MURDER FOR LOVE.

by Otto Penzler (Editor), William J. Caunitz (Contributor), Carol Higgins Clark (Contributor)

Dying time / William J. Caunitz --
For whom the beep tolls / Carol Higgins Clark --
Definitely, a crime of passion / Mary Higgins Clark --
Hot springs / James Crumley --
The loving you get / John Gardner --
The stalker / Faye Kellerman --
The things we do for love / Jonathan Kellerman --
Karen makes out / Elmore Leonard --
Red clay / Michael Malone --
Nancy Drew remembers (A parody) / Bobbie Ann Mason --
Running from legs / Ed McBain --
At the Paradise Motel, Sparks, Nevada / Joyce Carol Oates --
Heartbreak house / Sara Paretsky --
The blackmailer / Anne Perry --
For what she had done / Shel Silverstein --
True crime / Donna Tartt.

Genres: Mystery, Fiction, Anthologies, Short Stories, Romance

329 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1996

About the author

Otto Penzler is an editor of mystery fiction in the United States, and proprietor of The Mysterious Bookshop in New York City, where he lives.

Otto Penzler founded The Mysteriour Press in 1975 and was the publisher of The Armchair Detective, the Edgar-winning quarterly journal devoted to the study of mystery and suspense fiction, for seventeen years.

Penzler has won two Edgar Awards, for The Encyclopedia of Mystery and Detection in 1977, and The Lineup in 2010. The Mystery Writers of America awarded him the prestigious Ellery Queen Award in 1994, and the Raven--the group's highest non-writing award--in 2003.

Reviews

[Naomi Bellina · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love mysteries, and I love short stories, so this was perfect. Some classic authors and some new to me. My favorite story by far is by one of my absolute favorite writers, Sara Paretsky. Heartbreak House is about a romance writer...and that's all I'm going to say. It's witty, fast-paced, and a must-read for romance authors with a sense of humor.

[Megargee · Rating 3 out of 5]

The stories in this collection by 16 popular writers of the 1990s range from one page to 33 pages in length and embody a wide variety of styles and genres. Most were especially written for inclusion in this project. An accompanying volume entitled Murder for Revenge is darker and less fun than Murder for Love.

[Barbara Nutting · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love short stories and this was a great collection by well know authors. When was the last time you were confronted by Nancy Drew or knew that Mary Higgins Clark could predict a Playboy type woman gracing the White House????

[Ann E. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent collection of short stories by some of America's best writers. Great introduction to help you select your next mystery author to read

[Clare O'Beara · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'm not seeing much love in this book. Lust, greed, avarice, faked emotion, yes. The fun story is a parody of Nancy Drew, what she and her pals might have been like in mature years. One or two good stories appear. The editor is severely odd, though, to say a tale is the finest crime story written, when it's unpleasant, boring, obscene, and revolting by turns. No love. Everyone is in it for money. What's it doing here?
Mary Higgins Clarke contributes a good story, Carol Higgins Clarke and William J. Caunitz more class. I was pleasantly surprised by how many women writers feature. Another woman writer contributes a story about a prostitute being assaulted by her client and a death occurring. How is this love? Sara Paretsky writes about a writer being taken for a ride and going to a psychologist. Not seeing any love. There is some sex in these stories, that does not mean love, and generally they are not crimes of passion, unless passion for wealth.
I might rate this higher but for the incompatibility with the title.

[Wendopolis · Rating 3 out of 5]

A few good stories. The Nancy Drew parody is the best story.