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Murder New York Style
Deadly Debut: A Mystery Anthology
It's curtains for Gotham in Deadly Debut, taking the first bow in the Murder New York Style series. Written by members of the New York/Tri-State chapter of Sisters in Crime, these twisted tales reveal New York City’s dramatic and dark underbelly. In these pages, a Bronx teen steeped in Poe confronts a tormentor; on Manhattan’s Upper East Side, a recovering alcoholic sweeps up deadly secrets (an Agatha Award nominee for Best Short Story); and in post-war Queens, a gutsy lie shatters lives. From a Brooklyn nanny’s street smarts to a small grocer’s grit, from a nightclub’s belly dancers to a P.I. reared on jive, the characters in these mysteries will have you cheering.
Selected from the Chapter’s first anthology, these urban short stories offer bites of action-packed murder and mystery that range in tone from fun to dark and in genre from cozy to noir. The amateur sleuths, police officers, private investigators, and female protagonists who grapple with crime in these pages are richly drawn and engagingly authentic.
Selected from the Chapter’s first anthology, these urban short stories offer bites of action-packed murder and mystery that range in tone from fun to dark and in genre from cozy to noir. The amateur sleuths, police officers, private investigators, and female protagonists who grapple with crime in these pages are richly drawn and engagingly authentic.
- GenresMysteryAnthologies
125 pages, Kindle Edition
First published August 5, 2014
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
August 20, 2014
This is an anthology of 7 short stories of mystery and murder including the following:
1. Death Will Clean Your Closet by Elizabeth Zelvin - While cleaning out his closet, Bruce discovers not the land of Narnia but the dead body of a young girl. As a recently sober alcoholic, his internal monologues and attempts to deal with this situation form the basis for this short story.
2. The Lie by Anita Page: Have you ever told your parents a lie to avoid being punished? This lie told in the summer of 1949 definitely brings unexpected and long-lasting consequences.
3. Murder in the Aladdin's Cave by Lina Zeldovich: Who knew that belly dancing could lead to murder! And if Eve doesn't solve the murder, she will end up as the prime suspect.
4. Family Matters by Peggy Ehrhart: When your dad calls and asks for help, you know that you're there, but can you actually prove that his friend did not kill the ex-wife, especially if he refuses to provide you with a good alibi.
5. None of the Above by Deirdre Verne: Who stole the text booklet? This is the question for the part-time college professor/full time mom and the answer could mean the difference between her continuing in her position or being fired.
6. NYPD Daughter by Triss Stein: An innocent stop at the local grocery store finds Police Officer Ellie witness to a possible shake-down. Does she listen to the owner's plea to leave it alone or investigate and uphold the law she has sworn to protect?
7. Strike Zone by Terrie Farley Moran: The summer of 1961 when Roger Maris and Mickey Mantle tried to break Babe Ruth's homerun record and she was passionate about Edgar Allen Poe. How could this possibly lead to murder?
Although not every story actually contains a murder, they all have a mystery to tell and solve. There is definitely something for everyone in this anthology. I enjoyed all of them although my favorites are The Lie and Strike Zone because of the reminiscent air to them (I grew up in the 50's/60's.) Disclosure: I was provided a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
1. Death Will Clean Your Closet by Elizabeth Zelvin - While cleaning out his closet, Bruce discovers not the land of Narnia but the dead body of a young girl. As a recently sober alcoholic, his internal monologues and attempts to deal with this situation form the basis for this short story.
2. The Lie by Anita Page: Have you ever told your parents a lie to avoid being punished? This lie told in the summer of 1949 definitely brings unexpected and long-lasting consequences.
3. Murder in the Aladdin's Cave by Lina Zeldovich: Who knew that belly dancing could lead to murder! And if Eve doesn't solve the murder, she will end up as the prime suspect.
4. Family Matters by Peggy Ehrhart: When your dad calls and asks for help, you know that you're there, but can you actually prove that his friend did not kill the ex-wife, especially if he refuses to provide you with a good alibi.
5. None of the Above by Deirdre Verne: Who stole the text booklet? This is the question for the part-time college professor/full time mom and the answer could mean the difference between her continuing in her position or being fired.
6. NYPD Daughter by Triss Stein: An innocent stop at the local grocery store finds Police Officer Ellie witness to a possible shake-down. Does she listen to the owner's plea to leave it alone or investigate and uphold the law she has sworn to protect?
7. Strike Zone by Terrie Farley Moran: The summer of 1961 when Roger Maris and Mickey Mantle tried to break Babe Ruth's homerun record and she was passionate about Edgar Allen Poe. How could this possibly lead to murder?
Although not every story actually contains a murder, they all have a mystery to tell and solve. There is definitely something for everyone in this anthology. I enjoyed all of them although my favorites are The Lie and Strike Zone because of the reminiscent air to them (I grew up in the 50's/60's.) Disclosure: I was provided a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
October 25, 2025
This was a nice collection of short mystery stories by the New York and Tri-State Sisters in Crime group. Easy to read, filled with a good variety of interesting characters, I sped through it. The conclusions of each tale are sometimes left to the reader’s imagination, but that did not bother me at all (though I know some might not like this option). A great, quick read. >^..^<
October 11, 2014
As a New Yorker, I spend so much time armchair traveling through crime fiction, reading stories and novels set in foreign countries - Britain, Sweden, Italy - or parts of the US where I don't live - Los Angeles, the South - that I sometimes forget what a great crime city my hometown is. Sounds strange, but it's true. When I'm looking for a mystery or a noir story to read, I think first of getting away to someplace unfamiliar, someplace that the story will allow me to explore through it. New York City I see every day, and I don't want to spend too much of my precious leisure time submerged in the familiar. Still, when it came to Deadly Debut, something about the New Yorker magazine styling of the cover caught my attention. And the cover announced, "Murder New York Style." Why not? I thought. Stay local for a change. Deadly Debut is a mystery anthology edited by Clare Toohey for the New York/ Tri State Chapter of SISTERS IN CRIME, and I have to say I'm glad I did pick it up.
The anthology contains seven stories written by women and for the most part centered around women. We get stories set in all five boroughs and one even set in Westchester. With each one, it's clear that the author knows her territory. Each presents a slice of New York you may feel you know but which in fact you haven't quite seen. No overly used spots or neighborhoods among these tales. This gives the whole collection a freshness that is welcome, and as I read, I experienced the pleasant sensation I get when reading fiction set, say, abroad. I felt, just a little bit, like I was exploring.
Elizabeth Zelvin's "Death Will Clean Your Closet," the first story, takes place in the old neighborhood of Yorkville, on the Upper East Side. It captures quite sardonically the preoccupations of a certain kind of cramped Manhattan apartment dweller. Closet space and the thinness of the walls can affect a New Yorker's life very much, and how well do you actually know your apparently innocuous neighbors? You pass them every day in the hall, and all you may know is that they like heavy metal and cook a lot with garlic. But if there's more to them than that? This was among my favorite stories in the collection.
"The Lie", by Anita Page, is a poignant memory piece set in 1949 on the Queens-Long Island border. It's a tale of sad violence that is also about the inevitable change that comes to the area where you grew up. It goes without saying that you can't go home again.
Terrie Farley Moran's "Strike Zone" takes you back to 1961 in the northern Bronx. It's a complex story told by an adolescent girl less interested in boys than in an author she discovers one summer - Edgar Allan Poe. She lives near the cottage Poe inhabited for years, and the master's tales of murder and obsession fascinate her. Not coincidentally, she has fantasies of killing a teenage boy who's always hounding her as only teenage boys can. But how can he not seem insignificant when the only boys who do interest her are Mickey Mantle and Roger Maris, the historic year of their great home run race? Moran's prose is lucid and quick, and everything ends on an appropriately chilling, Poesque note.
Overall this is a strong collection, with good variety among the authorial voices, and I'd be remiss if I didn't mention that I also especially liked "Murder in the Aladdin's Cave", by Lina Zeldovich. The Aladdin's Cave is a go-go dancing club, the main character one of the dancers there. It's an unusual and evocative place to set a mystery, and the murder that occurs there is a variation on the locked room type, always fun. Zeldovich gives us a colorful cast of characters and suspects, and I had to wonder whether the hip-scarved sleuth Eve Gulnar has starred or will star in other adventures.
Deadly Debut: It's New York, it's crime, and it's entertaining. What more could you really want from a collection?
The anthology contains seven stories written by women and for the most part centered around women. We get stories set in all five boroughs and one even set in Westchester. With each one, it's clear that the author knows her territory. Each presents a slice of New York you may feel you know but which in fact you haven't quite seen. No overly used spots or neighborhoods among these tales. This gives the whole collection a freshness that is welcome, and as I read, I experienced the pleasant sensation I get when reading fiction set, say, abroad. I felt, just a little bit, like I was exploring.
Elizabeth Zelvin's "Death Will Clean Your Closet," the first story, takes place in the old neighborhood of Yorkville, on the Upper East Side. It captures quite sardonically the preoccupations of a certain kind of cramped Manhattan apartment dweller. Closet space and the thinness of the walls can affect a New Yorker's life very much, and how well do you actually know your apparently innocuous neighbors? You pass them every day in the hall, and all you may know is that they like heavy metal and cook a lot with garlic. But if there's more to them than that? This was among my favorite stories in the collection.
"The Lie", by Anita Page, is a poignant memory piece set in 1949 on the Queens-Long Island border. It's a tale of sad violence that is also about the inevitable change that comes to the area where you grew up. It goes without saying that you can't go home again.
Terrie Farley Moran's "Strike Zone" takes you back to 1961 in the northern Bronx. It's a complex story told by an adolescent girl less interested in boys than in an author she discovers one summer - Edgar Allan Poe. She lives near the cottage Poe inhabited for years, and the master's tales of murder and obsession fascinate her. Not coincidentally, she has fantasies of killing a teenage boy who's always hounding her as only teenage boys can. But how can he not seem insignificant when the only boys who do interest her are Mickey Mantle and Roger Maris, the historic year of their great home run race? Moran's prose is lucid and quick, and everything ends on an appropriately chilling, Poesque note.
Overall this is a strong collection, with good variety among the authorial voices, and I'd be remiss if I didn't mention that I also especially liked "Murder in the Aladdin's Cave", by Lina Zeldovich. The Aladdin's Cave is a go-go dancing club, the main character one of the dancers there. It's an unusual and evocative place to set a mystery, and the murder that occurs there is a variation on the locked room type, always fun. Zeldovich gives us a colorful cast of characters and suspects, and I had to wonder whether the hip-scarved sleuth Eve Gulnar has starred or will star in other adventures.
Deadly Debut: It's New York, it's crime, and it's entertaining. What more could you really want from a collection?
September 28, 2014
Deadly Debut; A Mystery Anthology from the New York/Tri State Sisters In Crime @2014
Murder and mayhem in NYC can sometimes be quite entertaining. When the Tri State Sisters in Crime get involved you are in for an interesting tour of the city.
Seven author members from the group showcase a short story based in or around NYC. The authenticity these storytellers bring to each tale makes you feel at home in the big city.
Our NYC tour starts off in a brownstone, actually in the closet of a brownstone with Death Will Clean Your Closet by Elizabeth Zelvin.
When a dead body turns up in Bruce's closet then disappears was it all a dream? Zelvin takes a look at NYC neighbor relationships in a city of strangers.
Kids will be kids so a little lie is no big deal, right? The Lie by Anita Page, explores how far the truth can be stretched before it snaps back on you.
Lina Zeldivich shows us some smooth dance moves in Murder In The Aladdin’s Cave. A little thing like murder can't stop the show.
Family Matters by Peggy Ehrhart will make you want to reexamine your family tree. Keep it all in the family.
None of the Above by Deirdre Verne puts theft to the test. Verne schools us in the value of a good education.
Triss Stein shows us how hard it can be for a NYC cop to follow in a NYPD father's footsteps in NYPD Daughter. Ellie takes a big step in the right direction when she tries to help a store owner facing extortion.
What do baseball, New York and Edgar Allen Poe have in common? In 1961 a young girl's love turns to Roger Maris and Poe's Tales from the library. No bully is going to stand in her way to enjoying them in the Strike Zone by Terrie Farley Moran.
One more spin around Central Park, Cabbie! I'm not ready for the ride to end!
Murder and mayhem in NYC can sometimes be quite entertaining. When the Tri State Sisters in Crime get involved you are in for an interesting tour of the city.
Seven author members from the group showcase a short story based in or around NYC. The authenticity these storytellers bring to each tale makes you feel at home in the big city.
Our NYC tour starts off in a brownstone, actually in the closet of a brownstone with Death Will Clean Your Closet by Elizabeth Zelvin.
When a dead body turns up in Bruce's closet then disappears was it all a dream? Zelvin takes a look at NYC neighbor relationships in a city of strangers.
Kids will be kids so a little lie is no big deal, right? The Lie by Anita Page, explores how far the truth can be stretched before it snaps back on you.
Lina Zeldivich shows us some smooth dance moves in Murder In The Aladdin’s Cave. A little thing like murder can't stop the show.
Family Matters by Peggy Ehrhart will make you want to reexamine your family tree. Keep it all in the family.
None of the Above by Deirdre Verne puts theft to the test. Verne schools us in the value of a good education.
Triss Stein shows us how hard it can be for a NYC cop to follow in a NYPD father's footsteps in NYPD Daughter. Ellie takes a big step in the right direction when she tries to help a store owner facing extortion.
What do baseball, New York and Edgar Allen Poe have in common? In 1961 a young girl's love turns to Roger Maris and Poe's Tales from the library. No bully is going to stand in her way to enjoying them in the Strike Zone by Terrie Farley Moran.
One more spin around Central Park, Cabbie! I'm not ready for the ride to end!
October 1, 2014
I had the honour of reading this anthology before its release, and am I glad I did! You've all heard the saying "The only good New Yorker is ... one who write murder mysteries." right? Since that's the case I now know 7 good New Yorkers.
Death Will Clean Your Closet by Elizabeth Zelvin is an intriguing tale about a recovering alcoholic and a disappearing body in his walk-in closet
The Lie by Anita Page starts with a scared child's white lie and the unexpected consequences that follow.
Murder in the Aladdin's Cave by Lina Zeldovich details the murder of a belly dancer and how logical sleuthing brings the murderer to justice.
Family Matters by Peggy Ehrhart finds a private investigator helping her musician father prove a fellow musician is innocent of his ex-wife's murder.
None of the Above by Diedre Verne show how violent academia really is when a stolen test is used to set a road block on the tenure track of a fellow professor.
NYPD Daughter by Triss Stein proves that a rookie cop will always be a little girl in her cop father's eyes. When she stumbles upon a protection racket it's daddy to the rescue!
Strike Zone by Terrie Farley Moran takes us back to the year 1961 when Maris broke Babe Ruth's home run record and a young girl finds courage in the works of Edgar Allen Poe.
This is a collection worth having and I highly recommend it.
Death Will Clean Your Closet by Elizabeth Zelvin is an intriguing tale about a recovering alcoholic and a disappearing body in his walk-in closet
The Lie by Anita Page starts with a scared child's white lie and the unexpected consequences that follow.
Murder in the Aladdin's Cave by Lina Zeldovich details the murder of a belly dancer and how logical sleuthing brings the murderer to justice.
Family Matters by Peggy Ehrhart finds a private investigator helping her musician father prove a fellow musician is innocent of his ex-wife's murder.
None of the Above by Diedre Verne show how violent academia really is when a stolen test is used to set a road block on the tenure track of a fellow professor.
NYPD Daughter by Triss Stein proves that a rookie cop will always be a little girl in her cop father's eyes. When she stumbles upon a protection racket it's daddy to the rescue!
Strike Zone by Terrie Farley Moran takes us back to the year 1961 when Maris broke Babe Ruth's home run record and a young girl finds courage in the works of Edgar Allen Poe.
This is a collection worth having and I highly recommend it.
September 20, 2014
This is a great group of short stories. Inevitably when I read an anthology there are one or two stories that I end up skimming because they just don't draw me. In this book, I devoured every single one. They were all set in the New York area, and I was right there with the authors: discovering a body in a Manhattan closet, enjoying an evening of belly dancing at Aladdin's Cave only to find a dead body in the back, and trying to figure out who stole an exam booklet at Hudson College. There is something for everyone here and all of the authors chosen are wonderful. I have read many of them before, but a couple were new to me and it was great to "discover" them.
September 28, 2014
I like to keep short story collections around for those moments when you want something to read but don't have time to sink into a novel. Read one story then put the book down until you need something else quick to read. Well, that didn't happen with this anthology. I read the whole thing in one sitting. Ruined my plans, I have to tell you.
There's a little something for everyone here. Characters include cops, kids, professors, parents and, of course, Edgar Allen Poe. So pick it up for a quick read here and there. But, be warned. You'll probably just read through the whole thing in one go.
There's a little something for everyone here. Characters include cops, kids, professors, parents and, of course, Edgar Allen Poe. So pick it up for a quick read here and there. But, be warned. You'll probably just read through the whole thing in one go.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews