Crime Writers Association - Butcher’s Dozen

[dem bones]

Crime Writers Association - Butcher’s Dozen (Digit, 1961: Originally William Heinemann, 1956)

Josephine Bell, Michael Gilbert & Julian Symonds - Introduction

Marjorie Alan - Portrait of Eleanor
Josephine Bell - The Thimble River Mystery
Mary Fitt - A Death in the Black-Out
Michael Gilbert - Money is Honey
Janet Green - The Tallest Man in the World
Alan Kennington - Remote Control
Frank King - Strange Journey
Nigel Morland - He Got What She Wanted
Bernard Newman - Death at the Wicket
Maurice Proctor - Diamonds for the Million
L. A. G. Strong - Rubber Gloves
Vivian Stuart - The Killer
Julian Symonds - The Dupe
Roy Vickers -Dinner for Two
Cecil M. Willa - The Lost Village

Blurb:
This is the first anthology by members of the Crime Writers Association and all kinds of stories are to be found in it.
The selection has been made by three members of the C.W.A., who are also contributors, to cover the widest possible range of style and to cater for all tastes, and also to show the versatility and ingenuity of the modern crime writer. The editors have contributed an introduction explaining their aims, which also contains some original comments on crime writing in general.
The Contributors to BUTCHER'S DOZEN are: Marjorie Alan, Josephine Bell, Mary Fitt, Michael Gilbert, Janet Green. Alan Kennington, Frank King, Nigel Morland, Bernard Newman, Maurice Procter, L.A,G.Strong, Vivian Stuart, Julian Symons, Roy Vickers and Leal M. Wills.

Picked this up at the market this morning, on the strength of the few names I recognise from their occasional forays into horror-supernatural fiction though there doesn't seem to be much of either in evidence (later edit; yes there is! I just stumbled upon a cannibal story!). Was very pleased to find that it contains an absolutely preposterous cricket themed murder mystery.

Bernard Newman - Death at the Wicket: Noxon arranges a Country House cricket match between his scratch side and the local Malmeston Cricket Club whose captain, Torris, is notorious for his gamesmanship. It is widely known that young Faulkner, bowling for Noxon's team, despises Torris. As predicted, the game is an ill-tempered affair and with Torris resorting to his usual underhand tactics, Faulkner takes to aiming his deliveries at the rotter's upper body. Shortly after taking a ball to the chest, Torris collapses and dies at the wicket. Match abandoned! Fortunately for Faulkner, Pape Pontivy, the famous French spy-catcher is at hand to absolve him from blame and finger the true culprit. Sport is murder in the case of the poisoned shin pad!

Frank King - Strange Journey: Frank King's 1929 novel The Ghoul was the basis for the wonderful What A Carve Up starring Sid James, Kenneth Connor, Shirley Eaton et al, which should surely be enough to warrant republication. Strange Journey is a bit of a let down in terms of body count, plus we soon figured who murdered Walter Grandage and stuck to our guns throughout the author attempts to deflect us. Robert Duffew, nephew of the deceased is the grasper who seeks to gain enormous wealth from his miserable, tight-fisted uncle's death. Celia Porter, star performer of the Chelmston Repertory Players, provides the glamour. Inspector James Jamieson calls in Peter Trevor, immaculately groomed crime buster, to work his magic.

Cecil M. Willa - The Lost Village: Described in the introduction as "deliberately shocking," The Lost Village would not have been out of place in an early Pan Book Of Horror. Our narrator and Verriner, the ill-tempered big game hunter, are stranded in a Central European wilderness when they fall into the clutches of a thirty strong tribe of blind, bestial hags, the demented survivors of a war attrocity. These poor creatures live on a diet of wild cat and, when the chance arises, human flesh. The prospect of being eaten alive holds little appeal to Verriner who shins it up a chimney abandoning his friend to fend for himself. Which is when things turn really ugly. Truly I've had my 50p's worth.