Isobel’s Reviews > The Best American Mystery and Suspense 2023: A Collection > Status Update

"Love Interest" - Noir homage featuring a cyber-sleuth and an actress who retired in the '70s. I liked this one quite a bit.

"Flight" - Two black girls in Washington Heights are growing apart and learning what they believe in. Suspense story, as NY is a dangerous city filled with adult men who want to do harm.

"Crime Scene" - Adler is good at killing people. But lately, he's been wondering why people will pay him so much money to do so. When he gets a good offer about a month away, he decides to scratch his itch while performing his job. Does Adler get the sense of fulfillment he's hoping for? Decent mystery yarn.

"How Hope Found Chauncey" - Little suspense or mystery, just a story about two teens who are living in an awful neighborhood trying to get out.

"The Obsession of Abel Tangier" - A small town in Louisiana is in an uproar over the teaching of Black history in America and the school board is voting on whether or not such curriculum should be allowed. Chilling suspense story.

"The Ticks Will Eat You Whole" - Decent suspense story.

"The Blood-Red Leaves of Autumn" - A sci-fi mystery taking place in the future, in an enclosed space (space shuttle) where mankind is doing just fine but Earth may be forever unlivable. It was ok.

"The Invitation" - Alternate possibilities - to take a journalist internship or paid trip to Barcelona? Mystery I guess? Didn't really understand why this story is in this collection.a

"33 Clues into the Disappearance of My Sister" - I just don't like Joyce Carol Oates' writing. Tried a few, and it's just...not for me.

"Valley of the Moon" - Well, everyone in this story is kind of horrible. It was fine. The aimless and apathetic narrator and her relationship with her family isn't great, but it does feel she is allowing a fair amount of it.