Short stories are the perfect type of book to take to the beach and Robert Barnard is the master of the short story mystery. How far would a child go to rid himself of a despised parent? Or a man of the cloth to be elected pope? From murderous ministers and conniving cardinals to the dark imagination of a schoolboy and the suspicions of an ageing Mr Mozart, this unique collection of Robert Barnard's short stories takes you on a trail of murder, mystery and intrigue with some of his finest - and darkest - literary creations. Including the prizewinning 'Rogues' Gallery', the haunting tale of a devilish papal portrait, and 'Sins of Scarlet', a story of sudden death in the Vatican, this eclectic collection proves that, whether reimagining the life of cultural icons or spying opportunity for morbid crimes amidst events grand and domestic, novelist Robert Barnard is the master of the short story mystery.
Author
Aka Bernard Bastable. Robert Barnard (born 23 November 1936) was an English crime writer, critic and lecturer. Born in Essex, Barnard was educated at the Royal Grammar School in Colchester and at Balliol College in Oxford. His first crime novel, A Little Local Murder, was published in 1976. The novel was written while he was a lecturer at University of Tromsø in Norway. He has gone on to write more than 40 other books and numerous short stories. Barnard has said that his favourite crime writer is Agatha Christie. In 1980 he published a critique of her work titled A Talent to Deceive: An Appreciation of Agatha Christie. Barnard was awarded the Cartier Diamond Dagger in 2003 by the Crime Writers Association for a lifetime of achievement. Under the pseudonym Bernard Bastable, Robert Barnard has published one standalone novel and three alternate history books starring Wolfgang Mozart as a detective, he having survived to old age. Barnard lived with his wife Louise in Yorkshire. Series: * Perry Trethowan * Charlie Peace
