Two of the Deadliest: New Tales of Lust, Greed, and Murder from Outstanding Women of Mystery (Hardcover)

~ Elizabeth George (Author)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

George's all-original anthology showcases 18 stories by established women mystery writers and five by relative unknowns. While not every entry is a winner, the wide variety of styles and settings will please most mystery fans. Especially strong are Linda Barnes's Catch Your Death, a classic tale of love gone wrong told by an appealing narrator, and Stephanie Bond's satisfyingly twisty Bump in the Night. In Gold Fever, Dana Stabenow fits quick characterizations, an exotic locale (Alaska) and a tidy plot into a few pages. Marcia Talley's tightly written Can You Hear Me Now is modest in ambition—but who doesn't like to see a rude cellphone user get his comeuppance? Among the newcomers, Z. Kelley's Anything Helps is particularly notable for its charm. Other contributors include Carolyn Hart, Laura Lippman and S.J. Rozan. (Aug.)
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Review

"Should satisfy every reader's sleuth-tooth....A good way for fans of crime writing to discover new favorite authors." (Bellingham Herald (WA) )

"This brilliant anthology of short stories by some of the most outstanding women now writing mysteries and crime fiction...is a truly glorious collection" (Globe and Mail (Toronto) )

"Entertaining." (Richmond Times-Dispatch )

"[A] worthwhile collection of short stories from female mystery writers....This anthology is a great way for mystery lovers to enjoy less time-consuming works from favorite authors and discover new ones." (Library Journal )

"Wicked little stories from old hands and relative neophytes drawn from George's writing classes. Don't miss her own sly contribution." (Seattle Times )

"George's all-original anthology showcases 18 stories by established women mystery writers and five by relative unknowns. . . . The wide variety of styles and settings will please most mystery fans." (Publishers Weekly )

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 480 pages
• Publisher: Harper; First Edition edition (July 21, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0061350338
• ISBN-13: 978-0061350337
• Product Dimensions: 9.4 x 6.5 x 1.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #171,470 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A BONANZA FOR MYSTERY LOVERS, July 30, 2009

By	Gail Cooke (TX, USA) - See all my reviews (TOP 10 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)    (COMMUNITY FORUM 04)

The amount of suspense that can be generated in just a few pages is amazing - that is if you have topnotch mystery writers. That is precisely what Elizabeth George offers in her collection of 23 never before published stories by outstanding women authors. Granted crime/mystery is a genre usually occupied by men, but read this and you may decide the female is the scariest of the species.

The title is a reference to the Seven Deadly sins. For George's purposes here Two of the Deadliest are lust and greed. Each writer offers a different take on one of these topics, all are surprising spellbinders.

Consider lust examined in "E-Male" by Kristine Kathryn Rusch. Gavin seems like an ordinary kind of guy who starts the day by padding barefoot to fix a mocha grande with sprinkles. He's lucky enough to work at home (a small rent-controlled apartment), and happy to live alone with his cat.

There's very little Gavin doesn't know about a computer, which makes it perhaps time consuming for him but also easy to access the email accounts of Stella - "his almost-wife; his now-ex-girlfriend." They hate each other. A restraining order was issued when Stella told a judge, "Gavin seems to think he owns me. He watches me all the time. I'm afraid of him." Restraining order or no Gavin is still very much keeping his eye on her, reading the email she sends and the email she receives. He knows where she is, what she's thinking.

But suddenly her email take on a new tone; she no longer chats with most of her men friends. In fact, she has stopped answering posts from her family, which is not like her at all. But, there is nothing Gavin can do because he cannot go near her.

Greed is the focus in "The Offer" By Patricia Smiley. A marketing job at a drive-through pet-wash company might not seem like much but it's Mari Smith's last hope. She fell for a scam from a man claiming to be the Nigerian minister of education which wiped out her savings, and now has maxed out her Visa to fly to Los Angeles and apply for this job.

In an odd turn of events when she heads for baggage claim in LA she sees a limo driver holding a partially obscured sign - all she could see was MARI SMI. Once the driver moves his hand she see that it reads Marion Smithson, but she has already approached him. He tells her he is there to drive her downtown to her hotel and the ride has been prepaid by the company.

Perhaps too beaten down to think clearly (and it'll save paying a cab) she accepts the ride - a ride such as she's never experienced. The limo holds champagne in an ice bucket, and a welcome gift - a gold Cartier watch. Could a start-up pet servicing company possibly afford this? Read and discover how far Mari takes the charade and where it takes her.

That's just a small sample of the intriguing stories in this unique collection, which also includes a new tale by editor George.. "Two of the Deadliest" is perfect for mystery lovers as you can dip into it whenever you wish to enjoy the work of your favorites or meet new writers. Enjoy!

- Gail Cooke

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars These Are a Few of My Favorite Sins, July 23, 2009

By	takingadayoff "takingadayoff" (Las Vegas, Nevada) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)

Two of the Deadliest features short stories about lust and greed by women mystery writers. I enjoy anthologies, but even the best achieve only about a .500 batting average, which is to say I like about half the entries and am not so crazy about the other half. But an anthology is a grab bag and it's fun just to see what's in it.

Two of the Deadliest is the best anthology I have read in years. I enjoyed about 80% of the stories in it. There were familiar authors, such as Nancy Pickard, Linda Barnes, Marcia Muller, Laura Lippman. There were new writers who have never been published before.

One of the standouts was Anything Helps by Z. Kelley, about a single mother in Las Vegas who befriends a mysterious homeless man who panhandles outside the convenience store where she works. Another is The Offer by Patricia Smiley, which follows a woman en route to a job interview as she is mistaken for a candidate for an entirely different job. Cougar by Laura Lippman finds a woman whose threatening son has moved back into her house along with his obnoxious girlfriend. And Elizabeth George's Lusting for Jenny, Inverted tells of a woman who unexpectedly inherits a house, spurring her to make some uncharacteristic choices.

Elizabeth George, author of the Inspector Lynley mysteries, is the editor who brought this whole project together. While I'm a fan of the TV series based on her mysteries, I have not found the books quite as riveting. But as an anthology editor, George is outstanding. Her previous collection, A Moment on the Edge: 100 Years of Crime Stories by Women, collects some of the best short crime stories written by women over the past century. Two of the Deadliest is a satisfying follow-up.

0 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars would not purchase again, September 12, 2009

By	K. Bernauer (Chugiak , Alaska) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This was not at all what I had hoped for.................several stories were good, most just seemed thrown together for a quick sale. Don't bother.