Status Updates From The Best American Mystery S...

Hitting Rufus: When an impoverished small town can't stand the man in charge, even a hitman can take a charity case.

Poachers: There’s a silent language deep in Louisiana's swamps: a jawline tilted right and slightly up, the downward curve of a closed mouth, the left shoulder standing higher than the right, the placement of feet at an awkward angle, a restless index finger twitching down, and pupils that slide left -- seen through crescent moon lids; this is an optic tongue to a man’s sins.

And Maybe the Horse Will learn How to Sing: I quote, "I don't know about other folks, but I'd rather shove a fondo fork in my eye than read a research proposal." Now replace "research proposal" with "the title of this story" and that's my review. But that's not entirely fair; I'll give it props for having a sense of humor. Today, laughter exceeds motion.

Redneck by Loren D. Estleman: Adultery + jealous husband ÷ mistaken identity = mystery. So far I am not feeling the "best" that the anthology title suggests."

The short story Netmail by Brendan DuBois. This is a World Wide Web time capsule, capturing the internet in its infancy. Owen is being blackmailed via email for $50,000, which threatens to expose his confidential information if the demands aren't met. Suffice to say, Owen isn't happy about it, and how he deals with it far from what you'd expect. The setup felt weak, leaving the climax unsatisfying.