Contents: Role model / T. White -- Crime scene / C. Wheat -- The sentence / M. Wallace -- Blood types / J. Smith -- A terrible thing / S. Singer -- He loved her so much / S. Scoppettone -- Hog heaven / G. Roberts -- Afraid all the time / N. Pickard -- The locked tomb mystery / E. Peters -- The case of the Pietro Andromache / S. Paretsky -- All the lonely people / M. Muller -- The runaway / B. Michaels -- Counsel for the defense / L. Matera -- Blue curaçao / S. Kelly -- Bonding / F. Kellerman -- Falling off the roof / S. Grafton -- Stormy weather / M. Friedman -- No safety / S. Dunlap -- Natural causes / D.S. Davis -- Caesar and sleep / M.S. Craig -- Come to Grandma / D. Cannell -- Lucky penny / L. Barnes.
Marilyn Weiss Wallace's first novel, A Case of Loyalties, won the Macavity Award for Best First Novel in 1986. Her second, Primary Target, was nominated for an Anthony Award. She is also the editor of the Sisters in Crime anthologies, which have won Anthony, Macavity, and American Mystery Awards. Current Danger is her seventh novel. She lives in New York City.
These 22 short stories are all written by women active in the mystery and suspense field. You will find familiar names such as Sue Grafton, Faye Kellerman,Nacy Picard and many others.
The editor made good selections; the overall qualityof the stories was quite good.
Notable standouts were:
"The Locked Tomb Mystery" by Elizabeth Peters. A neat historical mystery set in ancient Egypt===loved the setting.
"Blue Curacao" by Susan Kelly. An excellent tale of a woman held hostage during a robbery.
"Counsel for the Defense" by Lia Matera. Well written, with an totally unexpected twist and the end.
Recommended as a good sampling of the mystery field at the time it was printed---there are several later volumes btw. An excellent range of stories and authors for any mystery or suspense fan.
I tend to avoid anthologies. I do not know why, but I usually do not enjoy short stories. However, these Sisters of Crime series, (4 or 5) helped me discover the first Sisters of Crime: Marcia Muller, Susan Dunlap, Julie Smith, etc. as well as expanding my reading horizons.
SISTERS IN CRIME, Marilyn Wallace, editor 1989, #1 in acclaimed series of anthologies [short story anthology - ]
Eleven short stories written for this anthology. Authors include Marcia Muller, Sara Paretsky, Elizabeth Peters, Nancy Pickard, Gillian Roberts, Sandra Scoppettone, Shelley Singer, Julie Smith, Marilyn Wallace, Carolyn Wheat, Teri White.
White, Teri: Role Model — creepy tale about a professional killer and his meeting with a young man
Wheat, Carolyn: Crime Scene — young cop learns some unexpected skills
Wallace, Marilyn: The Sentence — psych edginess, about an author too far into himself, sadly predictable
I haven't read short stories in a long time, and I forgot how much suspenseful tales in digestible little bites can be. All the writers here are top notch. Some (Grafton, Paretsky) are familiar. Some (Barnes, Roberts) I'd forgotten about and were happy to meet again.
Very good collection of short stories by top women crime writers. I love short stories like these and nearly every story was top notch, and all were a good read.
I enjoyed reading these short stories written by women. It turns out that I had previously read 2 of the stories, which I enjoyed even more on the second reading.