Now in its eighth year, this perennially popular anthology holds something for every reader. Encompassing all aspects of the genre, “this series can be counted on to showcase the best of mainstream mystery and crime fiction” (Booklist). Stephen King blurs the line between reality and dream. Joyce Carol Oates follows a young girl who preys on her sexual predators. Jeff Abbott enters the high-stakes world of Las Vegas and the trap of a beautiful redhead. Scott Wolven brings boxing and murder to a small town in Vermont. Assembled by best-selling suspense author Nelson DeMille, The Best American Mystery Stories 2004 promises to be the most thrilling volume yet.
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Book Description
Editorial Reviews
From Publishers Weekly
The eighth in Otto Penzler's popular series offers some fine writing, but mystery fans should be aware that the bulk of the entries amount to crime fiction. Out of the 20 stories from veteran bestsellers such as Stephen King and Joyce Carol Oates, as well as promising newcomers, only one—William J. Carroll Jr.'s "Height Advantage"—is a whodunit. The standout is Christopher Coake's "All Through the House," a chilling, multilayered account of a family massacre whose shifting perspectives, flashbacks and flash-forwards create a moving, painful and haunting effect that lingers long after the last page. Sherlockians will be amused and intrigued by Richard Lupoff's clever pastiche of Edgar Allan Poe's C. Auguste Dupin, "The Incident of the Impecunious Chevalier," which features a young Holmes calling on his literary ancestor to track down a certain legendary jeweled black bird. Jeffrey Robert Bowman's "Stonewalls," with its alternative explanation of the cause of Gen. Stonewall Jackson's death from friendly fire, will appeal to Civil War buffs with its gritty and compelling perspective on the barbarities of war. Fans of suspenseful and psychologically rich tales of con men and low-level crooks will enjoy this volume; devotees of Agatha Christie and other authors in the classic mystery tradition should seek satisfaction elsewhere.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
From Booklist
Here's the eighth entry in the popular best-of series (this time the celebrity editor is DeMille, author of such bestsellers as The General's Daughter and The Lion's Gate). It includes such notables as Stephen King, Dick Lochte, and Joyce Carol Oates, who seems to be a perennial cast member. There are also several new voices, younger writers who have only begun to leave their mark on the genre. The stories cover a variety of styles and themes, but what they have in common is a writer knowing what he or she wants to say and saying it well. The book is like a sampler of modern crime fiction, spotlighting the best the genre has to offer. The veteran writers show us they still have new tricks in their bags, while the (as yet) unknowns clearly mark themselves as people to watch. This series remains a must for all mystery collections. David Pitt
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved
Product Details
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More About the Author
I was born in New York City in 1943. My father was a Canadian, serving at that time with the American Navy, and my mother was a Brooklyn native, trying to figure out how to grow a Victory Garden for the war effort.
My family moved to Elmont, Long Island, New York in 1947 where my father was a house builder, and my mother was a homemaker raising four boys.
I attended Elmont public schools, played football, ran track, and was on the wrestling team. I graduated Elmont Memorial High School in 1962 and spent the summer at the beach.
I attended Hofstra University, but left before graduation to join the Army in 1966. I served three years in the United States Army as an infantry lieutenant and spent one year in Vietnam as a platoon leader with the First Cavalry Division. You'll see that I used this experience in my novels "Word of Honor" and "Up Country."
After the end of my military service, I returned to Hofstra where I graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and History. I married and had two children, Lauren and Alex, and eventually divorced.
I held a series of good and bad jobs between 1970 and 1974, and in that year, for some reason I can't remember, I decided to be a writer. My first books were paperback originals, New York City police detective novels, thankfully all out of print and hard to find.
In 1978, I published my first major novel, "By the Rivers of Babylon," which was a commercial and critical success. Since then, I've written fourteen other novels and had a good time creating my characters John Corey, Ben Tyson (played by Don Johnson in the TNT movie of "Word of Honor"), foxy Emma Whitestone, Paul Brenner (played by John Travolta in the Paramount movie of "The General's Daughter"), sexy Susan Sutter, the never-say-die CIA officer Ted Nash, and my favorite villain, Asad Khalil, a misunderstood Libyan terrorist with unresolved childhood issues.
I am a member of The Authors Guild, the Mystery Writers of America (past President), American Mensa (thank God I don't have to retake that test), and I hold three honorary doctorate degrees (thank God I didn't have to study for them) from Hofstra University, Long Island University, and Dowling College.
I'm married to the love of my life, Sandy Dillingham, whom I met while I was on a publicity tour in Denver. We have a son, James, two years old, and he's keeping me young.
There's more about me on my website. Thanks for reading about me here, and I hope you enjoy my novels.
My family moved to Elmont, Long Island, New York in 1947 where my father was a house builder, and my mother was a homemaker raising four boys.
I attended Elmont public schools, played football, ran track, and was on the wrestling team. I graduated Elmont Memorial High School in 1962 and spent the summer at the beach.
I attended Hofstra University, but left before graduation to join the Army in 1966. I served three years in the United States Army as an infantry lieutenant and spent one year in Vietnam as a platoon leader with the First Cavalry Division. You'll see that I used this experience in my novels "Word of Honor" and "Up Country."
After the end of my military service, I returned to Hofstra where I graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and History. I married and had two children, Lauren and Alex, and eventually divorced.
I held a series of good and bad jobs between 1970 and 1974, and in that year, for some reason I can't remember, I decided to be a writer. My first books were paperback originals, New York City police detective novels, thankfully all out of print and hard to find.
In 1978, I published my first major novel, "By the Rivers of Babylon," which was a commercial and critical success. Since then, I've written fourteen other novels and had a good time creating my characters John Corey, Ben Tyson (played by Don Johnson in the TNT movie of "Word of Honor"), foxy Emma Whitestone, Paul Brenner (played by John Travolta in the Paramount movie of "The General's Daughter"), sexy Susan Sutter, the never-say-die CIA officer Ted Nash, and my favorite villain, Asad Khalil, a misunderstood Libyan terrorist with unresolved childhood issues.
I am a member of The Authors Guild, the Mystery Writers of America (past President), American Mensa (thank God I don't have to retake that test), and I hold three honorary doctorate degrees (thank God I didn't have to study for them) from Hofstra University, Long Island University, and Dowling College.
I'm married to the love of my life, Sandy Dillingham, whom I met while I was on a publicity tour in Denver. We have a son, James, two years old, and he's keeping me young.
There's more about me on my website. Thanks for reading about me here, and I hope you enjoy my novels.
Customer Reviews
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
4 of 8 people found the following review helpful:
1.0 out of 5 stars
ummm - where is the mystery?,
By
This review is from: The Best American Mystery Stories 2004 (The Best American Series) (Paperback)
You may think that you're buying a book of mystery stories, but no, the real mystery is why most of these stories in this volume aren't mysteries at all. If they had labeled this "Crime Fiction With No Mystery", then that would be more honest. Most of the stories in this volume have no real hidden element that keeps you guessing. Sure, there may be some good social commentary or character development here and there, but if I really wanted that stuff I wouldn't have picked up a book labeled "Mystery Stories".
4 of 8 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Great Short Stories,
Amazon Verified Purchase(What's this?)
This review is from: The Best American Mystery Stories 2004 (Best American Mystery Stories) (Paperback)
Fascinating stories, varied and well written. Many surprise endings and unusual story lines. You'll enjoy it.
3 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
2.0 out of 5 stars
Not really mysterious,
By Naomi Dozono "Naomi" (New York) - See all my reviews
This review is from: The Best American Mystery Stories 2004 (The Best American Series) (Paperback)
Half of these stories were not even traditional mysteries at all: one was set in the civil war, one was more like a mainstream short story. And these were the better ones! One was a ripoff of Poe's Casque of Amontillado, while the lead story, bet on red, was cliched. Leave it to a fool like Nelson DeMille to pick some really bad stories. The only really good one was Steven Kings' semi-supernatural spine tingler, and that was more for the creepy language and timing he possesses, than for any original story ideas. Save your money.
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