The 50 Greatest Mysteries of All Time [Unabridged] [Audio Cassette]

Otto Penzler (Editor), Jamie Farr (Narrator), Robert Forster (Narrator), Arte Johnson (Narrator), Juliet Mills (Narrator), Eric Roberts (Narrator)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 2002 | Series: 50 Greatest Mysteries of All Time (Book 2)

Selected by the premiere mystery editor, this volume includes "Quitters, Inc." by Stephen King, "High Darktown" by James Ellroy, "Yours Truly, Jack the Ripper" by Robert Bloch, "Clerical Error" by James Gould Cozzens, "The Gettysburg Bugle" by Ellery Queen, "The Last Spin" by Evan Hunter, "Karen Makes Out" by Elmore Leonard, "The Case of the Pietro Andromache" by Sara Paretsky, "By the Dawn's Early Light" by Lawrence Block, "The Purloined Letter" by Edgar Allan Poe, "The Little House At Croix-Rousse" and more.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Otto Penzler is the proprietor of the Mysterious Bookshop in New York City. He is the founder of the Mysterious Press and Otto Penzler Books, and has received an Edgar Award, an Ellery Queen Award, and a Raven Award for his contribution to the mystery field. His recent anthology, The Black Lizard Big Book of Pulps was a New York Times Bestseller. --This text refers to the Paperback edition.

Product Details

• Audio Cassette
• Publisher: Phoenix Audio; Unabridged edition (July 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1590402324
• ISBN-13: 978-1590402320
• Average Customer Review: 2.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #10,651,468 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

24 of 27 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars A Lazy Man's Compendium, July 12, 2003

By 

A. Anderson "Book Person" (Chico, Califiornia) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The 50 Greatest Mysteries of All Time (Paperback)

The lazy man is Penzler. I was caught bookless and had to have something quickly a couple of days ago, so I picked this up on the title alone. I read widely, but my weakness has always been mysteries, preferably of the who-done-it variety with psychological insights. I've read historial and contemporary, procedurals and cozies..lots and lots of English and American writers. So I figured...The 50 Greatest Mysteries! Edited by a Big Name in mystery fiction. I expected well written and carefully chosen mysteries, including lesser known fascinating puzzles. Penzler is well known in mystery literature: owner of the Mysterious Bookshop, compiler, guest lecturer...a Name in the Business. The "Best" of anything is always an argument, so even if the stories were not "the best" they would certainly be contenders.
The stories are arranged chronologically, and Penzler provides a very brief introductory paragraph. He does not suggest why the story is included (and in one instance, refers to a story that is not included as better than his example). He doesn't discuss or distinguish between a true mystery, a suspense story, a procedural or a cozy. Arguments abound as to what is a 'mystery' and Penzler doesn't attempt to add to or resolve the discussions. He adds no insights or points of view--nothing to justify his choices. Some of his dated pieces are charmless, so I have to assume they were included as exemplars of the period, but Mr. Penzler doesn't place the unfamiliar within a context. Instead, he seems to have included the oldest first, plodding through the genre to fill the pages before the next book, which will probably be called Another 50 of the Greatest Mysteries. The book seems complied haphazardly and named to sell.

Perhaps I ask too much. There are some lovely stories,and some that are interesting. He includes a brief suspenseful piece by Edith Wharton. She's a lovely writer, but not an ounce of mystery is involved in the tale. The Red Headed League is an early Sherlock Holmes which is fun but not the best of Doyle. I can't argue with The Purloined Letter (Poe), and am happy to known that writers not known for mysteries actually wrote a few (Jack London, Aldus Huxley, Thomas Hardy[and its a good one], Thurber, AA Milne, Ogden Nash) but they are not the Greatest Mysteries. Fredrick Irvington Anderson's story is dated and tiresome--and Mr. Anderson is not a familiar name. Mr. Penzler doesn't crack stories from 1950 until page 327--two thirds of the way through the book. But it is probably cheaper to republish stories well past their copyright conflicts date.

They ain't The Greatest Mysteries. They are sometimes interesting. Some are truly fine. If you want context, insight or thematic consistency, look elsewhere. These are complied tales, not an editor's choice. On the other hand, if you are caught bookless and need 567 page of choices, you will find some good stories, some seldom published historical oddies to leaf through, some to skip and certainly, along the way, something to like.