Edited by Scott Turow
2006 brings (brought?) yet another full plate of intriguing mystery stories in this annual anthology, which is quickly becoming a favorite quick read of mine. This year comes complete with some standouts and though their stars shine quite brightly, a couple of the stories herein don't quite live up to the promise of the book or the mediocre offerings from other years. Several stories, however, were wonderfully conceived and brilliantly executed, no doubt ranking among the top stories of the year regardles of genre. Joyce Carol Oates's "So Help Me God" double-dipped with The Best American Short Stories this year, and it's obvious why with her evocative tale of small-town life, the kind of story that starts out slow but changes you in a way that you don't realize until you've finished the last line. Likewise, Karen Bender's "Theft" is appealing to the litfic crowd with its take on how Alzheimer's affects the career of a lifetime swindler. "Peacekeeper," Alan Heathcock's offering, is a bit slow and doesn't quite connect its strands fully, but its atypical chronological sampling and tale of tragedy and natural disaster should also appeal to a wider readership.
There are, of course, many stories that are simply fun; these are the stories I love, the ones that ask us to sympathize with society's devils as they prey on people just like us. It's also refreshing to realize the humor that the mystery genre can offer, both slapstick and a little darker. Laura Lippman is quickly becoming an annual favorite with me, and "The Crack Cocaine Diet" is absolutely hilarious throughout, though tragic in its way. Her ease of voice and despicable characters can't help but please and her plot moves along at a zippy place along with her zippy language. "Improvisation," a final story from Ed McBain, has at its heart a far darker kind of humor, but I couldn't help but love its evisceration of acting hopefuls through quick twists and turns of plot that are never unnecessary and always keep the reader happily on one's toes. "McHenry's Gift", by Mike Maclean, and Sue Pike's "A Temporary Crown" each exemplify in their way the delight of the mystery genre and its clean conclusions. Each has an ending perfectly suited to the story as each leaves the imprint of a smile; stories like these are simply a joy to read. Also appealing and exemplary are the stories that grab you immediately and drag you in their conclusions to strange and distant places: "Born Bad" by Jeffery Deaver is a weak example, William Harrison's "Texas Heat" a bit better, and Andrew Klavan's "Her Lord and Master" the best of the lot; each has a lovely twist that showcases the strengths of the plotty nature of the crime story.
The Best American Mystery Stories 2006 is a wide-ranging collection of mysteries that show the vast variety within the genre, of voice and subject matter and everything in between. There are straight-up comedy routines (with a hint of cynicism; these are, after all, crime stories), litfic-type "moment of revelation" stories, stories that exploit experimental and novel narrative techniques, nostalgia-heavy trips to the great crimes of the past, and not a single traditional detective story. As a fan of the traditional Sherlock Holmes model, however, I found that I didn't miss the presence of similar characters in this book; instead, The Best American Mystery Stories 2006 celebrates the diversity of the mystery genre, a diversity that should please even the pickiest reader. What's so compelling about these stories is the way in which readers can relate to the criminals, the way that we root for the bad guy protagonist of "Ringing the Changes" despite the fact that he is a very seedy character and the kind of guy we detest in CSI or Law & Order. I think literary crime stories have a kind of freedom in which we can be on either side of the law or in which the sides don't even necessarily exist. The Best American Mystery Stories 2006 is worth a look for its authors' willingness to probe the depths to which we will sink, to reveal surprising facts and mysteries about human nature not quite possible without seeing the darkest faces of humanity.
Grade: A
There are, of course, many stories that are simply fun; these are the stories I love, the ones that ask us to sympathize with society's devils as they prey on people just like us. It's also refreshing to realize the humor that the mystery genre can offer, both slapstick and a little darker. Laura Lippman is quickly becoming an annual favorite with me, and "The Crack Cocaine Diet" is absolutely hilarious throughout, though tragic in its way. Her ease of voice and despicable characters can't help but please and her plot moves along at a zippy place along with her zippy language. "Improvisation," a final story from Ed McBain, has at its heart a far darker kind of humor, but I couldn't help but love its evisceration of acting hopefuls through quick twists and turns of plot that are never unnecessary and always keep the reader happily on one's toes. "McHenry's Gift", by Mike Maclean, and Sue Pike's "A Temporary Crown" each exemplify in their way the delight of the mystery genre and its clean conclusions. Each has an ending perfectly suited to the story as each leaves the imprint of a smile; stories like these are simply a joy to read. Also appealing and exemplary are the stories that grab you immediately and drag you in their conclusions to strange and distant places: "Born Bad" by Jeffery Deaver is a weak example, William Harrison's "Texas Heat" a bit better, and Andrew Klavan's "Her Lord and Master" the best of the lot; each has a lovely twist that showcases the strengths of the plotty nature of the crime story.
The Best American Mystery Stories 2006 is a wide-ranging collection of mysteries that show the vast variety within the genre, of voice and subject matter and everything in between. There are straight-up comedy routines (with a hint of cynicism; these are, after all, crime stories), litfic-type "moment of revelation" stories, stories that exploit experimental and novel narrative techniques, nostalgia-heavy trips to the great crimes of the past, and not a single traditional detective story. As a fan of the traditional Sherlock Holmes model, however, I found that I didn't miss the presence of similar characters in this book; instead, The Best American Mystery Stories 2006 celebrates the diversity of the mystery genre, a diversity that should please even the pickiest reader. What's so compelling about these stories is the way in which readers can relate to the criminals, the way that we root for the bad guy protagonist of "Ringing the Changes" despite the fact that he is a very seedy character and the kind of guy we detest in CSI or Law & Order. I think literary crime stories have a kind of freedom in which we can be on either side of the law or in which the sides don't even necessarily exist. The Best American Mystery Stories 2006 is worth a look for its authors' willingness to probe the depths to which we will sink, to reveal surprising facts and mysteries about human nature not quite possible without seeing the darkest faces of humanity.
Grade: A
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