Best-selling novelist Jeffery Deaver edits this latest collection of the genre's finest from the past year. Featuring "gritty tales told with panache," this is a "must-read for anybody who cares about crime stories" (Booklist).
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Series editor Penzler’s preference for trolling literary journals instead of relying on the usual mystery magazines and anthologies pays big dividends.
Not a single one of the 20 reprints here is a dud. Standouts among the stories produced by mystery veterans are James Lee Burke’s parable of a prison-camp inmate who refuses to box ("Big Midnight Special"); Chuck Hogan’s account of the hamburger that will be a condemned convict’s last meal ("Two Thousand Volrs"); and Kristine Kathrine Rusch’s historical fantasy of a killer whose methodical execution of FBI agents reaches all the way to the top ("G-Men"). But there’s excellent, if more formulaic work by Clark Howard, Rob Kantner, Robert McClure and Michael Connelly. "Free Radicals," Alice Munro’s unexpected riff on a classic Agatha Christie story, tops the literary side, which provides a good deal more variety: Tom Bissell’s portrait of a modern superhero ("My Interview with the Avenger"); Ron Carlson’s tale of a Guatemalan baseball phenom whose fate is fatally linked to his scout’s ("Beanball"); M.M.M. Hayes’s depiction of a crusty old gentleman’s unusual strategies for coping with change and death ("Meantime, Quentin Ghlee"); Randy Rohn’s droll, creepy account of "The Man Who Fell in Love with the Stump of a Tree"; Jonathan Tel’s story about a trucker whose life is upended by an accusation of rape and murder ("Bola de la Fortuna"); and series favorite Joyce Carol Oates’ "Dear Husband," the feverish confession of a dying family-killer. N.J. Ayres, Alafair Burke, David Corbett, Nic Pizzolatto, Gary Craig Powell and Vu Tran round out the diverse list.
A choice mix of solid work from mystery specialists and one-shots from authors who’d never want to be identified with the genre.
Not a single one of the 20 reprints here is a dud. Standouts among the stories produced by mystery veterans are James Lee Burke’s parable of a prison-camp inmate who refuses to box ("Big Midnight Special"); Chuck Hogan’s account of the hamburger that will be a condemned convict’s last meal ("Two Thousand Volrs"); and Kristine Kathrine Rusch’s historical fantasy of a killer whose methodical execution of FBI agents reaches all the way to the top ("G-Men"). But there’s excellent, if more formulaic work by Clark Howard, Rob Kantner, Robert McClure and Michael Connelly. "Free Radicals," Alice Munro’s unexpected riff on a classic Agatha Christie story, tops the literary side, which provides a good deal more variety: Tom Bissell’s portrait of a modern superhero ("My Interview with the Avenger"); Ron Carlson’s tale of a Guatemalan baseball phenom whose fate is fatally linked to his scout’s ("Beanball"); M.M.M. Hayes’s depiction of a crusty old gentleman’s unusual strategies for coping with change and death ("Meantime, Quentin Ghlee"); Randy Rohn’s droll, creepy account of "The Man Who Fell in Love with the Stump of a Tree"; Jonathan Tel’s story about a trucker whose life is upended by an accusation of rape and murder ("Bola de la Fortuna"); and series favorite Joyce Carol Oates’ "Dear Husband," the feverish confession of a dying family-killer. N.J. Ayres, Alafair Burke, David Corbett, Nic Pizzolatto, Gary Craig Powell and Vu Tran round out the diverse list.
A choice mix of solid work from mystery specialists and one-shots from authors who’d never want to be identified with the genre.
STARRED The Best American Mystery Stories 2009 Edited by Jeffery Deaver. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt/Mariner, $14 paper (400p) ISBN 978-0-547-23750-3
Like previous anthologies in this “best ofâ€â? series, the impressive 13th volume favors crime stories over whodunits. As series editor Otto Penzler notes in his foreword, “it has become increasingly difficult to find... a new murder method, or an original way to hide a vital clueâ€â? (though some may wonder why Deaver passed over Hal White’s impossible crime puzzler, “Murder at the Fall Festival,â€â? listed in the appendix of “Other Distinguished Mystery Stories of 2008â€â?). Readers interested in psychology will be more than satisfied by such tales as Joyce Carol Oates’s “Dear Husband,â€â? a heartrending first-person account of a mother who slaughtered her children, and Tom Bissell’s “My Interview with the Avenger,â€â? about a vigilante superhero. As always, part of the pleasure derives from exposure to writers who have yet to gain the acclaim they deserve, such as Randy Rohn (“The Man Who Fell in Love with the Stump of a Treeâ€â?) and Jonathan Tel (“Bola de la Fortunaâ€â?). (Oct.)
(Publisher's Weekly )
Like previous anthologies in this “best ofâ€â? series, the impressive 13th volume favors crime stories over whodunits. As series editor Otto Penzler notes in his foreword, “it has become increasingly difficult to find... a new murder method, or an original way to hide a vital clueâ€â? (though some may wonder why Deaver passed over Hal White’s impossible crime puzzler, “Murder at the Fall Festival,â€â? listed in the appendix of “Other Distinguished Mystery Stories of 2008â€â?). Readers interested in psychology will be more than satisfied by such tales as Joyce Carol Oates’s “Dear Husband,â€â? a heartrending first-person account of a mother who slaughtered her children, and Tom Bissell’s “My Interview with the Avenger,â€â? about a vigilante superhero. As always, part of the pleasure derives from exposure to writers who have yet to gain the acclaim they deserve, such as Randy Rohn (“The Man Who Fell in Love with the Stump of a Treeâ€â?) and Jonathan Tel (“Bola de la Fortunaâ€â?). (Oct.)
About the Author
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OTTO PENZLER is the founder of the Mysterious Bookshop and Mysterious Press.
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3.7 out of 5 stars
7 reviews
14 of 16 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
Surprisingly Wicked
Oct 25 2009
By Avid Reader
- Published on Amazon.com
Format:Paperback
A top pick! Don't be surprised at the high quality of "mystery" stories in this anthology since the whole series stands up to scrutiny by the best and snarkiest of critics. Every story in the entire series is finely crafted and entertaining, to say the least.
In this case, Suspense Master Jeff Deaver's picks are colorful, pulse-pounding and, as required of any crime novel, WICKED-TWISTED. Page-turners, all. My all-time favorite Joyce Carol Oates never lets me down for a romp through the derelict mind -- and check out this one by lesser known mistress of mystery, James Lee Burke's daughter, Alafair Burke. BUT BUYER BEWARE: If you have a weak heart, make sure you get your aspirin handy and have your defibrillator on alert.
I hesitate to be blunt about this but I must post one little note about the current definition of "MYSTERY" before some Agatha Christie fan comes and posts a critique about this outstanding CRIME anthology and tries to deceive you into thinking it's unworthy.
This entire series a called "Best American Mystery Stories" because - NEWS FLASH - "mystery" has become the official umbrella catch-all word for crime stories!!!!! Thus, in a contemporary mystery story, order is not always restored after a murder; the characters are often psychologically disturbing if not downright DEVIANT - hello? it's a murder mystery!; and the social mores of the protagonists are not exactly mores to be desired!
In other words, these stories are written by the best living crime writers working in today's literary market. As a result, the stories run the gamut. They cover several genres within the overriding genre of "mystery fiction," which is to say they are often hardboiled, sometimes noir - but always suspenseful, prize-worthy, and thought-provoking. Think Doestoevsky, Patricia Highsmith, Cornell Woolrich, etc.
With all due respect, let this be a lesson to you. Take it with a grain of salt (because Series Editor Otto Penzler has published many cozy writers with his Mysterious Press imprint) but for kicks, he is quick to point out that the only "mysteries" he likes that have a cat detective or a recipe in them is where the cat is IN the recipe. ;-)
Happy reading!
In this case, Suspense Master Jeff Deaver's picks are colorful, pulse-pounding and, as required of any crime novel, WICKED-TWISTED. Page-turners, all. My all-time favorite Joyce Carol Oates never lets me down for a romp through the derelict mind -- and check out this one by lesser known mistress of mystery, James Lee Burke's daughter, Alafair Burke. BUT BUYER BEWARE: If you have a weak heart, make sure you get your aspirin handy and have your defibrillator on alert.
I hesitate to be blunt about this but I must post one little note about the current definition of "MYSTERY" before some Agatha Christie fan comes and posts a critique about this outstanding CRIME anthology and tries to deceive you into thinking it's unworthy.
This entire series a called "Best American Mystery Stories" because - NEWS FLASH - "mystery" has become the official umbrella catch-all word for crime stories!!!!! Thus, in a contemporary mystery story, order is not always restored after a murder; the characters are often psychologically disturbing if not downright DEVIANT - hello? it's a murder mystery!; and the social mores of the protagonists are not exactly mores to be desired!
In other words, these stories are written by the best living crime writers working in today's literary market. As a result, the stories run the gamut. They cover several genres within the overriding genre of "mystery fiction," which is to say they are often hardboiled, sometimes noir - but always suspenseful, prize-worthy, and thought-provoking. Think Doestoevsky, Patricia Highsmith, Cornell Woolrich, etc.
With all due respect, let this be a lesson to you. Take it with a grain of salt (because Series Editor Otto Penzler has published many cozy writers with his Mysterious Press imprint) but for kicks, he is quick to point out that the only "mysteries" he likes that have a cat detective or a recipe in them is where the cat is IN the recipe. ;-)
Happy reading!
6 of 7 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
Another Great Collection!
Nov 25 2009
By Daniel J. Seitler
- Published on Amazon.com
Format:Paperback
This year's Best American Mystery Stories features stories by old favorites like James Lee Burke, Michael Connelly, Joyce Carol Oates and Alice Munro mixed with some newer writers and exciting new talents like Tom Bissell, Alafair Burke, Rob Kantner, Garry Craig Powell and Randy Rohn to name a few. This is one of the most consistently high quality anthologies out there and this year is no exception.
6 of 9 people found the following review helpful
2.0 out of 5 stars
Disturbing Content
Feb 18 2011
By redbelliedwoodpecker
- Published on Amazon.com
Format:Paperback
The number of rapes and the amount of violence perpetrated against women and children in this collection is sickening. This collection makes the world seem a very dark place.
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3.7 out of 5 stars
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