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Opening Shots: Great Mystery and Crime Writers Share Their First Published Stories
This collection of first stories published by prominent mystery and crime writers includes their recollections of the paths the stories followed. Writers include John Harvey, Susan Isaacs, Peter Robinson, and more.
398 pages, Hardcover
First published October 1, 2000
1 person is currently reading
29 people want to read
About the author
Lawrence Block
767 books2,983 followersLawrence Block has been writing crime, mystery, and suspense fiction for more than half a century. He has published in excess (oh, wretched excess!) of 100 books, and no end of short stories.
Born in Buffalo, N.Y., LB attended Antioch College, but left before completing his studies; school authorities advised him that they felt he’d be happier elsewhere, and he thought this was remarkably perceptive of them.
His earliest work, published pseudonymously in the late 1950s, was mostly in the field of midcentury erotica, an apprenticeship he shared with Donald E. Westlake and Robert Silverberg. The first time Lawrence Block’s name appeared in print was when his short story “You Can’t Lose” was published in the February 1958 issue of Manhunt. The first book published under his own name was Mona (1961); it was reissued several times over the years, once as Sweet Slow Death. In 2005 it became the first offering from Hard Case Crime, and bore for the first time LB’s original title, Grifter’s Game.
LB is best known for his series characters, including cop-turned-private investigator Matthew Scudder, gentleman burglar Bernie Rhodenbarr, globe-trotting insomniac Evan Tanner, and introspective assassin Keller.
Because one name is never enough, LB has also published under pseudonyms including Jill Emerson, John Warren Wells, Lesley Evans, and Anne Campbell Clarke.
LB’s magazine appearances include American Heritage, Redbook, Playboy, Linn’s Stamp News, Cosmopolitan, GQ, and The New York Times. His monthly instructional column ran in Writer’s Digest for 14 years, and led to a string of books for writers, including the classics Telling Lies for Fun & Profit and The Liar’s Bible. He has also written episodic television (Tilt!) and the Wong Kar-wai film, My Blueberry Nights.
Several of LB’s books have been filmed. The latest, A Walk Among the Tombstones, stars Liam Neeson as Matthew Scudder and is scheduled for release in September, 2014.
LB is a Grand Master of Mystery Writers of America, and a past president of MWA and the Private Eye Writers of America. He has won the Edgar and Shamus awards four times each, and the Japanese Maltese Falcon award twice, as well as the Nero Wolfe and Philip Marlowe awards, a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Private Eye Writers of America, and the Diamond Dagger for Life Achievement from the Crime Writers Association (UK). He’s also been honored with the Gumshoe Lifetime Achievement Award from Mystery Ink magazine and the Edward D. Hoch Memorial Golden Derringer for Lifetime Achievement in the short story. In France, he has been proclaimed a Grand Maitre du Roman Noir and has twice been awarded the Societe 813 trophy. He has been a guest of honor at Bouchercon and at book fairs and mystery festivals in France, Germany, Australia, Italy, New Zealand, Spain and Taiwan. As if that were not enough, he was also presented with the key to the city of Muncie, Indiana. (But as soon as he left, they changed the locks.)
LB and his wife Lynne are enthusiastic New Yorkers and relentless world travelers; the two are members of the Travelers Century Club, and have visited around 160 countries.
He is a modest and humble fellow, although you would never guess as much from this biographical note.
Born in Buffalo, N.Y., LB attended Antioch College, but left before completing his studies; school authorities advised him that they felt he’d be happier elsewhere, and he thought this was remarkably perceptive of them.
His earliest work, published pseudonymously in the late 1950s, was mostly in the field of midcentury erotica, an apprenticeship he shared with Donald E. Westlake and Robert Silverberg. The first time Lawrence Block’s name appeared in print was when his short story “You Can’t Lose” was published in the February 1958 issue of Manhunt. The first book published under his own name was Mona (1961); it was reissued several times over the years, once as Sweet Slow Death. In 2005 it became the first offering from Hard Case Crime, and bore for the first time LB’s original title, Grifter’s Game.
LB is best known for his series characters, including cop-turned-private investigator Matthew Scudder, gentleman burglar Bernie Rhodenbarr, globe-trotting insomniac Evan Tanner, and introspective assassin Keller.
Because one name is never enough, LB has also published under pseudonyms including Jill Emerson, John Warren Wells, Lesley Evans, and Anne Campbell Clarke.
LB’s magazine appearances include American Heritage, Redbook, Playboy, Linn’s Stamp News, Cosmopolitan, GQ, and The New York Times. His monthly instructional column ran in Writer’s Digest for 14 years, and led to a string of books for writers, including the classics Telling Lies for Fun & Profit and The Liar’s Bible. He has also written episodic television (Tilt!) and the Wong Kar-wai film, My Blueberry Nights.
Several of LB’s books have been filmed. The latest, A Walk Among the Tombstones, stars Liam Neeson as Matthew Scudder and is scheduled for release in September, 2014.
LB is a Grand Master of Mystery Writers of America, and a past president of MWA and the Private Eye Writers of America. He has won the Edgar and Shamus awards four times each, and the Japanese Maltese Falcon award twice, as well as the Nero Wolfe and Philip Marlowe awards, a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Private Eye Writers of America, and the Diamond Dagger for Life Achievement from the Crime Writers Association (UK). He’s also been honored with the Gumshoe Lifetime Achievement Award from Mystery Ink magazine and the Edward D. Hoch Memorial Golden Derringer for Lifetime Achievement in the short story. In France, he has been proclaimed a Grand Maitre du Roman Noir and has twice been awarded the Societe 813 trophy. He has been a guest of honor at Bouchercon and at book fairs and mystery festivals in France, Germany, Australia, Italy, New Zealand, Spain and Taiwan. As if that were not enough, he was also presented with the key to the city of Muncie, Indiana. (But as soon as he left, they changed the locks.)
LB and his wife Lynne are enthusiastic New Yorkers and relentless world travelers; the two are members of the Travelers Century Club, and have visited around 160 countries.
He is a modest and humble fellow, although you would never guess as much from this biographical note.
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
February 20, 2017
As a reader, there is always a certain risk when you pick up any early-story collection. This volume collects the first published stories of 19 prominent authors in the crime and mystery genres. Readers know from the outset these will likely be the rough products of inexperienced albeit talented practitioners.
My experience was that when I happened upon a story from an author I already liked (Lawrence Block, Donald Westlake, Max Allan Collins), it was fun to read the earlier work and see just how far the writing had improved. Plus, at least two authors (Susan Isaacs, Minette Walters) were already established novelists before they ever published a short story, and so their contributions seemed notably more mature.
However, when I came across early stories from authors I did not already know, well, then they were just below-average stories… It did not prompt me to seek out their later efforts.
Laud by David Black (1978)—This is a literary story, not a crime tale, about a young married man engaged in a passive aggressive fight with his aging father who ran away from home at the age of fifty-eight. The author strains to create subtext by assigning each character convoluted silent motivations, then falls into the trap of having the narrator reinterpret everyone else’s dialogue.
Double Glazing by Simon Brett (1979)—A decent story about a mentally-ill man obsessed with making sure he does not freeze to death. Simon Brett is known for his humor but this story is something of a departure as it tries to maintain a serious tone.
Public Servant by Max Allan Collins (1985)—A nasty, brutal story about a rapist-turned-cop stalking a small town. Collins has already given us series about a professional hitman (Quarry) and a professional thief (Nolan). This character could be his darkest yet.
Spring Fever by Dorothy Salisbury Davis (1952)—This author was extremely popular in the 50’s, 60’s, and 70’s for her psychological suspense stories featuring complex women characters. Here is an early example, well-crafted but feels slow and dated by today’s standards.
The Tree on Execution Hill by Loren D. Estleman (1977) – A leisurely but effective mystery built around a seemingly mundane town hall meeting.
Now’s the Time by John Harvey (1994)—A very slight but atmospheric story featuring series character Charles Resnick.
Death of a Romance Writer by Joan Hess (1988)—A (not-very-funny) satire of romance novels
Compliments of a Friend by Susan Isaacs (2000)—The heroine of Isaac’s first novel Compromising Positions returns for a second outing twenty-five years later to solve a friend’s suspicious suicide. This traditional whodunit has energy, interesting characters, and a resolution that makes perfect sense.
The Bathroom by Peter Lovesey (1973)—A light, breezy murder that mixes elements of an historical crime (the famous Brides in the Bath killings in Britain) with a modern setting.
The Death of Me by Margaret Maron (1968)—A thin clichéd tale about a bitter husband and his wife who nags him to quit smoking.
Freedom by Susan Moody (1990)—This story is set in Prague, a city I visited a three months ago, and I could perfectly envision its eerie street scenes. The ending was needlessly ambiguous, but this was still one of my favorites in the collection.
The Dripping by David Morrell (1972)—I keep encountering this author in anthologies. His stories start strong but seem to have flat endings. This one was no exception.
A Taste of Life by Sara Paretsky (1989)—An insecure supermodel mom forces her child to become dangerously fat, a black not-quite-comedy spin on the Who’s-the Fairest-of-Them-All motif.
Fan Mail by Peter Robinson (1989)—A whimsical and surprising take on a classic premise—the mystery writer is approached and asked to plan a real-life murder.
Jim and Mary G by James Sallis (1970)—Sallis cheated on the assignment by submitting his first published crime story, not his first story published. He was well-established as an experimental avant-garde science fiction writer when this was written. This story is rather confusing. It appears two parents might have murdered their child, but the reasons behind this decision are never explained.
The White Death by Justin Scott (1989)—Something is murdering dogs on the farm. This mystery can only be solved by the cat. Yes, it as bad as it sounds…
The Tinder Box by Minette Walters (1999)—This is a modern English manor house murder mystery, with a just dollop of political commentary. The setup is promising, the characters engaging and multidimensional. The plot unfortunately is rather convoluted. (Note: The first printing of this novella was a run of 300,000 copies. It has since been published in both hardback and paperback, making it closer to a novel than a short story.)
Arrest by Donald E. Westlake (1958) Maybe the final two lines were intended as a twist ending that fell flat. Just ignore that bit of inexperience because Westlake’s vintage voice is on display, and he allows the suspense to build organically.
You Can’t Lose by Lawrence Block (1958) –Published when the author was only nineteen years old. Much better than it has any right to be.
My experience was that when I happened upon a story from an author I already liked (Lawrence Block, Donald Westlake, Max Allan Collins), it was fun to read the earlier work and see just how far the writing had improved. Plus, at least two authors (Susan Isaacs, Minette Walters) were already established novelists before they ever published a short story, and so their contributions seemed notably more mature.
However, when I came across early stories from authors I did not already know, well, then they were just below-average stories… It did not prompt me to seek out their later efforts.
Laud by David Black (1978)—This is a literary story, not a crime tale, about a young married man engaged in a passive aggressive fight with his aging father who ran away from home at the age of fifty-eight. The author strains to create subtext by assigning each character convoluted silent motivations, then falls into the trap of having the narrator reinterpret everyone else’s dialogue.
Double Glazing by Simon Brett (1979)—A decent story about a mentally-ill man obsessed with making sure he does not freeze to death. Simon Brett is known for his humor but this story is something of a departure as it tries to maintain a serious tone.
Public Servant by Max Allan Collins (1985)—A nasty, brutal story about a rapist-turned-cop stalking a small town. Collins has already given us series about a professional hitman (Quarry) and a professional thief (Nolan). This character could be his darkest yet.
Spring Fever by Dorothy Salisbury Davis (1952)—This author was extremely popular in the 50’s, 60’s, and 70’s for her psychological suspense stories featuring complex women characters. Here is an early example, well-crafted but feels slow and dated by today’s standards.
The Tree on Execution Hill by Loren D. Estleman (1977) – A leisurely but effective mystery built around a seemingly mundane town hall meeting.
Now’s the Time by John Harvey (1994)—A very slight but atmospheric story featuring series character Charles Resnick.
Death of a Romance Writer by Joan Hess (1988)—A (not-very-funny) satire of romance novels
Compliments of a Friend by Susan Isaacs (2000)—The heroine of Isaac’s first novel Compromising Positions returns for a second outing twenty-five years later to solve a friend’s suspicious suicide. This traditional whodunit has energy, interesting characters, and a resolution that makes perfect sense.
The Bathroom by Peter Lovesey (1973)—A light, breezy murder that mixes elements of an historical crime (the famous Brides in the Bath killings in Britain) with a modern setting.
The Death of Me by Margaret Maron (1968)—A thin clichéd tale about a bitter husband and his wife who nags him to quit smoking.
Freedom by Susan Moody (1990)—This story is set in Prague, a city I visited a three months ago, and I could perfectly envision its eerie street scenes. The ending was needlessly ambiguous, but this was still one of my favorites in the collection.
The Dripping by David Morrell (1972)—I keep encountering this author in anthologies. His stories start strong but seem to have flat endings. This one was no exception.
A Taste of Life by Sara Paretsky (1989)—An insecure supermodel mom forces her child to become dangerously fat, a black not-quite-comedy spin on the Who’s-the Fairest-of-Them-All motif.
Fan Mail by Peter Robinson (1989)—A whimsical and surprising take on a classic premise—the mystery writer is approached and asked to plan a real-life murder.
Jim and Mary G by James Sallis (1970)—Sallis cheated on the assignment by submitting his first published crime story, not his first story published. He was well-established as an experimental avant-garde science fiction writer when this was written. This story is rather confusing. It appears two parents might have murdered their child, but the reasons behind this decision are never explained.
The White Death by Justin Scott (1989)—Something is murdering dogs on the farm. This mystery can only be solved by the cat. Yes, it as bad as it sounds…
The Tinder Box by Minette Walters (1999)—This is a modern English manor house murder mystery, with a just dollop of political commentary. The setup is promising, the characters engaging and multidimensional. The plot unfortunately is rather convoluted. (Note: The first printing of this novella was a run of 300,000 copies. It has since been published in both hardback and paperback, making it closer to a novel than a short story.)
Arrest by Donald E. Westlake (1958) Maybe the final two lines were intended as a twist ending that fell flat. Just ignore that bit of inexperience because Westlake’s vintage voice is on display, and he allows the suspense to build organically.
You Can’t Lose by Lawrence Block (1958) –Published when the author was only nineteen years old. Much better than it has any right to be.
July 22, 2023
An interesting story collection with some of the best mystery authors sharing their first published works. There are a wide variety of stories and some candid observations from the authors, which makes this a compelling anthology.
December 4, 2008
When you’re sitting in the dentist’s waiting room or passing 20 minutes while your car’s oil is changed, a novel seems like a hassle. Just when you start getting into the story, it’s time to put your book away. That’s where a short story comes in handy. Your commitment is to a few thousand words that take you from beginning to end in less than 30 minutes.
Once upon a time, many magazines published at least one short story per issue. A few — Alfred Hitchcock’s Mystery Magazine and Ellery Queen’s Mystery Magazine — were dedicated to short mystery fiction from cover to cover. Alas, advertising space took precedence and few magazines today even consider the lowly short story, let alone a devious one. Now they’re generally found tucked away in the pages of anthologies such as Opening Shots.
The beauty of this particular book is that not only are these shorts by known mystery and crime authors, but they are their first published short stories. Some land at the beginning of the writer’s careers, such as David Black’s “Laud,” which later became the opening chapter of his first novel, Like Father. Others, such as Susan Isaacs’s “Compliments of a Friend” came after a series of novels.
Editor Lawrence Block gives an excellent brief history on short fiction followed by 18 pieces plus one of his own. The stories are fun, provocative, twisted. All of this in 385 pages.
I sat down with the book and couldn’t stop reading (kind of defeats the purpose of a short story, huh?) until I’d finished them all. Not one of them stunk and none of them left me feeling like I’d wasted my reading time. Block knows how to pick ‘em. (As well he should. He is a Mystery Writers of America Grand Master and has taken the Edgar Allan Poe and Shamus Awards four times.)
Original publication dates range from 1952 to 2000. Styles vary widely, as one would expect. There are a couple with a tricky Hitchcock twist, two or three with a Stephen King ending, and one that features a cat as the detective. Because I haven’t read most of these authors yet, I can’t say whether or not the short stories are a fair representation of the authors’ styles in longer works. I suspect the novels are nothing like the shorts. But I look at this as a way to pick new names for my library and the opportunity to get a taste of a certain writer before making a commitment to a full-length book.
Who are these authors, you ask? In addition to those mentioned above, the contributors are:
Donald E. Westlake
Justin Scott
David Morrell
Sara Paretsky
James Sallis
Simon Brett
Dorothy Salisbury Davis
Max Allan Collins
Minette Walters
Loren D. Estelman
Peter Lovesy
John Harvey
Peter Robinson
Margaret Maron
Joan Hess
Susan Moody
Would I recommend this book?
If you like crime fiction, definitely.
If you’re a mystery writer, absolutely. Writers in this genre should take a look at how these stories are put together and what makes them work. Several of the authors admitted in their introductions that a short story is much harder to write than a novel.
And by the way, if you like what you see in Opening Shots, Alfred Hitchcock’s Mystery Magazine and Ellery Queen’s Mystery Magazine published quite a few of these short stories. Both still feature short mystery fiction.
Once upon a time, many magazines published at least one short story per issue. A few — Alfred Hitchcock’s Mystery Magazine and Ellery Queen’s Mystery Magazine — were dedicated to short mystery fiction from cover to cover. Alas, advertising space took precedence and few magazines today even consider the lowly short story, let alone a devious one. Now they’re generally found tucked away in the pages of anthologies such as Opening Shots.
The beauty of this particular book is that not only are these shorts by known mystery and crime authors, but they are their first published short stories. Some land at the beginning of the writer’s careers, such as David Black’s “Laud,” which later became the opening chapter of his first novel, Like Father. Others, such as Susan Isaacs’s “Compliments of a Friend” came after a series of novels.
Editor Lawrence Block gives an excellent brief history on short fiction followed by 18 pieces plus one of his own. The stories are fun, provocative, twisted. All of this in 385 pages.
I sat down with the book and couldn’t stop reading (kind of defeats the purpose of a short story, huh?) until I’d finished them all. Not one of them stunk and none of them left me feeling like I’d wasted my reading time. Block knows how to pick ‘em. (As well he should. He is a Mystery Writers of America Grand Master and has taken the Edgar Allan Poe and Shamus Awards four times.)
Original publication dates range from 1952 to 2000. Styles vary widely, as one would expect. There are a couple with a tricky Hitchcock twist, two or three with a Stephen King ending, and one that features a cat as the detective. Because I haven’t read most of these authors yet, I can’t say whether or not the short stories are a fair representation of the authors’ styles in longer works. I suspect the novels are nothing like the shorts. But I look at this as a way to pick new names for my library and the opportunity to get a taste of a certain writer before making a commitment to a full-length book.
Who are these authors, you ask? In addition to those mentioned above, the contributors are:
Donald E. Westlake
Justin Scott
David Morrell
Sara Paretsky
James Sallis
Simon Brett
Dorothy Salisbury Davis
Max Allan Collins
Minette Walters
Loren D. Estelman
Peter Lovesy
John Harvey
Peter Robinson
Margaret Maron
Joan Hess
Susan Moody
Would I recommend this book?
If you like crime fiction, definitely.
If you’re a mystery writer, absolutely. Writers in this genre should take a look at how these stories are put together and what makes them work. Several of the authors admitted in their introductions that a short story is much harder to write than a novel.
And by the way, if you like what you see in Opening Shots, Alfred Hitchcock’s Mystery Magazine and Ellery Queen’s Mystery Magazine published quite a few of these short stories. Both still feature short mystery fiction.
July 25, 2012
Really nice to read "firsts" from some of my favorite authors!
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews