This is my eleventh collection of short stories. A financial expert in New York who has had a breakdown believes that life on Earth originated from Venus and that we are destroying this planet as we did that one. An UK government agency considers the consequences of the impending release of a convicted foreign agent. A fading French film star muses upon or hallucinates about his past life and his most famous role. A series of people disappearing on a Mediterranean island are investigated with unexpected consequences. A couple of itinerants wander through a seaside town encountering a series of odd individuals and incidents. In California, a private detective undertakes an investigation and faces attempts on his life. These and other stories, some humourous or semi-autobiographical, have been written since I retired in 2008.