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The Mysterious Bookshop Presents the Best Mystery Stories of the Year: 2024
Anthony Horowitz selects and introduces the best mystery stories from the past year, under the auspices of the world’s oldest mystery fiction specialty bookshop.
From a pool of over 3,000 considered stories published last year—anything that touched on crime, mystery, and suspense, from venues as disparate as The Strand Magazine, Dark Yonder, Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine, The Bellevue Literary Review, and more—these are the twenty best, selected by series editor Otto Penzler and guest editor Anthony Horowitz.
The tales included cover a range of styles, highlighting the diversity of subjects and forms comprising the genre we call mystery fiction. Featuring a mixture of household names, masters of the short form, and newcomers to the field, the collection offers a variety that promises something for every reader. And it’s all capped off by a vintage story from the first half of the previous century, sourced directly from the rare book room at the Mysterious Bookshop, the oldest mystery fiction specialty store in the world.
Authors
Ace AtkinsMichael BrackenFleur BradleyShelley CostaDoug CrandellJeffery DeaverBrendan DuBoisJohn FloydNils GilbertsonPeter HayesShells LegoullonVictor MethosLeonardo PaduraDan PopeAnnie ReedCameron SandersAnna ScottiArcher SullivanAndrew Welsh-HugginsStacy Woodson
From a pool of over 3,000 considered stories published last year—anything that touched on crime, mystery, and suspense, from venues as disparate as The Strand Magazine, Dark Yonder, Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine, The Bellevue Literary Review, and more—these are the twenty best, selected by series editor Otto Penzler and guest editor Anthony Horowitz.
The tales included cover a range of styles, highlighting the diversity of subjects and forms comprising the genre we call mystery fiction. Featuring a mixture of household names, masters of the short form, and newcomers to the field, the collection offers a variety that promises something for every reader. And it’s all capped off by a vintage story from the first half of the previous century, sourced directly from the rare book room at the Mysterious Bookshop, the oldest mystery fiction specialty store in the world.
Authors
Ace AtkinsMichael BrackenFleur BradleyShelley CostaDoug CrandellJeffery DeaverBrendan DuBoisJohn FloydNils GilbertsonPeter HayesShells LegoullonVictor MethosLeonardo PaduraDan PopeAnnie ReedCameron SandersAnna ScottiArcher SullivanAndrew Welsh-HugginsStacy Woodson
512 pages, Paperback
Published September 24, 2024
232 people are currently reading
212 people want to read
About the author
Anthony Horowitz
345 books20.9k followersAnthony Horowitz, OBE is ranked alongside Enid Blyton and Mark A. Cooper as "The most original and best spy-kids authors of the century." (New York Times). Anthony has been writing since the age of eight, and professionally since the age of twenty. In addition to the highly successful Alex Rider books, he is also the writer and creator of award winning detective series Foyle’s War, and more recently event drama Collision, among his other television works he has written episodes for Poirot, Murder in Mind, Midsomer Murders and Murder Most Horrid. Anthony became patron to East Anglia Children’s Hospices in 2009.
On 19 January 2011, the estate of Arthur Conan Doyle announced that Horowitz was to be the writer of a new Sherlock Holmes novel, the first such effort to receive an official endorsement from them and to be entitled the House of Silk.
http://us.macmillan.com/author/anthon...
On 19 January 2011, the estate of Arthur Conan Doyle announced that Horowitz was to be the writer of a new Sherlock Holmes novel, the first such effort to receive an official endorsement from them and to be entitled the House of Silk.
http://us.macmillan.com/author/anthon...
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September 30, 2024
The "Other" Best Mysteries
A review of the Mysterious Press eBook edition (September 24, 2024) released simultaneously with the hardcover/audiobook.
[3.8 average rating for the 20 stories, rounded up to a strong 4]
I call this the "Other", as its close competitor series The Best American Mystery and Suspense 2024 (expected publication October 22, 2024) edited by author S.A. Cosby and published by Mariner Books is due in less than a month. A comparison will be interesting and I hope I will have time to do that. I'm guessing that there is likely some cooperation between the two publishers and that there will be no duplications.
The Mysterious Press title does allow for non-American authors, although I think #12 Cuban author Leonardo Padura was the only exception to American sources and setting. The average here was very high and I enjoyed all of the stories. #3 #10 and #18 stood out for their character background and evocative writing. None were below a 3-star rating. The inclusion of an early 1897 story (see #20 Bonus Story) was a fun addition.
As is the case with the Mariner books, these stories were all actually published during the previous year (2023 in this case) and had to be submitted before a firm due date for consideration in the anthology. Series publisher Otto Penzler writes a rather strong statement about that. 2024 editor Anthony Horowitz writes about the continued allure of crime and mystery stories where answers can be determined and justice can be served in a world in which it appears harder to find every day.
Most of the authors included here were new names to me and I would hope to read further novels or short stories by many of them in the future.
Story titles, authors and original publications follow. I have added brief story setups without spoilers.
1. Stunts *** by Ace Atkins, originally published in Austin Noir (2023). Ne’er do well former movie stuntman runs afoul of the mobsters he borrowed money from.
2. Beat the Clock **** by Michael Bracken, originally published in Alfred Hitchcock's Mystery Magazine (March/April 2023). Rapid fire investigation that covers a murder scene, the postmortem, witness interviews with an ‘assemble all the suspects in a room’ finale. Neatly done!
3. How to Teach Yourself to Swim ***** by Fleur Bradley, originally published in Dark Yonder: Issue 3 (Summer 2023). A widower teaches his grandson to swim while trying to keep him safe from his own daughter and her criminal drug trafficking boyfriend.
4. The Knife Sharpener **** by Shelley Costa, originally published in Alfred Hitchcock’s Mystery Magazine (July /August 2023). Historical fiction set behind the scenes at the Battle of Gettysburg 1863.
5. Down the Fire Road **** by Doug Crandell, originally published in Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine (May/June 2023). There is a missing child and a missing Sheriff and the county Deputy is left to handle the situation in Georgia, USA. A well done double twist reveal and ending.
6. The Lady in My Life **** by Jeffery Deaver, originally published in Thriller: An Anthology of New Mystery Short Stories (July 11, 2023). An immigrant gardener is hoping to get a contract at a house where a single woman is living, but there may be something else going on. As always with Deaver’s shorts, a great twist after a shocking reveal.
7. Last Day at the Jackrabbit **** by John M. Floyd, originally published in Strand Magazine LXIX 2023 (2023). A waitress is anticipating her final day of work at the Jackrabbit Diner until surprising events intervene.
8. Lovely and Useless Things *** by Nils Gilbertson, originally published in Prohibition Papers, ed. By Michael Bracken (Down & Out) (2023). A speakeasy is being undermined during the prohibition era in the U.S.
9. El Paso Heat by **** Peter W.J. Hayes, originally published in Black Cat Mystery Magazine #14 (October 18, 2023). An accountant, who has been in the WitSec program for 7 years, is suddenly confronted by his past.
10. The Backwoods ***** by Shells Legoullon, originally published in Thrill Ride: The Magazine Unlikely Partners, Summer 2023. A woman inherits her father’s farm in the backwoods and discovers treasure, danger and betrayal.
11. Kill Night **** by Victor Methos, originally published as Kill Night (Amazon Original Stories, February 7, 2023). Two young lawyers are sent to Utah to defend an innocent man who is on trial for murder based on circumstantial evidence.
12. A Family Matter *** by Leonardo Padura, originally published in Southwest Review, Vol. 108, No. 3 (2023). A Cuban bookseller, former policeman, is asked to track down his nephew who is feared to be planning illegal passage to the U.S. in order to reunite with his estranged wife.
13. Snow Over Hartford *** by Dan Pope, originally published in Bellevue Literary Review, No. 44 (2023). A detective is asked to extract a confession from a former acquaintance who is in a hospital bed after being shot.
14. Dead Names *** by Annie Reed, originally published by WMG Publishing (2023). A waitress who was a social worker in her now past life is asked to help two street kids escape from forced labour at an illegal drug lab.
15. Billowing Down the Bayou *** by Cameron Sanders, originally published in The Greensboro Review: Number 113, Spring 2023. An alternative history story about a woman and child on the bayou in an alternate timeline when a dust storm has destroyed Civil War era USA.
16. It’s Not Even Past **** by Anna Scotti, originally published in Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine, September/October 2023. A woman in the WitSec program is suddenly recognized by a member of her family and is forced to plan an escape. Cam/Lori is a recurring character in stories by Anna Scotti. The story title is from the famous William Faulkner quote: "The past is never dead. It's not even past."
17. Good Harvest **** by Archer Sullivan, originally published in Rock and a Hard Place, Issue 9: Winter 2023. A young girl and her baby brother are along for the ride when they witness their mother digging something.
18. Wonder Falls ***** by Andrew Welsh-Huggins, originally published in Mystery Tribune / Issue Nº20 (July 1, 2023). A son reminisces about growing up with a wayward absentee father who regularly obsessed about his failed writing career. Shocking revelations come about when both his mother and a neighbour pass away.
19. One Night in 1965 *** by Stacy Woodson, originally published in More Groovy Gumshoes: Private Eyes in the Psychedelic Sixties (April 10, 2023). A detective is sent out to prevent a Senator’s son from becoming a possible draft dodger.
20. BONUS STORY: The Suicide of Kiaros **** by L. Frank Baum, originally published in The White Elephant (September 1897). An early noir crime tale from the writer of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz (1900). An accountant schemes to cover his embezzling from a firm before his marriage to the owner’s daughter will reveal everything.
A review of the Mysterious Press eBook edition (September 24, 2024) released simultaneously with the hardcover/audiobook.
[3.8 average rating for the 20 stories, rounded up to a strong 4]
I call this the "Other", as its close competitor series The Best American Mystery and Suspense 2024 (expected publication October 22, 2024) edited by author S.A. Cosby and published by Mariner Books is due in less than a month. A comparison will be interesting and I hope I will have time to do that. I'm guessing that there is likely some cooperation between the two publishers and that there will be no duplications.
The Mysterious Press title does allow for non-American authors, although I think #12 Cuban author Leonardo Padura was the only exception to American sources and setting. The average here was very high and I enjoyed all of the stories. #3 #10 and #18 stood out for their character background and evocative writing. None were below a 3-star rating. The inclusion of an early 1897 story (see #20 Bonus Story) was a fun addition.
As is the case with the Mariner books, these stories were all actually published during the previous year (2023 in this case) and had to be submitted before a firm due date for consideration in the anthology. Series publisher Otto Penzler writes a rather strong statement about that. 2024 editor Anthony Horowitz writes about the continued allure of crime and mystery stories where answers can be determined and justice can be served in a world in which it appears harder to find every day.
Most of the authors included here were new names to me and I would hope to read further novels or short stories by many of them in the future.
Story titles, authors and original publications follow. I have added brief story setups without spoilers.
1. Stunts *** by Ace Atkins, originally published in Austin Noir (2023). Ne’er do well former movie stuntman runs afoul of the mobsters he borrowed money from.
2. Beat the Clock **** by Michael Bracken, originally published in Alfred Hitchcock's Mystery Magazine (March/April 2023). Rapid fire investigation that covers a murder scene, the postmortem, witness interviews with an ‘assemble all the suspects in a room’ finale. Neatly done!
3. How to Teach Yourself to Swim ***** by Fleur Bradley, originally published in Dark Yonder: Issue 3 (Summer 2023). A widower teaches his grandson to swim while trying to keep him safe from his own daughter and her criminal drug trafficking boyfriend.
4. The Knife Sharpener **** by Shelley Costa, originally published in Alfred Hitchcock’s Mystery Magazine (July /August 2023). Historical fiction set behind the scenes at the Battle of Gettysburg 1863.
5. Down the Fire Road **** by Doug Crandell, originally published in Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine (May/June 2023). There is a missing child and a missing Sheriff and the county Deputy is left to handle the situation in Georgia, USA. A well done double twist reveal and ending.
6. The Lady in My Life **** by Jeffery Deaver, originally published in Thriller: An Anthology of New Mystery Short Stories (July 11, 2023). An immigrant gardener is hoping to get a contract at a house where a single woman is living, but there may be something else going on. As always with Deaver’s shorts, a great twist after a shocking reveal.
7. Last Day at the Jackrabbit **** by John M. Floyd, originally published in Strand Magazine LXIX 2023 (2023). A waitress is anticipating her final day of work at the Jackrabbit Diner until surprising events intervene.
8. Lovely and Useless Things *** by Nils Gilbertson, originally published in Prohibition Papers, ed. By Michael Bracken (Down & Out) (2023). A speakeasy is being undermined during the prohibition era in the U.S.
9. El Paso Heat by **** Peter W.J. Hayes, originally published in Black Cat Mystery Magazine #14 (October 18, 2023). An accountant, who has been in the WitSec program for 7 years, is suddenly confronted by his past.
10. The Backwoods ***** by Shells Legoullon, originally published in Thrill Ride: The Magazine Unlikely Partners, Summer 2023. A woman inherits her father’s farm in the backwoods and discovers treasure, danger and betrayal.
11. Kill Night **** by Victor Methos, originally published as Kill Night (Amazon Original Stories, February 7, 2023). Two young lawyers are sent to Utah to defend an innocent man who is on trial for murder based on circumstantial evidence.
12. A Family Matter *** by Leonardo Padura, originally published in Southwest Review, Vol. 108, No. 3 (2023). A Cuban bookseller, former policeman, is asked to track down his nephew who is feared to be planning illegal passage to the U.S. in order to reunite with his estranged wife.
13. Snow Over Hartford *** by Dan Pope, originally published in Bellevue Literary Review, No. 44 (2023). A detective is asked to extract a confession from a former acquaintance who is in a hospital bed after being shot.
14. Dead Names *** by Annie Reed, originally published by WMG Publishing (2023). A waitress who was a social worker in her now past life is asked to help two street kids escape from forced labour at an illegal drug lab.
15. Billowing Down the Bayou *** by Cameron Sanders, originally published in The Greensboro Review: Number 113, Spring 2023. An alternative history story about a woman and child on the bayou in an alternate timeline when a dust storm has destroyed Civil War era USA.
16. It’s Not Even Past **** by Anna Scotti, originally published in Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine, September/October 2023. A woman in the WitSec program is suddenly recognized by a member of her family and is forced to plan an escape. Cam/Lori is a recurring character in stories by Anna Scotti. The story title is from the famous William Faulkner quote: "The past is never dead. It's not even past."
17. Good Harvest **** by Archer Sullivan, originally published in Rock and a Hard Place, Issue 9: Winter 2023. A young girl and her baby brother are along for the ride when they witness their mother digging something.
18. Wonder Falls ***** by Andrew Welsh-Huggins, originally published in Mystery Tribune / Issue Nº20 (July 1, 2023). A son reminisces about growing up with a wayward absentee father who regularly obsessed about his failed writing career. Shocking revelations come about when both his mother and a neighbour pass away.
19. One Night in 1965 *** by Stacy Woodson, originally published in More Groovy Gumshoes: Private Eyes in the Psychedelic Sixties (April 10, 2023). A detective is sent out to prevent a Senator’s son from becoming a possible draft dodger.
20. BONUS STORY: The Suicide of Kiaros **** by L. Frank Baum, originally published in The White Elephant (September 1897). An early noir crime tale from the writer of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz (1900). An accountant schemes to cover his embezzling from a firm before his marriage to the owner’s daughter will reveal everything.
November 16, 2024
3.5 rounding up. There are some real gems in here but most didn’t feel like mystery stories. I wonder if maybe my definition is just different. These were definitely crime stories but most of them held no unknown piece, we just followed a POV through the action and possible discovery of a crime.
Beat the Clock and The Lady in my Life were two of my favorites in this collection. Both had a surprise element and kept me hooked the entire time. I also want to call out the introduction by Anthony Horowitz too for such a compelling ode to crime fiction. I enjoyed it more than some of the actual stories.
Beat the Clock and The Lady in my Life were two of my favorites in this collection. Both had a surprise element and kept me hooked the entire time. I also want to call out the introduction by Anthony Horowitz too for such a compelling ode to crime fiction. I enjoyed it more than some of the actual stories.
September 17, 2024
This is a collection of mystery short stories that were published in the previous year and were chosen as the best mystery short stories of 2024. This audio is more than 15 hours of mysteries sure to bring joy to any crime fiction reader.
Who Is This Book For?
This is a great book for anyone who enjoys reading crime fiction, mystery, suspense, and detective stories. Anthony Horowitz selects and introduces the best mysteries from last year from over 3,000 stories. This anthology is a selection of the best 20 stories.
I enjoyed getting to experience so many fantastic mystery writers work. The introduction by Anthony Horowitz was great. This was a great selection of crime fiction, mysteries that really did a good job of diversifying the genre to include more than just detectives.
My favorite story was: "Down the Fire Road" by Doug Crandell (tracks 007 and 008 on the audiobook)
My second favorite was: "Last Day at the Jack Rabbit" by John M. Floyd (track 011 on the audiobook)
It was difficult to find any criticism for this book. Since there are many authors of varying writing styles and mysteries it was a challenge to give the entire collection a single rating. Overall, I think the stories chosen were well written and engaging.
Coming from a cozy mystery fan, I was hoping for more cozy style crime fiction. Most of the short stories were intense, action-packed, and fast pace. This isn't a negative for most mystery readers, just for those who exclusively read cozy mysteries.
My Rating:
4.5 Stars Rounded up to 5
Narration: 5 Stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Short Story Selection: 4 Stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Thank you to #NetGalley and HighBridge Audio for providing this audiobook for an honest review #TheMysteriousBookshopPresentstheBestMysteryStoriesoftheYear2024 #NetGalley
Who Is This Book For?
This is a great book for anyone who enjoys reading crime fiction, mystery, suspense, and detective stories. Anthony Horowitz selects and introduces the best mysteries from last year from over 3,000 stories. This anthology is a selection of the best 20 stories.
I enjoyed getting to experience so many fantastic mystery writers work. The introduction by Anthony Horowitz was great. This was a great selection of crime fiction, mysteries that really did a good job of diversifying the genre to include more than just detectives.
My favorite story was: "Down the Fire Road" by Doug Crandell (tracks 007 and 008 on the audiobook)
My second favorite was: "Last Day at the Jack Rabbit" by John M. Floyd (track 011 on the audiobook)
It was difficult to find any criticism for this book. Since there are many authors of varying writing styles and mysteries it was a challenge to give the entire collection a single rating. Overall, I think the stories chosen were well written and engaging.
Coming from a cozy mystery fan, I was hoping for more cozy style crime fiction. Most of the short stories were intense, action-packed, and fast pace. This isn't a negative for most mystery readers, just for those who exclusively read cozy mysteries.
My Rating:
4.5 Stars Rounded up to 5
Narration: 5 Stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Short Story Selection: 4 Stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Thank you to #NetGalley and HighBridge Audio for providing this audiobook for an honest review #TheMysteriousBookshopPresentstheBestMysteryStoriesoftheYear2024 #NetGalley
December 29, 2024
This collection of short stories has highs and lows among the different tales. Some standouts for me were the following five short stories:
-How to Teach Yourself to Swim by Fleur Bradley (Story #3)
-Down the Fire Road by Doug Crandell (Story #5)
-Last Day at the Jackrabbit (Story #7)
-El Paso Heat by Peter W. J. Haynes (Story #9)
-Snow over Hartford by Dan Pope (Story #13)
In order of appearance:
1. Stunt by Ace Atkins - 2 stars
This short story tells the tale of a retired stuntman and a couple of individuals to whom he owes some money. While the premise of the story is interesting, the execution wasn't stellar and it didn't capture my attention as some of the other stories in the collection.
2. Beat the Clock by Michael Bracken - 4 stars
A classic who-dun-it with a patriarch being shot and the main suspects being those who stand to inherit from the crime. This story felt cozy and had a few interactions between the detectives that were amusing. Overall a cozy and comfortable classic mystery with an interesting resolution.
3. How to teach yourself to swim by Fleur Bradley - 5 stars
Fleur Bradley's story stands out as a highlight in this collection. The short story revolves around a Grandpa and his grandson when a drug addicted daughter shows up on his doorstep in the middle of the night. The story possesses charm, loveable characterization and a depth that is often lacking in stories of the shorter variety. Overall this one is a highlight for me.
4. The Knife Sharpener by Shelly Costa - 1 star
One of the least liked stories in the collection, Costa writes about the Battle of Gettysburg from the perspective of a young nurse. The story revolves around her interactions with a club footed knife sharpener. Overall for me this story lacked intrigue, didn't possess memorable characters or interactions and was quite bland in comparison to some of the other stories.
5. Down the fire road by Doug Crandell - 5 stars
A missing kid, a drunk police chief and a detective set alight this short story. The story is well paced, exciting and offers a few twists that make it another standout story in this collection.
6. The lady in my life - 4 stars
A story that shines more from execution than from its plot. The story is riveting and engaging but contains slightly too many twists for my liking. Overall a solid story but not the best.
7. Last day at the Jackrabbit - 5 stars
An extremely engaging and exciting story, this one reminds of Pulp Fiction with a dinner setting and some criminals. Story was not over the top with twists but provided enough of them to keep the reader engaged and pulled them off in a compelling manner. Overall one of the better stories in the collection.
8. Lovely and useless things by Nils Gilbertson - 4 stars
An interesting premise and setting, this story primarily takes place in a speakeasy during prohibition. It details the story of less than righteous club owner and the ordeal that he finds himself in after a revenge driven kid lands in his lap. Overall this story was a delight due to the ambiance and setting more than the plot.
9. El Paso Heat by Peter W. J. Haynes - 4.5 stars
A tale of witness protection gone wrong. John finds himself face to face with the man he did wrong when uncovering a conspiracy. The tale is an adrenaline rush that will have you reading to the end to find out what happens. This is a standout story for the tight and well paced plot with a few twists that kept things interesting.
10. The Backwoods by Shells Legoullon - 2 stars
This story was interesting in concept, with a woman who finds out her father wasn't quite the man she made him out to be. An interesting premise but the execution felt a little heavy handed. The foreshadowing was in your face and lacked the subtle nature necessary to make it successful. Overall the story while well paced and interesting felt a little heavy handed in some of the clues and therefore lacked the excitement that makes short stories shine.
11. Kill Night by Victor Methos - 3 stars
A short story that explores a wrongly convicted man. In this short trek, a pair of lawyers are defending a man in whose car are found the remains of a recently deceased man. They find themselves on an adventure as they try to uncover the murderer and free the man currently put on trial for the crime.
12. A Family Matter by Leonardo Padura - 3 stars
Mario Conde, a detective, finds himself investigating the disappearance of a young man who prior to disappearing has removed some cherished family heirlooms for their possession. Mario follows a trail that leads him to a number of shady characters as he tries to unravel what happened to young Juan Miguel. A satisfying conclusion makes this a pleasant story but one that lacks any real sense of mystery.
13. Snow over Hartford by Dan Pope - 4.5 stars
This short story packs all the makings of what makes this form so successful. Full of intrigue and mystery, this story unravels quickly with a number of unexpected and surprising twists. Along with a nice backstory to the characters and their relationship, this one stands up as a wonderful example of how to craft a interesting and unexpected narrative in a concise and short runtime.'
14. Dead Names by Annie Reed - 1 star
This one didn't resonate with me and felt a tad cliche. The premise revolves around a retired social worker who gets thrust back into duty on one last case. She enlists the help of a mobster to rescue some children from a unfortunate situation, which seems to good to be true. Overall this one was one of the weaker stories for me and didn't provide much in the way of realism or enjoyment.
15. Billowing Down the Bayou by Cameron Sanders - 1 star
Sanders crafts a confusing tale that misses the mark for me. It contains a lot of mystery and an unreliable narrator but seems to depict a mother with a mental disorder that leads to isolation and delusion. The story lacked authenticity for me as well as being difficult to understand and unenjoyable to read. While the description of what Sanders' was attempting to write about seems interesting, the execution of this one completely missed the mark for me.
16. It's Not even Past by Anna Scotti - 3 stars
This is one of the stories that I felt would have benefitted from a longer exploration. There is a lot of backstory in this one and it feels like a part of a larger story. Since I'm reading it independent of the other stories in the collection, it feels under developed. The backstory and character development would really have added to the importance of the characters and their actions. Unfortunately due to the short nature of the medium, it didn't create enough backstory and time with the characters to make me feel the impact or importance of central elements of the plot.
17. Good Harvest by Archer Sullivan - 3 stars
This story is a decent example of a short story that is tightly written and features some intrigue and mystery and a point of view that makes the story more interesting to read. While it was successful at certain aspects, the overall resolution of the story left me lacking and questioning the point of the actions taken by the characters if they simply continue with the ordinary. It seemed like the entire resolution of the mystery was pointless as nothing seemed to change from the point of view of the lives of the characters.
18. Wonder Falls by Andrew Welsh-Huggins - 4 stars
Welsh-Huggins crafts an interesting and well paced story in this one. While I was able to predict the twists in the story it didn't diminish from the overall enjoyment of the story. The way the characters were able to explore the backstory revealed in the final portion of the story made for an unexpected twist within itself. Overall this story, while not surprising, was an enjoyable adventure that strayed slightly from the expected path.
19. One Night in 1965 by Stacy Woodson - 3 stars
One night in 1965 finds a veteran detective seeking a draft dodger who ran away to Vegas the day before he was going to be drafted. A pleasant short story, this tale has some interesting elements about it that ground it in reality. Containing little that couldn't happen, this one doesn't stand out as anything special but doesn't disappoint either.
20. The Suicide of Kiaros by L. Frank Baum - 3 stars
The writer of The Wizard of Oz wrote this short story about a man down on his luck after some gambling debts. Faced with opportunity, the man finds himself trying to steal a great deal of money from a Greek lender. Short, enjoyable and to the point, this story doesn't dazzle or amaze but is enjoyable none the less.
Overall a pleasant collection of short stories with some really good ones sprinkled throughout. A 3.1 average rating rounded to 3 stars.
-How to Teach Yourself to Swim by Fleur Bradley (Story #3)
-Down the Fire Road by Doug Crandell (Story #5)
-Last Day at the Jackrabbit (Story #7)
-El Paso Heat by Peter W. J. Haynes (Story #9)
-Snow over Hartford by Dan Pope (Story #13)
In order of appearance:
1. Stunt by Ace Atkins - 2 stars
This short story tells the tale of a retired stuntman and a couple of individuals to whom he owes some money. While the premise of the story is interesting, the execution wasn't stellar and it didn't capture my attention as some of the other stories in the collection.
2. Beat the Clock by Michael Bracken - 4 stars
A classic who-dun-it with a patriarch being shot and the main suspects being those who stand to inherit from the crime. This story felt cozy and had a few interactions between the detectives that were amusing. Overall a cozy and comfortable classic mystery with an interesting resolution.
3. How to teach yourself to swim by Fleur Bradley - 5 stars
Fleur Bradley's story stands out as a highlight in this collection. The short story revolves around a Grandpa and his grandson when a drug addicted daughter shows up on his doorstep in the middle of the night. The story possesses charm, loveable characterization and a depth that is often lacking in stories of the shorter variety. Overall this one is a highlight for me.
4. The Knife Sharpener by Shelly Costa - 1 star
One of the least liked stories in the collection, Costa writes about the Battle of Gettysburg from the perspective of a young nurse. The story revolves around her interactions with a club footed knife sharpener. Overall for me this story lacked intrigue, didn't possess memorable characters or interactions and was quite bland in comparison to some of the other stories.
5. Down the fire road by Doug Crandell - 5 stars
A missing kid, a drunk police chief and a detective set alight this short story. The story is well paced, exciting and offers a few twists that make it another standout story in this collection.
6. The lady in my life - 4 stars
A story that shines more from execution than from its plot. The story is riveting and engaging but contains slightly too many twists for my liking. Overall a solid story but not the best.
7. Last day at the Jackrabbit - 5 stars
An extremely engaging and exciting story, this one reminds of Pulp Fiction with a dinner setting and some criminals. Story was not over the top with twists but provided enough of them to keep the reader engaged and pulled them off in a compelling manner. Overall one of the better stories in the collection.
8. Lovely and useless things by Nils Gilbertson - 4 stars
An interesting premise and setting, this story primarily takes place in a speakeasy during prohibition. It details the story of less than righteous club owner and the ordeal that he finds himself in after a revenge driven kid lands in his lap. Overall this story was a delight due to the ambiance and setting more than the plot.
9. El Paso Heat by Peter W. J. Haynes - 4.5 stars
A tale of witness protection gone wrong. John finds himself face to face with the man he did wrong when uncovering a conspiracy. The tale is an adrenaline rush that will have you reading to the end to find out what happens. This is a standout story for the tight and well paced plot with a few twists that kept things interesting.
10. The Backwoods by Shells Legoullon - 2 stars
This story was interesting in concept, with a woman who finds out her father wasn't quite the man she made him out to be. An interesting premise but the execution felt a little heavy handed. The foreshadowing was in your face and lacked the subtle nature necessary to make it successful. Overall the story while well paced and interesting felt a little heavy handed in some of the clues and therefore lacked the excitement that makes short stories shine.
11. Kill Night by Victor Methos - 3 stars
A short story that explores a wrongly convicted man. In this short trek, a pair of lawyers are defending a man in whose car are found the remains of a recently deceased man. They find themselves on an adventure as they try to uncover the murderer and free the man currently put on trial for the crime.
12. A Family Matter by Leonardo Padura - 3 stars
Mario Conde, a detective, finds himself investigating the disappearance of a young man who prior to disappearing has removed some cherished family heirlooms for their possession. Mario follows a trail that leads him to a number of shady characters as he tries to unravel what happened to young Juan Miguel. A satisfying conclusion makes this a pleasant story but one that lacks any real sense of mystery.
13. Snow over Hartford by Dan Pope - 4.5 stars
This short story packs all the makings of what makes this form so successful. Full of intrigue and mystery, this story unravels quickly with a number of unexpected and surprising twists. Along with a nice backstory to the characters and their relationship, this one stands up as a wonderful example of how to craft a interesting and unexpected narrative in a concise and short runtime.'
14. Dead Names by Annie Reed - 1 star
This one didn't resonate with me and felt a tad cliche. The premise revolves around a retired social worker who gets thrust back into duty on one last case. She enlists the help of a mobster to rescue some children from a unfortunate situation, which seems to good to be true. Overall this one was one of the weaker stories for me and didn't provide much in the way of realism or enjoyment.
15. Billowing Down the Bayou by Cameron Sanders - 1 star
Sanders crafts a confusing tale that misses the mark for me. It contains a lot of mystery and an unreliable narrator but seems to depict a mother with a mental disorder that leads to isolation and delusion. The story lacked authenticity for me as well as being difficult to understand and unenjoyable to read. While the description of what Sanders' was attempting to write about seems interesting, the execution of this one completely missed the mark for me.
16. It's Not even Past by Anna Scotti - 3 stars
This is one of the stories that I felt would have benefitted from a longer exploration. There is a lot of backstory in this one and it feels like a part of a larger story. Since I'm reading it independent of the other stories in the collection, it feels under developed. The backstory and character development would really have added to the importance of the characters and their actions. Unfortunately due to the short nature of the medium, it didn't create enough backstory and time with the characters to make me feel the impact or importance of central elements of the plot.
17. Good Harvest by Archer Sullivan - 3 stars
This story is a decent example of a short story that is tightly written and features some intrigue and mystery and a point of view that makes the story more interesting to read. While it was successful at certain aspects, the overall resolution of the story left me lacking and questioning the point of the actions taken by the characters if they simply continue with the ordinary. It seemed like the entire resolution of the mystery was pointless as nothing seemed to change from the point of view of the lives of the characters.
18. Wonder Falls by Andrew Welsh-Huggins - 4 stars
Welsh-Huggins crafts an interesting and well paced story in this one. While I was able to predict the twists in the story it didn't diminish from the overall enjoyment of the story. The way the characters were able to explore the backstory revealed in the final portion of the story made for an unexpected twist within itself. Overall this story, while not surprising, was an enjoyable adventure that strayed slightly from the expected path.
19. One Night in 1965 by Stacy Woodson - 3 stars
One night in 1965 finds a veteran detective seeking a draft dodger who ran away to Vegas the day before he was going to be drafted. A pleasant short story, this tale has some interesting elements about it that ground it in reality. Containing little that couldn't happen, this one doesn't stand out as anything special but doesn't disappoint either.
20. The Suicide of Kiaros by L. Frank Baum - 3 stars
The writer of The Wizard of Oz wrote this short story about a man down on his luck after some gambling debts. Faced with opportunity, the man finds himself trying to steal a great deal of money from a Greek lender. Short, enjoyable and to the point, this story doesn't dazzle or amaze but is enjoyable none the less.
Overall a pleasant collection of short stories with some really good ones sprinkled throughout. A 3.1 average rating rounded to 3 stars.
February 2, 2025
If you like short stories this is a great collection. Again I didn’t think they all fit into my definition of a mystery but there was only one I didn’t like. Each story is precessed by a brief intro to the author and followed by an explanation about the origin of the story. Many of the stories were so good that I was sad to see them end.
February 3, 2025
Surprisingly disappointing. The selection is unimaginative, with choices reflecting too many known quantities in the world of short mystery writing, and much of today's conventions in the genre which have made it a pale shadow of its former self. It's almost as if The Mysterious Bookshop needs to join those who keep pinning awards and opportunities on a small group of the usual suspects instead of reaching out to the larger audiences tuned by various other media to faster paced stories, more frequently twisted plots, more expansive and populated settings, memorable characters, and surprising clues.
Even Anthony Horowitz' introduction in his own voice is pretty lame, and he chose to use this obscure space to air some (unwelcome, in my opinion) political opinions which you'd never pick up from his own works of fiction. There, he adroitly avoid controversy. Horowitz has been my favorite current author of fiction, but the works collected here suggest little of his own great expertise in the genre. The volume's choices seem to reflect the tastes of Mr. Penzler, I suppose.
This review is based on the audiobook edition.
Even Anthony Horowitz' introduction in his own voice is pretty lame, and he chose to use this obscure space to air some (unwelcome, in my opinion) political opinions which you'd never pick up from his own works of fiction. There, he adroitly avoid controversy. Horowitz has been my favorite current author of fiction, but the works collected here suggest little of his own great expertise in the genre. The volume's choices seem to reflect the tastes of Mr. Penzler, I suppose.
This review is based on the audiobook edition.
September 12, 2024
This collection of stories is more gritty/realistic than my usual favorite type: cozy British person solving a mystery. But it’s still a very good collection of mystery stories that I would recommend any fan of the genre to read.
I was super excited that one of the narrators is BJ Harrison, who narrates the Classic Tales podccast and many audiobooks. His voice is so pleasant to listen to. I hadn’t heard the female narrator (Kim Niemi) before, but she was also very easy to listen to and I’d be happy to listen to her narrate anything in the future.
The story that will stick with me the most is the one where a grandfather teaches his grandson how to swim, but I really enjoyed all of the stories in the collection.
Of the authors on the list. I had only ever heard of/read books by Jeffery Deaver. But that’s what’s great about collections like this, you get to discover new authors and go and read their backlist if you like them.
Here is the list of authors and their story titles. Please excuse any typos on the titles as I was listening to the audiobook and might have misheard.
- Ace Atkins - Stunts
- Michael Bracken - Beat the Clock
- Fleur Bradley - How to Teach Yourself to Swim
- Shelley Costa - The Knife Sharpener
- Doug Crandell - Down the Fire Road
- Jeffery Deaver - The Lady in my Life
- Brendan Dubois - Snow Bound
- John Floyd - Last Day at the Jackrabbit
- Nils Gilbertson - Lovely and Useful Things
- Peter Hayes - El Paso Heat
- Shells Legoullon - The Back Woods
- Victor Methos - Kill Night
- Leonardo Padura - A Family Matter
- Dan Pope - Snow Over Harvard
- Annie Reed - Dead Names
- Cameron Sanders - Billowing Down The Bayou
- Anna Scotti - Its Not Even Passed
- Archer Sullivan - Good Harvest
- Andrew Welsh-Huggins - Wonder Falls
- Stacy Woodson - One Night in 1965
- Frank L Baum - The Suicide of Kiaros
Special thanks to NetGalley and RBmedia for a copy of the audiobook in exchange for my honest opinion.
I was super excited that one of the narrators is BJ Harrison, who narrates the Classic Tales podccast and many audiobooks. His voice is so pleasant to listen to. I hadn’t heard the female narrator (Kim Niemi) before, but she was also very easy to listen to and I’d be happy to listen to her narrate anything in the future.
The story that will stick with me the most is the one where a grandfather teaches his grandson how to swim, but I really enjoyed all of the stories in the collection.
Of the authors on the list. I had only ever heard of/read books by Jeffery Deaver. But that’s what’s great about collections like this, you get to discover new authors and go and read their backlist if you like them.
Here is the list of authors and their story titles. Please excuse any typos on the titles as I was listening to the audiobook and might have misheard.
- Ace Atkins - Stunts
- Michael Bracken - Beat the Clock
- Fleur Bradley - How to Teach Yourself to Swim
- Shelley Costa - The Knife Sharpener
- Doug Crandell - Down the Fire Road
- Jeffery Deaver - The Lady in my Life
- Brendan Dubois - Snow Bound
- John Floyd - Last Day at the Jackrabbit
- Nils Gilbertson - Lovely and Useful Things
- Peter Hayes - El Paso Heat
- Shells Legoullon - The Back Woods
- Victor Methos - Kill Night
- Leonardo Padura - A Family Matter
- Dan Pope - Snow Over Harvard
- Annie Reed - Dead Names
- Cameron Sanders - Billowing Down The Bayou
- Anna Scotti - Its Not Even Passed
- Archer Sullivan - Good Harvest
- Andrew Welsh-Huggins - Wonder Falls
- Stacy Woodson - One Night in 1965
- Frank L Baum - The Suicide of Kiaros
Special thanks to NetGalley and RBmedia for a copy of the audiobook in exchange for my honest opinion.
September 10, 2024
This is a collection of mystery stories drawn from work published in the previous year. When I think of mysteries, I typically think of crime and police procedurals. Yet not all of these would fall under that category. There are slice-of-life tales from the city and from out on the range; contemporary and historical settings. Some stories are by well-known authors and some by up-and-coming writers. I found it a great compilation for expanding my reading list as well as expanding my conception of the genre. In this regard, I appreciate the introduction by one of my favorite mystery writers, Anthony Horowitz.
My thanks to #TheMysteriousBookshop press, the producer, and #NetGalley for early access to the audiobook for review purposes.
My thanks to #TheMysteriousBookshop press, the producer, and #NetGalley for early access to the audiobook for review purposes.
March 28, 2025
Some okay stories, some not, but none really “mysteries” IMO
September 12, 2024
This was a good anthology of mystery stories - from quite a wide range of authors.
Most of them were crime novels, and quite a few of them were quite dark or violent. I hadn't heard of many of the authors, but I thought most of the stories were well done. There was a selection of established authors and newer writers. As with all short story collections, some were better than others, but there were none that I really didn't like. There was a really good selection of styles and also time periods represented. Some involved police officers and others followed the criminals. Some had sympathetic characters, and others followed thoroughly bad guys!
I loved the introduction by Anthony Horowitz, such a great author himself.
I listened to these, and both narrators, Kim Niemi and BJ Harrison, did an excellent job.
Most of them were crime novels, and quite a few of them were quite dark or violent. I hadn't heard of many of the authors, but I thought most of the stories were well done. There was a selection of established authors and newer writers. As with all short story collections, some were better than others, but there were none that I really didn't like. There was a really good selection of styles and also time periods represented. Some involved police officers and others followed the criminals. Some had sympathetic characters, and others followed thoroughly bad guys!
I loved the introduction by Anthony Horowitz, such a great author himself.
I listened to these, and both narrators, Kim Niemi and BJ Harrison, did an excellent job.
November 21, 2024
Not all of these stories grabbed my interest, but the majority of them were excellent! Quite varied, I wouldn't even necessarily classify some of them as mysteries, though they were still great little stories that were super engaging and interesting. It's quite difficult to write a compelling narrative that's only 20 - 30 pages long, and almost all of the authors in this volume succeeded. Now I have to go add a bunch more authors to my TBR.....
November 28, 2024
I enjoy all of Penzler’s anthologies. The split between Penzler and the ‘The Year’s Best’ series has given an extra anthology to read. Culling a year’s output even to around twenty is a remarkable accomplishment.One will never agree with all an anthologist includes - but no duds in this collection.
January 7, 2025
Excellent collection of mystery stories!
Some of the best I've ever read! Especially liked the bonus story by L Frank Baum. Read other anthologies but this, you should definitely read!
Some of the best I've ever read! Especially liked the bonus story by L Frank Baum. Read other anthologies but this, you should definitely read!
November 13, 2024
I had no idea that this anthology is exactly what I needed right now, until I dove in and couldn’t stop reading! Rarely have I seen so much variety of such high quality between two covers. Though some odd coincidences pop up–there are two stories that mention Las Vegas, and two stories about witness protection programs–the overall assortment is a smorgasbord of cornucopias: private eyes and women in distress predominate, but also consider the historical fiction, the locked room murders, the legal drama, the literary memoir, or the last moment twists vs. the genre subversions.
Not every story here is superb–in fact, a couple are rather dull, though still worthwhile–but the gestalt here truly is more than the sum of the parts. This is one of the best mystery collections I’ve ever seen. Thanks to both Penzler and Horowitz for giving me several great hours of fun…and introducing me to a handful of fantastic writers new to me, whose work I will now follow faithfully!
1. Stunts, by Ace Atkins. **** Decent, moderately clever tale. Enjoyable, nothing special.
2. Beat the Clock, by Michael Bracken. ***** Rather effective whodunit in a very short space. Excellent work! The twist is forecast clearly, but I didn’t connect the dots until the end.
3. How to Teach Yourself to Swim, by Fleur Bradley. ***** Superb crime story grounded in a setting of generational failures, some lost and some redeemed. Pitch perfect.
4. The Knife Sharpener, by Shelley Costa. **** Historical war story works really well, but the protagonist was a bit too flawless for my taste.
5. Down the Fire Road, by Doug Crandell. **** Great twist right in the middle, but the end left me a bit cold–what even was that?
6. The Lady in My Life, by Jeffery Deaver. ***** I’ve heard of Deaver, of course, but never read him. Now, The Bone Collector has been fast tracked to the top of my to-do list!
7. Last Day at the Jackrabbit, by John M. Floyd. ***** Maybe the best story here, this is a wild bunch of twisty action in a very short space. Impressive achievement!
8. Lovely and Useless Things, by Nils Gilbertson. **** Prohibition era detective story has a solid plot and ending, but just lacked a spark to make it truly great. Respected it, though!
9. El Paso Heat, by Peter W.J. Hayes. **** Predictable, but effective. Solid work.
10. The Backwoods, by Shells Legoullon. ***** Almost perfect story of crime faced head on by a very realistic narrator. Where the Crawdads Sing meets Cape Fear.
11. Kill Night, by Victor Methos. **** Legal thriller reads too much like early Grisham–earnest young lawyer faces organized corruption–with a random villain element that’s just too convenient.
12. A Family Matter, by Leonardo Padura. *** Probably the weakest story here, it’s still just fine–only very predictable and entirely bland. Formulaic, even.
13. Snow Over Hartford, by Dan Pope. ***** One of my favorites in this volume! Truly beautiful work at every level. Almost entirely driven by dialogue, which is hard to do well. Frequent circular reversals add a welcome level of complexity.
14. Dead Names, by Annie Reed. *** Meh. Almost as much a nothing burger as “A Family Matter.” Just a plain, paint by numbers story. Not much of the dialogue rings true. Could have been much better. Not bad by any means, but why in the world would this be considered a “best” story?
15. Billowing Down the Bayou, by Cameron Sanders. **** Just OK. How can an alternative history, with shades of gothic horror about it, still feel so passe?
16. It’s Not Even Past, by Anna Scotti. **** Very good stuff! A flawed hero, believable twists with just enough foreshadowing to give hints without giving the game away.
17. Good Harvest, by Archer Sullivan. ***** Another favorite! Perfect narrative voice. I’m going to pre-order her book now, because of this story.
18. Wonder Falls, by Andrew Welsh-Huggins. ***** Definitely one of the three best stories here. You don’t even know this is a mystery until, suddenly, you do.
19. One Night in 1965, by Stacy Woodson. ***** Another new writer I’ll follow now because of this! Part of the story involved the UNLV student union in 1965. As a native Las Vegan, I’m old enough to remember the old student union there and pictured it while reading, but when I looked it up, that building opened in 1968, three years after the setting of this story. There doesn’t seem to have been a student union in 1965, which is odd. Even if there were, I think the student newspaper’s office was in the FDH building next door, or at least it was in the 1990s, when I was an undergraduate. And why would any back door ever open onto a quad???
20. BONUS STORY: The Suicide of Kiaros, by L. Frank Baum. **** A dark surprise, this one! Efficient “perfect murder” fantasy, with a weirdly downbeat ending.
Not every story here is superb–in fact, a couple are rather dull, though still worthwhile–but the gestalt here truly is more than the sum of the parts. This is one of the best mystery collections I’ve ever seen. Thanks to both Penzler and Horowitz for giving me several great hours of fun…and introducing me to a handful of fantastic writers new to me, whose work I will now follow faithfully!
1. Stunts, by Ace Atkins. **** Decent, moderately clever tale. Enjoyable, nothing special.
2. Beat the Clock, by Michael Bracken. ***** Rather effective whodunit in a very short space. Excellent work! The twist is forecast clearly, but I didn’t connect the dots until the end.
3. How to Teach Yourself to Swim, by Fleur Bradley. ***** Superb crime story grounded in a setting of generational failures, some lost and some redeemed. Pitch perfect.
4. The Knife Sharpener, by Shelley Costa. **** Historical war story works really well, but the protagonist was a bit too flawless for my taste.
5. Down the Fire Road, by Doug Crandell. **** Great twist right in the middle, but the end left me a bit cold–what even was that?
6. The Lady in My Life, by Jeffery Deaver. ***** I’ve heard of Deaver, of course, but never read him. Now, The Bone Collector has been fast tracked to the top of my to-do list!
7. Last Day at the Jackrabbit, by John M. Floyd. ***** Maybe the best story here, this is a wild bunch of twisty action in a very short space. Impressive achievement!
8. Lovely and Useless Things, by Nils Gilbertson. **** Prohibition era detective story has a solid plot and ending, but just lacked a spark to make it truly great. Respected it, though!
9. El Paso Heat, by Peter W.J. Hayes. **** Predictable, but effective. Solid work.
10. The Backwoods, by Shells Legoullon. ***** Almost perfect story of crime faced head on by a very realistic narrator. Where the Crawdads Sing meets Cape Fear.
11. Kill Night, by Victor Methos. **** Legal thriller reads too much like early Grisham–earnest young lawyer faces organized corruption–with a random villain element that’s just too convenient.
12. A Family Matter, by Leonardo Padura. *** Probably the weakest story here, it’s still just fine–only very predictable and entirely bland. Formulaic, even.
13. Snow Over Hartford, by Dan Pope. ***** One of my favorites in this volume! Truly beautiful work at every level. Almost entirely driven by dialogue, which is hard to do well. Frequent circular reversals add a welcome level of complexity.
14. Dead Names, by Annie Reed. *** Meh. Almost as much a nothing burger as “A Family Matter.” Just a plain, paint by numbers story. Not much of the dialogue rings true. Could have been much better. Not bad by any means, but why in the world would this be considered a “best” story?
15. Billowing Down the Bayou, by Cameron Sanders. **** Just OK. How can an alternative history, with shades of gothic horror about it, still feel so passe?
16. It’s Not Even Past, by Anna Scotti. **** Very good stuff! A flawed hero, believable twists with just enough foreshadowing to give hints without giving the game away.
17. Good Harvest, by Archer Sullivan. ***** Another favorite! Perfect narrative voice. I’m going to pre-order her book now, because of this story.
18. Wonder Falls, by Andrew Welsh-Huggins. ***** Definitely one of the three best stories here. You don’t even know this is a mystery until, suddenly, you do.
19. One Night in 1965, by Stacy Woodson. ***** Another new writer I’ll follow now because of this! Part of the story involved the UNLV student union in 1965. As a native Las Vegan, I’m old enough to remember the old student union there and pictured it while reading, but when I looked it up, that building opened in 1968, three years after the setting of this story. There doesn’t seem to have been a student union in 1965, which is odd. Even if there were, I think the student newspaper’s office was in the FDH building next door, or at least it was in the 1990s, when I was an undergraduate. And why would any back door ever open onto a quad???
20. BONUS STORY: The Suicide of Kiaros, by L. Frank Baum. **** A dark surprise, this one! Efficient “perfect murder” fantasy, with a weirdly downbeat ending.
October 19, 2024
The Mysterious Press, part of the oldest mystery fiction specialty store in the world The Mysterious Bookshop annually puts out a collection of the best short stories from the previous year. Each year, a different respected author gets to select and curate this collection and for this edition we are blessed with the man who has been responsible for more fictional killings than anyone alive --- Anthony Horowitz.
For me, the best part of this collection was Anthony’s introduction, which gives a terrific definition of what a mystery story means to readers and why they are such a popular and important part of contemporary fiction. He confesses that as he has become older he has been troubled by the questions: Why do I love crime fiction? Why does anyone? He goes on to answer his own query with examples from writers like Dame Agatha Christie and some of the immensely popular mystery/crime television series he has been a part of like Midsomer Murders. He indicates that is not necessarily the murders that attract here but the characters. While there are many series that have been based on famous fictional sleuths he then points at Christie’s most famous novel AND THEN THERE WERE NONE which only had ten complex characters and no detective anywhere.
Horowitz concludes by assessing that the genre ‘…offers kindness, decency, justice, and truth in a world that increasingly seems to have none and at a time when it has never mattered more.’ That being said, here are just a handful of the selected short stories that resonated with me in this collection as well as a special treat:
• Stunts – Ace Atkins – known primarily for his series featuring Quinn Colson, Atkins gives us a short story with two characters related to Quinn, one being former famous Hollywood stuntman Jason Colson. He is now retired and at age 71 making an appearance at a local bar to sign autographs and memorabilia while regaling the audience with tales of his time specifically as Burt Reynolds primary stunt double. When two men appear apparently seeking to do Jason harm, the audience and establishment owners are unsure whether the action they are seeing is real or an act set-up to accompany his appearance. Very enjoyable with shout-out to Hal Needham at the conclusion.
• The Lady In My Life – Jeffery Deaver – one of the world’s most popular authors gives us a terrific short story with a title that may seem familiar. Deaver talks about a challenge where a music album is selected at random and writers get to choose a song title from it to base a story on. In this case, the title is a lesser known track from the famous Thriller album from Michael Jackson. In this story, a freelance gardener named Miguel Torres picks up a new assignment at a home in Staten Island, NY, which can use some work. The woman there claims to be a very short-term renter who seduces him on his second visit and then she and a work colleague later entice Miguel to use his truck to pick up and deliver some IT materials of theirs to a boat leaving from the area. Nothing is what it appears to be in this story and the reveal of who the ‘lady in my life’ is to Miguel at the very end is a welcome surprise.
• Dead Names – Annie Reed – Maria Gonzalez had a reputation for helping out disadvantaged and troubled youths. That was in her past. She has carved out a new and much simpler life living off the grid until the day a young man is standing outside her home with an old business card of hers in his hand. His name is Aaron and he claims if she does not help him out his wife will die. He uses her former ‘dead’ name of Antonia and now Maria must revive her former self to assist this young man. Annie Reed writes a taut and tense story and this is her third year in a row having one of her tales selected for this annual collection.
• The Suicide Of Kiaros – L. Frank Baum – this is the surprise Bonus Story included at the very end by the same author of the world-famous THE WIZARD OF OZ. This mystery/crime tale is from 1897 in the now forgotten literary magazine The White Elephant. Mr. Kiaros is an elderly Greek money lender attempting to make a large deposit at a bank after hours. A bank clerk named Mr. Marston is working with Kiaros. He shows up at the place where Kiaros is staying and makes a request for a large loan of course knowing personally that he has the money on him. Things do not go well. It is refreshing to see a story over a century old that still stands up today.
THE BEST MYSTERY STORIES OF THE YEAR 2024 is a treat for fans of the mystery/crime genre with these and so many other tales to enjoy. Also, as outlined so perfectly by Anthony Horowitz, this genre not only matters but is important and holds special meaning for each and every reader.
Reviewed by Ray Palen for Book Reporter
For me, the best part of this collection was Anthony’s introduction, which gives a terrific definition of what a mystery story means to readers and why they are such a popular and important part of contemporary fiction. He confesses that as he has become older he has been troubled by the questions: Why do I love crime fiction? Why does anyone? He goes on to answer his own query with examples from writers like Dame Agatha Christie and some of the immensely popular mystery/crime television series he has been a part of like Midsomer Murders. He indicates that is not necessarily the murders that attract here but the characters. While there are many series that have been based on famous fictional sleuths he then points at Christie’s most famous novel AND THEN THERE WERE NONE which only had ten complex characters and no detective anywhere.
Horowitz concludes by assessing that the genre ‘…offers kindness, decency, justice, and truth in a world that increasingly seems to have none and at a time when it has never mattered more.’ That being said, here are just a handful of the selected short stories that resonated with me in this collection as well as a special treat:
• Stunts – Ace Atkins – known primarily for his series featuring Quinn Colson, Atkins gives us a short story with two characters related to Quinn, one being former famous Hollywood stuntman Jason Colson. He is now retired and at age 71 making an appearance at a local bar to sign autographs and memorabilia while regaling the audience with tales of his time specifically as Burt Reynolds primary stunt double. When two men appear apparently seeking to do Jason harm, the audience and establishment owners are unsure whether the action they are seeing is real or an act set-up to accompany his appearance. Very enjoyable with shout-out to Hal Needham at the conclusion.
• The Lady In My Life – Jeffery Deaver – one of the world’s most popular authors gives us a terrific short story with a title that may seem familiar. Deaver talks about a challenge where a music album is selected at random and writers get to choose a song title from it to base a story on. In this case, the title is a lesser known track from the famous Thriller album from Michael Jackson. In this story, a freelance gardener named Miguel Torres picks up a new assignment at a home in Staten Island, NY, which can use some work. The woman there claims to be a very short-term renter who seduces him on his second visit and then she and a work colleague later entice Miguel to use his truck to pick up and deliver some IT materials of theirs to a boat leaving from the area. Nothing is what it appears to be in this story and the reveal of who the ‘lady in my life’ is to Miguel at the very end is a welcome surprise.
• Dead Names – Annie Reed – Maria Gonzalez had a reputation for helping out disadvantaged and troubled youths. That was in her past. She has carved out a new and much simpler life living off the grid until the day a young man is standing outside her home with an old business card of hers in his hand. His name is Aaron and he claims if she does not help him out his wife will die. He uses her former ‘dead’ name of Antonia and now Maria must revive her former self to assist this young man. Annie Reed writes a taut and tense story and this is her third year in a row having one of her tales selected for this annual collection.
• The Suicide Of Kiaros – L. Frank Baum – this is the surprise Bonus Story included at the very end by the same author of the world-famous THE WIZARD OF OZ. This mystery/crime tale is from 1897 in the now forgotten literary magazine The White Elephant. Mr. Kiaros is an elderly Greek money lender attempting to make a large deposit at a bank after hours. A bank clerk named Mr. Marston is working with Kiaros. He shows up at the place where Kiaros is staying and makes a request for a large loan of course knowing personally that he has the money on him. Things do not go well. It is refreshing to see a story over a century old that still stands up today.
THE BEST MYSTERY STORIES OF THE YEAR 2024 is a treat for fans of the mystery/crime genre with these and so many other tales to enjoy. Also, as outlined so perfectly by Anthony Horowitz, this genre not only matters but is important and holds special meaning for each and every reader.
Reviewed by Ray Palen for Book Reporter
October 7, 2024
The Mysterious Bookshop Presents: The Best Mystery Stories of the Year 2024 Edited with an introduction by Anthony Horowitz
This collection of the best short stories for 2024 is narrated by Kim Niemi and BJ Harrison. The pacing of the story telling is perfect and they are both engaging with appropriate modulation – pausing for affect, speaking with energy while describing movement and so on.
It is difficult to choose the number of stars – rating - for a collection of short stories, but this gets a 5 for the writing and the introductions as well as providing a broad range of stories (something for everyone) and writers (most of them were new to me). As to the stories themselves – there are a range of sub-genres which I’ve individually rated 2 – 5 stars, inclusive, with 5-star ratings being most prevalent. These ratings are based solely on personal interest/preference (historical fiction, for example, is not my cup of tea); they are all well written.
Both introductions were interesting. Otto Penzler shares the process of how the short stories are selected. Anthony Horowitz talks about the questions people ask him - where he gets his ideas from, who their publishers are and how they found them. And he shares his thoughts as to why people like mysteries.
The stories that follow begin with an introduction to the author - describing some of the stories they’ve published and where, and finish with the stories of what inspired their short story. Twenty-one stories - tales of retribution, redemption, empathy; lawyers and policemen, social workers and people who happen to be in the wrong or the right place (depending on perspective) at the wrong time.
Lastly, my top 3 favorites (of my 5-starred stories) were “How to Teach Yourself to Swim” by Fleur Bradley, “The Back Woods” by Shells Legoullon and “Dead Names” by Annie Reed;
Thank you to Otto Penzler, NetGalley and HighBridge Audio for a copy of the audiobook.
This collection of the best short stories for 2024 is narrated by Kim Niemi and BJ Harrison. The pacing of the story telling is perfect and they are both engaging with appropriate modulation – pausing for affect, speaking with energy while describing movement and so on.
It is difficult to choose the number of stars – rating - for a collection of short stories, but this gets a 5 for the writing and the introductions as well as providing a broad range of stories (something for everyone) and writers (most of them were new to me). As to the stories themselves – there are a range of sub-genres which I’ve individually rated 2 – 5 stars, inclusive, with 5-star ratings being most prevalent. These ratings are based solely on personal interest/preference (historical fiction, for example, is not my cup of tea); they are all well written.
Both introductions were interesting. Otto Penzler shares the process of how the short stories are selected. Anthony Horowitz talks about the questions people ask him - where he gets his ideas from, who their publishers are and how they found them. And he shares his thoughts as to why people like mysteries.
The stories that follow begin with an introduction to the author - describing some of the stories they’ve published and where, and finish with the stories of what inspired their short story. Twenty-one stories - tales of retribution, redemption, empathy; lawyers and policemen, social workers and people who happen to be in the wrong or the right place (depending on perspective) at the wrong time.
Lastly, my top 3 favorites (of my 5-starred stories) were “How to Teach Yourself to Swim” by Fleur Bradley, “The Back Woods” by Shells Legoullon and “Dead Names” by Annie Reed;
Thank you to Otto Penzler, NetGalley and HighBridge Audio for a copy of the audiobook.
September 6, 2024
As to Horowitz’s introduction about Crime Fiction, for me it is not about justice or closure, it’s about the puzzle and the twists. All these stories have them in spades. Set in different time periods, from Prohibition to today (and one during the horrible pandemic that shall not be named), these characters are police officers, private detectives, criminals and amateurs. Some belong to larger books and series, while others are wholly original. There are established authors (Jeffery Deaver, Leonardo Padura) and newer writers. Some of the characters are trying to do their best, while others are amoral monsters and, mostly, just flawed men and women trapped in extreme circumstances. The quality is fantastic across the book, and it would be very hard to pick my favorite. I especially enjoyed Peter WJ Hayes’ El Paso Heat ; The Backwoods, by Shells Legoullon and It’s Not Even Past by Anna Scotti but, as I went over the different titles, I kept thinking “wow, that was good” every time. The audiobook narrators had a very hard job, since they had to portray many, many characters of a diverse group of ages and even with different accents. BJ Harrison is a favorite of mine, as I read his rendition of Sleepy Hollow every year for Halloween. He didn’t disappoint here. I don’t believe I’d listened to Kim Niemi before, but she is equally good with her distinctive voices for all the characters. The problem with these collections is that what the editors consider “the best” could be very different from mine. In this case, I wholeheartedly agree with Messrs. Horowitz and Penzler’s opinion.
I chose to listen to this audiobook and all opinions in this review are my own and completely unbiased. Thank you, NetGalley/HighBridge Audio.
I chose to listen to this audiobook and all opinions in this review are my own and completely unbiased. Thank you, NetGalley/HighBridge Audio.
September 14, 2024
The Mysterious Bookshop Presents the Best Mystery Stories: 2024 presents 20 short stories selected and introduced by Anthony Horowitz. This year’s crop of tales covers a large variety of subgenres including noir and historical mysteries and, as in any collection of short stories, I liked some more than others but, in this case, I can honestly say that my favourites are based more on my taste than the quality of the tales which are seriously all deserving of being deemed best of the year.
The authors include a few well known names like Jeffery Deavers but most are writers unknown previously at least to me but I wouldn’t hesitate to read more by any one of them and will definitely be keeping my eye out for any future works by them. The collection ends with a rare story from the beginning of the last century by a very well-known writer but, trust me, it is definitely not like any of his other works.
I’d also add that one of my favourite parts of this collection was the introduction in which Horowitz explains why we readers love mysteries and why they are needed now more than ever. A great collection of tales with something to satisfy even the pickiest mystery reader or, for that matter, any fan of well-written short stories. I received an audiobook of this novel from Netgalley and HighBridge Audio narrated by Kim Niemi and BJ Harrison, both of whom do an amazing job of matching their narration to the style and diverse nature of the stories and characters.
The authors include a few well known names like Jeffery Deavers but most are writers unknown previously at least to me but I wouldn’t hesitate to read more by any one of them and will definitely be keeping my eye out for any future works by them. The collection ends with a rare story from the beginning of the last century by a very well-known writer but, trust me, it is definitely not like any of his other works.
I’d also add that one of my favourite parts of this collection was the introduction in which Horowitz explains why we readers love mysteries and why they are needed now more than ever. A great collection of tales with something to satisfy even the pickiest mystery reader or, for that matter, any fan of well-written short stories. I received an audiobook of this novel from Netgalley and HighBridge Audio narrated by Kim Niemi and BJ Harrison, both of whom do an amazing job of matching their narration to the style and diverse nature of the stories and characters.
Read
November 22, 2024This is the most recent in an excellent series. There are, as would be expected, stories from
the Ellery Queen, Strand and Hitchcock magazines. We also get stories from anthologies, literary journals, and online sites.
I like to give five-star ratings to stories in a collection. This one breaks down;
5*-4
4*-3
3*-9
2*-3
1*-1
That is a pretty good distribution.
I noticed several things, which I think reflects the state of the market.
There are no humorous stories in the book. Most of these stories are very grim. There is none of the witty banter, funny characters, amusing complications that you saw in many of the classic mystery stories. There are abused children, mentally ill people and human tragedy.
There are almost no stories about rich people. The classic noir stories were frequently about crime among the rich and dissolute. Often the young ne'er do well son or daughter is missing, or the husband or wife is murdered, and the remaining spouse is the suspect. These stories are overwhelmingly about the down and out. Even the few middle-class subjects are usually on the edge of going under.
I particularly enjoyed "The Knife Sharpener". It is a very clever historical mystery set around the Battle of Gettysburg. Like several other reviewers, I was very impressed by "How to Teach Yourself to Swim".
the Ellery Queen, Strand and Hitchcock magazines. We also get stories from anthologies, literary journals, and online sites.
I like to give five-star ratings to stories in a collection. This one breaks down;
5*-4
4*-3
3*-9
2*-3
1*-1
That is a pretty good distribution.
I noticed several things, which I think reflects the state of the market.
There are no humorous stories in the book. Most of these stories are very grim. There is none of the witty banter, funny characters, amusing complications that you saw in many of the classic mystery stories. There are abused children, mentally ill people and human tragedy.
There are almost no stories about rich people. The classic noir stories were frequently about crime among the rich and dissolute. Often the young ne'er do well son or daughter is missing, or the husband or wife is murdered, and the remaining spouse is the suspect. These stories are overwhelmingly about the down and out. Even the few middle-class subjects are usually on the edge of going under.
I particularly enjoyed "The Knife Sharpener". It is a very clever historical mystery set around the Battle of Gettysburg. Like several other reviewers, I was very impressed by "How to Teach Yourself to Swim".
January 19, 2025
The Mysterious Bookshop presents The Best Mystery Stories of the Year: 2024.
The anthology is edited with an Introduction by Anthony Horowitz.
The series editor is Otto Penzler.
From a pool of over 3,000 stories published last year - anything that touched on crime, mystery and suspense, from varied publications - these are the best selected by series editor, Otto Penzler and guest editor, Anthony Horowitz. * I must admit that Anthony Horowitz’s name as an editor caught my eye and was the reason I was drawn to this publication and series.
Contents include:
A Foreword by series editor Otto Penzler
An Introduction by editor Anthony Horowitz
Stories and their Authors with biographical sketches
A ‘vintage story’ The Suicide of Kiaros written by L Frank Baum (1856-1919)
*It is sourced from the Rare Book Room at The Mysterious Bookshop, the oldest mystery fiction specialty store in the world.
an Honor Roll of best mystery stories of 2024
I liked every one of the stories. Each was distinctive in its own special way. My favorite is “Wonder Falls” by Andrew Welsh-Huggins (a very favorite author of mine).
I quite liked the biographical sketches of the authors and the mention of the publications where their stories appeared.
The 2024 Honor Roll of best mystery stories was also interesting and helpful for locating
additional stories to read.
I thoroughly enjoyed this publication. *****
The anthology is edited with an Introduction by Anthony Horowitz.
The series editor is Otto Penzler.
From a pool of over 3,000 stories published last year - anything that touched on crime, mystery and suspense, from varied publications - these are the best selected by series editor, Otto Penzler and guest editor, Anthony Horowitz. * I must admit that Anthony Horowitz’s name as an editor caught my eye and was the reason I was drawn to this publication and series.
Contents include:
A Foreword by series editor Otto Penzler
An Introduction by editor Anthony Horowitz
Stories and their Authors with biographical sketches
A ‘vintage story’ The Suicide of Kiaros written by L Frank Baum (1856-1919)
*It is sourced from the Rare Book Room at The Mysterious Bookshop, the oldest mystery fiction specialty store in the world.
an Honor Roll of best mystery stories of 2024
I liked every one of the stories. Each was distinctive in its own special way. My favorite is “Wonder Falls” by Andrew Welsh-Huggins (a very favorite author of mine).
I quite liked the biographical sketches of the authors and the mention of the publications where their stories appeared.
The 2024 Honor Roll of best mystery stories was also interesting and helpful for locating
additional stories to read.
I thoroughly enjoyed this publication. *****
December 29, 2024
3.5 stars. This is my first mystery collection, and I was surprised at how much I enjoyed many of these short stories. Sometimes—with full-length novels—I have difficulty getting engaged in the plots. But several of these were surprisingly compelling from the very beginning.
1. Stunts by Ace Atkins - 3 stars
2. Beat the Clock by Michael Bracken - 3.5 stars
3. How to Teach Yourself to Swim by Fleur Bradley - 5 stars
4. The Knife Sharpener by Shelley Costa - didn’t read
5. Down the Fire Road by Doug Crandell - 2 stars
6. The Lady in My Life by Jeffery Deaver - 3 stars
7. Last Day at the Jackrabbit by John M. Floyd - 3 stars
8. Lovely and Useless Things by Nils Gilbertson - didn’t read
9. El Paso Heat by Peter W.J. Hayes - 4.5 stars
10. The Backwoods by Shells Legoullon - 5 stars
11. Kill Night by Victor Methos - 5 stars
12. A Family Matter by Leonardo Padura - 2 stars
13. Snow Over Hartford by Dan Pope - 2 stars
14. Dead Names by Annie Reed - didn’t read
15. Billowing Down the Bayou by Cameron Sanders - didn’t read
16. It’s Not Even Past by Anna Scotti - 2 stars
17. Good Harvest by Archer Sullivan - 3 stars
18. Wonder Falls by Andrew Welsh-Huggins - 3 stars
19. One Night in 1965 by Stacy Woodson - 4 stars
20. BONUS STORY: The Suicide of Kiaros by L. Frank Baum - didn’t read
1. Stunts by Ace Atkins - 3 stars
2. Beat the Clock by Michael Bracken - 3.5 stars
3. How to Teach Yourself to Swim by Fleur Bradley - 5 stars
4. The Knife Sharpener by Shelley Costa - didn’t read
5. Down the Fire Road by Doug Crandell - 2 stars
6. The Lady in My Life by Jeffery Deaver - 3 stars
7. Last Day at the Jackrabbit by John M. Floyd - 3 stars
8. Lovely and Useless Things by Nils Gilbertson - didn’t read
9. El Paso Heat by Peter W.J. Hayes - 4.5 stars
10. The Backwoods by Shells Legoullon - 5 stars
11. Kill Night by Victor Methos - 5 stars
12. A Family Matter by Leonardo Padura - 2 stars
13. Snow Over Hartford by Dan Pope - 2 stars
14. Dead Names by Annie Reed - didn’t read
15. Billowing Down the Bayou by Cameron Sanders - didn’t read
16. It’s Not Even Past by Anna Scotti - 2 stars
17. Good Harvest by Archer Sullivan - 3 stars
18. Wonder Falls by Andrew Welsh-Huggins - 3 stars
19. One Night in 1965 by Stacy Woodson - 4 stars
20. BONUS STORY: The Suicide of Kiaros by L. Frank Baum - didn’t read
January 19, 2025
A perennial favourite, Otto Penzler’s Best Mystery Stories of the Year has some pleasing features: the Table of Contents lists the initial place of publication for each story along with the story title and author; each story is preceded by a brief biography of the author and the author pens a note about the genesis of the story at the end. In addition, there’s a “bonus story” at the end, a reprint of a much earlier work (here, it’s an L. Frank Baum story from 1897 that is as far away from Oz as is possible to get!), and a list of honorable mentions as well. As with all such anthologies, one reader’s favourites will be another’s most-hated; that said, here are a few of my favourites from this year’s selection of 19 tales: Ace Atkins’ “Stunts,” about an aging stuntman; Fleur Bradley’s heartbreaking “How to Teach Yourself to Swim”; the nicely twisty tale by Jeffery Deaver, “The Lady In My Life”; Victor Methos’s “Kill Night,” about a serial killer in the desert; and Annie Reed’s “Dead Names,” which somehow manages to be both hard boiled and mawkish at the same time. That said, all of the stories here are good and well worth your time; recommended!
October 20, 2024
Otto Penzler is the founder of The Mysterious Press and the proprietor of The Mysterious Bookshop, the world’s oldest mystery fiction specialty bookshop. Each year, Penzler publishes a collection of the best short stories from the previous year, and a different author gets to select the tales and curate the finished product. For this edition, we are blessed with the man who has been responsible for more fictional killings than anyone alive: Anthony Horowitz.
The best part of this volume is Horowitz’s introduction, which gives readers a terrific definition of a mystery story and explains why it’s such a popular and important part of contemporary fiction. He confesses that as he has grown older, he has been troubled by these questions: Why do I love crime fiction? Why does anyone? He answers with examples from writers like Agatha Christie and some of the outstanding television series with which he has been associated, like “Midsomer Murders.” He indicates that it is not necessarily the murders that attract here, but the characters. While there are many series that have been based on fictional sleuths, he points to Christie’s AND THEN THERE WERE NONE, which had only 10 complex characters and no detective anywhere.
Horowitz concludes by assessing that the genre offers “kindness, decency, justice, and truth in a world that increasingly seems to have none and at a time when it has never mattered more.”
Here are three stories that resonated with me the most, followed by a special treat.
“Stunts” by Ace Atkins: At age 71, former Hollywood stuntman Jason Colson (Quinn Colson’s father) is making an appearance at a bar to sign autographs and memorabilia while regaling the audience with tales of being Burt Reynolds’ primary stunt double. When two men appear, apparently seeking to do Jason harm, the spectators and establishment owners are not sure if what they are seeing is real or merely an act. This is very enjoyable and has a shout-out to Hal Needham at the conclusion.
“The Lady in My Life” by Jeffery Deaver: One of the world’s most popular authors gives us an excellent story with a title that may seem familiar. Jeffery Deaver talks about a challenge whereby a music album is selected at random and writers get to choose a song title from it on which to base a story. In this case, the title is a lesser known track from Michael Jackson’s Thriller album. Miguel Torres, a freelance gardener, picks up a new assignment at a home in Staten Island, NY, that can use some work. The woman there claims to be a very short-term renter who seduces him on his second visit. She and a work colleague later entice Miguel to use his truck to pick up and deliver some IT materials to a boat that is departing from the area. Nothing is what it appears to be, and the reveal of who “the lady in my life” is to Miguel is a welcome surprise.
“Dead Names” by Annie Reed: Maria Gonzalez had a reputation for helping out disadvantaged and troubled youths. She since has carved out a new and much simpler life living off the grid until the day a young man is standing outside her home with an old business card of hers in his hand. His name is Aaron, and he claims that if she does not help him, his wife will die. He uses her former “dead” name of Antonia, and now Maria must revive her past self to assist him. This is a taut and tense story.
“The Suicide of Kiaros” by L. Frank Baum: This surprise bonus story by the author of THE WIZARD OF OZ is from 1897 and appeared in the now-forgotten literary magazine The White Elephant. Mr. Kiaros is an elderly Greek money lender attempting to make a large deposit at a bank after hours. The bank clerk is working with Kiaros and shows up at the place where Kiaros is staying. He makes a request for a large loan knowing that Kiaros has the money on him. Things do not go well. It is refreshing to see a story that is over a century old still stand up today.
THE BEST MYSTERY STORIES OF THE YEAR: 2024 is a gift for all mystery fans. As outlined so perfectly by Anthony Horowitz, this genre not only matters, it is important and holds special meaning for each and every reader.
Reviewed by Ray Palen
The best part of this volume is Horowitz’s introduction, which gives readers a terrific definition of a mystery story and explains why it’s such a popular and important part of contemporary fiction. He confesses that as he has grown older, he has been troubled by these questions: Why do I love crime fiction? Why does anyone? He answers with examples from writers like Agatha Christie and some of the outstanding television series with which he has been associated, like “Midsomer Murders.” He indicates that it is not necessarily the murders that attract here, but the characters. While there are many series that have been based on fictional sleuths, he points to Christie’s AND THEN THERE WERE NONE, which had only 10 complex characters and no detective anywhere.
Horowitz concludes by assessing that the genre offers “kindness, decency, justice, and truth in a world that increasingly seems to have none and at a time when it has never mattered more.”
Here are three stories that resonated with me the most, followed by a special treat.
“Stunts” by Ace Atkins: At age 71, former Hollywood stuntman Jason Colson (Quinn Colson’s father) is making an appearance at a bar to sign autographs and memorabilia while regaling the audience with tales of being Burt Reynolds’ primary stunt double. When two men appear, apparently seeking to do Jason harm, the spectators and establishment owners are not sure if what they are seeing is real or merely an act. This is very enjoyable and has a shout-out to Hal Needham at the conclusion.
“The Lady in My Life” by Jeffery Deaver: One of the world’s most popular authors gives us an excellent story with a title that may seem familiar. Jeffery Deaver talks about a challenge whereby a music album is selected at random and writers get to choose a song title from it on which to base a story. In this case, the title is a lesser known track from Michael Jackson’s Thriller album. Miguel Torres, a freelance gardener, picks up a new assignment at a home in Staten Island, NY, that can use some work. The woman there claims to be a very short-term renter who seduces him on his second visit. She and a work colleague later entice Miguel to use his truck to pick up and deliver some IT materials to a boat that is departing from the area. Nothing is what it appears to be, and the reveal of who “the lady in my life” is to Miguel is a welcome surprise.
“Dead Names” by Annie Reed: Maria Gonzalez had a reputation for helping out disadvantaged and troubled youths. She since has carved out a new and much simpler life living off the grid until the day a young man is standing outside her home with an old business card of hers in his hand. His name is Aaron, and he claims that if she does not help him, his wife will die. He uses her former “dead” name of Antonia, and now Maria must revive her past self to assist him. This is a taut and tense story.
“The Suicide of Kiaros” by L. Frank Baum: This surprise bonus story by the author of THE WIZARD OF OZ is from 1897 and appeared in the now-forgotten literary magazine The White Elephant. Mr. Kiaros is an elderly Greek money lender attempting to make a large deposit at a bank after hours. The bank clerk is working with Kiaros and shows up at the place where Kiaros is staying. He makes a request for a large loan knowing that Kiaros has the money on him. Things do not go well. It is refreshing to see a story that is over a century old still stand up today.
THE BEST MYSTERY STORIES OF THE YEAR: 2024 is a gift for all mystery fans. As outlined so perfectly by Anthony Horowitz, this genre not only matters, it is important and holds special meaning for each and every reader.
Reviewed by Ray Palen
April 13, 2025
Outstanding and varied collection of crime fiction: taut, beautifully written tales that create vivid settings and remarkable characters . . . and of course pack plenty of surprises. My favorites were by writers I had never read before (and am thrilled to discover): Shelley Costa's remarkable Civil War story "The Knife Sharpener," Anna Scotti's "It's Not Even Past," Stacy Woodson's "One Night in 1965," and Annie Reed's scary and compassionate Christmas tale, "Dead Names," sure to be a regular part of my holiday reading for many years to come.
Bravo to editor Anthony Horowitz.
Bravo to editor Anthony Horowitz.
April 30, 2025
I enjoyed all the stories in this anthology, but The Backwoods, by Shells Legoullon, was a stand-out for me. In the quick-paced suspense story, found money on a Virginia property attracts greedy villains, pitted against a woman who grew up respecting the woody thicket in her own backyard. In a fierce battle to protect what is hers, she recognizes that that backwoods hides her family’s secrets in order to protect them. I sped through it because I couldn't stop myself! Then I went back and read it again. :)
May 11, 2025
I’ve been reading the stories in this collection over a period of several months, and as I finished the last two stories today I realized that I could not remember a single one of them. They were pleasant enough to read, but not at all memorable.
Very few of the stories were actually mysteries; most of them were crime stories which aren’t necessarily the same thing.
Very few of the stories were actually mysteries; most of them were crime stories which aren’t necessarily the same thing.
September 21, 2025
I forgot how much I love a good anthology until I delved into this collection. While not all of these are gems, nor all really mysteries, it is fun to see the author create a little world and complete a story arc in sometimes just a handful of pages. Personal favorite was Last Day at the Jackrabbit, but they will all entertain.
October 7, 2025
Reading each and every one of these stories was an exercise in disappointment. Most of them had good set-ups but resolved in such lackluster or unsatisfactory ways. Such a wild contrast to the stories in The Best American Mystery and Suspense 2024 edited by S A Cosby which I absolutely loved. But in any case, I needed a break from novels and this served the purpose.
April 27, 2025
Rounded up
Either I have a very narrow definition of mysteries or Horowitz has a very broad definition of mysteries.
Like most collections, some good and some not, based on personal preference. I preferred the stories of Deaver, Welsh-Huggins, Bracken, and Floyd.
Either I have a very narrow definition of mysteries or Horowitz has a very broad definition of mysteries.
Like most collections, some good and some not, based on personal preference. I preferred the stories of Deaver, Welsh-Huggins, Bracken, and Floyd.
May 1, 2025
I love this chilling anthology. Each author brings a unique voice to their story. My favorite was The Backwoods, by Shells Legoullon. The suspense and atmosphere are spot on. I was hooked from the eerie beginning to the shocking end!
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