By: Amor Towles & Otto Penzler
Narrators: Keith Sellon-Wright, Christina Delaine, Terrence Kidd
ISBN: 9781696611718
Publisher: Mysterious Press, Highbridge Audio
Publication Date: 12/12/2023
Format: Audio
My Rating: 3 Stars (ARC)
Amor Towles selects the best mystery short stories of the year, including tales by Andrew Child, Jeffrey Deaver, and T. C. Boyle.
Under the auspices of New York City's legendary mystery fiction specialty bookstore, The Mysterious Bookshop, and aided by Edgar Award–winning anthologist Otto Penzler, New York Times bestseller Amor Towles has selected the twenty most puzzling, most thrilling, and most mysterious short stories from the past year, collected now in one entertaining volume. The volume also contains a "bonus story" selected from the bookshop's rare book room, featuring a look into the history of this illustrious genre.
Advance Praise
"Across a dizzying number of subgenres, this collection delights by prizing quality over name recognition. There’s something here for every mystery fan."
―Publishers Weekly Starred Review
"Variety is the keynote for these 21 recent reprints and one century-old bonus story."
―Kirkus
"Top marks once again to Penzler and his chosen authors, and to guest editor Towles for yet another outstanding annual compilation of mystery stories. This one deserves a place in every mystery collection."
―Booklist Starred Review
My Review
From New York City's legendary mystery fiction specialty bookstore, The Mysterious Bookshop y, mysterious short stories from the past year with 2023, THE BEST MYSTERY STORIES OF THE YEAR.
I listened to the audio version narrated by Keith Sellon-Wright, Christina Delaine, and Terrence Kidd.
While I find an anthology series challenging to review, especially when listening to audio, there is always a mixed bag of stories, some better than others, and it is difficult to recall which one was which unless you are reading a digital copy.
Twenty-one stories are collected for the anthology, including two from Ellery Queen's Mystery Magazine, two from Mystery, Crime and Mayhem: Cold Cases, two from Mystery Magazine, and one from Alfred Hitchcock's Mystery Magazine. The other stories first appeared in various collections. Plus, the author notes. A twenty-second story includes a bonus story by Edith Wharton.
While I was not blown away by any of the stories and found it difficult to rate each story, I am giving this one an overall three stars and feeling slightly disappointed.
Thanks to HighBridge Audio and NetGalley for an ALC in exchange for an honest review.
@JudithDCollins | #JDCMustReadBooks
Pub Date: Dec 12, 2023
My Rating: 3 Stars
About the Authors
Amor Towles
Amor Towles is the author of New York Times bestsellers Rules of Civility, A Gentleman in Moscow, and The Lincoln Highway. The three novels have collectively sold more than six million copies and have been translated into more than thirty languages. Towles lives in Manhattan with his wife and two children. WEBSITE
Otto Penzler
Otto Penzler, the creator of American Mystery Classics, is also the founder of The Mysterious Press (1975); MysteriousPress.com (2011), an electronic-book publishing company; and New York City’s Mysterious Bookshop (1979). He has won a Raven, the Ellery Queen Award, two Edgars (for the Encyclopedia of Mystery and Detection, 1977, and The Lineup, 2010), and lifetime achievement awards from NoirCon and The Strand Magazine. He has edited more than 70 anthologies and written extensively about mystery fiction. WEBSITE
