If, like me, you love mystery and detective fiction, and have finished all mainstream authors, this book, and the entire series, is for you.
The stories range from the innocent to the macabre, but the plots are all intelligent and the writing all superb.
The book also has a rare find - the only known detective fiction story by William Collins, the scion of Collins Publications.
The Orange Plot mysteries are interesting - a single line of plot is shared, and 6 authors interpret it in their own way. My favourites in this series were He Stooped to Live and The Orange Kid.
There are two long stories in the book. I liked Grand Guignol. A knotty problem was written in the form of a play and is best enjoyed like that. Too many characters for a 40 page story.
Among the short stories, Hot Steel, The House of the Poplars, The Case of the Unlucky Airman, and The Riddle of the Black Spade are all interesting and stand out. To be fair, I have left the Poirot story out of comparison. It stands out in its brilliance.
At 370 pages, this book is ideal for a couple of languid afternoons, or perhaps 2 flight journeys.
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