Short, dark tales shine in collection

P.D. James, one of the greatest of English mystery writers, died in 2014 at the age of 94, but she and her work live on. “Sleep No More” offers six previously uncollected, quite wonderful “murderous tales” that will delight her longtime fans and can be a fine introduction to her work for others.

Success did not come easily for James. Her mother suffered from mental illness, her father didn’t believe in higher education for girls and Phyllis Dorothy left school at 16 and went to work. She married a doctor but when he came back from service in World War II, he, too, had mental issues and she became the sole provider for herself and two daughters. She believed she was meant to write, but because of the demands of work and motherhood, she was past 40 when her first novel was published.

Not until James was in her 50s did her mounting success make it possible for her to write full time. In 1991, she became Baroness James of Holland Park. By then, to readers, she was the Queen of Crime.

James is best known for 14 novels that feature the intrepid detective Adam Dalgliesh, but her short stories are excellent as well; she clearly had fun writing them.

James was never much interested in serial killers; she preferred to examine respectable citizens who turn to crime.

The stories collected here are variously surprising, sardonic and darkly humorous, and are always intelligent and beautifully written.

As much as any crime writer I know, James transcends genre and should be viewed simply as a writer of exceptional literary skill.

Her plots are always inventive. In a story called “The Yo-Yo” (there’s a reason), a retired judge recalls how, at age 13, he witnessed a murder and lied to police to protect the guilty party. Children, in these stories, are rarely to be trusted.

I’ve read a good many short stories over the years. Most are forgettable, but some become favorites to be returned to, such as Flannery O’Connor’s “A Good Man Is Hard to Find.” One or two of the stories in “Sleep No More” are candidates for that list. Two involve murders at Christmas, but don’t let that trouble you. This collection would make an excellent holiday gift for a literate friend, even though the author’s message has precious little to do with peace on earth or goodwill toward men.