Not to be read in one sitting... Beware of long-lost friends, sleepy cats, and Santa’s grotto. Think twice about gypsy curses, squawking parrots, and peach-coloured thermal underwear — for any one of them can confound your expectations and shatter a cosy world. In his addictive new collection. Do Not Exceed the Stated Dose, master crime writer Peter Lovesey prescribes fifteen fiendishly clever stories featuring the man in the street along with the ever-popular detectives Peter Diamond and the self-important Bertie, Prince of Wales. Here, the genteel mix easily with the sordid in a nasty but effective concoction of mayhem and suspense. It’s a mixture that heart beat taster — and there are twists that will take your breath away