cover image Winter's Crimes -20

Winter's Crimes -20

Hillary Hale. Doubleday Books, $12.95 (188pp) ISBN 978-0-385-26211-8

An agreeably mixed bag of nine stories comprises this 20th edition of an annual anthology of suspense fiction from England. With ``An Unmentionable Death,'' Simon Brett makes us cheer for Harriet Chailey, who fights to prove her brother the victim of murder, and not a debauched suicide. Michael Z. Lewin, on the other hand, intrigues and amuses as he highlights the private-eye operations shared by three generations of British-Italians in ``Family Business.'' Although Jean Stubbs masterfully sustains the brooding menace in ``Stone Mother,'' she ends the story so enigmatically that it continues to baffle rather than satisfies. There are marvelous contributions from E. X. Ferrars, Jill McGown, D. W. Smith and David Williams. Crime buffs may recognize Peter Lovesey's award-winner ``Where Is Thy Sting?'' (published as ``The Wasp'' in Edward D. Hoch's recent collection, The Year's 1989 Best Mystery and Suspense Stories ) . (Dec.)