The Detection Club has always counted the crème de la crème of crime fiction within its ranks; previous presidents have included Agatha Christie, Dorothy L Sayers, GK Chesterton and, of course, the venerable HRF Keating. Now, in honour of his eightieth birthday, Keating's fellow Detection Club members and the leading lights of contemporary crime fiction serve up a selection of tantalising conundrums.

Take the phone off the hook, draw the curtains closed and snuggle up on the sofa, ready to enjoy the wickedly wonderful short-story birthday presents on offer from some of Britain's best loved crime writers. The contributing authors include Len Deighton, Reginald Hill, Colin Dexter, PD James, Simon Brett and Liza Cody, and with Dick Francis penning the foreword and Peter Lovesey putting the collection together, there is sure to be something to delight all crime fans.