THE RELUCTANT DETECTIVE and other stories
The stories in the collection are:
“The Reluctant Detective” – nominated for an Edgar in 1984.
“Rainey Shines” – an amateur detective couple solve a murder in the English town I lived in for thirty years.
“Danny Gets It Right” – this and the following story feature Hoosier ex-Vice President Dan Quayle as the, um, detective.
“Danny Pulls His Weight”
“The Stranger” – a visitor to a southern Indiana town seems what he’s not.
“Night Shift” – Leroy Powder educates a Japanese visitor about Indianapolis policing.
“What a Woman Wants” – another Indy police story.
“Boss” – inspired by Kawabata’s “Palm of the Hand” stories.
“Wrong Number” – prize winner in 1981’s International Crime Writers’ Short Story competition.
“The Hand that Feeds Me” – Rover solves a murder. This story has been used in three countries to help teach English.
“The Hit” – a conversation on a train.
“If the Glove Fits” – nominated for an Edgar in 2002.
“You Pay for Everything” – a writer helps with a difficult child.
“Suicide Note” – a writer checks out.
“Family Business” – this, and the next five stories, all involve cases for the Lunghi family of Bath private eyes.
“Wedding Bells”
“Gains and Losses”
“Travel Plans”
“Pay Phone”
“Gunpoint”
“Mr Hard Man” – an American hitman plies his trade in Bath in a story that has its first publication in this book.