Amateur in Violence is a collection of mystery stories by the prominent British thriller writer

Michael Gilbert Michael Francis Gilbert (17 July 1912 – 8 February 2006) was an English solicitor and author of crime fiction. Early life and education Gilbert was born on 17 July 1912 in Billinghay, Lincolnshire, England to Bernard Samuel Gilbert, a writ ...

, published in the United States in 1973 by

Davis Publications Bernard George Davis (December 11, 1906 – August 28, 1972) was an American publishing executive. He and William Bernard Ziff Sr. William Bernard "Bill" Ziff Sr. (August 1, 1898 – December 20, 1953) was an American publishing executive ...

, a publishing house for magazines, but not in England. Gilbert, who was appointed

CBE The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding contributions to the arts and sciences, work with charitable and welfare organisations, and public service outside the civil service. It was established o ...

in 1980, was a founder-member of the British Crime Writers' Association. The

Mystery Writers of America Mystery Writers of America (MWA) is an organization of mystery and crime writers, based in New York City. The organization was founded in 1945 by Clayton Rawson, Anthony Boucher, Lawrence Treat, and Brett Halliday. It presents the Edgar Award ...

named him a Grand Master in 1988 and in 1990 he was presented

Bouchercon Bouchercon, the Anthony Boucher Memorial World Mystery Convention, is an annual convention of creators and devotees of mystery and detective fiction. It is named in honour of writer, reviewer, and editor Anthony Boucher, and pronounced the way ...

's Lifetime Achievement Award. The book is edited, and has an introduction, by Ellery Queen, the founder and long-term editor of Ellery Queen's Mystery Magazine. It contains 10 stories and a short novel that had been previously uncollected in the United States. Some of them feature characters who have figured in other novels and short stories by Gilbert. Three stories feature

Inspector Hazlerigg Inspector Hazlerigg is a police detective created by the British mystery writer Michael Gilbert who appears in six novels published between 1947 and 1958, as well as in 20 short stories. Although he plays a key role in each of the novels, he is ...

and four Inspector Petrella. The short novel, "Stay of Execution", had previously given its name to the title of a collection published in England in 1971.

Stories in order

*''Introduction'', page 4, by Ellery Queen *''Amateur in Violence'', page 7,

*''Modus Operandi'', page 15,

*''Tea Shop Assassin'', page 25,

*''Bonny for Value'', page 29, Inspector Petrella *''The Oyster Catcher'', page 44, Inspector Petrella *''Mr. Duckworth's Night Out'', page 57, Inspector Petrella *''The King in Pawn'', page 72, Inspector Petrella *''Mr. Portway's Practice'', page 84, *''Dr. Lethbury's Last Case'', page 94, *''Snap Shot'', page 100, *''Stay of Execution'', page 112 — short novel

References

External links

: 1973 short story collections British short story collections Mystery short story collections Short story collections by Michael Gilbert Davis Publications books {{1970s-mystery-story-collection-stub