What makes a mystery intriguing? Which element makes the investigators' sixth sense rear up and say this crime will stand out in their memories forever?

Dozens of crabs pushing a man to jump from his balcony should do the trick. Or an island's one of two inhabitants eating rat poison with his cereal. How about an octagonarian going after internet trolls? An experienced kayaker surprised by bad weather? Or a jail break creating unimaginable damage with a slight miscalculation.

All of the above are covered in A Thief in the Night. Contains the short stories Critters, Two's Company, Gertrude and the Trojan Horse, Like Mother Like Daughter, and The Red Brick Haze.