The Detection Club has been running since 1930, a group of mystery writers who meet for dinner and shenanigans. Simon Brett has achieved a lot in his life in crime writing (and other things) but one thing must stand out is his reign as President of the aforementioned club from 2000 to 2015. An immensely popular fellow, this collaboration gives some of the current members of the club the chance to show their appreciation.

Catherine Aird, Frances Brody, Ann Cleeves, Liza Cody, David Stuart Davies, Martin Edwards, Ruth Dudley Evans, Kate Ellis, Christopher Fowler, Elly Griffiths, John Harvey, Michael Jecks, Alison Joseph, Peter Lovesey, Abir Mukherjee, Michael Ridpath, Andrew Taylor, Aline Templeton, Lynne Truss, L C Tyler and Simon himself… need I say much more?

Well, I’m supposed to be a book reviewer, so I better had. So let’s start with the negative – it’ll be quick. I didn’t get the haikus. Went right over my head.

As for the rest of it, I think this is one of the most marvellous collections of criminous short stories that I’ve read, especially from a mixed selection of authors. Of course, that is a high quality selection of authors – I’ve reviewed most of them before and met almost half of them – and they don’t disappoint. All of the stories pay tribute to Simon in some way, shape or form, whether it be something as simple as a name that is in common with someone or somewhere from Simon’s books, or a full-on tribute such as Peter Lovesey’s “Just A Minute”, the radio panel game that Simon produced or Martin Edwards “Sanctuary”, a tribute to Simon’s one-man show “A Crime In Rhyme” which shares the same brilliant in-joke that the show does without ever pointing it out… You’ll either see it or you won’t.

There’s also something touching about the book containing three of the last works by the late Catherine Aird, David Stuart Davies and Christopher Fowler, all of which are first rate.

But whether the stories are comic or more serious – and some of them are – it is clear that the authors have all raised their game in honour of Simon. I’ve met Simon once, at the Alibis In The Archive, and a nicer, funnier, more charming person you could not hope to meet. I was lucky enough to hear him perform the wonderful “A Crime In Rhyme” and I’ve reviewed a plethora of his titles on the blog over the years.

And on that note, I should point out that the collection finishes with two wonderful pieces – first, a Charles Paris short story, in which it looks like Charles, the reluctant and generally not-very-good sleuth looks like he just might get his Hercule Poirot moment at last. And then Simon writes about his time at the club and the people he has met over the years – it’s a brief memoir, but very touching.

All in all, this is a marvellous collection – it’s out now from Severn House, and I strongly recommend it. A brilliant job from all involved.