| Title | : | Bibliomysteries: Stories of Crime in the World of Books and Bookstores |
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | |
| ISBN | : | 1681774585 |
| ISBN-10 | : | 9781681774589 |
| Language | : | English |
| Format Type | : | Hardcover |
| Number of Pages | : | 544 |
| Publication | : | First published January 1, 2013 |
The stories in this unique collection were commissioned by the Mysterious Bookshop. They were written by some of the mystery genre’s most distinguished authors. Tough guys like Ken Bruen, Reed Farrel Coleman, Loren D. Estleman, and Mickey Spillane and Max Allan Collins. Bestsellers like Nelson DeMille, Anne Perry, and Jeffery Deaver. Edgar winners such as C. J. Box, Thomas H. Cook, and Laura Lippman.
Here you will discover Sigmund Freud dealing with an unwelcome visitor; Columbo confronting a murderous bookseller; a Mexican cartel kingpin with a fatal weakness for rare books; and deadly secrets deep in the London Library; plus books with hidden messages, beguiling booksellers, crafty collectors, and a magical library that is guaranteed to enchant you. The stories have been published in seven languages—one has sold more than 250,000 copies as an e-book (“The Book Case” by Nelson DeMille)—and another won the Edgar Allan Poe Award as the Best Short Story of the Year (“The Caxton Lending Library and Book Depository” by John Connolly).
Who knew literature could be so lethal!
Bibliomysteries: Stories of Crime in the World of Books and Bookstores Reviews
-
”If you open your dictionary, you will discover that there is no such word as ‘bibliomystery.’ However, most mystery readers knew that the word refers to a mystery story that involves the world of books: a rare volume, a bookshop, a library, a collector or a bookseller.”
I do believe it is time that bibliomystery be recognized by every dictionary as...yes indeed...a word.
There are a couple of stories in this anthology dealing with...death by bookcase. I do often wonder as I wander deep into the bowels of my library if a falling bookcase might be my own demise. Colombo, in one story, is trying to trap a murderous bookseller, giving his trademark dumb act to be smart. One of my favorites is of a Mexican cartel drug lord who has a penchant for first editions. The tension for me ratchets up as I start to fear for his book collection as his enemies plot to kill him. Watch the fucking books, you philistines! There are stories dealing with hidden messages in the text of books and secrets buried deep in the vaults of libraries. A trail of clues might lead one to treasure or death. Sigmund Freud has an unexpected and insidious visitor who smells of sulphur and that very special cologne of fear that followed the SS wherever they went. I almost need a shower after reading that story. There is certainly something for everyone in this collection...what am I saying? Of course, there is. For after all, don’t we all like books, and don’t we all like murders most foul?
Otto Penzler, who is the owner of The Mysterious Bookshop in New York, edited this volume of stories, and he called upon the top names in the field, writers who are very familiar with the bestseller list. It is sort of interesting to read them all in one place because I find, with a few exceptions, that really their writing styles are very similar. There does seem to be a certain formula of style to be a bestselling author. Regardless, the star of most of these stories is the clever plotting. I read these stories sort of scattershot. One here, one there, between long reading bouts in other books. They are like a cookie treat between bigger meals.
The book finishes with a blast from the past for me. I have not read a story with Nelson Demille’s wisecracking John Corey in a long time and was pleasantly surprised that I still find his acerbic musings so entertaining. If you haven’t read Plum Island and need a book for a trip, although travel these days has become almost impossible, or the perfect beach read, although beaches have become very dangerous, virus-ridden places...is the concept of a beach read a relic of a bygone year? Well, if you could do those things, Plum Island would be the perfect companion. Maybe on second thought, it would be best if you just stay home in the safety of your favorite reading chair and let your mind do all the traveling.
If you wish to see more of my most recent book and movie reviews, visit
http://www.jeffreykeeten.com I also have a Facebook blogger page at:
https://www.facebook.com/JeffreyKeeten and an Instagram account
https://www.instagram.com/jeffreykeeten/ -
Contents:
xxx - Introduction by Ian Rankin
003 - "An Acceptable Sacrifice " by Jeffery Deaver
043 - "Pronghorns of the Third Reich" by C.J. Box
069 - "The Book of Virtue" by Ken Bruen
093 - "The Book of Ghosts" by Reed Farrel Coleman
121 - "The Final Testament" by Peter Blauner
151 - "What's In A Name? " by Thomas H. Cook
179 - "Book Club" by Loren D. Estleman
203 - "Death Leaves A Bookmark" by William Link
231 - "The Book Thing" by Laura Lippman
257 - "The Scroll" by Anne Perry
293 - "It's In the Book" by Mickey Spillane & Max Allan Collins
333 - "The Long Sonata of the Dead" by Andrew Taylor
361 - "Rides A Stranger" by David Bell
413 - "The Caxton Lending Library & Book Depository"by John Connolly
471 - "The Book Case" by Nelson DeMille. -
B.R.A.CE. 2019 Νο 111:Ένα βιβλίο που κόστισε πάνω από 20 ευρώ
Τι ωραίο βιβλίο! Ο εσωτερικός μου περαδώθε αγαλλίασε στις σελίδες του, αλήθεια! 💯💯
🔥 Μια αποδεκτή θυσία : Ένας βιβλιοφάγος / συλλέκτης, αρχηγός καρτέλ ναρκωτικών ( ή όχι ) και οι 2 αστυνομικοί που έχουν αναλάβει την δολοφονία του
🔥 Αντιλόπες του Τρίτου Ράιχ: Ένας άνθρωπος ψάχνει την δικαίωση για τον πατέρα του στην ληστεία μιας ιδιωτικής βιβλιοθήκης
🔥 Το βιβλίο της Αρετής: Κληρονομεί ένα βιβλίο από τον πατέρα του, αν πρόσεχε ίσως να ήταν διαφορετική η εξέλιξη του.
🔥 Το βιβλίο των φαντασμάτων: Ένας Εβραίος μετανάστης στην Αμερική και το μυστικό που κουβαλούσε από όταν το έσκασε από το στρατόπεδο συγκεντρώσεως
🔥 Η τελική διαθήκη: Μπορείς να εκβιάσεις τον Φρόυντ;
🔥 Τι κρύβει ένα όνομα: Ένας γερμανός συγγραφέας συναντάει έναν γέρο; Έχει σημασία το όνομα του;
🔥 Λέσχη Βιβλίου: Ένας συλλέκτης βιβλίων δολοφονείται; Ποιός είναι ο δολοφόνος;
🔥Ο Θάνατος αφήνει σελιδοδείκτη: Ένας βιβλιοπώλης δολοφονείται; Θα συλλάβουν τον δολοφόνο;
🔥 The Book Thing: Κάποιος κλέβει βιβλία, ποιός είναι; τι κίνητρο έχει;
🔥 Ο Πάπυρος: Πόσο επικίνδυνος μπορεί να είναι;
Μειονέκτημα η τιμή του ( 19,80€ ) και ότι το χώρισαν σε 2 τόμους. -
Otto Penzler, critic, editor, and owner of the Mysterious Book Store in NYC (which was one of the first places I visited on my initial trip to NYC) has gathered in this volume a group of short stories and novellas which involve books and bookstores. Some of the authors are unknown to me but many are contemporary writers such as Jeffrey Deaver, Anne Perry, and Nelson DeMille and the stories are set mostly in modern times. They vary in quality but that is to be expected in a collection. A good book to have on your bed side table for quick reading.
-
Who knew literature could be so lethal...
15 dažādu autoru stāsti, kuru centrā ir grāmatas. Dažādas grāmatas - tās, kuras nogalina, ar kurām nogalina (burtiski) un kuru dēļ nogalina. Dīvaini grāmatu tirgotāji, ekscentriski kolekcionāri, shady grāmatu klubs. Tas viss apkopots šajā stāstu izlasē. Acīmredzot normāli cilvēki grāmatas īpaši nelasa. Kas to būtu domājis! -
I received a copy of this book to read and review from the publisher through NetGalley.
BIBLIOMYSTERIES edited by Otto Penzler is an impressive collection of short stories written by well known mystery crime writers, and the editor has done a fine job of compiling this assortment into a book that flows from one story to the next with a common theme, being they are all centered around books.
Most often when I read books that are a collection of short stories I will read a story at a time and can take time off between each one and don’t finish the book in a short amount of time, however I read this book rather quickly due to both the quality of the stories themselves (not surprising considering the authors), and how well this was put together by the editor.
Otto Penzler caught my attention as editor of the fine book “The Lineup” (recommended) that is made up of well known authors discussing the best known characters from their novels that I found very enjoyable.
Also of interest and on my to-read list is “In Pursuit of Spenser” that is a collection of well known author’s insights into Robert B. Parker’s “Spenser”.
I recommend this book to all fans of mystery>crime short stories, and followers of the authors who’ve written the stories included here.
5 stars. -
3.5☆. Κάποιες ιστορίες μου άρεσαν αρκετά κάποιες άλλες όχι και τόσο.
-
2.5/5
-
Otto Penzler, famed editor, publisher, anthologist, and owner of The Mysterious Bookshop in New York City has put together an impressive collection of crime short stories, all having something to do with the world of books. Murders taking place in bookstores or libraries, alternate histories involving specific books, supernatural infusions into the world of books, and even a couple of hitmen who use their target’s weakness for books to set their plan in motion, … you get the idea. But they all feature a background of bookstores, libraries, rare books, manuscripts, priceless volumes and eccentric book collectors. I found them, by and large to be great reads.
The authors represented are a veritable who’s who of crime/mystery works.
John Connolly,
Anne Perry,
Thomas H. Cook,
Ken Bruen,
C.J. Box,
Jeffery Deaver, and
Nelson DeMille are but a few. There is even a Mike Hammer short story begun by
Mickey Spillane and completed by
Max Allan Collins. All were new to me except for the DeMille tale, “The Book Case” featuring the inimitable character of John Corey in his early days. I’d come across that one elsewhere but it’s hard to go wrong by re-reading a DeMille story.
All told, this was a wonderful collection. Thankfully, there is a second volume already out and since these stories are written exclusively for and published by The Mysterious Bookshop every month, I suspect future volumes will continue to arrive. Fingers crossed. -
Not quite a four-star read, but definitely had some entertaining stories, and a couple of gems. I particularly enjoyed The Book of Ghosts (Reed Farrel Coleman); The Scroll (Anne Perry); The Long Sonata of the Dead (Andrew Taylor); Rides a Stranger (David Bell): and my particular favorite, The Caxton Lending Library & Book Depository, by John Connolly. The last is probably my favorite of the whole anthology, with The Scroll being a close second. Well worth the time.
-
"...Diaz realized he was stabbed by guilt at the thought that he'd just planted a bomb that would take the life of a man at his most vulnerable, doing something he loved and found comfort in: reading a book." (Jeffrey Deaver)
Otto Penzler doesn’t mess around, and so when I saw this collection, I was all in. Many thanks go to Net Galley and Pegasus Books for the digital review copy, which I received free in exchange for this honest review. This title is now for sale.
All of the stories included here are themed around books; we have bookstores of course, and libraries, both public and private, magical and actual. All of them are copyrighted between 2011 and 2013. In addition to the excellent name of the editor here, some of whose other collections I have enjoyed, I saw three authors that I knew I wanted to read right away: John Connolly, Thomas H Cook, and Max Allan Collins. Sure enough, all three of their contributions were excellent; I have to admit Connolly’s was my favorite--featuring book characters that had come to life, which made me laugh out loud—but the quality was strong throughout. The very first story is by Jeffrey Deaver; I had never read his work before and it is excellent, so now I have a new author to follow. I confess I didn’t like the second story, which is by C.J. Box; I found his writing style curiously abrasive and I bailed. The third story likewise didn’t strike a chord. However, that still gives me 12 or 13 outstanding stories, and the collection is thick and juicy, like a terrific steak. Or tofu burger, depending on the reader’s tastes.
I can’t think of a more congenial collection than mysteries and books. For those that love the genre, this book is highly recommended. -
Πρέπει να γίνει η ίδια ιδέα και με δισκάδικα και δίσκους βινυλιου.
-
Bibliomysteries is an anthology put together by Otto Penzler, a well-known advocate of the mystery genre, and features fictional stories written by famous mystery authors which all involve books in some fashion. If you are a bibliophile and especially if you are a devotee of the mystery genre like me, you will definitely enjoy this book.
Here’s the lineup:
– Introduction by Ian Rankin
– “An Acceptable Sacrifice ” by Jeffery Deaver
– “Pronghorns of the Third Reich” by C.J. Box
– “The Book of Virtue” by Ken Bruen
– “The Book of Ghosts” by Reed Farrel Coleman
– “The Final Testament” by Peter Blauner
– “What’s In A Name?” by Thomas H. Cook
– “Book Club” by Loren D. Estleman
– “Death Leaves A Bookmark” by William Link
– “The Book Thing” by Laura Lippman
– “The Scroll” by Anne Perry
– “It’s In the Book” by Mickey Spillane & Max Allan Collins
– “The Long Sonata of the Dead” by Andrew Taylor
– “Rides A Stranger” by David Bell
– “The Caxton Lending Library & Book Depository” by John Connolly
– “The Book Case” by Nelson DeMille.
I don’t want to give too much away by describing each story with any more detail than they do in the description (with how short each story is, I’d end up telling the whole thing!) but I will say that each story is very unique and it was fun seeing how different writers would work out completely different tales using the same prompt.
I enjoyed all of the stories, with one exception, which is really good odds for an anthology. My favorite two stories were “The Book Thing” by Laura Lippman & “The Caxton Lending Library & Book Depository” by John Connolly (definite favorite!), with close runners up in “The Scroll” by Anne Perry & “Rides A Stranger” by David Bell.
I’d highly recommend this anthology to anyone who loves mysteries, especially if they also love books. It’s not only a fun ride, it’s also a great introduction to authors you may not have read yet. I know I’m definitely going to be adding some of these authors to my “TBR” pile! -
Otto Penzler is the owner of the famous Mysterious Bookstore and founder of The Mysterious Press but one of the things he does and does well is compile books of short stories. With his connections to authors he is able to get some wonderful stories for his compilations. In this addition which are mysteries and thrillers that all have a connection to books, he has authors such as C.J. Box, Laura Lippmann, and Peter Blauner contribute. Every story is clever and well worth the time. If you only have time for a few, try the Caxton Lending Library and Book Depository by John Connolly and Rides a Stranger by David Bell. Connolly’s story has a bit of magic realism to it and its plot may be a little familiar but it is wonderfully written and has a lovely ending. David Bell’s story is about an adult son who comes home to visit his dying father and finds that they had much more in common than he ever suspected. I’m looking forward to volume two which just came in 2018.
Get Bibliomysteries: Stories of Crime in the World of Books and Bookstores from the Denver Public Library
- Lisa B -
In most short story collections, there are losers and winners. This one is a pretty even collection, in my opinion. Even my least favorite, "The Book Case" by Nelson DeMille, is not a badly written story. I just REALLY didn't like the narrator. He's an asshole and if he has his own series, I'll be passing on that one. (UPDATE: It's John Corey, and yes, he has his own series. And yes, GR reviews seem to indicate he's a jerk.)
I think my favorite is David Bell's "Rides A Stranger," in which a grown son learns a lot about his deceased father.
There are some established characters - a story featuring Columbo, and one with Mike Hammer.
There are 2 or 3 stories that have supernatural elements; the rest are straight crime/mystery fiction. But all stories in this collection are centered around books: books, bookstores, libraries, book clubs, readers, authors.
Truly enjoyable collection; I will be looking for the next compilation. -
I’m not sure why I picked up this book when I already knew it’d get three stars if I read it. There are a lot of big-name authors here, who wrote short stories between 25-50 pages, but, strangely enough, it was the authors whom I’d never heard of who wrote, in my opinion, the best mysteries about books and/or bookstores. After a while, it was tough to slog through, and, admittedly, I gave up on 4-5 of these. And, as always, there were scenes and ending plot twists in this collection that will stick with me for a long time. But for goodness sakes, Mr. Penzler, get a second pair of eyes to assist you with the edits!
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15 more short stories involving books and bookstores as compiled by Otto Penzler - didn’t like as well as Volume II but enjoyed most of the mysteries.
Thomas H Cook had one of the best entries - “What’s in a Name?” He is one of my favorite authors and a great historian so I was very surprised to see him misquote the poem “In Flanders Field” - the poppies BLOW not GROW!! C’mon editors, wake up and smell the poppies or was that the problem??? -
Fun topics
-
A book about books being involved in mysteries? Sold. Here's a thought or two on each story:
An Acceptable Sacrifice by Jeffrey Deaver
I was a little uncomfortable with the handling of Mexicans by the white G-man but it did a good job of twist-counter twist-twist by sowing the seeds of doubt as to whether the Mexican book-loving drug lord was in fact a drug lord or just a successful businessman.
Pronghorns of the Third Reich by C.J. Box
Two former cattle hands take the lawyer that convicted them out to the ranch whose owner just died because one of them’s father got screwed out of his share of the ranch. Everyone betrays everyone in the midst of a horrid snow storm. In the abandoned house, the lawyer burns books, for heat. I was not a fan of that. There’s a photo, shown at the end of the story that corroborates the story of the ranch owner selling the eponymous pronghorns to the Nazis.
The Book of Virtue by Ken Bruen
The story was almost all one line, sometimes one word, paragraphs. Made for a quick read about a criminal whose abusive dad died but has a book that may, or may not, have secrets that’ll help take down other criminals. Lots of pissing contests, and betrayals. Not a bad story but not a good one either.
The Book of Ghosts by Reed Farrel Coleman
A concentration camp survivor tells a tall tale to get to America. The Book of Ghosts was supposed to be a laundry list of deeds by the Nazis. He did some bad stuff and fibs not a little regarding the book. So when it’s found. Uh-oh. It was odd to see a concentration camp survivor portrayed in a bad light. It also featured a gay couple. And I’m unsure if they were treated kindly. A tough read for these reasons.
The Final Testament by Peter Blauner
The story of Dr. Freud and his dubious escape from the Germans and the attempted blackmail by someone who knows too much. It was interesting seeing history meet fiction. The background note at the end discloses that Dr. Freud did break the law by not paying his fair share, according to the Nazis.The title refers to Freud��s last book, which he’s trying to complete before he dies. The details about his reconstructed jaw due to cancer was pretty gross.
What’s in a Name by Thomas A. Cook
Continuing the WWII trend, as well as the historical fiction one, an author lectures about how people don’t change history, events do. A former classmate of the protagonist hangs back and they talk about whether a person can change history all the while clutching close to his chest is a book he wants published. I saw it coming though enjoyed it just the same.
Book Club by Loren D. Estlman
The setting, New Mexico, really came alive for me. The murder of a book clollector is investigated by a retire detective-cum-book store owner and the local law. It was a predictable ending but it was an example of how the setting and the people really make the story.
Death Leaves a Bookmark by WIlliam Link
I’d never read a Columbo story before this. It was not a good place to start. He really doesn’t do much.
The Book Thing by Laura Lippman
Books go missing from a surly Children’s bookstore owner’s store.
The Scroll by Anne Perry
This wasn’t about a book in its strictest sense but rather a scroll. Hence the title. It’s the lost confession of Judas that’s at the bottom of a box of donations to a bookstore. Three parties are after it. Murder and mayhem and faith and fear ensue. It’s was different from the others but I quite enjoyed it.
It’s in the Book by Mickey Spillane and Max Allan Collins
Like Columbo, Max Hammer was a famous detective I’d only heard of, never read of. It was closer to the Noir style and I liked that about it. A Don dies and rumor has it, Hammer was mailed a book that’s supposed to have contained secrets that’ll help the successor run the family empire. Enter a son from a mistress and his supposed ignorance of his true father. It was a solid story.
The Long Sonata of The Dead by Andrew Taylor
I did not care for this one. It had the jaded feeling, the one who made it vs the one who didn’t contest. The book is one that’s wanted by both of them. It just missed its mark with me. It was well-written but I just didn’t care for the characters.
Rides a Stranger by David Bell
A dad dies and a son realizes his dad wrote a mystery novel, Rides a Stranger, before he (the son, not the dad, duh.) was born. It’s got a cult following because it was part of a limited series and a problem with printing made it the smallest release. People get killed over it.
The Caxton Lending Library & Book Depository by John Connoly
A library that has only first editions and manuscripts acts at the Ur-copies of the stories. Oh and when a character from the book achieves a certain level of fame, being known to the general populous without their having read the book, they come alive. I love this trope. I just finished another book, The Library of the Unwritten, that dealt with it as well. The beginning is a bit plodding but it ended up being one of my favorites in the collection.
The Book Case by Nelson DeMille
A Indie bookstore owner is found crushed at his desk by a huge book case. The wife and the bestselling author are the prime suspects. The story spans only a matter of hours until Det. John Corey figures out whodunnit. The Det was a little off for me but I did enjoy it. -
Αρχικά να πω ότι υπήρχαν κάποιες ιστορίες (δύο ή τρεις) που ήταν καλές. Γενικά τα περισσότερα διηγήματα ήταν λες και είχαν γραφτεί στο πόδι, από αδιάφορα λογοτεχνικά έως κακογραμμένα.
Και σαν να μην έφτανε αυτό, η μετάφραση ήταν λίγο καλύτερη από Google translate. Ενδεικτικά αναφέρω:
"Μπορώ να σας βάλω στον πειρασμό για ένα γλυκό;" το οποίο προφανώς είναι αυτολεξεί μετάφραση της φράσης "Can I tempt you with a dessert?" και που δεν χρησιμοποιείται στα ελληνικά.
"Το δωμάτιο ήταν τυπικό." από το "The room was typical"(!!) Στα ελληνικά θα έπρεπε να είναι "τυπικό δείγμα δωματίου...", αλλιώς το δωμάτιο μάλλον έχει καλούς τρόπους ή κάνει τη δουλειά του τηρώντας τους τύπους...
"Του είπε ότι καταλάβαινε. Τι κουκλί, σκέφτηκε". Υποθέτω "What a doll!", μόνο που στα ελληνικά θα το μεταφράζαμε "τι καλό κορίτσι" γιατί το κουκλί το λέμε για την ομορφιά.
"Τι λατρεμένο!", το οποίο μπορώ να υποθέσω μόνο ότι ήταν στα αγγλικά "How adorable" (πόσο αξιολάτρευτο).
Κι αυτά είναι από τις δύο ιστορίες που μου άρεσαν περισσότερο!
Ευτυχώς που ήταν ιστορίες μυστηρίου και είχαν λίγο σασπένς, διαφορετικά θα το είχα παρατήσει. -
This is an immensely enjoyable anthology of short stories by some great writers such as John Connolly and Jefferey Deaver. Spanning different decades, the one thing all these tales have in common is books. That's right, books; books that are used as murder weapons, rare books that people will kill to get their hands on and, my personal favourite, first edition manuscripts whose characters come to life.
I loved this anthology, it is a bookworm's dream. -
Bought this for cheap at Half Price Books not really expecting much from this collection of mystery stories by big time mystery authors featuring deaths involving books.
Ended up enjoying all but maybe one of the stories more than I thought I would.
Also, these are pretty easy, light reads and it's not hard to tear through it. Would recommend for book/mystery/crime lovers. -
It's always hard to rate a book of short stories, especially if they've been written by different authors. Inevitably there will be some stories or authors that you really like and others that you don't. Perhaps it's best to just rate each story separately, in the order they appear in the book. Having done so and looking over the results, I'm surprised that I actually kept reading this book to the end. Perhaps I kept going because I read one or two stories at a time in between reading other books. From what I remembered of the earlier stories (and at least one I couldn't remember at all), I only liked the last 3 stories of the 15 in the collection.
*** Introduction by Ian Rankin
** An Acceptable Sacrifice by Jeffery Deaver -- Set in hot Mexico, two hit men on a mission to kill a man with a large private library of priceless books.
* Pronghorns of the Third Reich by C.J. Box -- Similar to the previous story, but two men who kidnap a lawyer in Wyoming, a blizzard, something about inheritance, ranches and airlifting animals, and a private library of priceless books.
* The Book of Virtue by Ken Bruen -- I flipped through the pages after finishing the whole book and can't remember even reading this one or anything about it. Unusual style -- mostly one sentence paragraphs.
* (1.5?) The Book of Ghosts by Reed Farrel Coleman -- About a book that was smuggled out of a concentration camp. I was confused by something at the end.
* The Final Testament by Peter Blauner -- Vienna, Nazis, Sigmund Freud and someone who wants to publish Freud's work under his own name in return for a favor. I'm generally not a fan of books at this time period or Nazis.
* What's In A Name? by Thomas H. Cook -- NYC, 50 years after the end of WWI. After giving a presentation at the History Bookstore, the speaker (a wealthy man) is approached by an elderly gentleman wearing worn clothing, who claims they were in school together in Germany. I'm not sure I got the point of the ending.
** Book Club by Loren D. Estleman -- The owner of a dark bookshop with narrow passages in an old Mission building in New Mexico is friends with a local book collector, who gets murdered. The bookshop owner helps the police solve the case. Not memorable.
** Death Leaves A Bookmark by William Link -- Two more-or-less cousins decide to kill their rich elderly uncle so they can get their inheritance. They tip over a bookcase onto him. Colombo is the detective.
** The Book Thing by Laura Lippman -- Clever solution to thefts from bookstores that involves a real place in Baltimore where you can take whatever books you want for free.
* The Scroll by Anne Perry -- A scroll found in the bottom of a box of books delivered to an antiquarian bookshop. It can't be photocopied or photographed. A scholar and a bishop approach the owner of the bookshop to buy the scroll, which contains information that would have a big impact on society.
* It's In the Book by Mickey Spillane & Max Allan Collins -- Mike Hammer, NYPD, a NY Senator, the mob, and a ledger recording all of the crimes. not my cup of tea.
*** (2.5?) The Long Sonata of the Dead by Andrew Taylor -- Three friends from college, 20 years later the narrator discovers that the marriage between his two friends is breaking down and his male friend, a successful author, is writing a book on the same obscure author that he is writing about.
**** Rides A Stranger by David Bell -- I was not familiar with this author, but liked this story about the murder of a bookstore owner and a young man who looks for the cause of the murder
**** The Caxton Lending Library & Book Depository by John Connolly -- A man sees a woman killed by a train and no one believes him. He discovers an unusual book depository that no one seems to know about.
**** The Book Case by Nelson DeMille. -- Very cleverly-named, well-written, and fast-paced detective story narrated by a wry New York detective who solves a murder that happened when a bookcase fell onto the owner of a bookstore while he is sitting at his desk. -
Σε μια συλλογή διηγημάτων, ιδιαίτερα από διαφορετικούς συγγραφείς, υπάρχει πάντα το πρόβλημα ότι άλλος συγγραφέας μπορεί να αρέσει και άλλος όχι. Όπως επίσης το ότι υπάρχει ένα κοινό στοιχείο που αρέσει (εδώ συγκεκριμένα τα βιβλία), δεν αυξάνει οπωσδήποτε τις πιθανότητες να αρέσει και κάθε κείμενο που το συμπεριλαμβάνει. Eμπνευστής της συλλογής αυτής είναι ο Ότο Πένσλερ, ο 77χρονος ιδιοκτήτης του The Mysterious Bookshop, βάζοντας εδώ σαν όρο τη χρήση του βιβλίου στην εξέλιξη των ιστοριών. Στον πρώτο τόμο της συλλογής όλες οι ιστορίες ��χουν χρησιμοποιήσει έξυπνα το βιβλίο στην πλοκή τους. Και ομολογώ ότι, αν και ελάχιστους από αυτούς ήξερα, παρόλα αυτά εκτίμησα τον διαφορετικό τρόπο χρήσης του βιβλίου στο στιλ ιστορίας του καθενός συγγραφέα. Μου άρεσαν πιο πολύ:
"Μια Αποδεκτή Θυσία" του Τζέφρι Ντίβερ (γνωστός από τα Bell) με την πραγματικά αξιαγάπητη βιβλιοφιλική ευαισθησία εκτελεστή ενός βαρώνου καρτέλ και τις εκπληκτικές ανατροπές της.
"Το βιβλίο των φαντασμάτων" του Ριντ Φάρελ Κόλμαν, όπου περιγράφεται πολύ επιδέξια το αδιέξοδο στο οποίο πέφτει ένας επιζών από στρατόπεδο συγκέντρωσης των Ναζί, όταν οικειοποιείται το κρυφό βιβλίο ενός θανόντα συγκρατούμενού του χωρίς να ξέρει καν ποιο είναι το περιεχόμενό του.
"Τι κρύβει ένα όνομα;" του Τόμας Χ. Κουκ, όπου ένας έμπορος σπάνιων βιβλίων έρχεται σε επαφή με μια διαβολική πλευρά της Ιστορίας και προκύπτει ως πολύ έξυπνη και σχεδόν σατυρική η ερώτηση του τίτλου.
"The Book Thing" της Λόρα Λίπμαν, μια μητέρα μικρού κοριτσιού μετατρέπεται σε επίδοξη ντετέκτιβ για να βρει ποιος κλέβει βιβλία από ένα συνοικιακό βιβλιοπωλείο διαπιστώνοντας ότι μια ψυχαναγκαστική συμπεριφορά μπορεί να πάρει αναπάντεχες διαστάσεις.
"Η Λέσχη Βιβλίου" της Λορίν Ίστλμαν, με τη δολοφονία ενός συλλέκτη βιβλίων τοπικής ιστορίας, ένας βιβλιοπώλης συνδυάζει τις αρετές του ντετέκτιβ με τις εμπορικές του, σ' αυτό το καθαρόαιμα αστυνομικό διήγημα.
"Ο θάνατος αφήνει σελιδοδείκτη" του Γουίλιαμ Λινκ, μια ιστορία του "δήθεν αδέξιου" επιθεωρητή Κολόμπο (που τόσο καλά υποδύθηκε στην ομώνυμη τηλεοπτική σειρά ο Πίτερ Φολκ) ο οποίος καταφέρνει να ξεσκεπάσει έναν άπληστο ανιψιό που σκοτώνει τον βιβλιοπώλη θείο του ρίχνοντάς του μια ολόκληρη βιβλιοθήκη πάνω του.
Τα υπόλοιπα διηγήματα δεν μου άφησαν και πολλά να θυμάμαι, αλλά στο σύνολό της η συλλογή ήταν ένα ευχάριστο ανάγνωσμα και η αφορμή για περαιτέρω ειδικότερη αναζήτηση των επιμέρους συγγραφέων και φυσικά αναμένω τον δεύτερο τόμο της πολύ καλής συνεργασίας του εκδοτικού οίκου Άγρα με αυτή του Public.
In a collection of short stories, especially from different writers, there is always the problem that other writers may be likable and others not. As well as the fact that when there is a common element in a collection (as it is specifically the books here), it doesn’t necessarily increase the popularity of the story that includes it. The inventor of this collection is Otto Penzler, the 77-year-old owner of The Mysterious Bookshop in New York, who has put the term of using the book element in the plot of the stories. In the first volume of the collection, all the stories have a smart use of it. And I confess that even if few of the writers were well known to me, yet I appreciated the different way that the book element was used in the style of each author. I liked more:
"An Acceptable Sacrifice" by Jeffrey Deaver with the truly loveable bibliophilic sensitivity of a hitman of a drug baron and the stunning reversals.
"The Book of Ghosts" by Reed Farrel Coleman, where the deadlock of a Nazi concentration camp survivor is described in a skillful way, when he appropriates his deceased cellmate’s secret book, without even knowing what its contents are.
"What hides a name?" by Thomas H. Cook, where a dealer of rare books comes in contact with a diabolical side of the History and the question of the title appears in a very intelligent and almost satirical way.
"The Book Thing" by Laura Lippman, a mother of a little girl, turns into an aspiring detective to find out who steals books from a district bookstore by finding that compulsive behavior can get unexpected dimensions.
"The Book Club" by Loren D. Estleman, with the assassination of a local history book collector, where a bookseller combines his detective virtues with his commercial in this thoroughbred crime story.
"Death leaves a bookmark," by William Link, a story of the allegedly awkward Lieutenant Columbo (who was so skillfully portrayed in the titular TV series by Peter Falk), who manages to uncover a greedy nephew who kills his uncle, who has a rare bookshop, by throwing on him an entire bookcase.
The rest of the short stories didn’t leave me much to remember, but the whole collection was a pleasant reading and also became the occasion for a further specific search of the individual authors and of course, I can't wait for the second volume. -
Who knew the world of books could be so deadly?
My thanks to my contacts at Pegasus Books, Iris Blasi, Katie McGuire, and Maia Larson, for my review copy of this book. You ladies rock!
This is a volume of fifteen short tales that are mysteries that evolve bookstores, book collections, rare books, authors, etc. They vary in length but most have been written very well. I really enjoyed the book!
I want to touch on each story briefly. I do not intend to give major spoilers but maybe a warning should be given.
• "An Acceptable Sacrifice" by Jeffery Deaver deals with a Mexican drug lord with a taste for rare books.
• "Pronghorns of the Third Reich" by CJ Box deals with a man who believes himself wronged and seeks a book collection in order to square things. Kudos for being based on a single genuine historic photo!
• "The Book of Virtue" by Ken Bruen is next. Told in the first person, it deals with an inheritance that consists of a single book. I didn't really get whatever the author was trying to say. I liked this one the least. Sorry, Ken…
• "The Books of Ghosts" by Reed Farrell Coleman was a very interesting story. The Book of Ghosts is about a legendary book said to be written in a Nazi Concentration Camp. The historical part of this story is an insight into the horror of camps like Auschwitz… This story is the runner-up for "Best in Book…"
• "The Final Testament" by Peter Blauner is a nice piece of historical fiction dealing with Sigmund Freud!
• "What's in a Name?" by Thomas H Cook relates the story of a world where WWII never took place. In this alternate history, a man is trying to publish a controversial book. Excellent!
• In the "Book Club" by Loren D Estleman, the prolific author's hero is a former detective turned bookseller!
• "Death Leaves a Bookmark" by William Link deals with a certain Lieutenant Columbo, who likely needs no introduction!
• In "The Book Thing" by Laura Lipton, the author writes about a real-world bookstore where all books are free.
• "The Scroll" by Anne Perry deals with a scroll found inside an old volume from an estate sale, which has very strange properties…
• The next story is "It's in the Book" by Mickey Spillane and Max Allen Collins. Max Allen Collins writes featuring Micky Spillane's character Mike Hammer…
• "The Long Sonata of the Dead" by Andrew Taylor finds two old foes running into each other at the London Library…
• In "Rides a Stranger" by David Bell, a man discovers that his father may have written a rare book…
• "The Caxton Lending Library" by John Connolly deals with a most unusual library in a most unusual place. This story is most definitely worthy of the award of "Best in Book!"
• "The Bookcase" by Nelson DeMille tells of a man who died when his heavy bookcase fell on him. Was it an accident, suicide, or murder?
This book is a worthy addition to any mystery lover's collection! I give the volume five stars!
Quoth the Raven… -
This was, without a doubt, the BEST short story collection I’ve ever read… I have a checkered past with shorts – I tend to get lured by interim writings from my favorite authors, only to routinely find myself disappointed (either at those tidbits from people I love or at the filler placed around them). Still, like any foolish optimist, I keep trying… I’m SO glad I did, because this was an incredible set of stories from a number of very talented authors.
Normally, I list my particular favorites in an anthology, because I think it’s interesting to see what people like/dislike, but perhaps more importantly because there are usually only a few redeeming graces for me. Not so this time! This time I actually liked – and read – nearly every story in the book. It was a rare exception (Pronghorns of the Third Reich or The Book of Ghosts, for example) that I did not finish one because I could not get into it. There were a surprising number that dealt Nazis/World War II – those are normally not genres that suit me, so there’s no great surprise that those stories were not my favorites. There were a few that I thought were good but not outstanding, but most importantly, there were multiple that I thought were simply fantastic. One of these I had read before (The Caxton Lending Library and Book Depository), but the others were new and absolutely delightful: What’s in a Name (an extraordinary concept!), Book Club, The Book Thing, The Scroll, and It’s in the Book – and one (The Book Case) of them has even sent me in search of its protagonist’s series, which now tops my To Be Read list…
It’s not every day that you get an anthology that includes more big names than random ones, but this one featured a slew of very well known authors (Anne Perry, Jeffrey Deaver, Mickey Spillane), many of whom I really enjoy (Nelson DeMille, John Connolly, Jeffrey Arher, Laura Lippman). Perhaps that explains the book’s appeal for me. Perhaps it is because the collection was curated by the indomitable Otto Penzler, owner of the Mysterious Bookshop in New York City (and an eponymous online shop for those of us who don’t live NYC-adjacent), and a true lover of books and stories. Or perhaps it was serendipity and I found this one at just the right time, when I was in the right frame of mind to enjoy the stories for what they were – delicious snapshots of the importance of books, bookstores, and libraries. Regardless, this was a sheer delight and one I cannot recommend highly enough – even for those of you that, like me, don’t always love the shorts…
My review copy was provided by NetGalley. -
This collection is the perfect read for lovers of books and mysteries. What can be better than murders themes around books?
These 15 short stories were written by distinguished mystery writers and they make every story count. The editor Otto Penzler put together an anthology of crime between books that fill fit the likes of most readers. From hidden messages inside old books, a deadly bookseller and the deep secrets a library might hide, make this book impossible to put down.
Each storyline is different but they all have something in common: books. The title was definitely well picked and it describes perfectly its content. All the stories take place in modern times and they all involve different types of books or characters related to books like booksellers, book collectors, books privately owned, public displayed books and even an old scroll. Even though most of the stories can be classified as thriller/mystery, some of them have a fantasy touch to them and one fits in the fantasy genre completely.
The authors with stories on this collection, by order of appearance, are:
Jeffery Deaver - "An Acceptable Sacrifice "
C.J. Box - "Pronghorns of the Third Reich"
Ken Bruen - "The Book of Virtue"
Reed Farrel Coleman - "The Book of Ghosts"
Peter Blauner - "The Final Testament"
Thomas Cook - "What's In A Name? "
Loren D. Estleman - "Book Club"
William Link - "Death Leaves A Bookmark"
Laura Lippman - "The Book Thing"
Anne Perry - "The Scroll"
Mickey Spillane & Max Allan Collins - "It's In the Book"
Andrew Taylor - "The Long Sonata of the Dead"
David Bell - "Rides A Stranger"
John Connolly - "The Caxton Lending Library & Book Depository"
Nelson DeMille - "The Book Case"
The editor Otto Penzler did a great job putting this anthology together. All the authors have different styles of writing, different ways of describing and interaction with the reader which is very refreshing when you’re jumping from story to story. Some of the authors I’m familiar with and it was a treat to read some short works from them, like Jeffrey Deaver, Thomas Cook and John Connolly. Additionally, discovering other authors just made my to-read list a bit longer for next year.
I absolutely recommend this anthology to all the fans of murder mysteries and books. These great authors write great stories and getting to know other creators of this genre might help you discover some great books you haven’t read yet.
Thank you NetGalley, the publisher Pegasus Books and the editor for allowing me to read and review a digital copy of this book. -
Thanks to John Dunning and Lawrence Block with help from Vicki Delaney and her Sherlock Holmes bookstore and Carolyn Hart with her Death on Demand bookstore, I have become enthralled with mysteries about books, book sellers and book stores. I also like Otto Penzler anthologies, so what could be better than a collection of stories about books edited by Penzler. These fifteen stories are by many authors with whom I am familiar and some of whom are new to me. I suspect that Penzler took particular pleasure with the last story by Nelson DeMille about the murder of a bookstore owner Otis Park who was killed by a bookcase falling on him as he sat at his desk. Both the owner and the bookstore seemed familiar to anyone who has frequented The Mysterious Bookshop, particularly in its original quarters before it moved to Tribeca. It is hard to pick out favorites although The Caxton Library and Book Depository is one that a book lover would like to visit, even if it were not possible to be a librarian there. There are a variety of stories, some focusing just on a particular book, others looking more at collections and the passions that collectors have about these treasures. Each story has the distinctive style of the particular author which is what makes a fine anthology such a pleasure to read. Each reader will have his or her favorite, but none of the stories is disappointing. The collection make you want to read more about books and those who love them, sometimes not wisely, but too well.
