story progresses over the pages. So when I saw that the CWA Anthology was to be published and with its fantastic list of authors I was definitely up for the challenge.
With it being short stories my plan was to read a couple every night, I didn’t want to forget what I’d read, there are 28 stories after all, but my plan went out the window and before I knew it I was half way through the book and I ended up reading it in two sittings.
Members of the Crime Writer’s Association (CWA) were invited to write stories with the focus on travel and intriguing destinations, so we are taken around the world on a real mystery tour. I was totally amazed how each author managed to create the suspense and tension in only a few pages and not one single story left me feeling unsatisfied.
I’m not going to review every story as they were all absolutely brilliant and I wouldn’t want to give anything away at all. Each story is totally unique and in all honesty I don’t think there was one story that I could say “I saw that coming”.
The CWA Short Story Anthology is a definite read for lovers of crime fiction, filled with murder mayhem and more. It would also be a great introduction for anyone who wasn’t quite sure if this genre was for them, it would really give them a taste of what they have been missing out on.
My only criticism for this anthology is, my blooming bank balance is really going to suffer now. I sat and wrote a list of the authors previous works that I haven’t read and I now have quite a big list. I wonder if Santa will be kind This is a fabulous way though to introduce a reader to new authors and vice versa.
So I think it is safe to say that It’s all about the books definitely recommends the CWA Anthology and I think I will be purchasing a few copies for Christmas presents.
With it being short stories my plan was to read a couple every night, I didn’t want to forget what I’d read, there are 28 stories after all, but my plan went out the window and before I knew it I was half way through the book and I ended up reading it in two sittings.
Members of the Crime Writer’s Association (CWA) were invited to write stories with the focus on travel and intriguing destinations, so we are taken around the world on a real mystery tour. I was totally amazed how each author managed to create the suspense and tension in only a few pages and not one single story left me feeling unsatisfied.
I’m not going to review every story as they were all absolutely brilliant and I wouldn’t want to give anything away at all. Each story is totally unique and in all honesty I don’t think there was one story that I could say “I saw that coming”.
The CWA Short Story Anthology is a definite read for lovers of crime fiction, filled with murder mayhem and more. It would also be a great introduction for anyone who wasn’t quite sure if this genre was for them, it would really give them a taste of what they have been missing out on.
My only criticism for this anthology is, my blooming bank balance is really going to suffer now. I sat and wrote a list of the authors previous works that I haven’t read and I now have quite a big list. I wonder if Santa will be kind This is a fabulous way though to introduce a reader to new authors and vice versa.
So I think it is safe to say that It’s all about the books definitely recommends the CWA Anthology and I think I will be purchasing a few copies for Christmas presents.
clair_82's review
5.0
A number of members of the Crime Writers’ Association (or the CWA) were invited to write stories with the focus on travel and intriguing destinations….and what fabulous destinations they chose!
The first CWA collection of stories first appeared in 1956 and have been published nearly every since however this is the first anthology I have read (hangs head in shame as crime is my go-to genre!). When I first picked up this book, I was most excited for the stories from Anna Mazzola after loving The Unseeing, Ragnar Jónasson as I am a massive fan of his Dark Iceland series, Michael Stanley after the fabulous Dying To Live and Susi Holliday as I adored the Banktoun series. That said, I was excited about all the sotries, to see how the idea of travel and crime had been personally used by each of the writers.
I started at the beginning and read each of the stories in turn – it is brilliant how diverse the stories are, how differently each of the writers have interpreted the scope; the locations and crime they have chosen. Each of the stories are about 10 pages long and it’s amazing how much tension and mystery each of the authors cram into those limited pages – I’m thinking that it is no easy feat to write a crime short story!
Whilst there were specific authors I was looking forward to reading as I am familiar with their work, I enjoyed being introduced to other authors that I have not yet read books from – suffice to say lots of new (to me) authors will be going on by TBR after my appetite has been whetted by this anthology.
I highly recommend this book and the fabulous thing about it is you can either binge read from start to finish, or pick it up and put it down when you have a free moment. A brilliant selection of stories!
The first CWA collection of stories first appeared in 1956 and have been published nearly every since however this is the first anthology I have read (hangs head in shame as crime is my go-to genre!). When I first picked up this book, I was most excited for the stories from Anna Mazzola after loving The Unseeing, Ragnar Jónasson as I am a massive fan of his Dark Iceland series, Michael Stanley after the fabulous Dying To Live and Susi Holliday as I adored the Banktoun series. That said, I was excited about all the sotries, to see how the idea of travel and crime had been personally used by each of the writers.
I started at the beginning and read each of the stories in turn – it is brilliant how diverse the stories are, how differently each of the writers have interpreted the scope; the locations and crime they have chosen. Each of the stories are about 10 pages long and it’s amazing how much tension and mystery each of the authors cram into those limited pages – I’m thinking that it is no easy feat to write a crime short story!
Whilst there were specific authors I was looking forward to reading as I am familiar with their work, I enjoyed being introduced to other authors that I have not yet read books from – suffice to say lots of new (to me) authors will be going on by TBR after my appetite has been whetted by this anthology.
I highly recommend this book and the fabulous thing about it is you can either binge read from start to finish, or pick it up and put it down when you have a free moment. A brilliant selection of stories!
charmaineclancy's review against another edition
5.0
This is the first anthology by RWR and I was very happy to be a part of it.
shelfofunread's review
4.0
The twenty-eight contributions in this collection reflect a unifying theme of travel and each of the authors has interpreted the brief in their own unique and diverse way which makes for a really varied collection from a mixture of bestselling authors, rising stars and relative newcomers.
As with all anthologies, there were some stories I liked more than others and some writers whose style I preferred so it’s a great way to read new material from old favourites whilst also discovering new writing and trying out new authors and would make a great gift for a crime lover who was seeking out new voices.
The collection also does a fantastic collection of showcasing the breadth and vitality of contemporary crime-writing. Writers are featured from across the UK as well as Iceland, South Africa and America. Sleuthing takes place across the globe, with some of it towards the cosier end of the spectrum whilst others feature more gritty reality. It also does a great job of showing that short-form crime fiction, once assumed to be on the decline, is alive and kicking which is great for those of us that like to dip into and out of short stories between longer reads.
My thanks go to the publishers for providing a review copy in return for an honest and unbiased review. This is an edited version of a full review which can be found on my blog theshelfofunreadbooks.wordpress.com.
As with all anthologies, there were some stories I liked more than others and some writers whose style I preferred so it’s a great way to read new material from old favourites whilst also discovering new writing and trying out new authors and would make a great gift for a crime lover who was seeking out new voices.
The collection also does a fantastic collection of showcasing the breadth and vitality of contemporary crime-writing. Writers are featured from across the UK as well as Iceland, South Africa and America. Sleuthing takes place across the globe, with some of it towards the cosier end of the spectrum whilst others feature more gritty reality. It also does a great job of showing that short-form crime fiction, once assumed to be on the decline, is alive and kicking which is great for those of us that like to dip into and out of short stories between longer reads.
My thanks go to the publishers for providing a review copy in return for an honest and unbiased review. This is an edited version of a full review which can be found on my blog theshelfofunreadbooks.wordpress.com.
amothersmusings1's review
5.0
Goodness, my passport has been well and truly stamped after my round the world mystery tour with the "CWA Anthology of Short Stories" published by Orenda Books!
Twenty eight short stories are featured here by a variety of well known and prominent authors in the crime writing industry. Introduced and edited by author Martin Edwards (who also has a story included) explains how each author was given the criteria of basing their stories on the unifying theme of travel and intriguing destinations. They've certainly achieved that!
The book kicks off with 'The Queen of Mystery' written by the Queen of Mystery herself - Ann Cleeves - telling a tale about a writer who worries she will soon be no longer famous.
All the stories have either a little moral to tell or have an unexpected twist in them to keep you on your toes and what is so delightful about this collection of stories is that you have so many different styles of writing by accredited writers and their superb prose to choose from, you'll be incredibly spoilt for choice. With contributions from William Ryan, Peter Lovesey, Ragnar Jonasson and many more.
With such an unbelievable high standard of writing you'll be chomping at the bit to start each new tale straight away. I enjoyed each and every one, but I particularly enjoyed C.L. Taylor's 'You'll Be Dead By Dawn' a fantastic tale of revenge and as a complete change to normal story writing Christine Poulson's 'Accounting for Murder' is so unique in using receipts only as the narrative, it's brilliant at how it has you unfolding the plot in your mind and imagining the story for yourself.
I look forward to sharing my thoughts with a fellow reader who is going to be reading this soon and I really can't recommend this book highly enough, there is something for everyone here and it's definitely worth every penny. Perfect as a Christmas gift for the discerning crime reader.
An unputdownable round the world trip, that when you finally come down to land will leave you breathless for more.....
5 stars.
Twenty eight short stories are featured here by a variety of well known and prominent authors in the crime writing industry. Introduced and edited by author Martin Edwards (who also has a story included) explains how each author was given the criteria of basing their stories on the unifying theme of travel and intriguing destinations. They've certainly achieved that!
The book kicks off with 'The Queen of Mystery' written by the Queen of Mystery herself - Ann Cleeves - telling a tale about a writer who worries she will soon be no longer famous.
All the stories have either a little moral to tell or have an unexpected twist in them to keep you on your toes and what is so delightful about this collection of stories is that you have so many different styles of writing by accredited writers and their superb prose to choose from, you'll be incredibly spoilt for choice. With contributions from William Ryan, Peter Lovesey, Ragnar Jonasson and many more.
With such an unbelievable high standard of writing you'll be chomping at the bit to start each new tale straight away. I enjoyed each and every one, but I particularly enjoyed C.L. Taylor's 'You'll Be Dead By Dawn' a fantastic tale of revenge and as a complete change to normal story writing Christine Poulson's 'Accounting for Murder' is so unique in using receipts only as the narrative, it's brilliant at how it has you unfolding the plot in your mind and imagining the story for yourself.
I look forward to sharing my thoughts with a fellow reader who is going to be reading this soon and I really can't recommend this book highly enough, there is something for everyone here and it's definitely worth every penny. Perfect as a Christmas gift for the discerning crime reader.
An unputdownable round the world trip, that when you finally come down to land will leave you breathless for more.....
5 stars.