John Cheever understood fallibility and that made for the greatness in his writing

Imagine our joy when Vintage announced that it is publishing a collection of easily digestible books from the world’s most celebrated writers on the experiences that make us human… They look good and read well. That’s win/win in our book.

Each distinct voice in this complex pattern of relationships is presented with deep empathy and clarity, so that you feel a real three-dimensional quality in the characters. The most painful ethical dilemmas are laid out with compassion and without manipulation. A serious, mature book that is also compellingly enjoyable

No one can dig down into the shrouded recesses of the human heart quite as forensically as Vickers

Salley Vickers sees with a clear eye and writes with a light hand. She's a presence worth cherishing

The wittiest of detective writers

Sparkling

My favourite historical novelist - stylish, romantic, sharp and witty. Her sense of period is superb, her heroines enterprising and her heroes are dashing. I owe her many happy hours.

Heyer's characterisation and dialogue are an abiding delight to me...I have seldom met people to whom I have taken so violent a fancy from the word Go

We had better start ranking her alongside such incomparable whodunit authors as Christie, Marsh, Tey and Allingham

Rarely have we seen humour and mystery so perfectly blended

Beautifully written, sharp as a tin of tacks and meticulously researched

Heyer’s writing throughout is sparkling and sharp yet good humoured

In the best of her work she creates an illusions of the past that is complete in itself and essentially timeless, this is one reason why her books haven’t dated. They were designed to amuse and intrigue their readers. They still do. In one sense, Georgette Heyer’s peers are PG Wodehouse and Agatha Christie. Like theirs, her success was not an accident. Like theirs, it shows every sign of enduring

A treat for Regency fans

These stories are an emphatic reminder of why Heyer’s writing deserves respect.

[A] delicious confection of short stories

At turns arresting and hilarious. Ferris excavates relationships, interactions, missteps, and misunderstandings to form a collection of work you'll want to return to again and again

Most of the characters are comparatively sane, but no less deliciously ghastly

Anxiety, self-consciousness and humiliation are the default inner states of the characters in these 11 stories

A strange, fantastical squelch through watery East Anglia...one of the most impressive collections of short stories in recent years

An undeniably enjoyable dose of escapism

Mark Haddon has become a master of the short story…this new collection intrigues and horrifies by turn

Gripping tale… Told with forensic precision.

Exuberant, lusty exercises in juxtaposition… Such contrasts not only power each piece but also act as a form of call and response across them… Terrifically compelling collection.

Impressive but forbiddingly lightless collection. There’s no doubt about Haddon’s skill.

Have you ever read a book that made you gasp out loud and nearly burst into tears? The title story…had that effect on me… Haddon is able to give human tragedy the due solemnity it deserves but without being po-faced. A wonderful collection.

Guaranteed to keep me riveted.

Gripping… Packs the action and themes that might power a very full novel into less than 70 pages

Scintillating first foray into the shorter form… Beautifully crafted… A challenging and idiosyncratic talent, with a memorable way with words.

[Haddon] portrays the nightmares of our own society…with astonishing deftness, mixing black humour and pathos.

The Pier Falls had me gasping in disbelief.

[It was] grim and compelling… [A] ripping, gripping yarn – narrative velcro.

I savoured all the atmospheric short stories in The Pier Falls.

An enthralling short story collection; dark, immersive stories with lots of action. The writing is tight and inspiring.

[A] searing collection of short stories that thrill and chill in equal measure.

I was also captivated by the dark A Pier Falls, a brilliantly written collection of bleak and brutal short stories.

I adored The Pier Falls… Each story is wildly entertaining and well written.

[It] proves the capacity of a short story to immerse the reader fully in a fictional world.

This short-story collection is thrilling and exquisitely written. I gave out several copies as Christmas presents.

An exquisite writer.

Mesmerisingly good stories, hugely varied, skilfully written, full of deft touches and narrative shocks... an absolute treat