SHORT STORIES

I like this form a lot and I’m glad it seems to be making a come-back. In fact, given that attention spans are supposed to be so short nowadays, it’s surprising that it hasn’t become the primary literary genre. It can do so many things – from a concentrated, intense study of character, obsession or just about any other characteristic to a helter-skelter of action. There’s often a suggestion that short stories are lighter things which novelists scribble as a sort of rest from the serious business of composing the magnum opus. That’s a misconception. The best short stories are beautifully crafted and as careful with their prose as any other form.
I’ve had three of mine selected for inclusion in Crime Writers’ Association anthologies, each edited by Martin Edwards.

Missing Persons (1999)

My contribution to this collection is called Missing. I concentrated on both meanings of the word – missing as in missing person and missing as in ‘I miss you’. Its central ‘baddie’ is based on someone I actually met and his fate is an illustration of how delicious it is to have a writer’s access to revenge. It’s been published in a more recent collection: Crime Scenes, edited by David Stuart Davies, Wordsworth Editions, 2008 and is also available as an ebook under the title Missing People.

Death Ship

This 2005 story first appeared in the CWA’s annual anthology, Crime on the Move. It’s now been released as a stand-alone Kindle story. It’s based on a magical experience I had when I signed on to be part of the crew of a beautiful Norwegian square-rigger, the Christian Radich, to sail from Oslo to Leith in Scotland. It was part of my research for The Figurehead but provided a great setting for yet another story of revenge.

Reviews

“a first class story. Give it a read.”
Greta van der Rol

“the best short story I ever read. … concise, suspenseful and well written. The twist is one you don't expect at the end, but it makes perfect sense.”
Cooty Leroux, Amazon

“Masterfully written murder mystery that draws you right in. Bill Kirton is truly an artist with a fantastic skill to create a living breathing setting, placing the reader at the heart of events.”
Maria K, Amazon

“a fine piece of writing. What I felt was extra-impressive was the detail of the life aboard the ship. With just a few well-chosen words and without detracting from the pace for a moment, Bill Kirton makes you experience life on the Death Ship.”
Michael Malone, Amazon.

“I walked the decks with the main character and could almost smell the brine, feel the sway of the ship, and experience the horror when yet another body was discovered … full of atmosphere and suspense with an unexpected twist at the end, this is a book I would highly recommend.”
C. H. Longmuir, Amazon.

I.D.(2006)

Other People is simply based on the ‘Hell is other people’ of existentialism. Whoever we may think we are, others form their opinions of us and, sometimes, they interpret our words or actions in surprising ways. Appearances are literally deceptive and the realities beneath them are sometimes shocking.

Love Hurts

Love Hurts was chosen by Maxim Jakubowski to be one of the Best British Crime Stories (or, in the USA, Best British Mysteries) for 2010.