Murder and Obsession [Paperback]

Otto Penzler (Editor)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 7, 2000

Kent Anderson * Edna Buchanan * Amanda Cross * James Crumley * Philip Friedman * James W. Hall * Ed McBain * Michael Malone * Joyce Carol Oates * Shel Silverstein * Eric van Lustbader

Her toenails were bloodred, her lips were blue in Edna Buchanan's "The Red Shoes," a riveting tale that takes us into the life of a foot fetishist who steps into the middle of a murder....What happens when a hard-nosed insurance investigator lights up a joint and sniffs out a case of arson? It's a tale that only Elmore Leonard could tell, in "Sparks."...Elizabeth George reaches into English history in "I, Richard," as an academic obsessed by a priceless artifact plots a deadly course of seduction--only to discover that fate is the most quixotic mistress of all.

From lethal spikes to fatal kisses, from mad dogs to battle-crazed Englishmen, here indeed is Murder and Obsession, in these and 12 other all-new stories from Anne Perry, Dennis Lehane, Eric van Lustbader and others.  For these are the best of the best, America's favorite writers exploring a deliciously chilling subject: obsession at its most insidious.


From the Paperback edition.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Anyone who is old enough to remember what great fun it was to crack open a brand-new magazine (from Black Mask to Collier's) and discover two or three excellent stories by your favorite writers will beam with pleasure at Otto Penzler's Murder and Obsession. As in his two previous volumes of original stories (Murder for Revenge and Murder for Love), Penzler knows how to pick a wide and deep variety of writers and then coax them into producing their best work.

In "Burglary in Progress," Kent Anderson brings back his errant hero Hanson from Sympathy for the Devil and Night Dogs for a short but spectacular burst of urban angst. James Crumley's C.W. Sughrue, last seen in The Mexican Tree Duck, explodes again in a story called "The Mexican Pig Bandit." But most of the writers, from Edna Buchanan and James W. Hall to Ed McBain and Anne Perry, use the occasion to leave their series characters far behind (especially Dennis Lehane, whose absolutely riveting "Running Out of Dog" is as full of meat as most full-length novels). --Dick Adler --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Publishers Weekly

Like his Murder for Love and Murder for Revenge, Penzler's latest collection features original stories (14, plus one reprint) by an all-star team. Most of the writers score solid hits but, unexpectedly, not Elmore Leonard. In "Sparks," Dutch seems to be going through the motions as a good-looking widow and an insurance claims investigator talk over the recent destruction of her overly insured house; Leonard even resorts to characterization through celebrity-branding: "Linda Fiorentino. That was who Robin looked like... Robin had the same effortless way about her.... " Ed McBain does better in his cute tale ("Barking at Butterflies") of a man whose plans to dispose of the dog he hates and to keep the woman he loves badly misfire. James W. Hall provides surprise in "Crack," when a Fulbright scholar peeping on his nubile neighbor sees more than he expected. In "The Vampire," Joyce Carol Oates waxes gothic, freezing a murder in progress to backtrack through a dying artist's last years with his manipulative mistress. And in the collection's only reprint, "The Mexican Pig Banquet," James Crumley has C.W. Sughrue laying low until a gang of thieves and their accomplice tap his usual weakness: a damsel in distress. Top marks go to Dennis Lehane; his "Running Out of Dog" manages a novel's worth of fine tension and nuanced characters as two childhood friends deal with loving the same woman in a small town after Vietnam. Elizabeth George, Anne Perry and Eric Van Lustbader are among the others contributing to this enjoyable collection. (Mar.) FYI: Penzler is the proprietor of the Mysterious Bookshop in New York City and the Mysterious Bookshop West in Los Angeles.
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 464 pages
• Publisher: Dell (March 7, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0440613612
• ISBN-13: 978-0440613619
• Product Dimensions: 6 x 1 x 9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.5 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #4,087,894 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Strong stories by talented writers, July 19, 2000

By 

Brenda "MYSHELFDOTCOM" (United States) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Murder and Obsession: 12 New Original Stories (Hardcover)

Authors are: Kent Anderson, Edna Buchanan, Amanda Cross, James Crumley, Philip Friedman, Elizabeth George, James W. Hall, Dennis Lehane, Elmore Leonard, Eric Van Lustbader, Michael Malone, Ed McBain, Joyce Carol Oates, Anne Perry and Shel Silverstein.

As in any anthology, each writer has her or his own style. This anthology came across as hard-boiled and straightforward. The first story by Kent Anderson is about a cop uses drugs and loves to make bust. It's a harsh introduction and a touch of reality into this anthology. Anne Perry steps out of the Victorian age for a moment and writes one about an obsessive solider in W.W.I in her title Heroes. Edna Buchanan in The Red Shoes, writes about a man who trades his alcohol obsession for shoes, with a dangerous out come. These are definitely some stories you will remember.

If you like your stories strong and straightforward without mincing words, dirty or other wise, this is the mystery for you. Hardboiled fanatics will love this one.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Terrific short stories by talented writers, August 1, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: Murder and Obsession: 15 New Original Stories (Mass Market Paperback)

I could not put this book down. Every story was good. The stories emphasize original twists on traditional obsession themes. Some are humorous. Others are shocking. Others are low-key and subservise. This is a well-written and intelligent collection.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Good collection of mystery stories, March 27, 2000

By 

D. Generate "D. Generate" (London) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Murder and Obsession: 15 New Original Stories (Mass Market Paperback)

For fans of good mystery writing, this book is a welcome addition to your library. There are a few stories in it that did not pull me in as much as others, but it still was an enjoyable read. With 15 stories of murder, intrigue, obsession and betrayal by various authors, this book should appeal to everyone who likes a good mystery.