Overview

Crime Fiction Inspired by the Songs of Stephen Sondheim? Seriously? What in the world do Sondheim and crime fiction have in common? Well, nothing...unless you remember that Sweeney Todd is the story of a murderous barber, and Assassins is the story of multiple killers and would-be killers, and Into the Woods tells the story of a wolf who eats grandmothers, and The Last of Sheila--not a musical comedy for the stage but a devious whodunnit Sondheim co-wrote with Anthony Perkins for the screen--won the Mystery Writers of America's Edgar Allan Poe Award for the best mystery film of 1973. In Every Day a Little Death, twenty authors--some from the world of crime fiction, some from the world of the theater--use Sondheim's lyrics as the inspiration for twenty tales of malfeasance, misdemeanor...and murder. Josh Pachter is a writer, editor, and translator. His work has been a finalist for the Edgar, Anthony, Agatha, Thriller, Macavity, Lefty, and Derringer awards. In 2020, he was the recipient of the Short Mystery Fiction Society's Golden Derringer for Lifetime Achievement.

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9781685128685

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Reviews

""Stephen Sondheim loved puzzles and mysteries, and no doubt he would be pleased how his songs provide a jumping off point for twenty short stories of murder and espionage-sometimes dramatic, sometimes humorous-and inventively take readers to places his original works never imagined."" (Wm F. Hirschman, editor of floridatheateronstage.com and member of the Executive Committee of the American Theatre Critics Association)  ""This outstanding collection honors the legacy of the great Stephen Sondheim while richly exploring a new side of his themes. Sondheim fans should flock to these entertaining short stories that meld mysteries with Sondheim's music."" (Oline H. Cogdill, mystery-fiction critic) ""What a delightfully macabre idea to pay tribute to Stephen Sondheim with a collection of crime fiction inspired by his many works. From a corpse lying at the feet of Gypsy Rose Lee in a Chicago dive bar to the mysterious death of an actor in Sweeney Todd to a dark twist on Sunday in the Park with George, there's plenty here to fascinate readers-and unnerve them, too. Attend these tales!"" (Richard Schoch, author of How Sondheim Can Change Your Life)

Author Information

Josh Pachter is the author of more than 130 short stories. In 2023, his first novel-Dutch Threat-was a finalist for the Agatha, Macavity, and Lefty awards. Three of the seven previous volumes in his ""inspired by"" series were Anthony finalists. He was the 2020 recipient of the Short Mystery Fiction Society's Golden Derringer for Lifetime Achievement.

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