The Curious Conspiracy

(CC) Photo: Jerry Bauer
Michael Gilbert on the back cover of Mr. Calder and Mr. Behrens, 1982

The Curious Conspiracy is a collection of mystery stories by the British thriller writer Michael Gilbert, first published in 2002 by the American company Crippen & Landru and unpublished in England. Published to recognize Gilbert's 90th birthday, it contains 20 previously uncollected stories, as well as a brief introduction by Gilbert himself and an appendix for Sources. Some of the stories feature one or another of Gilbert's many recurring characters that he created throughout his long career of writing both novels and short stories. Gilbert's introduction says that the topics covered by the stories are "catholic", in the sense of being "of universal human interest; touching the needs, interests of sympathies of all men."

Stories in order

• Introduction, page 7, by Michael Gilbert
• A Pity About the Girl, page 11
• The Brave Don't Talk, page 24
• The Man Who Was Reconstituted, page 31
• One-tenth Man, page 42
• What Happened at Castelbonato?, page 55
• Camford Cottage, page 97
• Safe!, page 107
• The Revenge of Martin Lucas Field on Colonel Cristobal Ocampas, page 118
• Basilio, page 136
• Prize of Santenac, page 158
• Villa Almirante, page 165
• The Two Footmen, page 179
• Trust Little Al, page 195
• By The Pricking of My Thumbs, page 208
• Sources, page 234

See also

• Crime fiction/Catalog of prominent writers