Hook, Line & Sinister: Mysteries to Reel You In

by T. Jefferson Parker (Editor)

Sixteen of America's favorite author-anglers spin tales of mystery and fishing in this collection. From the tragic to the comic with many stops in between, these stories reflect the authors' passions for both making stories and catching fish. Michael Connelly, Ridley Pearson, John Lescroart, Don Winslow, Melodie Johnson Howe, Victoria Houston, and others all share a mysterious affection for things piscatorial when not busy writing best-selling books. This collection of all-original short stories will entertain even the most discriminating mystery reader.



Proceeds from this book will help support two charitable groups, Casting For Recovery, which helps women cancer survivors to heal body and soul through fly-fishing, and Project Healing Waters, which does the same for our returning veterans.



Contributing authors include • Ridley Pearson • Mark T. Sullivan • Michael Connelly • John Lescoart • Andrew Winer • Dana Stabenow • Don Winslow • Melodie Johnson Howe • James W. Hall • C.J. Box • Victoria Houston • William Beall • Spring Warren • Brian M. Wiprud • William Tapply • T. Jefferson Parker

Genres: Mystery, Short Stories, Fiction, Anthologies, Mystery Thriller, Thriller, Crime

336 pages, Paperback

First published April 19, 2010

About the author

T. Jefferson Parker is the bestselling author of 26 crime novels, including Edgar Award-winners SILENT JOE and CALIFORNIA GIRL. Parker's next work is coming-of-age thriller, A THOUSAND STEPS, set for January of 2022. He lives with his family in a small town in north San Diego County, and enjoys fishing, hiking and beachcombing.

Reviews

[Jim · Rating 4 out of 5]

Overall, an excellent anthology very well narrated. I'm not much of a fisherman any more, but did a lot of it in my younger days including fly fishing in some of the areas mentioned. Apparently all the authors are well acquainted with the sport & it shows in the details, something I really appreciated. No matter how good the mystery, if the details of the world are jarring, it ruins the story for me. Definitely recommended. Quick reviews of each story below.

Table of Contents
River tears by Ridley Pearson: was creepy, a couple going to China & there is cormorant fishing, so I found that interesting. I didn't really care for the story, though. 2 stars

Cutthroat by Mark T. Sullivan: was an excellent mystery. I liked the MC & how things wrapped up. Well done! 4 stars

Blue on black by Michael Connelly: I've read this one before as part of the Harry Bosch universe short stories where I numbered it 20.5 in my chronology. It's good, but just an investigation. 3 stars

Unsnaggable by John Lescroart: Good setup, although I could guess what was coming, the end was still masterfully done. I really liked the very end. 4 stars

Darmstadt by Andrew Winer: Creepy & mostly didn't make much sense to me. Set in Germany. 2 stars

Cherchez la femme by Dana Stabenow: Interesting for the Alaskan setting, but not much investigation or anything. Just a lot of telling. 3 stars

Sandy brook by Don Winslow: Excellent, even though we knew what was coming. Great setup & end. 4 stars

The nymph by Melodie Johnson Howe: was short & creepy. I guess there are women like that, but I don't like it & didn't like the story. That it made such an impression means it was well written, though. 4 stars

Tight lines by James W. Hall: Had a lot of potential & was set in Florida, but I didn't get or like the conflict, so the end made no real sense. 2 stars

Every day is a good day on the river by C. J. Box: was surprisingly good since I'm not a fan of Box's series. I don't think this connected to it in anyway, but the characters were great. 4 stars

Death by honey hole by Victoria Houston: An awesome bit of revenge with a lot of soul. 5 stars

The blood-dimmed tide by Will Beall: A lot of good setup, but the fight scene made absolutely no sense. 2 stars

Dead drift by Spring Warren: A well done mystery with old college professors as the investigators. 4 stars

Granite hat by Brian M. Wiprud: A great, but expensive lesson. Loved it! 5 stars

Mr. Brody's trout by William G. Tapply: Great story in most ways, but the author cheated. Sure, we know who, but by not describing the how it lost a lot. 2 stars, but could have been 5 stars. Yeah, it's that big a hole.

Luck by T. Jefferson Parker: a perfect way to end this excellent collection. Very well done by the editor.

[Carolyn (in SC) C234D · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this collection of stories, all related to fishing in some way, and all containing a mystery. I know nothing, really, about fishing, but that didn't matter. And I don't read short stories consecutively; I put the book down after reading one, and usually return another day. About half of these authors are familiar to me. I think all the stories were well-written. There was some humor, some weirdness, some Hitchcock-ness, and some characters got what they deserved, albeit illegally. A nice fact is that royalties and a portion of the profits on book sales will be donated to two charities: Project Healing Waters, "which takes wounded combat soldiers on fishing trips to help heal body and soul", and Casting For Recovery, "which takes women suffering from cancer on fishing excursions in search of restorative hours".

Thank you, T. Jefferson Parker, for putting this together.

[Cindy B. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Terrific compilation by some of my fav authors. Something to please everyone — including you if mystery is your genre. Enjoyed it & will reread. Recommended.

[Wendopolis · Rating 3 out of 5]

A couple good ones

[Anna · Rating 3 out of 5]

An anthology. Liked some stories better than others.

[Dlmrose · Rating 3 out of 5]

3+

[Scott · Rating 1 out of 5]

I simply couldn't finish this book. It is a collection of short mystery stories, each by a different author. I checked it out for the one Harry Bosch story that I knew was in there somewhere. The first story (not the Bosch story) was so bad (very sexual and poorly written) that I didn't finish it. The second was OK enough to get through, but nothing exciting; it was a predictable outcome from the first page. I'm glad that the Bosch story was the third one. It was good to see Harry again in a short story, but the story was not too engaging. I guess that it takes more pages to get into Harry's mind and get fully hooked on one of his stories (I'll be testing this theory out with the new Bosch short story: Switchblade). After that, I started the fourth story and just had to quit.

Glad the Bosch story was number three or I might not have gotten to it before I quit.

[Gary · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not really a fan of short stories but due to my love for Michael Connelly's books decided to make the effort. The story is interesting and certainly entertaining but obviously lacks the depth of a full length novel.
Sixteen of America's favorite author-anglers spin tales of mystery and fishing in this collection. From the tragic to the comic with many stops in between, these stories reflect the authors' passions for both making stories and catching fish. Michael Connelly, Ridley Pearson, John Lescroart, Don Winslow, Melodie Johnson Howe, Victoria Houston, and others all share a mysterious affection for things piscatorial when not busy writing bestselling books.

[Joe Kessler · Rating 3 out of 5]

This 2010 collection is… fine. The subtitle is a bit misleading -- the entries are generally more like crime thrillers than mysteries per se -- but as a charity anthology of original fiction involving fishing, written by authors who engage in that pastime themselves, it gets the job done. None of the stories strike me as exceptionally good or bad, and I feel as though most are already blurring together in my memory, but they're all entertaining enough in the moment. I suppose readers who likewise fish might get more out of the experience.

I wasn't particularly impressed by the Harry Bosch title "Blue on Black" that inspired me to check out this book in the first place; in addition to a very short length, it bizarrely reuses a highly specific plot detail from earlier in its series (the portable GPS unit in the novel The Narrows, lost in a poker match and storing the coordinates where a killer has left their victims) without any comment from the detective whatsoever. That strains my credulity too much, and renders it one of the weaker offerings of the lot.

[Content warning for gun violence, drowning, rape culture, and gaslighting.]

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[Avid Series Reader · Rating 1 out of 5]

Hook, Line & Sinister: Mysteries to Reel You In is an anthology of 15 contemporary short stories by mystery authors, edited by T. Jefferson Parker. To be included in the book, each mystery must be about fishing. A wide variety of plots, most with surprise twists, plenty with details about fishing holes, rods, casts, flies, hooks, lures. A welcome variety of narrators as well in the audiobook.

River Tears by Ridley Pearson, Cutthroat by Mark T. Sullivan, Blue on Black by Michael Connelly, Unsnaggable by John Lescroart, Darmstadt by Andrew Winer, Cherchez la Femme by Dana Stabenow, Sandy Brook by Don Winslow, The Nymph by Melodie Johnson Howe, Tight Lines by James W. Hall, Every Day is a Good Day on the River by C.J. Box, Death by Honey Hole by Victoria Houston, The Blood-Dimmed Tide by Will Beall, Dead Drift by Spring Warren, Granite Hat by Brian M. Wiprud, Mr. Brody's Trout by William G. Tapply, Luck by T. Jefferson Parker.

Of the authors whose series I read (Connelly, Lescroart, Stabenow, Winslow, Box, Tapply, Parker), only the stories by Connelly and Stabenow have a familiar protagonist (Harry Bosch) or setting (Denali Park) from the author's mystery series.

[Trish Goodgame · Rating 3 out of 5]

Always good to read an anthology written for a charitable purpose, but sadly not all stories were as good as I would have liked. I mainly picked it for the Harry Bosch story which was probably the best one in there. Some were predictable (which is fine), but others left me scratching my head a bit!
Overall though, I mostly enjoyed it, even though fishing is not my thing!

[Mary Ellen Barringer · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book of short stories has some good stories and several that I did not care for. I read it because it contained a ss by CJ Box. I think I've discovered another author or two that I may try.

I ascertained that fishing can be dangerous and deadly. Also, it doesn't seem conducive to marriage or relationships.

I listened to this book.

[Julie · Rating 3 out of 5]

A wide variance in the quality of the stories. I’m not much of a fishing fan, but most stories had enough other content to keep (most of) my attention. Some stories were pretty abstract, and many had very similar premises.

[Anastasia · Rating 3 out of 5]

Hook. Line and Sinister is an anthology of short mystery stories related to fishing. Not having an interest in fishing, the stories were so-so, some more interesting than others. I mainly bought this for the Harry Bosch story and this was the best of the lot.

[Charlotte · Rating 3 out of 5]

I only read two of these, Michael Connelly's Blue on Black (too short and pat) and Ridley Pearson's River Tears. The latter was superb - interesting setting (cormorant fishing in China), believable (and believably unlikeable characters, and a well-executed ending.

[Renee Hoile]

Needed a palate cleanser, picked up this book without reading the blurb. Found the book of short stories entertaining and a fast read. The stories are about fly fishing as the theme for each mystery. Some of the stories are funny while others are shocking.

[Angie · Rating 2 out of 5]

Overall a disappointment. A few really good stories but most were mediocre at best.

[I-C Woodson-Tabor · Rating 4 out of 5]

Teams of popular authors write fishing themed stories. Great fun.

[Garth Slater · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved the short mystery stories. Right to the point with unwanted dialogue. I also added a few writers to my wish list

[Mary Newcomb]

Some stories required more fishing knowledge that I have but all kept my interest (and that of my traveling companion) during a cross-country trip.

[Poptart19 (the name’s ren) · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 stars

[Hawk Mendenhall · Rating 3 out of 5]

A mostly entertaining anthology that mixes fishing, mystery and murder. A little disjointed but enjoyable nevertheless.

[Jacqui · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm not usually a fan of short stories and only read this because I was reading all of Michael Connolley's books. I enjoyed it and each story was quite different with a few twists.

[Alice · Rating 3 out of 5]

These stories are more suspense than mystery. I learned more about brookies and brownies than crime.

[Gary Lindsay · Rating 2 out of 5]

T. Jefferson Parker is my favorite mystery author and the editor of this collection of short stories. The collected stories were solicited by him with the instruction to "write a mystery that involves fishing." The result is what you might expect if you've ever read much reading of writing in response to an assignment. That is to say that the stories are inventive but not that great.
The collection's first story, "River Tears" by Ridley Pierson, uses an exotic setting and cormorant fishing as the backdrop for a story about a marriage in crisis. Another, "Cutthroat" by Mart T. Sullivan, uses a cliche "fish story" to fit into the traditional boilerplate mystery in some really inventive ways. I like his main character who is a tough female prosecuting attorney. She is believable, well-rounded, and knows her fly fishing. The sub-themes in this story make me suspect that it was written more for the other authors of stories in this collection than the typical reader.
I like reading mysteries as a break from my usual fare of more challenging reading. I also like reading both fiction and nonfiction about the outdoors, especially fly fishing. So in some ways I am the ideal reader for this collection. Still, each story engaged me but ultimately left me dissatisfied.

[Patty · Rating 3 out of 5]

I picked up this book because there are several stories here by authors I've heard a lot about but have never read. Short stories are a good place to give a new author a try without trying to get through a whole novel. Although there was only one story that I really disliked, there were many that were just "okay".

I should mention that I'm not a big fan of the "gritty realistic" style of writing and could care less if I never read about another gangster or hitman so these stories were obviously not meant for me. The word sinister in the title should have warned me but I did want to sample some of the authors so I continued on to the end.

I don't think I picked up any new authors from this book but did enjoy ones that I already knew I liked.

So, if you like gritty (and fishing, must like fishing) you'll love this. The fishing was fine, some of the stories weren't my cuppa.

[Grey853 · Rating 2 out of 5]

The problem with a themed anthology is that you have to really like the theme not to end up bored at some point with stories with such similar framing. This mystery collection is about fishing. It wasn't a bad collection, but since I'm not a fisherman, I got a little lost a few times with the references.

It's hard to imagine people killing over a fish, but I suppose it could happen. People have murdered for stranger things.

[Matt · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bosch teams up with FBI Agent Rachel Walling to investigate a spree of missing women. When they narrow in on a likely suspect, however, all leads appear to dwindle and they reach a dead end. After casting a larger net, they tap into one final lead, in hopes of bringing it all together. Even the smallest nibble could bring the whole case to a close...

A great short story by Connelly to entertain the reader while they enjoy a morning cup of coffee.

[QuesterMark · Rating 3 out of 5]

I picked this up because Michael Connelly had a story in it, but it turns out I'd already read that story as part if a recent Harry Bosch book.

I think the best story in here is "Dead Drift" by Spring Warren.

T Jefferson Parker did a pretty good job arranging the stories. The stories get better as one gets further into the book.

[Ron · Rating 3 out of 5]

The best part of the 16 short stories is that they are short. So, even if you did not care for a story, it was over quick.
Too many of the recent books that I have read just go on and on and on filling up pages.

One of the previous reviewers related that the stories were disappointing, but got better to the end. So I read this book backwards. But I thought that most of them were good.