Is it fair to judge a novelist based on a set of short stories? The immediate answer is, of course, yes: successful short fiction requires many of the elements that shape and create compelling long-form narratives. It is often argued that short stories need more finesse and a defter touch; all components need to be working well in the miniature format, whereas long fiction writers have the comparative luxury of being forgiven a clunky turn of phrase or a run of a few unengaging pages. If brevity is the soul of wit, then short fiction raises the bar of expectation simply by limiting its word count.

I offer this ruminative prologue to introduce Appleby Talking (1954), a collection of 23 short (some of them very short, running only around five pages) stories by author Michael Innes featuring his most famous detective, Sir John Appleby.
Innes, as John Innes Mackintosh Stewart, taught English Literature at Oxford for decades, and his mystery stories often feature academic settings and incorporate playful literary references and allusions. I must confess that I have not read a single one of the author’s many full-length novels, which began with Death at the President’s Lodging in 1936, and after which dozens more followed during the next five decades. I’m also trying to hedge my bets in the event that the weaknesses or frustrations that occurred for me with some of these stories might be addressed and attended to when Innes has a larger literary canvas to work on, to mix artistic metaphors.

True to its title, the stories in Appleby Talking feature the thoughtful detective recounting memorable (and sometimes far-fetched) cases to a small but appreciative audience. The Vicar, the Doctor, or the QC brings up a news item about a robbery or murder that just occurred, that reference in turn reminds Appleby of a curious affair from his own experience, and we’re off.

There’s a lot to recommend in Innes’s writing, as the short pieces collected here showcase imaginative and inspired scenarios that often turn on a clever clue or a curious paradox. Someone sees a Stone Age man in the mouth of a cave during a village fête. A dead man is found on beach rocks, with only one set of limping footsteps in the sand leading to the body. And lights go off during a college anatomy lesson; when they return, the freshly deceased professor has switched roles with the now-missing cadaver. With nearly two dozen short crime stories here, I was impressed with Innes’s ability to consistently craft intriguing premises over just a few introductory pages.

And while all the stories are entertaining, many of them made me wish that these compelling constructions had been explored more leisurely. This is where my key frustration with Appleby Talking lies: many of the shorter pieces feel rushed, with their details merely glossed over rather than carefully developed. The reading of these clever tales was frustrating because of the fact that the concepts and scenarios were so promising; I wanted further exploration in order for the story and its teller to achieve the best effect.

Take, for example, the two Shakespeare-inspired murders presented here. One details the onstage assassination of the luckless actor playing Julius Caesar (“Imperious Caesar”); the other (“Tragedy of a Handkerchief”) finds a cheating Desdemona lifeless by curtain-fall. Both accounts are related in simplified, engaging fashion by Appleby, reduced to post-prandial anecdotes by the educated detective. Innes and his raconteur choose not to bother with too many details, including the real names of any of the actors. Instead, they are referred to only by their character names. While the economy of presentation is understandable, the stories and the tragedies inherent in them don’t really resonate because the characters are at the service of the speaker. It keeps matters superficial, and the result is that most stories here feel more like outlines or plot pitches than fully developed and memorable events.

I’m likely also reacting to the Inspector’s way of relating the tales, which to me strikes notes of desultory conversation and disposable incident. In other words, if an author chooses to present puzzle, solution, and dénouement in the span of five pages, there may not be space available to do more than provide a blueprint of a plot that could become something greater with a little fleshing out. Perhaps it’s the writer in me, envying Innes’ apparent facility for premises and clues, jealous that he can afford to present his inspirations in sketches instead of incorporated into more fully drawn stories. But sketches appear to be the intention, and although some stories left me wanting more, they may be perfect bite-sized snacks for other mystery readers looking for something elegant and light.

It’s no surprise, then, that two of the most effective stories for me were also of a longer length. With “Lesson in Anatomy” – the story of the murdered professor and the missing cadaver – Innes uses the additional pages to develop tone and characters while giving Appleby time to actually investigate instead of simply inferring a conclusion through brief observation. (“Lesson” is also one of the few stories here that does not use the anecdote-for-an-audience framing device, and it benefits from that difference.) And in the novella-length “Dead Man’s Shoes,” the Inspector looks into a curious, twisty case that begins with mismatched shoes and ends in a smart reveal anchored in authorial misdirection. Perhaps the conclusion is simply this: I owe it to Michael Innes to sample more of his writing, and to see what he can do with one novel-length story instead of 23 too brief but promising little ones.

Agora Books has released this short story collection (as Appleby Talks) in digital and print editions for a new generation of mystery fans to find. I thank them for sharing this title with me through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Agora Books has released many great Golden Age books to date, including titles by Margery Allingham, Nicholas Blake, and Richard Hull, all worth a look!

A bumper 23 tales featuring Inspector Appleby through the ages, that is to say, from his younger days through to Inspector at the Yard. Each is a short, compact yet complete tale - each intelligently told, witty and clever. True classic crime and an excellent opportunity to sample Innes.

This book was first published in 1954 and contains twenty-three stories. The premise is that Appleby spins yarns about past cases to a group of friends who include the Doctor, the Vicar, the QC and other professional types. I personally found this unbearably clubland and Appleby a pompous old bore. Where was Lady Appleby while he was telling these rather tall stories? There is one really good mystery in the book: ‘Dead Man’s Shoes’. This and two other good stories are written as straight narrative, which works much better, I think. Innes can be so good, but this is not one of his better books. I read this thanks to Agora Books and NetGalley.

Although the short story is not so popular today, except perhaps for romantic fiction in magazines, they lend themselves to being easily read on a phone or tablet and are ideal to pass the time on a short journey.

This collection of masterfully written tales by Michael Innes captures the atmosphere of the 1930s. The stories are very English and of the style, time and genre of writing at that time . It serves both as a good introduction to his character Inspector Appleby and for those already familiar with his old school, classic crime stories.
The structure is quite conventional with Appleby usually telling the tales to his audience of a vicar, and a Doctor and lawyer.

With inventive plots this is an appealing read.

The author Michael Innes, and his series character, Inspector Appleby, are favorites of mine. I enjoyed this collection of short stories, but I’m not convinced that I would have enjoyed them as much if I wasn’t already acquainted with them. Most of these are in the form of tales that Appleby is telling to friends. Most of the pieces in this book are quite short and therefore we really get only the bare bones of the case. In most cases the solution to the crime evaded me.
In general, Innes writes witty,literate, somewhat old fashioned mysteries. Highly recommended if you enjoy a well written mystery without a lot of extraneous violence.

Thank you to Agora books and Net Galley for providing me with a copy to read and review.

I enjoyed this collection of short (some very short!) mystery stories.
MAny of them were very clever, others lacked anything other than a minor twist,
This is a great book to read before going to bed!

Engaging collection of Appleby mysteries with one truly outstanding and surprising longer piece to close out the book. Be prepared for the limits of the short story form here, more so than in other collections I read in the last few years, as you'll never guess the resolutions in about 75% of these stories (although I guess that could be more Mr. Innes' style rather than the type of book). Anyhoo, totally recommend either to dip into as a nightcap or or hunker down with a blanket and tea and finish in one sitting.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Agora Books for the digital galley of this book.

Michael Innes is a favorite author for me, especially stories featuring Appleby. This collection of 23 short stories has Appleby relating crimes or just plain odd happenings to friends, often over a glass of something alcoholic. With the exception of one long story these are snapshots of a crime and the solving of the crime by Appleby. The one longer story takes the reader all the way through the crime and the solution with all details filled in. This was an enjoyable reading experience with crime solving of the old fashioned variety. If you've never read any of Michael Innes longer works, this would be a very good introduction to his style of story construction.

Scottish literature professor John Innes Mackintosh Stewart, writing as Michael Innes, produced 33 Inspector Appleby mysteries over a half century from 1936 to 1986, and many short stories as well. The 23 stories collected for this book are typical.

The mood is gentle and light-hearted, despite revolving around murder and other crimes. In the Golden Age tradition, most killings are brutal, but the descriptions are brief and clinical. No one ever gets sick at the sight of a mangled corpse, there is no mention of bad smells, victims begging for their lives or pain. The crimes are presented as armchair puzzles rather than hard-boiled fact.

Most of the stories are in the form of Appleby recounting a case, usually either to his vicar and doctor friends, or female social acquaintances of his wife. The stories often start with a startling or impossible fact that is eventually explained in a roundabout way, and end with a bad pun.

Appleby's manner is irreverent and cheerful, and he seems to wander through his cases without direction, until a sudden pounce at the end. The reader is given clues in the approved Golden Age fashion, statements of minor physical facts rather than anything that speaks to motivation or psychology. The criminal is identified not by insight, but by physical logic. We only observe Appleby's behavior, we don't see deeply into his thoughts.

As you would expect from an English professor (that is a Scottish professor whose subject is English) there are lots of literary allusions and stylish, if old-fashioned, phrases.

Overall I recommend this to readers looking for pleasant, unexciting puzzles and anecdotes.

Excellent set of short stories, with Appleby at all ages. Many thanks to Crime Classics for the ARC.

Where Inspector Appleby recounts some of his cases to a few of his friends over drinks. These are mainly very short stories, unfortunately too short to really get involved in the stories and characters. But enjoyable enough when you have a spare ten minutes to spend reading.

This is a collection of 23 short stories, varying in length. Most are a few pages and one can imagine them being printed in a newspaper or filling a couple of pages in a magazine, but one is quite long. They don’t require great attention and would be ideal for a train journey.

The style is quite reminiscent of the way Agatha Christie had Miss Marple tell her friends about cases from her past. Appleby’s audience is often a combination of the Vicar, Doctor and QC, listening to him in their club. Four stories are straightforward stories told by the author in the conventional manner, rather than by Appleby.

Although I thoroughly enjoyed them and would happily buy another copy if I lost this one, even though I have read all the stories, I did feel a little dissatisfied. That’s not a reflection upon Innes’ ability. It’s just that when I start to read a Michael Innes book, I expect to pay attention and be rewarded for doing so, with clues and his usual polymath’s allusions. The allusions are still here in the short stories, with names like The Cave of Belarius and The Lion and the Unicorn, but it was like sitting down for a meal and expecting pie & chips, followed by a pudding, but being given salad and a slice of apple. Salad and apple are very good but don’t always satisfy one’s appetite. A short story of just a few pages doesn’t allow for too much back story and a build-up of suspense. It’s wham, bam, thank you, ma’am.

My only real criticism is the Welshman in Lesson in Anatomy. I’m Welsh and I don’t mind people taking the mickey out the Welsh at all, but Innes makes him talk with a thicker accent than Fluellen in Henry V. It is so out of character that it’s most puzzling why Innes did that. Is there some subtle similarity in the story to Henry V that I missed?

Whatever. It’s a good book – buy it and enjoy it.

#ApplebyTalks #NetGalley

Bonbons or amuse-bouches, are, I think, the correct way to describe these tales. They give the reader a glimpse into the writer’s approach to his art.

The 23 stories are mostly short, light and vaguely amusing. Interestingly, the most successful is the longest, “Dead Man’s Shoes”, which has elements of a thriller in addition to the mystery.

Those who are unfamiliar with Michael innes and John Appleby would be tempted by this book to search out the novels, and old hands, familiar with the appealing and sometimes overwhelming blend of erudition and detection, will find much here to enjoy, albeit in abbreviated form.

Recommended to readers old and new.

Thank you to NetGalley and Agora Books for the digital review copy.