Book Review: Beyond and Within: Then There Were More – Edited by Martin Edwards

Beyond and Within: Then There Were More.

If you’ve followed me for a while, you’ll already know how big a fan I am of crime fiction. I therefore jumped at the chance to review Beyond and Within: Then There Were More, the latest anthology from The Crime Writer’s Association. It’s a collection of 19 vintage crime stories, edited by Martin Edwards.

The book itself is beautiful with its decorated page edges. It would look lovely on the bookshelf.

This book starts off strong with a story from Ann Perry. Heroes is the tale of a Chaplain in the trenches during the First World War. The author does an incredible job of setting a scene and placing the reader into the horrible conditions faced by the soldiers during this time. If this story can make me feel uncomfortable, then I can’t even imagine how it actually was for men who lived through it. It also felt topical given the state of the world.

A Cabinet of Curiosities by Christine Poulson features Rufus and Simon as they seek a Jesuit priest. This one had a magical quality to it; like a stronger force was present. I hope that makes sense. The story telling in this short story was really compelling and I could have read a whole novel with these characters.

Andrew Taylor’s The Cost of Living came next. This one doesn’t pull punches when it comes to shock value. The main character is a private detective in a race against time to help his client.

Who Killed Adonis? by Amy Myers explores greek myth – Aphrodite specifically and the mystery of who killed Adonis. This story was a proper mini whodunnit and I was totally there for it. I have always held a fascination for greek mythology and this has reignited my want to research. The imagery in this story is also fantastic. I want it to be adapted for TV or film.

Stranger in Paradise by Judith Cutler had such a Hot Fuzz feel to it. A woman moves to a new town where everyone knows everyone and help is never far away. This story, like Who Killed Adonis? had some funny lines and I could have read a much longer piece. I was sad when it finished.

Original Sin by Gillian Linscott came next. The premise is someone is being hunted. This was an interesting look at what people will do to survive. There was an air of mystery surrounding the characters all the way through and the ending was shocking. This wasn’t my favourite story but it was still riveting.

Martin Edwards

War Rations by editor, Martin Edwards, was another story that had me rattled by the end. Set around an evacuation during World War II, I felt an anger toward some of the characters and empathy to others. I enjoyed the story but it had me emotional at the end and not the good emotional.

The Death of Spiders by Bernie Crosthwaite. I have to confess, I almost didn’t read this one. I am scared of spiders. However, I am pleased I managed to put my fear aside for a few pages because this story was superb. An expert on arachnids is bought in to help solve a murder.The plot crams a lot in but does it in a brilliant and clever way. Again, I would have happily read a longer version and would love to see this adapted.

Home is the Hunter by Catherine Aird is the next story in this anthology. This was an interesting and enthralling story and had me guessing all the way through.

Next is Doctor Theatre by Simon Brett. Again, another classic whodunnit set in a theatre as the cast put on Richard III.

Tour New Zealand in Five Easy Murders by Yvonne Eve Walus tells the story of a criminal profiler. Someone adapt this for TV, please! It would be perfect. It was one of my favourite stories in the anthology and I didn’t want it to end. I am fascinated by criminal profiling and therefore devoured this story.

Fedora by John Harvey is a fictional tale based around Operation Yewtree – a little content warning for you. This was a good story and one of the more modern in the collection. I don’t know how I feel about this story. As you get to know the characters, it presents moral questions not always shared by the people in the story. This one had me thinking.

Les Inconnus by Kate Ellis was another one of my favourites. A couple move to Paris for a new start but it doesn’t go as planned. I got to the end and had to stop reading for a few moments as I couldn’t believe what had happened – you know when something is brilliantly done and you just didn’t see it coming.

Speaking of favourites, A Bridge Too Far by Zoe Sharp was another story that just had me enthralled from beginning to end. I could imagine this making another good TV adaptation. I felt there was a lot more that we didn’t know about the characters in the time leading up to the scene presented in the story.

The Reluctant Dueller by Bill Knox had a lot of intrigue and backstabbing. It’s a lesson on making assumptions.

D.O.A by Cath Staincliffe is one of the more gritty tales offered in this anthology. I think it’s one many people will relate. There’s not much else I can say about this one without giving it away. Not one of my favourites I have to admit but that’s the beauty of a book like this, you could read this story and it be the best one for you. It just wasn’t for me.

Day or Night by Liza Cody has a tough subject matter. It is based around a woman being kept against her will. The story takes place after the event and it affected me a lot. Again, another one that would be good for adaptation.

The penultimate story, Owl Wars by Ann Cleeves, centres around tour guides in Finland and was an enthralling, heart-breaking tale.

The final story was Arabella’s Answer by Peter Lovesey. This was another story that elicited quite a strong response from me. It was a good look at how women were seen by society in not so modern times. It had an ending that made its point. How it was written was also intriguing as it was done as a series of paper articles.

Overall, this anthology has something for everyone. There were stories that have stayed with me, ones that shocked me, ones that entertained me. It would be a wonderful way to spend a few hours, snuggled under a blanket as the weather turns really horrible. Comfortable chair, hot chocolate, this book. Perfect.

(Thank you to Flame Tree Publishing for the advanced reading copy in exchange for an honest review.)

Find out more about this book and others in the series via Flame Tree Publishing. 

Beyond and Within: Then There Were More was released in September 2025 and is part of the Flame Tree Collections. Click to buy on Amazon UK, Amazon US, Waterstones and Barnes and Noble. 

by

Laura

I'm Laura. I started Novel Kicks back in 2009 as I wanted a place to discuss books and writing - two loves of my life. As someone who has anxiety, these two things give me, and I am sure countless others, a much needed escape.
There is a monthly book club, writing exercises, prompts, reviews, author interviews, competitions and guest posts. I cover many genres and I hope there is something for everyone.
I grew up by the sea in Dorset and currently live in Poole with my husband, Chris and three cats. I love writing and have a BA (Hons) in Creative Writing from Falmouth University. I am writing my first book. If only I could stop pressing delete. Chris has threatened to stop it from working. Haha.
I have always loved creative writing since I was in first school and would very much like to meet my teacher, Miss Sayers, to say thank you for all the encouragement she gave me then.
When not writing, I love reading, cats, Disney, singing (I can't sing but this doesn't stop me,) and falling into a good TV show or film. If I could step into any fictional world, it would be amongst the characters in ABC's Once Upon a Time.
I love reading many genres and discovering new authors.