I finished two more stories that are part of this short story challenge, and I also finished reading the remainder of the stories in the collection of the Best Detective Stories by Cyril Hare. Hare has become one of my favourite authors of mystery / detective stories.
Cyril Hare’s writing and twists that relay on legal detail, and was not disappointed to find that many of the short stories in this collection contained Hare’s typical twists, irony, and moral messaging.
Some of the stories are quite humorous, but some are chilling.
| Card | Story | Author | Book |
| ♦︎ 3 | A Life for a Life | Cyril Hare | The Best Detective Stories |
| ♦︎ 2 | Name of Smith | Cyril Hare | The Best Detective Stories |
As the stories I picked:
A Life for a Life – This was very good and super atmospheric as Hare explores whether it is possible for a murderer to atone for his crime. There was both social commentary and an element of the supernatural in this story, and the influence of the effects of World War one on its survivors was palpable in this story.
I could certainly feel the cold, toxic, fog as it surrounded the main character.
Name of Smith – I had a hunch where this might be going once the background to the defendant was described but it was still an enjoyable story. This one relied on legal details and involved a judge making a mess of a case. It was a clever and somewhat sweet story.
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