- Hardcover: 320 pages
- Publisher: MJF Books (February 1997)
- Language: English
- ISBN-10: 1567311555
- ISBN-13: 978-1567311556
- Product Dimensions: 23.9 x 15.7 x 2.5 cm
- Shipping Weight: 499 g
- Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (1 customer review)
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Product Description
From Amazon.com
A Century of Mystery: 1980-1989, edited by two major figures in the world of contemporary mysteries--Marcia Muller and Bill Pronzini--offers a wonderful cross section of a full decade of writing. The book includes short stories from such luminaries as Lawrence Block ("As Good As a Rest"), Tony Hillerman ("Chee's Witch"), Reginald Hill ("The Worst Crime Known to Man"), and George Higgins ("A Case of Chivas Regal"). But what is especially striking in the volume is the evidence for new developments in the 1980s. Edward Hoch notes in his introduction: "The 1980s were a decade of transition for the mystery and crime story, for readers, writers and publishers. Perhaps nowhere is this more clearly visible than in two specific areas--the resurrection of the private eye novel and the rise of a new generation of women mystery writers." Sara Paretsky's PI, V.I. Warshawski, is emblematic of the shift in the mystery scene, and Paretsky's Warshawski tale, "Skin Deep," is a pleasant addition to the collection, along with works by Julia Smith, Ruth Rendell, Linda Barnes, and the collection editor, Muller. In addition to Hoch's introductory essay--which includes a list of all recipients of the Edgar and Gold Dagger Awards in the decade--each story is accompanied by a short biography of the author featured. --Patrick O'Kelley
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Most helpful customer reviews
3.0 out of 5 stars
A Mixed Bag,
By
Ce commentaire est de: Century of Mystery: 1980-1989 (Hardcover)
You don't really get the sense when reading "A Century of Mystery Stories 1980-1989" that these were the best short stories in the genre written during that particular decade. Rather, the book reads like these were the best stories the publishers could get the rights for. The husband and wife editing team of Bill Pronzini and Marcia Muller are first rate mystery writers themselves (and each contribute one story to this collection), and they have come up with a few dandys. Loren Estlemen's "Greektown," for example, is among his best Amos Walker shorts, while Pronzini's own "Stacked Deck" may his best ever short story. Lawrence Block is rightfully included, though he produced many stories in the 1980s better than "As Good as the Rest," which was included. Several of the stories truly don't rank with the best, and at least one, Clark Howard's "The Dakar Run," barely qualifies as a mystery story.At a mere 310 pages of text, the book is also far too short to cover an entire decade. Overall, this is a fairly undistinguished collection of shorts, despite the book's grandiose title.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta) Amazon.com:
3.0 out of 5 stars (1 customer review) 1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
A Mixed Bag,
By Brian D. Rubendall - Published on Amazon.com
Ce commentaire est de: Century of Mystery: 1980-1989 (Hardcover)
You don't really get the sense when reading "A Century of Mystery Stories 1980-1989" that these were the best short stories in the genre written during that particular decade. Rather, the book reads like these were the best stories the publishers could get the rights for. The husband and wife editing team of Bill Pronzini and Marcia Muller are first rate mystery writers themselves (and each contribute one story to this collection), and they have come up with a few dandys. Loren Estlemen's "Greektown," for example, is among his best Amos Walker shorts, while Pronzini's own "Stacked Deck" may his best ever short story. Lawrence Block is rightfully included, though he produced many stories in the 1980s better than "As Good as the Rest," which was included. Several of the stories truly don't rank with the best, and at least one, Clark Howard's "The Dakar Run," barely qualifies as a mystery story.At a mere 310 pages of text, the book is also far too short to cover an entire decade. Overall, this is a fairly undistinguished collection of shorts, despite the book's grandiose title. |
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