bibliotechied's review
4.0
I very much enjoyed this collection of short crime stories set in Edinburgh. Standout was Christopher Brookmyre's place b. An Expose of homeopathy but there was not a dud in the collection. The great thing about a collection like this is the opportunity to find new authors to read. As well as well loved authors like Margaret Atwood (who has a story combining past lives and online dating), Ian Rankin (a moral dilemma about heroism) and Kate Atkinson (a twist delivered with stealth), there are authors I'd not read before and will seek out. What more could you ask of a short story collection?
melodypowers65's review
3.0
This was a quick, easy read of short stories supporting the Edinburgh OneCity Trust. I bought it ages ago (the book was published in 2009) and only got around to reading it now, as I prepare to clear out my book collection.
All the stories are crime stories, but the authors have taken different interpretations of what "crime" means. Some are modern, some are historical, some are police procedurals, some have a twist. In the last story, I'm still not 100% sure what the author intended the crime to be. All have to have a connection to Edinburgh. Some were more tenuous than others.
I liked some of the stories: "Affairs of the Heart" by Kate Atkinson, "Pretend Blood" by Margaret Atwood"and "There Goes Me" by Isla Dewar. The rest I can take or leave - some definitely just leave. I know it can be hard to fully flesh out a character and story in few words, but there were too many white male protagonists with "typically male" issues to really catch my attention, plus three of the ten stories involved affairs (male cheating on female partner). Not my cup of tea.
I still think the money to buy the book was well spent, because all profits went to the OneCity Trust, but I also think giving the book away to new readers is the right move. If you are a crime novel enthusiast or an Edinburgh native or lover, and sales of the book still support the Trust, then I would recommend it.
All the stories are crime stories, but the authors have taken different interpretations of what "crime" means. Some are modern, some are historical, some are police procedurals, some have a twist. In the last story, I'm still not 100% sure what the author intended the crime to be. All have to have a connection to Edinburgh. Some were more tenuous than others.
I liked some of the stories: "Affairs of the Heart" by Kate Atkinson, "Pretend Blood" by Margaret Atwood"and "There Goes Me" by Isla Dewar. The rest I can take or leave - some definitely just leave. I know it can be hard to fully flesh out a character and story in few words, but there were too many white male protagonists with "typically male" issues to really catch my attention, plus three of the ten stories involved affairs (male cheating on female partner). Not my cup of tea.
I still think the money to buy the book was well spent, because all profits went to the OneCity Trust, but I also think giving the book away to new readers is the right move. If you are a crime novel enthusiast or an Edinburgh native or lover, and sales of the book still support the Trust, then I would recommend it.
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