Edited by George Pelecanos
Being a relative newcomer to the general mystery and crime genres, I was a little unsure what to expect from this collection, but excited nonetheless by my enjoyment of The Plot Thickens. The book as a whole was a little disappointing, as I was expecting more of detective-type stories I typically associate with the mystery genre. I would perhaps re-title this book to indicate that the stories within are crime fiction and not necessarily mysteries, but aside from that nit-picking many of the stories were quite good. One, "Child's Play" by Alice Munro, was also printed in The Best American Short Stories 2008 and does quite well on a second read, retaining and refining its punch. I also thoroughly enjoyed the child's voice employed to wonderful effect in Melissa Vanbeck's "Given Her History". Several stories were close to brilliant but ultimately came up short, such as "The Emerson, 1950" by Scott Phillips and "The Invisibles" by Hugh Sheehy, both of which begin with interesting premises but ultimately fail to deliver on their high beginnings (indeed, the former seems to have little plot at all but would be quite interesting if it found one).
The best part of this collection as a whole was the variety I was lamenting a bit earlier. While Michael Connelly's "Mulholland Dive" was more of the kind of story I expected from this collection, my enjoyment of this superb and sly story came from true talent and not just previous expectations- it also delivers a fine and satisfying twist ending. "The Hour When the Ship Comes In" by Robert Ferrigno and, to a lesser extent, "Hothouse" by S.J. Rozan both do an excellent job of adopting the perspective of someone on the other, darker, side of criminal activity. Chuck Hogan does a top-notch job setting his scene with a rundown neighborhood and shady characters throughout- "One Good One" is one of the most moving stories in this collection. There are also a couple of stories ("At the Top of His Game" by Stephen Rhodes and "The Monks of the Abbey Victoria" by Rupert Holmes) that use somewhat dark humor to excellent and subtle effect while delivering thought provoking narratives and, more crucially, compelling characters. Leo Sarkozy from Jas. R. Petrin's "Car Trouble" is completely compelling and I would love to read an entire novel devoted to him.
This collection was overall incredibly interesting and varied, and though I don't think it necessarily represents the mystery genre, though I am absolutely no authority to speak on that, it delivers far more hits than misses and can entertain throughout. There were only a couple of stories that were truly boring or worth skipping, and while only a couple were somewhat Earth-shattering, this anthology is definitely worth reading for fans of crime fiction. The Best American Mystery Stories 2008 is a lovely showcase of the variety possible in its stereotyped genre and each of its stories has something different and interesting to offer, coming together in a comprehensive understanding of the genre and revealing facets of human nature often hidden in more mainstream contemporary fiction. This book is a good ride.
Grade: A
The best part of this collection as a whole was the variety I was lamenting a bit earlier. While Michael Connelly's "Mulholland Dive" was more of the kind of story I expected from this collection, my enjoyment of this superb and sly story came from true talent and not just previous expectations- it also delivers a fine and satisfying twist ending. "The Hour When the Ship Comes In" by Robert Ferrigno and, to a lesser extent, "Hothouse" by S.J. Rozan both do an excellent job of adopting the perspective of someone on the other, darker, side of criminal activity. Chuck Hogan does a top-notch job setting his scene with a rundown neighborhood and shady characters throughout- "One Good One" is one of the most moving stories in this collection. There are also a couple of stories ("At the Top of His Game" by Stephen Rhodes and "The Monks of the Abbey Victoria" by Rupert Holmes) that use somewhat dark humor to excellent and subtle effect while delivering thought provoking narratives and, more crucially, compelling characters. Leo Sarkozy from Jas. R. Petrin's "Car Trouble" is completely compelling and I would love to read an entire novel devoted to him.
This collection was overall incredibly interesting and varied, and though I don't think it necessarily represents the mystery genre, though I am absolutely no authority to speak on that, it delivers far more hits than misses and can entertain throughout. There were only a couple of stories that were truly boring or worth skipping, and while only a couple were somewhat Earth-shattering, this anthology is definitely worth reading for fans of crime fiction. The Best American Mystery Stories 2008 is a lovely showcase of the variety possible in its stereotyped genre and each of its stories has something different and interesting to offer, coming together in a comprehensive understanding of the genre and revealing facets of human nature often hidden in more mainstream contemporary fiction. This book is a good ride.
Grade: A
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