In THE BEST AMERICAN MYSTERY STORIES OF THE CENTURY, best-selling author Tony Hillerman and mystery expert Otto Penzler present an unparalleled tre...
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Nov 08, 2011
Ralph
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Reviews on stories from the book THE BEST AMERICAN MYSTERY STORIES of the CENTURY
1903 A Retrieved Reformation-
This short story was centered on a character that had just gotten out of jail and started a new life but his old life as a robber makes things difficult. This was a very interesting story that played with the deeper emotions of human nature from my point of view. The language used was very insightful; I could picture everything that was happening. Also the ending was somethin More...
1903 A Retrieved Reformation-
This short story was centered on a character that had just gotten out of jail and started a new life but his old life as a robber makes things difficult. This was a very interesting story that played with the deeper emotions of human nature from my point of view. The language used was very insightful; I could picture everything that was happening. Also the ending was somethin More...
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Jan 25, 2012
Maura
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what can i say -- if you like mysteries & the short story form, then this will have something in it for you. as for me, i don't think i hit a story i didn't like. Donald Westlake solidified his position in my pantheon of favorite authors. stalwarts like Dennis Lehane and Raymond Chandler delivered wonderfully. my impression that i ought to read more of Dashiell Hammet was reinforced. Sue Grafton didn't make me run screaming. hoo-whee Dwight Yoakum!
yeah, i mentally complained that a h More...
yeah, i mentally complained that a h More...
Nov 04, 2007
Rick
rated it: 
How could a 813 page book with 46 stories titled The Best American Mystery Stories Of the Century steer you wrong? It can’t. Sure you won’t agree with everything that is in and not in the book (that is part of the fun of Best of... collections) but with contributors like Lawrence Block, James M. Cain, Raymond Chandler, William Faulkner, Sue Grafton, Dashiel Hammett, O. Henry, Shirley Jackson, Stephen King, Donald E. Westlake (still chuckling from his Dortmunder tale) and a host of others even
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Apr 03, 2008
meeners
rated it:
n impressively ambitious project, and i appreciated the variations in styles and plots and moods. (though i have to admit that it's those very variations that also irked me at times - felt too much like the editors were straining to "break free" of genre restraints, when really they didn't have to.)
there were quite a few stories i didn't think really deserved the title, but i guess you could cite personal preferences as part of the reason. my favorites were the ones by cain More...
there were quite a few stories i didn't think really deserved the title, but i guess you could cite personal preferences as part of the reason. my favorites were the ones by cain More...
Jun 28, 2009
Judith
rated it:
Great collection of short stories by outstanding writers of suspense and surprise endings. The stories range from the spooky supernatural (a la Stephen King) to thriller whodunits (Dashiell Hammett, Sue Grafton), to masters of complex plot and character intrigue (John Steinbeck, Willa Cather). Really good book to keep handy on the lamp table for a quick read when time is short and an escape from the grind beckons.
Jan 19, 2011
Michael
rated it: 
I read this anthology of mystery short stories dating from 1900 to 2000 as part of an assignment for my "Master Class" workshop for professional fiction writers.
It was quite a mix - some very good, some excellent, some truly disgusting, others lackluster.
Good reading, overall.
It was quite a mix - some very good, some excellent, some truly disgusting, others lackluster.
Good reading, overall.
Jul 29, 2009
James
rated it:
good, quick summer reading from a diverse group of authors. includes 'rear window', drastically different from hitchcock's rendering, very short and lacking a love interest.
Dec 16, 2010
Lesa
rated it:
I enjoyed the earlier stories more than the later, more so than the recent ones. The later stories just got too profane for my tastes because I like my mysteries to be more mysterious than vulgar. What a shame when writers have to depend on that sort of thing. It's no wonder I like the classics so much.
Sep 16, 2011
SeriouslyJerome
rated it:
For me, this redefined what constitutes a "mystery" story. I'm used to the hard crime, murder mysteries, but this tome included much more. Sometimes, after finishing a story, I was left scratching my head, thinking, "That was a mystery story?". But that's why I liked this. It was an excellent bathroom reader. I'd lend you my copy, but I doubt you'd want to barrow it now... :)
Aug 06, 2008
Janet
rated it:
the "best" is the opinion of Tony Hillerman and Otto Penzler and for the most part I've enjoyed the stories. I love having a short story choice just before bed and from authors such as steinbeck, runyan, cather, O.Henry, faulkner and many others that one doesn't make a point of reading since college days.
Dec 17, 2010
Ring Lardner - Haircut
John Steinbeck - The Murder
Damon Runyan - Sense of Humor
Pearl S. Buck - Ransom
Raymond Chandler - Red Wind
William Faulkner - An Error in Chemistry
Flannery O'Connor - The Comforts of Home
Joyce Carol Oates - Do With Me What You Will
Stephen King - Quitters, Inc.
John Steinbeck - The Murder
Damon Runyan - Sense of Humor
Pearl S. Buck - Ransom
Raymond Chandler - Red Wind
William Faulkner - An Error in Chemistry
Flannery O'Connor - The Comforts of Home
Joyce Carol Oates - Do With Me What You Will
Stephen King - Quitters, Inc.
Feb 11, 2012
Feb 08, 2012
Feb 05, 2012
Jan 28, 2012
Jan 22, 2012
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Jan 19, 2012
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Dec 25, 2011
Dec 13, 2011
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Dec 06, 2011
Dec 05, 2011
