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The Best American Mystery Stories 2000
After just three years, THE BEST AMERICAN MYSTERY STORIES series is already a great success, earning raves from such diverse sources as Joyce Carol Oates, ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY, and ELLERY QUEEN’S MYSTERY MAGAZINE. Little wonder, given the power of the Best American brand, the talent of the series editor, Otto Penzler, and the high profile of the guest editors. Now, with the legendary mystery writer Donald E. Westlake as guest editor, the 2000 edition is sure to boost the series’ popularity even more. From Tfty exceptional stories chosen by Penzler, Westlake has selected the twenty best, including stories by Tom Franklin, Jeffery Deaver, Shel Silverstein, and Dennis Lehane, for a collection that will delight mystery buffs and casual readers alike.
512 pages, Paperback
First published October 19, 2000
7 people are currently reading
166 people want to read
About the author
Donald E. Westlake
434 books979 followersDonald E. Westlake (1933-2008) was one of the most prolific and talented authors of American crime fiction. He began his career in the late 1950's, churning out novels for pulp houses—often writing as many as four novels a year under various pseudonyms such as Richard Stark—but soon began publishing under his own name. His most well-known characters were John Dortmunder, an unlucky thief, and Parker, a ruthless criminal. His writing earned him three Edgar Awards: the 1968 Best Novel award for God Save the Mark; the 1990 Best Short Story award for "Too Many Crooks"; and the 1991 Best Motion Picture Screenplay award for The Grifters. In addition, Westlake also earned a Grand Master Award from the Mystery Writers of America in 1993.
Westlake's cinematic prose and brisk dialogue made his novels attractive to Hollywood, and several motion pictures were made from his books, with stars such as Lee Marvin and Mel Gibson. Westlake wrote several screenplays himself, receiving an Academy Award nomination for his adaptation of The Grifters, Jim Thompson's noir classic.
Some of the pseudonyms he used include
• Richard Stark
• Timothy J. Culver
• Tucker Coe
• Curt Clark
• J. Morgan Cunningham
• Judson Jack Carmichael
• D.E. Westlake
• Donald I. Vestlejk
• Don Westlake
Westlake's cinematic prose and brisk dialogue made his novels attractive to Hollywood, and several motion pictures were made from his books, with stars such as Lee Marvin and Mel Gibson. Westlake wrote several screenplays himself, receiving an Academy Award nomination for his adaptation of The Grifters, Jim Thompson's noir classic.
Some of the pseudonyms he used include
• Richard Stark
• Timothy J. Culver
• Tucker Coe
• Curt Clark
• J. Morgan Cunningham
• Judson Jack Carmichael
• D.E. Westlake
• Donald I. Vestlejk
• Don Westlake
Ratings & Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
October 23, 2014
This, the audio edition, doesn't have all the stories that are in the paperback TOC I found on Barnes&Noble. The ones in bold were included. So right from the get go I felt ripped off. Over half the stories are missing (8 of 20 were included).
I wasn't even going to comment on this book because the showing was so poor. If these few stories were the best of the best, then it was a very sad year for the genre. The notable exception was Triangle by Jeffery Deaver. It's the only story in the lot that surprised me with a wonderful twist, a 5 star story that towered above the rest.
I'm not trying to be cruel here, but in a mystery/thriller/crime story I'm looking for 3 things; characters, situations, & a puzzle. I don't need to love or hate the character, I just need to feel a connection & I don't to idiots or psychopaths.
The situation needs to be compelling in one way or another & the story needs to play out in an interesting fashion. It doesn't have to be unique, but it has to hold my attention, make me wonder where it is going or even dread it, if there is a connection to a character. If I don't care about the character & can guess the entire line of the story within the first few minutes, why bother?
Introduction by Donald Westlake was interesting & good.
Miracles! Happen!
Ghosts
Spring Rite
Annie's Dream
Motel 66 by Barbara D'Amato had an interesting premise & method, but wasn't done to my taste. It felt forced in too many ways. Idiot characters & pretty obvious. The setting of 30 years or so of Route 66 was kind of interesting, but not enough.
Jumping with Jim
Triangle by Jeffery Deaver was WONDERFUL!!! (see above) It is a typical love triangle & the main character is kind of an idiot, but the end is masterful & I almost wanted to listen to it again. Wow!
The Instruments of Peace
Grit by Tom Franklin was obvious from the get go & I didn't like the main character. Some noir elements & everyman action kept it afloat - barely.
Compass Rose by David Edgerly Gates was kind of interesting, but took too long to get around to an obvious end. The setting, early 1900's American west, was the most interesting bit.
The Defenestration of Aba Sid
The Island in the River
ICU by Edward Lee - just gross & it's been done before & better. Perhaps if the end had been done in more detail, more realistically, it would have worked. If the horror element had been exploited, it might have seemed cheap, but it would have at least given it some value.
Running Out of Dog
Sheep
Dead Rock Singer
Wrong Numbers by Josh Pryor the only surprise was how obvious it was.
The Guilty Party by Shel Silverstein had a fun set of characters, but was again obvious & has been done before. I won't say it's been done better & the story was short, so worth the time. The saving grace of this story was the judge's character & the wandering stories of his decisions. They were fun.
Forgetting the Girl by Peter Moore Smith was just obvious & sick. The audio production added a creep factor & made it a bit better. It still didn't do anything for me.
Water Dog God
Contributors' Notes
Other Distinguished Mystery Stories of 1999
I wasn't even going to comment on this book because the showing was so poor. If these few stories were the best of the best, then it was a very sad year for the genre. The notable exception was Triangle by Jeffery Deaver. It's the only story in the lot that surprised me with a wonderful twist, a 5 star story that towered above the rest.
I'm not trying to be cruel here, but in a mystery/thriller/crime story I'm looking for 3 things; characters, situations, & a puzzle. I don't need to love or hate the character, I just need to feel a connection & I don't to idiots or psychopaths.
The situation needs to be compelling in one way or another & the story needs to play out in an interesting fashion. It doesn't have to be unique, but it has to hold my attention, make me wonder where it is going or even dread it, if there is a connection to a character. If I don't care about the character & can guess the entire line of the story within the first few minutes, why bother?
Introduction by Donald Westlake was interesting & good.
Miracles! Happen!
Ghosts
Spring Rite
Annie's Dream
Motel 66 by Barbara D'Amato had an interesting premise & method, but wasn't done to my taste. It felt forced in too many ways. Idiot characters & pretty obvious. The setting of 30 years or so of Route 66 was kind of interesting, but not enough.
Jumping with Jim
Triangle by Jeffery Deaver was WONDERFUL!!! (see above) It is a typical love triangle & the main character is kind of an idiot, but the end is masterful & I almost wanted to listen to it again. Wow!
The Instruments of Peace
Grit by Tom Franklin was obvious from the get go & I didn't like the main character. Some noir elements & everyman action kept it afloat - barely.
Compass Rose by David Edgerly Gates was kind of interesting, but took too long to get around to an obvious end. The setting, early 1900's American west, was the most interesting bit.
The Defenestration of Aba Sid
The Island in the River
ICU by Edward Lee - just gross & it's been done before & better. Perhaps if the end had been done in more detail, more realistically, it would have worked. If the horror element had been exploited, it might have seemed cheap, but it would have at least given it some value.
Running Out of Dog
Sheep
Dead Rock Singer
Wrong Numbers by Josh Pryor the only surprise was how obvious it was.
The Guilty Party by Shel Silverstein had a fun set of characters, but was again obvious & has been done before. I won't say it's been done better & the story was short, so worth the time. The saving grace of this story was the judge's character & the wandering stories of his decisions. They were fun.
Forgetting the Girl by Peter Moore Smith was just obvious & sick. The audio production added a creep factor & made it a bit better. It still didn't do anything for me.
Water Dog God
Contributors' Notes
Other Distinguished Mystery Stories of 1999
Want to read
March 6, 2018A collection of short stories that has an introduction by the late Donald A. Westlake, not sure that these are the best America has to offer but we shall see. I generally read these kinds of books not in one setting but when the mood gets me.
Miracles happen! by Doug Allyn
A short tale about a detective looking for the child of a former singer and personal friend now married into wealth & power who after the traumatic loss of her new baby looks into the chance to get the child she never acknowledged before back into her life. When the Detective start his search he quickly finds out that the thugs protecting the husband are hot on heals. He also finds out that the singer /musician that is the father is a horrible person that tried to sell his kid for money to pay for his drugs habit. It seems like the kid is the loser here, if she gets found at all.
A decent tale about a warped kind of morality by most involved, fun to read.
Miracles happen! by Doug Allyn
A short tale about a detective looking for the child of a former singer and personal friend now married into wealth & power who after the traumatic loss of her new baby looks into the chance to get the child she never acknowledged before back into her life. When the Detective start his search he quickly finds out that the thugs protecting the husband are hot on heals. He also finds out that the singer /musician that is the father is a horrible person that tried to sell his kid for money to pay for his drugs habit. It seems like the kid is the loser here, if she gets found at all.
A decent tale about a warped kind of morality by most involved, fun to read.
February 6, 2026
ooops this took so long to finish. some were really good and some were really not. hard to get into though, but i guess that’s the point of a short story.
September 22, 2012
While the stories in this volume are pretty good, I found too many of them to have been published in other anthologies. It really took away from my enjoyment of reading relatively unknown authors.
Not the fault of the publisher, more my fault for not remembering the titles and authors of previously read works before picking this up at my local library.
Not the fault of the publisher, more my fault for not remembering the titles and authors of previously read works before picking this up at my local library.
June 5, 2024
This is a lunchtime book. You can read the average-length story in here while noshing your lunch. It’s a nice, little self-contained package—eat your sandwich, read a story. Perfect for that employee who forgets that time doesn’t stand still while you read.
This anthology was uneven like most of them are. It includes 20 stories, and I’ll summarize each one in a sentence or two without wrecking it for you.
In Doug Allyn’s “Miracles! Happen!”, a former musician contacts an associate who is now a private investigator. Her child died recently from a genetic disease, and she wants to know what happened to the child she gave up eight years ago. This is Doug Allyn at his sometimes-haunting often-mysterious best. It was a great decision to lead with this story.
David Beaty’s “Ghosts” is a sad story about a family game of hide-and-seek that goes horribly awry.
“Spring Rite” by Tom Berdine looks at the use of meth in rural settings and its ability to drag hard-working decent people into oblivion.
“Annie’s Dream” by Bentley Davun is a story about a retired veterinarian who finds a set of keys and asks a friend of hers to help her figure out what they’re for. Before this ends, her friend will find a mysterious chest and so much more.
I wasn’t a fan of the ending of Barbara D’Amato’s “motel 66.” A couple who honeymooned at the Hotel 66 in the ‘50s returns decades later a nostalgia trip that turns into something far worse.
Geary Danihy’s “Jumping with Jim” looks at blackmail and human trafficking.
“Triangle” by Jeffery Deaver was so twisty it creeped me out. If you can spare a download, you should download this if only to read this story. It either equals or exceeds Doug Allyn’s work as the best story in the anthology.
Edward Falco’s “the Instruments of Peace” is a twisty haunting story of a father, a daughter, the love between them, and the dangers of taking in an itinerant worker. It’s good stuff—maybe not as good as Deaver and Allyn, but it’s way up there.
“Grit” by Tom Franklin was decent enough. It looks at what happens when the boss has gambling debts, and the company owners supervise only from a distance.
“Compass Rose” by David Edgerley Gates is an old-west feeling story about an old man who fathered a child by a whore years before his death. He had asked a local marshal to find the child he fathered.
“The Defenestration of Aba Sid” by Robert Girardi is long, but it’s worth reading. A somewhat mediocre defense lawyer draws a case to defend a Russian mafioso against charges he murdered his girlfriend. It looks like, despite his mediocrity, the lawyer will get the guy off, too. But you must read this for the ending! It’s a great ending.
Chad Holley’s “The Island in the River” is a memorable story about a couple of good old boys who come home after years away and engage in a bank robbery. It’s short, and worth your time.
“ICU” by Edward Lee has a great ending. A pedophile/child pornographer awakens in an ICU, and you’ll love that ending to death, especially if you believe death and hell is too good for pedophiles and child pornographers.
Dennis Lehane’s “Running out of Dog” was disappointing. It lacked the snappy dialogue and keen wit Lehane devotees know and love. It’s a dark story about obsession in a small, failing town. This is about as far from Boston as you can get.
Thomas H. McNeely’s “sheep” is a sad piece that focuses on a simpleton who may be a serial killer, but he can’t remember.
“Dead Rock Singer” by Martha Moffett left me unimpressed. I disliked these characters. It had that horrible existentialist feeling to it like I got when I read the dreadful Donna Tartt book—a book which was much longer than my memory. Skip that one if you download this.
Josh Pryor’s “Wrong Numbers” is a dated story about life changes that result when video phone technology is part of our world. It’s ok, but less impactful than it might have been in 1999.
“The Guilty Party” by Shel Silverstein is genuinely funny. A defendant standing before a judge insists that his penis, (he names it Sam Johnson), committed a back-seat rape. The poor guy to whom Sam connects insisted he was guiltless and blameless. Sam apparently has a head of his own, so to speak. The judge’s decision and accompanying sentence is among the most creative you’ll read about anywhere. This story is laugh-out-loud clever. Silverstein sparkles big-time with this entry in the anthology.
Peter Moore Smith wrote “Forgetting the Girl.” This is a creepy story indeed about a photographer who deals with the constant disappointment of rejection by the women whose picture he takes. He has ghoulish and unusual ways of forgetting the girls who are the objects of his lust and the candidates for his camera. Smith’s writing style will haunt you and stay with you long after you finish the story. The ending is memorable indeed. You’ll think twice before you sit for a professional portrait.
Brad Watson’s “Water Dog God” left me largely lost.
The bottom line is this anthology started with a memorable bang and ended on a forgettable whimper. On balance, it’s worth your effort to download and read it.
This anthology was uneven like most of them are. It includes 20 stories, and I’ll summarize each one in a sentence or two without wrecking it for you.
In Doug Allyn’s “Miracles! Happen!”, a former musician contacts an associate who is now a private investigator. Her child died recently from a genetic disease, and she wants to know what happened to the child she gave up eight years ago. This is Doug Allyn at his sometimes-haunting often-mysterious best. It was a great decision to lead with this story.
David Beaty’s “Ghosts” is a sad story about a family game of hide-and-seek that goes horribly awry.
“Spring Rite” by Tom Berdine looks at the use of meth in rural settings and its ability to drag hard-working decent people into oblivion.
“Annie’s Dream” by Bentley Davun is a story about a retired veterinarian who finds a set of keys and asks a friend of hers to help her figure out what they’re for. Before this ends, her friend will find a mysterious chest and so much more.
I wasn’t a fan of the ending of Barbara D’Amato’s “motel 66.” A couple who honeymooned at the Hotel 66 in the ‘50s returns decades later a nostalgia trip that turns into something far worse.
Geary Danihy’s “Jumping with Jim” looks at blackmail and human trafficking.
“Triangle” by Jeffery Deaver was so twisty it creeped me out. If you can spare a download, you should download this if only to read this story. It either equals or exceeds Doug Allyn’s work as the best story in the anthology.
Edward Falco’s “the Instruments of Peace” is a twisty haunting story of a father, a daughter, the love between them, and the dangers of taking in an itinerant worker. It’s good stuff—maybe not as good as Deaver and Allyn, but it’s way up there.
“Grit” by Tom Franklin was decent enough. It looks at what happens when the boss has gambling debts, and the company owners supervise only from a distance.
“Compass Rose” by David Edgerley Gates is an old-west feeling story about an old man who fathered a child by a whore years before his death. He had asked a local marshal to find the child he fathered.
“The Defenestration of Aba Sid” by Robert Girardi is long, but it’s worth reading. A somewhat mediocre defense lawyer draws a case to defend a Russian mafioso against charges he murdered his girlfriend. It looks like, despite his mediocrity, the lawyer will get the guy off, too. But you must read this for the ending! It’s a great ending.
Chad Holley’s “The Island in the River” is a memorable story about a couple of good old boys who come home after years away and engage in a bank robbery. It’s short, and worth your time.
“ICU” by Edward Lee has a great ending. A pedophile/child pornographer awakens in an ICU, and you’ll love that ending to death, especially if you believe death and hell is too good for pedophiles and child pornographers.
Dennis Lehane’s “Running out of Dog” was disappointing. It lacked the snappy dialogue and keen wit Lehane devotees know and love. It’s a dark story about obsession in a small, failing town. This is about as far from Boston as you can get.
Thomas H. McNeely’s “sheep” is a sad piece that focuses on a simpleton who may be a serial killer, but he can’t remember.
“Dead Rock Singer” by Martha Moffett left me unimpressed. I disliked these characters. It had that horrible existentialist feeling to it like I got when I read the dreadful Donna Tartt book—a book which was much longer than my memory. Skip that one if you download this.
Josh Pryor’s “Wrong Numbers” is a dated story about life changes that result when video phone technology is part of our world. It’s ok, but less impactful than it might have been in 1999.
“The Guilty Party” by Shel Silverstein is genuinely funny. A defendant standing before a judge insists that his penis, (he names it Sam Johnson), committed a back-seat rape. The poor guy to whom Sam connects insisted he was guiltless and blameless. Sam apparently has a head of his own, so to speak. The judge’s decision and accompanying sentence is among the most creative you’ll read about anywhere. This story is laugh-out-loud clever. Silverstein sparkles big-time with this entry in the anthology.
Peter Moore Smith wrote “Forgetting the Girl.” This is a creepy story indeed about a photographer who deals with the constant disappointment of rejection by the women whose picture he takes. He has ghoulish and unusual ways of forgetting the girls who are the objects of his lust and the candidates for his camera. Smith’s writing style will haunt you and stay with you long after you finish the story. The ending is memorable indeed. You’ll think twice before you sit for a professional portrait.
Brad Watson’s “Water Dog God” left me largely lost.
The bottom line is this anthology started with a memorable bang and ended on a forgettable whimper. On balance, it’s worth your effort to download and read it.
November 12, 2022
An interesting anthology for the year, but a little disappointing to me. I prefer stories with a clear plot line and sparse but powerful details. Although Donald Westlake says in his introduction "a story in the mystery crime genre, by definitiaon, must have an ending", I found the endings in this series to be ambiguous, and not conclusive.
March 7, 2017
I really enjoy reading a well written short story mystery. Why this book was dubbed a Mystery Story book is beyond me - it is a mystery, and not that well written.
February 17, 2022
Triangle was the best story of the lot in this. ICU was also good. Rest were just ordinary.
May 8, 2022
Really enjoyed most of the short stories in the book. There were a couple I didn't 'get', one that should have been rated xxxxx, but most were good.
October 27, 2022
favouorite stories were: Motel 66 and Triangle
July 12, 2013
My first taste of this series, and definitely not my last. Each story had its fine moments, although the last few were a bit strange and open ended.
I like how each story aspired to more than the standard formula, either by strong literary style, or offbeat plots. Each one took about 20 minutes to devour.
Standout story could have been Robert Girardi's "The Defenestration of Aba Sid" which took a guilty-as-sin Russian gangster and the naive and idealistic lawyer defending him, and screwed with your moral compass a treat.
I like how each story aspired to more than the standard formula, either by strong literary style, or offbeat plots. Each one took about 20 minutes to devour.
Standout story could have been Robert Girardi's "The Defenestration of Aba Sid" which took a guilty-as-sin Russian gangster and the naive and idealistic lawyer defending him, and screwed with your moral compass a treat.
January 4, 2008
Come December, I head for Vrooman's and look for the latest installment in the series. Every year's collection is put together by publisher Otto Penzler and new guest editor (Donald B. Westlake, in this case). Some years are better than others, but none are dogs. These are great books to bring along while traveling — because they're easier to put down.
August 6, 2009
I mean they're the best. What more do you want? I kind of want to gather up the last decades worth of Best American Mystery Stories and start digging through them. I guess "summer read" is less accurate since what you want in summer is something long enough to take away for a weekend (or maybe I just read fast). But a bunch of great mystery stories is a good thing.
February 21, 2011
The only good stories are by Dennis Lehane and Shel Silverstein. Every story has an ambiguous ending. Westlake must love that. Did not find one new author I would like to read more of.
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews