Blood On Their Hands [Paperback]

Lawrence Block (Editor)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 7, 2004

Mystery Writers of America presents nineteen stories of what people do when pushed to the edge.

A riveting collection by some of mystery's most popular authors:

Brendan DuBois * Noreen Ayres * Shelly Costa * Tom Savage * Tracy Knight * Aileen Schumacher * Elaine Viets * G. Miki Hayden * Elaine Togneri * Henry Sleasar * William E. Chambers * and others

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

When people are pushed to their absolute limit, what might they do? Absolutely anything seems to be the answer as demonstrated in these 19 original stories from members of the Mystery Writers of America. MWA has produced some outstanding anthologies, and while this one doesn't rank with the best, there are a few diamonds on display. The late Henry Slesar's (1927-2002) tale, "The Day of the 31st," reminds us of how good a writer he was, as a husband seeks vengeance on his wife's killer. Charlotte Hinger's "Any Old Mother," about a woman scamming mothers who gave up a child for adoption, is a crafty exercise in consequences. Elizabeth Foxwell's "No Man's Land" gives a glimpse of the tough gals who drove ambulances in France in WWII and demonstrates how they could handle just about anything thrown their way. Elaine Viets's "Red Meat" tells of a wife who gives her husband a perfect gift for his 60th birthday-a beautiful woman who'll whip him back into shape. Brendan DuBois's "Her Last Gift" shows how a potter molds a unique present for the man she blames for her husband's death. A woman investigates the accidental death of her best friend in Elaine Togneri's "Guardian Angel" and makes a life-changing discovery. Block provides an introduction but no story. Other contributors include Rhys Bowen, Marcia Talley and Jeremiah Healy.
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

About the Author

Lawrence Block, a Mystery Writers of America Grand Master, has won the Edgar Allan Poe and Shamus Awards four times each, among other honors. He is known for his many books featuring P.I. Matthew Scudder, spy Evan Tanner, and burglar Bernie Rhodenbarr. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

Product Details

• Paperback: 352 pages
• Publisher: Berkley (September 7, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 042519924X
• ISBN-13: 978-0425199244
• Product Dimensions: 6.6 x 4.2 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,652,158 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Dynamite anthology, July 2, 2003

By 

Harriet Klausner - See all my reviews
(#1 Hall OF FAME REVIEWER)    (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Blood on Their Hands (Hardcover)

This anthology consists of nineteen well-written new stories that focus, for the most part, on how everyday people react when pushed over the edge. The contributions are fun to follow as each story adheres to the premise though the scenarios differ between the contributions. This in turn leads to the reader in several cases placing themselves in the precarious situations in order to ponder how they would have acted. The authors are some of the leaders of the mystery/suspense genre and obviously everyone took the tasking seriously to the benefit of the audience. The trouble with this book is that the tales are so good this reviewer broke a personal commandment of reading no more than three shorts a day (to fully savor a collection), but this time finished BLOOD ON THEIR HANDS in one sitting as will most readers.

Harriet Klausner