The Best of Sisters in Crime [Hardcover]

Marilyn Wallace (Editor)

Book Description

Publication Date: December 1, 1997

The "Sisters in Crime" anthologies have been praised as "excellent" by "Newsweek" and "outstanding" by "Publishers Weekly". Now the cream of these collections is gathered in a gift-worthy hardcover edition featuring stories--many of them award-winners--by Elizabeth George, Joan Hess, Nancy Pickard, Joyce Carol Oates, Mary Higgins Clark, Diane Mott Davidson, Sue Grafton, and Sara Paretsky.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Editor Marilyn Wallace describes the 22 stories in this superb collection--chosen from her five equally excellent annual compilations--as "the work of a diverse, unruly and talented group of writers. Difficult to classify, adventurous, energetic, the contributors include writers who are past presidents of the organization Sisters in Crime, writers who aren't members at all, writers from big cities, rural outposts and suburban enclaves, writers who fly airplanes, practice yoga, study papermaking, take teaching holidays in Poland." What all the stories have in common is that each has already won some kind of an award. You'll find instantly recognizable names such as Marcia Muller, Julie Smith, Sue Grafton, Elizabeth George, Mary Higgins Clark, Sara Paretsky, Margaret Maron, and Sharyn McCrumb.

From Library Journal

The 22 stories that make up this tempting collection should please even the most demanding mystery lover. Gathered from five Sisters in Crime anthologies, these shorts represent some of the most popular women "mysteriennes" out there: Dunlap, George, Maron, Muller, et al. And just in time for Christmas!
Copyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 336 pages
• Publisher: Berkley Hardcover; 1st edition (December 1, 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0425160602
• ISBN-13: 978-0425160602
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.3 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,813,554 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Wonderfully Diverse Collection of Stories From Women Writers, October 4, 2005

By 

Meredith Burton "Bookworm" (Lynchburg, Tennessee) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Best of Sisters in Crime (Paperback)

Mysteries are truly my favorite types of stories. In "The Best of Sisters In Crime," by Marilyn Wallace, we have a sampling of some of the very best mysteries written by women. Included are such terrific authors as Mary Higgins Clark, Elizabeth George, Carolyn Hart and Joyce Carol Oates, along with many others. These stories range from the terrifying to the humorous. Some gems in the collection are as follows.

1. "All The Lonely People," by Marcia Muller. In this story, a PI goes undercover in a dating service to discover the culprit behind some burglaries of the customers. It is a first person narrative that is absolutely delightful.
2. "The Celestial Buffet," by Susan Dunlap. This hilarious story concerns the death of a middle class woman and what she discovers when she reaches "Eternity." In this story, things are not always what they seem.
3. "Say You're Sorry," by Sarah Schinkman. This complex and terrifyingly poignant story recounts the resentment of a Southern woman against the "Belle" of the town, and the actions she takes because of this resentment. This story was one of my absolute favorites.
4. "Cold Turkey," by Diane Mott Davidson. This story features Ms. Davidson's caterer sleuth "Goldie" Bear, who must solve the murder of a body she discovers in her refridgerator.

All of the stories are absolutely superb! Anyone who enjoys a good mystery will absolutely love this book. It not only includes excellent stories, but also short biographies of the authors and lists of their previous works. Happy reading!

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A must read for mystery fans, November 4, 1997

By A Customer

This review is from: The Best of Sisters in Crime (Hardcover)

Since 1989, there have been "Sisters In Crime" anthologies, featuring short stories dedicated to promoting the best works of female mystery writers. Each one of the collections was critically acclaimed as tremendous literary works of art. Now, the creme de la creme of these tales have been collected in one work that is designed to showcase the talents of the new breed of female mystery writers. All the contributors are acknowledged masters of the craft and their contributions have all attained at least one major prize.

Classics from world renowned writers such as Mary Higgins Clark, Joyce Carol Oates, and Elizabeth George have been included in this work. Famous PIs like Sue Grafton's Milhone and Diane Mott Davidson's Goldy Bear are also included. Every tale is a winner, making this collection the super bowl of short story books.

Harriet Klausner

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars review, July 21, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: The Best of Sisters in Crime (Paperback)

a collection of mystery works by feminime writers... must read... interesting page turning cases... for all those mystery-lovers to read....