There is wonderful retribution in these stories, gathered in one unforgettable volume - a tantalizingly entertaining exploration of sweet, cold-blooded revenge. This irresistible collection of original works was born of a deliciously wicked idea: ask twelve of America's best writers to explore a single subject - people willing, often gleefully so, to kill for revenge. The result is a star-studded gathering of fiction's finest, and an infinitely satisfying banquet of...MURDER FOR REVENGE.
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Book Description
Editorial Reviews
From Booklist
Penzler, the founder of Mysterious Press and owner of the Mysterious Bookshop (in New York, Los Angeles, and London), has established himself as one of the premier crime-fiction anthologists at work today. Murder for Love (1996) lodged a high-water mark for quality mystery collections, and this year's entry isn't far behind. Revenge comprises 12 never-before-published stories from an illustrious assortment of authors ranging from genre giants (Lawrence Block, Mary Higgins Clark, Joan Hess) to drop-ins from the mainstream (Joyce Carol Oates) to the unclassifiable (Shel Silverstein). Revenge as a subject may be a bit more distancing than love, focusing on obsession more than passion, but these stories work the topic for all its worth. The jewel in the crown is difficult to identify, but one strong candidate is Vicki Hendricks' "West End," in which a sailing trip offers a fed-up wife the opportunity she needs to give her control-freak husband the comeuppance he deserves. A richly entertaining theme anthology. Bill Ott
--This text refers to the
Hardcover
edition.
From Kirkus Reviews
Once you're aware of the rubric the title announces--tit for tat--you know a lot about the plots of most of these dozen new stories, more than you would have known about the plots of the stories in Penzler's Murder for Love (1996), since the possibilities within these present confines are so well-worn. Mostly, you have a choice between the turning worm (Vicki Hendricks, Joan Hess, Judith Kelman, Eric Lustbader, David Morrell) and the biter bit (Peter Straub, in a ghoulish hundred-page remake of Melville's ``Bartleby''). A few of the contributors go further. Phillip Margolin adds some welcome ingenuity; Lawrence Block and Joyce Carol Oates put unexpected spins on their stories, as does Shel Silverstein on his poem, that keep you guessing; Mary Higgins Clark, in a Perils-of-Pauline tale of international intrigue, seems to be playing with another deck entirely. But only Thomas H. Cook's somber ``Fatherhood'' does something genuinely new with the old formula of revenge served cold. More predictable, then, than the tales in Murder for Love (1996), though the level of professionalism is more consistent. -- Copyright ©1998, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.
--This text refers to the
Hardcover
edition.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
What a Find!,
By A Customer
This review is from: Murder for Revenge (Mass Market Paperback)
The first thing that I saw was the cover. Then I flipped through the book, looking at the table of contents. The reason I bought the book is somewhat hazy--but it had something to do with Shel Silverstein.Since I bought this book a few weeks before finals, I was trying so hard not to read it...I couldn't help it. I read it. All the way through. I thoroughly enjoyed it--I loved Shel Silverstein's poem, Mary Higgins Clark's story as well as many others. Though the cover made me feel embarassed to be holding the book, it is worth being teased for reading something that looks like pulp fiction. If you like this book, read "Murder for Love" as well. It's just as good, and some of the same writers write stories/poems for it.
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Best mystery anthology to come along in years,
By A Customer
This review is from: Murder for Revenge: 12 New Original Stories (Hardcover)
Otto Penzler has invited twelve of the top selling writers of mysteries to contribute a short story to his MURDER BY REVENGE anthology. All of the stories feature someone pushed over the edge, seeking to get even with the pusher. The tales range from comical to venomous to angst-laden, but they all share the fact that they are all well done. Unlike most anthologies, this collection contains blockbuster stories authored by superstars and they all do a fabulous job. Fans of murderous short stories could not get a better selection than those in this anthology. Contributors are a who's who, who all succeed: Laurence Block, Mary Higgins Clark, Thomas Cooke, Vicki Hendricks, Joan Hess, Judith Kelman, Eric Lustlaber, Philip Margolin, David Morell, Joyce Carol Oates, Shel Silverstein, and Peter Straub. Harriet Klausner
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Calling it 'Revenge' would have been enough,
By Angel L. Soto (USA) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Murder for Revenge (Mass Market Paperback)
When one picks up an anthology titled MURDER FOR REVENGE, you expect that all of the stories will have revenge murders as its theme. That is not the case with this collection. Some of the stories, such as Lawrence Block's A BONE IN THE THROAT and Judith Kelman's ERADICUM HOMO HORIBILUS, involve characters seeking retribution after events of many years have passed. Other stories such as Joan Hess's CAVEAT EMPTOR, involve a woman who is taken advantage of and decides to get even in a deadly manner. There are two stories that seemed misplaced in this book and they are Mary Higgins Clark's POWER PLAYS and Phillip Margolin's ANGIE'S DELIGHT. Granted they are two great authors but neither one of their stories could qualify as murder for revenge. The editor does treat us with a poem by Shel Silverstein titled THE ENEMY that talks about different ways of killing someone. Borrowing the title of Joan Hess's short story and buyer beware. The book's title is misleading and it might not be what you are looking for. Most of the stories are good but they just seem out of place in this collection.
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