The Beautiful Game

The Beautiful Game is a short story published in The Perfect Crime: 22 Crime Stories from Diverse Cultures Around the World, edited by Vaseem Khan and Maxim Jakubowski, published by Harper Collins.

The Beautiful Game was shortlisted for a Crime Writers’ Association Short Story Dagger in 2023.

A beautiful young woman reluctantly starts a relationship with a famous football player to save her family’s home, only to discover that many of his previous girlfriends have mysteriously disappeared or died…

‘She already knew the most important facts about him: height: six foot two; weight: 86 kg; age: twenty-two; status: single; nationality: British; ethnicity: half-French; vocation: striker for Manchester United and England; net worth: undisclosed but bought from Man City for £100 million.’

‘The Beautiful Game by Sanjida Kay has young-and-starstruck, half-Nigerian Selene Jackson meet £100 million Manchester footballer, Luke Allard, in a bar. The story is filled with dread while being simultaneously good fun.’ Peter Kalu, WritersMosaic

‘An absolute delight! The Perfect Crime is the most original, and captivating, short fiction anthology to come along in ages. The diversity of voice, of setting, of sensibility, of approach to storytelling is wondrous! I don’t usually say this about compilations, but this book is a one-sitting read.’
Jeffery Deaver, bestseller author of The Midnight Lock

‘Huge talent, wide horizons, endless fascination – this is the best collection I have seen for ages … maybe ever’
Lee Child, bestselling author of Better off Dead

Available from Amazon and Bookshop.org