Petrella at Q is a collection of 11 short stories plus one longer story divided into four parts about the British policeman

Patrick Petrella Patrick Petrella is a police detective created by the British mystery writer Michael Gilbert who appears in ten books published between 1959 and 2003 and is probably the best-known of the half-dozen or so recurring characters that Gilbert wrote a ...

by the British 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 Kingdom by

Hodder and Stoughton Hodder & Stoughton is a British publishing house, now an imprint of Hachette. History Early history The firm has its origins in the 1840s, with Matthew Hodder's employment, aged 14, with Messrs Jackson and Walford, the official publisher ...

in 1977 and in the United States by Harper & Row the same year. 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. Many of the stories had previously appeared in such magazines as ''

Reveille "Reveille" ( , ), called in French "Le Réveil" is a bugle call, trumpet call, drum, fife-and-drum or pipes call most often associated with the military; it is chiefly used to wake military personnel at sunrise. The name comes from (or ), th ...

'' in the United Kingdom and '' Ellery Queen's Mystery Magazine'' in the United States. In addition to the stories themselves, there is an introductory sketch of Petrella by Gilbert written especially for this book. A second collection of stories, ''

Young Petrella ''Young Petrella'' is a collection of 16 short stories about the British policeman Patrick Petrella by the British writer Michael Gilbert published in the United Kingdom by Hodder and Stoughton in 1987 and in the United States by Harper & Row the ...

'', was published ten years later, in 1987, but consisted exclusively of stories about Petrella's very first years on the force, when he began as a detective constable.

Stories in order

*''Patrick Petrella'', page 9 — biographical sketch of Petrella by Gilbert *''SUMMER: The Elusive Baby'', page 16 — he begins the book as Detective Inspector Petrella *''SUMMER: The Banting Street Fire'', page 28 *''SUMMER: The Death of Mrs. Key'', page 39 *''SUMMER: Why Tarry the Wheels of His Chariot'', page 49 *''AUTUMN: Rough Justice'' page 59 — Detective Inspector Petrella has just been promoted to Deputy Chief Inspector Petrella *''AUTUMN: Counterplot'', page 69 *''AUTUMN: "To the Editor, Dear Sir–"'', page 77 *''AUTUMN: A Thoroughly Nice Boy'', page 92 *''WINTER: The Cleaners'', page 104 **''PART I: Inquest on the Death of Bernie Nicholls'', page 104 **''PART II: A Lively Night at Basildon Mansions'', page 119 **''PART III: The Peripatetic Birds'', page 134 **''PART IV: St. Valentine's Day'', page 150 *''SPRING: Captain Crabtree'', page 164 *''SPRING: The Last Tenant'', page 186 *''SPRING: Mutiny at Patton Street'', page 205

Notes

External links

: 1977 short story collections Hodder & Stoughton books British short story collections Detective fiction short story collections Short story collections by Michael Gilbert {{1970s-mystery-story-collection-stub