| Title | : | The Best American Mystery Stories 1999 |
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | |
| ISBN | : | 0618013547 |
| ISBN-10 | : | 9780618013548 |
| Language | : | English |
| Format Type | : | Audio |
| Number of Pages | : | 1 |
| Publication | : | First published October 29, 1999 |
The Best American Mystery Stories 1999 Reviews
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Introduction by Ed McBain who also 'guest' edited this & read, not only this piece, but a couple of other stories. It was interesting with a good quick history & types of crime stories. He promises innovation, discovery, & wit, but I didn't find a lot of the first two in this collection, although it wasn't bad. I guess I've just read too many crime stories.
"Bech Noir" by John Updike read by McBain was pretty new & well done. Sick & twisted, though. I liked it a lot, although the end was a bit of a let down. I found the math that made their team to be fun.
He was 74, she was 26 - add together, divide by 2 & they were 50, the prime of their life.
LOL!
"Netmail" by Brendan DuBois is pretty dated because it relies on technology that wouldn't fool anyone now, but it was still quite good. Kind of obvious, although it was fun getting there.
"An Innocent Bystander" by Gary Krist who also read this. Not bad, but obvious from the start. If I had to pick 1 word to describe this story, it would be "inevitable".
"Keller's Last Refuge" by Lawrence Block, who also read this, was excellent. Keller all the way. I love the low-key, every day way that he deals with his job. It almost sounds like a public service.
"Sacrifice" by L. L. Thrasher read by McBain started off interesting & swiftly became obvious & a true horror story. Very good. Loved the main character.
"Secret, Silent" by Joyce Carol Oates read by Kristen Killian was just kind of weird. I guess I just missed what really happened or the point or something. Anyway, it didn't do anything for me.
"The Jailhouse Lawyer" by Phillip M. Margolin read by McBain was obvious from really early on.
The following stories appear in the paperback version, but weren't in this audio book:
"Redneck" by Loren D. Estleman,
"And Maybe the Horse Will Learn to Sing" by Gregory Fallis,
"Poachers" by Tom Franklin,
"Hitting Rufus" by Victor Gischler,
"Out There in the Darkness" by Ed Gorman,
"Survival" by Joseph Hansen,
"A Death on the Ho Chi Minh Trail" by David K. Harford,
"In Flanders Fields" by Peter Robinson,
"Dry Whiskey" by David B. Silva,
"Safe" by Gary A. Braunbeck,
"Fatherhood" by Thomas H. Cook,
"Wrong Time, Wrong Place" by Jeffery Deaver
So it looks like they left out over half the stories. Well, I got it for free from the library, so I can't complain too much. -
There are some really good stories in here also equally read well by Ed McBain himself and other authors. Its a delight to hear a good short snippet of mystery and thriller read out loud by an author.
These are the stories I liked...
Kellers Last Refuge by Lawrence Block
Keller a Hitman for hire.
He's taking up a job of patriotism for a change, a couple of kills for good old uncle Sam.
The thing is who's the contact and as Keller starts to check out his payee he tries to link to gather the governmental link and the true patriotism of his kills.
This is a great taster and peak into what its seems is be a likable clean character Keller he seems from this short story not to be a bourbon drinker like that of Scudder, Block's P.I created character.
This is my first taste into the day in the life of Hitman Keller and it proved to be interesting and humorous, i will read more stories with Keller in the future.
An innocent Bystander by Gary Krist
Intriguing tale of a man and a young girl, the young girl hitches a ride the man gives the ride. One lesson he learns and the reader takes away is think twice next time you decide to offer a ride to strangers. Good story from a writer I have never heard off.
Sacrifice by L.L.Thrasher
Another good story from an unknown writer. A P.I is hired by a young girl to investigate a missing girl, she doesn't really want her mother to know. As he knocks on her family door to further find out more her mother goes on the road with her daughter. P.I in pursuit and now things get more complicated as there seems to be some suspicion on the mother due to her rather rapid actions. Very soon the truth shall be known and you wonder this sad fate could really could have happened to any one. What would you have done in her place?
Netmail by Brendan DuBois
Interesting story featuring an anonymous emailer who wants demands met or threats to exposure skeletons in the cupboard of those recipients, which they would not want others to learn of their crimes. Someone is also anonymously helping others with hefty cheques to pay scholarships etc. Engrossing crisp little story from another writer I have not heard of until reading this.
Also @
http://more2read.com/review/the-best-american-mystery-stories-1999-by-ed-mcbain-otto-penzler/ -
Most of these were really enjoyable and suspenseful
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As a rule, stories in collections are often uneven and dissatisfying. Not so this group from 1998. I stumbled on it looking for Tom Franklin’s new book, Poachers, a collection of Franklin’s stories. Franklin was mentioned in a recent issue of American Libraries in the “Word of Mouth” section as one of those writers whose characters could only be described as “gritty.”
“Gritty” is an understatement for the three brothers in “Poachers.” Raised haphazardly by an old hermit who dabbles at running his general store in a swampy, backwaters area of the South following the suicide of the boys’ father, the three live a hand-to-mouth existence by poaching. When they kill a new game warden who tries to interfere with their activities, even the local sheriff, Gladsoe, knows that they are in trouble. Rumor has it that David Frank, a legendary game warden and ex-poacher himself (he went straight because staying within the law was more of a challenge than breaking it) will have revenge. Frank is never seen, but the boys soon have fatal accidents.
Other stories include a riveting investigation ("A Death on the Ho Chi Minh Trail" by David Harford) by an army CID warrant officer in Vietnam. A soldier has been killed on what appears to have been a routine ambush during a patrol. But several anomalies stand out: Even though the body was riddled with bullet holes, there was no blood on his shirt, nor any holes. And the area where the ambush was supposed to have occurred showed little damage, even though the patrol had reported a vigorous firefight. Then there was a great deal of missing war materiel, including two star scopes and lots of plywood. The ending is moving and tragic.
Another poignant story, “Sacrifice" by L.L. Thrasher, begins with Jeni, a seven-year-old child being referred to a private detective by the police department. It seems that the little girl has lost her doll, Jennifer. She said the doll had had another name, Megan, and it’s the sound of this name that drives the mother into a panic when the detective shows up at their door, humoring the girl that he will help locate the lost doll. The mother slams the door and immediately bundles the little girl into a car and drives away. Suspecting something, Zachariah Smith, our detective, follows in his car and contacts the police to check up on the mother. It seems that several years before, the mother had had two daughters, but the other girl had been found dead of a bullet wound in a car near a hospital . After following the car into Idaho, driving in seemingly random directions, Zachariah is finally recognized by the mother, who then lets the child out of the car and races it over a cliff. Her motivation is quite a shock.
A terrific selection of excellent mysteries. -
I have read a few of "The Best American" anthologies, but this one is my first introduction to the mystery collection. I'm not positive what qualifies as mystery, especially after reading this.
As always with short stories, it's "you win some, you lose some." And some people want to rate collections with consideration to inclusivity and the widest reaches of the genre. They punish a collection for repeated themes or missing out on women and POC.
Anyhow, I thought this was a solid collection and good reading. I found some masters of writing here.
"Keller's Last Refuge" by Lawrence Block
a contracted killer gets recruited for a new mysterious project.
3/5
"Safe" by Gary A. Braunbeck
Exploring the effects of a mass murder.
4/5 - can you handle the gore?
"Fatherhood" by Thomas H. Cook
A man finds out .
4/5. The ending is its saving grace.
"Wrong Time, Wrong Place" by Jeffery Deaver
A sheriff conducts a traffic stop in an attempt to catch bank robbers, then it all unravels from there.
3/5 for me. good writing, but the premise is only ok.
"Netmail" by Brendan DuBois
Our main character is a former criminal banished to a small town for some misdeeds, when he receives a mysterious email. Remember, this is 1998, so that is super weird.
4/5
"Redneck" by Loren D. Estleman
A private detective is hired to follow a possibly wayward wife.
3/5 - the premise is good, but I felt something missing from the side characters. While a short story was probably the best choice to tell the story, I wasn't attached to the other characters or outcome.
"And Maybe the Horse will Learn to Sing" by Gregory Ellis
Oh yippee, yet another private detective being hired for a possible cheating spouse.
4/5
"Poachers" by Tom Franklin
Highly uncomfortable. possibly part of the author's goals.
4/5
"Hitting Rufus" by Victor Gischler
Another hitman, hired by a small town to nail their local mob boss.
2/5
"Out There in the Darkness" by Ed Gorman
A group of friends is having poker night when there's a break-in at the house. (not unusual for their neighborhood, as told in their exposition). Deadly events follow.
2/5 - not attached to the characters, too much dialogue.
"Survival" by Joseph Hansen
Our narrator is on his way back from the tip of Idaho (very rural) when he is stopped by some people in the woods. It does not go well.
Hmmm... 3/5. It's okay.
"A Death on the Ho Chi Minh Trail" by David K. Harford
Title says it all. A Vietnam War soldier is dead and the military is investigating.
5/5 - I'm personally not a fan of war stories, but the author makes a conscious effort to have all the lingo accessible. The unfolding of the story is also a good mystery.
"An Innocent Bystander" by Gary Krist
A man picks up a hitchhiker and telling you anything more is a spoiler.
3/5
"The Jailhouse Lawyer" by Phillip M Margolin
A lawyer discusses the best defense he ever went up against, a criminal representing himself.
5/5 - short, sweet, impactful
"Secret, Silent" by Joyce Carol Oates
A young girl takes a solo bus trip to attend a college interview.
4/5 for quality writing. The story itself is only ok.
"In Flanders Fields" by Peter Robinson
WWII, a local woman is murdered in Britain. The Special Constable is the only one who has time and cares to investigate.
4/5
"Dry Whiskey" by David Silva
An alcoholic father shows up with blood on his damaged truck
2/5 - not for me.
"Sacrifice" by L.L. Thrasher
A young girl consults a PI to help her find a missing doll.
5/5 - BEST ONE
"Bech Noir" by John Updike
An author delights a bit much at the demise of his critics.
4/5 - took me a bit to get into it, but once I did, it was pretty enjoyable. -
Keller's last refuge - DNFed
Safe - 3.5 stars
Fatherhood - 4 stars (So sad!)
Netmail - 2.5 stars
Redneck - 3 stars
And maybe the horse will learn to sing - 3 stars
Poachers - DNFed
Hitting Rufus - 4 stars (lmao)
Out there in the darkness - 4 stars (ow wow)
Survival - DNFed
A death on the Ho Chi Minh trail - 3 stars
An innocent bystander - 1.5 stars (This one made me so mad! 😡)
The jailhouse lawyer - 2 stars (what the hell)
Secret, silent - 3.5 stars
In Flanders fields - 3.5 stars
Dry whiskey - 2.5 stars
Sacrifice - 3 stars
Bech Noir - 2.75 stars -
The contemporary stories in these anthologies seem somewhat dated (20 odd years after publication), but the stories in this year's edition are for the most part quite good. I think the most pleasant surprise in the edition is A Death on the Ho Chi Minh Trail, by David Harford, who doesn't seem to have published much else.
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Not as good as the 1998 collection, IMO, but still some good ones in here.
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As with any anthology, some stories are better or more to one’s taste than others, but this book is an excellent sampler of good writing.
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What a great group of short stories, they read like full length books.
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Voice is everything in these plot driven crime stories. A few of the best contain a lot of humor. The best one for me was Bech noir of John Updike, a real discovery!
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These were a lot of fun. Some big names and a lot I’ve never heard of. Would recommend.
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Some real gems in here
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Reading this collection was much more enjoyable than some of my literary anthologies just because the presence of a theme allows for a more structured reading experience. However, that structure can be pretty restrictive at times, as evidenced by the number of "Whodunnit?" stories collected. Don't get me wrong, I enjoyed nearly all of them, and even a few are particularly well written, but they're also incredibly predictable plot-wise since they're just comic book stories for people who don't like comics.
The best stories in this collection are when the conventions of the genre are relaxed and the unknown element becomes more abstract than a piece of evidence. "Safe" focuses on trying to make sense of a 35 person massacre while "Poachers" and "Out There In The Darkness" suggest that solving the unknown is either useless (like finding out Anton Chirguh is coming after you) or impossible. -
I loooove this series. Year after year, the selections are consistently strong. An occasional story turns out not to be my cup of tea, but the strong and enjoyable far outnumber and outweigh the weak and forgettable.
I was surprised that my favorite turned out to be the Updike story. I've always avoided Updike's fiction, but this tale of an aging novelist's murderous revenge for critical barbs is, to steal one of his beguiling phrases, "creamy satisfaction." -
Obviously these stories are great because they've been pre-selected and are written by some of the biggest names around. I always wonder why some writers stop at a short story and not develop it into a novel, especially when the story is 30 pages plus.
Ideal for summer reading because you can read one, go in the pool, read another, take a nap, etc.
I'd say some of these are more suspense vs. mystery, and more are masculine than feminine. -
DNF The real mystery is what editor branded this as the best
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Stellar collection! Seriously, some of these authors are so good in the short form, its amazing. If you like mysteries, pick up any one of these volumes. You will not be disappointed. And read the introductions too. Well worth the extra couple of minutes to do so.
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A real good collection of stories, with the exception of the J.C. Oates and the John Updike ones. The best one of the series I have read so far.
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some weird stories. Mostly entertaining though.
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Great stories with superb characters! I love a good short story!
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Dull from beginning to end. Nonsense mixed with murder isn't the recipe for mystery.
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This was a mixed bag - there were a few good stories, nothing memorable, mostly adequate as bathroom reading material.
