Game without rules

In this exceptional story collection, first published in 1968, Gilbert (1912--2006) flexes his gifts for clever plotting and rich characterization. In 11 interconnected stories first printed in Ellery Queen's Mystery Magazine, Gilbert follows the exploits of unassuming British intelligence agents Samuel Behrens and Daniel Calder, both of whom have ostensibly retired to the small village of Lamperdown after long careers with MI6. The best friends' quiet afternoons spent beekeeping and dog-walking belie their continued adventures defending England as part of the Joint Services Standing Intelligence Committee. "On Slay Down," a highlight, finds the duo hatching a plan to take down a typist at the British Air Ministry suspected of passing classified secrets to foreign governments. Equally stirring are "Prometheus Unbound," which sees a previous mission to liberate Albania come back to haunt Behrens and Calder, and "The Road to Damascus," in which they try to determine how a bullet-riddled corpse ended up in a sealed underground shelter. Throughout, Gilbert combines the comforts of a cozy mystery with the ingenuity of John Le Carré. Espionage fans will cherish this rediscovered gem. (July)

With its layered intrigue and arcane tradecraft, espionage is tricky to convey in short story form. In this 1967 collection of 11 witty, gritty Cold War tales, Gilbert gives a masterclass in how to carry it off with ingenuity and style. Slim Mr. Behrens, living with his aunt and keeping bees in a Kentish village, and stocky Mr. Calder, sharing a nearby cottage with the imposing Persian deerhound Rasselas, make quite the pair. Ostensibly retired, they are actually agents of the External branch, "a bunch of middle-aged cutthroats" on call to do dirty work for British intelligence. Gilbert keeps readers guessing on every page, alternating tweedy congeniality with stark brutality and understated emotion. Plots vary, from "On Slay Ground," a taut account of a routine assassination gone wrong--or has it?--to "The Spoilers," a byzantine blackmailing puzzler with a high body count that condenses a novel's worth of twists and reversals into a few dozen pages. VERDICT A clever marriage of the cold unease of Le Carré and the cozy charm of Christie, these highly addictive tales of intrigue will appeal to a wide range of readers; here's hoping the duo's other collection, Mr. Calder and Mr. Behrens, gets reprinted soon.