Spies I have Known is a collection of short stories published in 1995. My edition published by Cascade books does not contain a list of titles, which is most annoying when you wish to check on the stories to see if you have previously read them. The stories date from 1954 through to 1990 and so if you have read some of Lessing’s stories there is a good chance that these will not be new to you.

I need to tell myself that I am not reading a novel when starting a short story. In the 20-30 page length of most of the stories there will be little space for deep character development or for a complicated plot. The best ones here offer a slice of life where open ended beginnings often give way to open ended endings. These are not clever little stories with plot twists or ones that have a moral point: although there are plenty of acute observations on moral dilemmas. There are nine stories in this collection and I enjoyed them all, but it was a shame that I had read them all before.
Three stars. ( )