James: Sleep No More

Review The few improbabilities are effectively disguised by the sublime quality of James's writing. She never puts a word wrong...she is the unrivalled portrayer of the sort of bad character who keeps up a convincing performance until the mask is torn off to reveal evil intent. With endings sometimes shocking and never less than surprising, she leaves her readers gasping -- Barry Turner ― Daily Mail It is difficult to imagine a more pleasing afternoon than one beside a fire or radiator, with a pot of tea to hand and autumn rain against the window, while settling in for a series of delightful shocks: "I found the yo-yo the day before Christmas Eve ." -- Sarah Perry ― Guardian When PD James died in 2014, readers lost a distinctive voice in crime writing. Her nostalgic style harks back to the golden age of the 1920s and 1930s, of Agatha Christie and Margery Allingham; James called on similar motifs from that era, but developed them further with psychological insight and gleeful darkness.The standout tale is The Murder of Santa Claus', featuring the classic closed circle set-up -- Fred Melnyczuk ― Financial Times As the nights draw in you're unlikely to find a book more ingeniously pleasing than the late, great PD James's Sleep No More, six flawless new stories in which period settings nod slyly to detective fiction's golden age...Always a shrewd closing twist lies in wait. -- Hephzibah Anderson ― Observer Extraordinarily clever, immensely entertaining and with a wintry theme that makes them perfect for the long dark nights ahead, these murderous tales are a dead cert for all crime lovers. -- Pam Norfolk ― Lancashire Evening Post As soon as I started on the first story I was caught up in her world once again [...] the tales she tells seem timeless...She was one of the best at what she did, her work lives on and Sleep No More only enhances my appreciation of her skills ― Grab This Book This book offers a masterclass in the planning, plotting and execution of short stories that not only entertain and thrill but also explore the dark nature of humanity...Sleep No More packs a powerful punch. This is a perfect Christmas stocking filler for a crime fiction addict ― Off The Shelf Books Extraordinarily clever. ― Over the Rainbow Book Blog Blend the classic tropes and motifs of Golden Age crime-writing with her trademark psychological insight to create six morally complex stories...a fantastic addition to any crime fan's bookshelf ― The Shelf of Unread Books The theme of revenge features heavily, along with murder and mystery and fabulously crafted characters...Once started, it's really very hard to put this book down ― Random Things Through My Letterbox Draws us into a world where nothing is as it appears...James was a remarkable author who influenced a generation of crime writers and I'm sure will continue to do so. -- Sarah Ward ― Crimepieces The range of stories and level of spookiness was very nicely done...the only downside is that there are only six! ― Booktrail The six stories in 'Sleep No More' are dazzling proof of just how much can be achieved when an author of P.D. James' calibre applies her crime and writing savvy to the task...beautifully balanced, with just the right amount of tension to keep the story's gears ticking unerringly to a startling conclusion, and with a pleasant scattering of sharply etched characters appearing along the way..wicked, sharp and often mercilessly witty crime stories. -- Nic Mira ― Thriller Books Journal Each of these stories is a standalone story, all written in beautiful prose, full of twists, most of which you never see coming. Each story is an original from someone who was the queen of mystery writers, who knew how to entertain her readership. P.D. James may be gone, but this collection is an excellent testament to her talent and writing, and as she always did, it reminds us how many women have really made this genre their own. This is in the grand tradition of short mystery stor