The Best American Mystery Stories 2017

by John Sandford (Editor)

Number-one New York Times best-selling author John Sandford Entertainment Weekly—selects the best mystery writing of the year.

Genres: Mystery, Short Stories, Fiction, Anthologies, Mystery Thriller

386 pages, Kindle Edition

First published October 3, 2017

About the author

John Sandford is the pen name of John Roswell Camp, a Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and bestselling author known for his gripping thrillers and popular crime series. After earning degrees in history, literature, and journalism from the University of Iowa, Camp began his writing career as a reporter, first at The Miami Herald and later at The Saint Paul Pioneer Press, where he earned critical acclaim for in-depth series on Native American communities and American farm life. His work won him the Pulitzer Prize for Feature Writing in 1986.
In 1989, Camp transitioned into fiction, publishing two novels: The Fool's Run under his real name and Rules of Prey under the pseudonym John Sandford. The latter launched the long-running “Prey” series, starring Lucas Davenport, a sharp, fearless investigator navigating politically sensitive crimes across Minnesota and beyond. The series grew to include spin-offs and crossovers, notably featuring characters like Virgil Flowers, a laid-back BCA agent with a sharp wit, and Letty Davenport, Lucas's equally determined daughter, who stars in her own series starting in 2022.
Sandford’s books have consistently appeared on the New York Times bestseller list, with over two dozen debuting at number one. Known for his dynamic storytelling, fast pacing, and keen attention to detail, Sandford combines his journalistic roots with a gift for character-driven narratives. He remains an avid reader and outdoorsman, and continues to write compelling fiction that resonates with readers who enjoy intelligent thrillers grounded in realism and driven by memorable protagonists.

Reviews

[RJ - Slayer of Trolls · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not quite as good as the prior two installments, this annual crime fiction anthology includes the following stories:

Puncher's Chance by Doug Allyn - 4/5 - don't call it a comeback
The Master of Negwegon by Jim Allyn - 2/5 - ain't found a way to kill me yet
The Human Variable by Dan Bevacqua - 3/5 - let's go smoke some pot
Power Wagon by C.J. Box - 3/5 - a truck drivin' son of a gun
Williamsville by Gerri Brightwell - 3/5 - it's all the same, only the names will change
Abandoned Places by S.L. Coney - 3/5 - I'm just a poor boy nobody loves me
Flight by Trina Corey - 2/5 - hope I die before I get old
The Incident of 10 November by Jeffery Deaver - 4/5 - you don't know how lucky you are boys
The Man From Away by Brendan DuBois - 5/5 - had myself a ball in a small town
GI Jack by Loren D. Estleman - 3/5 - hit the road Jack
Ike, Sharon, and Me by Peter Ferry - 3/5 - burning down the house
Lovers and Thieves by Charles John Harper - 3/5 - it's a mystery to me, the game commences
Land of the Blind by Craig Johnson - 3/5 - I am the eye in the sky, looking at you
The Painted Smile by William Kent Krueger - 4/5 - clowns to the left of me, jokers to the right
Dot Rat by K. McGee - 4/5 - this doesn't feel like my hometown
The Woman in the Window by Joyce Carol Oates - 2/5 - we could have been so good together
The Sweet Warm Earth by Steven Popkes - 5/5 - your fate is delivered, your moment's at hand
All Things Come Around by William Soldan - 4/5 - I went to a spot where my homeboys chill
The Process is a Process All Its Own by Peter Straub - 3/5 - I'll show you my dark secret
Night Run by Wallace Stroby - 3/5 - head out on the highway

[Karen · Rating 4 out of 5]

In the Foreward the series editor Otto Penzler defines mysteries the way most short story publishers do these days: "any work of fiction in which a crime, or the threat of a crime, is integral in the theme or plot." If you're looking for whodunits, novels are a better bet than short fiction.

I found at least ten of these stories excellent, the rest quite good. There were only two that I had to make myself read, one because it was too dark for my taste, and one because it read like a noir parody to me. Several kept me at the edge of my seat. A couple made me laugh. The stand-outs for me were "Flight," "Williamsville," and "Ike, Sharon and Me."

[Daniel Simmons · Rating 2 out of 5]

A very mixed bag. Standouts include McGee's "Dot Rat" (disclaimer: the author's a friend of mine), Ferry's "Ike, Sharon, and Me", and Popkes's "The Sweet Warm Earth". Many of the others were interest-grabbingly high concept but lacked satisfying execution.

[ASoner · Rating 3 out of 5]

There were some stories, which were a bore for me. I skimmed through those stories. Then, there were some very well written stories that were incredible. My favorite ones were The painted Smile by William Kent Krueger and Dot Rat by K. Mcgee. I would definitely recommend the book most stories are well written.

[Jeff · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another solid collection. Somehow got lost in my purchases and I had not read.

Doug Allyn starts the book with “ Puncher’s Chance “ which follows a small time boxer who becomes involved with a gambler and a fight he should not be taking

Jim Allyn tells of “ The Master of Negwegon” where a young man goes into the great natural wilderness in North Michigan to bring out a lifelong friend, Vietnam Vet. Now delusional with PTSD he has committed an atrocious murder

“ The Human Variable “ by Dan Bevacqua follows a man , a dotcom type who needs an infusion of cash to save his business. His wife has set up a meeting for him with her ex, a very wealthy pot grower who has a great deal of cash available. The meeting is uncomfortable

“ Power Wagon “ by CJ Box works well. A man and his wife are at his estranged fathers house readying it for an estate sale. Men show up looking for something from the estate to settle old debts. Baby mice, missing money, and a 1940’s Dodge make for quite a story

“ Williamsville” by Gerri Bright is a less stellar story. It follows a hired gun into a small town to kill his target. When he makes a wrong assumption and kills the wrong man things go bad quickly

In S L Coney’s “ Abandoned Places “ we see a young boy in an especially violent story. His Father is missing, many presume dead, and he is living with his much younger girlfriend. This young woman has little good to say and has seemingly got over his Fathers absence by the sound of her bed springs at night. When he follows her one evening he finds out where
his Father is and the story rapidly accelerates.

“ Flight “ by Trina Corey is another superior story. Narrated by an invalid in a nursing home. She cannot speak, can barely move her arm, but she knows there is an angel of death moving among the patients at night that no one suspects

Jeffrey Deaver writes “ The Incident of 10, November and it is first rate. Told in the form of a postmortem report by a Russian agent it tells how a Russian scientist escaped to the West in the days of divided Berlin using an intricate plan devised through art print postcards including Edward Hoppers Hotel by a Railroad

Brandon Dubois writes “The Man From Away” which follows a man who feels compelled to find the guilty party when his estranged wife is killed in a boating accident in a local lake in New Hampshire. Jet skis specifically which allow the careless guilty men to flee. The husband has better luck tracking however than the police do. I kept thinking the husband, being estranged, might have had something to do with it himself but his motive and aim were true. He is honest even if he was gullible

GI Jack by Loren D Estleman is another strong story. We follow a Detroit detective squad during World War Two. Strong detective work is featured. Step by step, but good instincts. Especially interesting in that the suspect mirrors and follows the techniques of Jack the Ripper right down to his victims. And a sometimes theorized connection is written about

“Ike, Sharon, and Me by Peter Ferry is a rather intricate tale that deals with a housewife unhappy in a marriage, an obsessed Vietnam veteran and a man who is involved with both of them both before and after a deadly housefire

Lovers and Thieves by Charles John Harper : This is a noir story that is written in that hard boiled Mickey Spillane way. The effect is charming. It is so dated as to be new and so bad as to be good. Basically a murder mystery, whodunnit with lots of twists and turns it is the phrasing that makes it stand out. Just one example “ I pictured Mac carrying Teresa in his arms and kicking the bedroom door open on his way to violating the Sixth Commandment”

“Land of the Blind” by Craig Johnson : Entertaining story with a bit of humour. Narrated by a sheriff who along with his one eyed deputy must deal with a meth head holding a hostage at a Christmas Eve service. Sometimes a glass eye coming out can be quite a distraction

“ The Painted Smile” by William Kent Krueger : A psychologist has a new patient. A young boy of nine or ten, a certified genius in the IQ department is convinced he is Sherlock Holmes. He also is sure that the man his Aunt ( his parents are dead so he lives with an Aunt and Uncle) is having an affair with is Moriarty.

“ Dot Rat” by K McGee : An elderly widow who spends most of her time in her organic garden or volunteering at the library finds a small boy in her yard one morning. Over time the boy, urchin like shows up at her house each Wednesday if not more often. She discovers his guardian, an uncle, is using him to make drug deliveries all over Dorchester. The woman is, herself, connected. Her deceased husband has been. She frees the boy from his bad circumstances

“The Woman in the Window “ is an about to be forty woman living in a nice apartment in a nice building well beyond her means that she earns at her job. She is a kept woman. She has grown to hate her keeper. He meets her each week at eleven Am. As the time approaches she imagines herself killing him. He approaches and realizes it has gone in too long. He is tired of her like he is his wife. He contemplates killing her. When she opens the door to him that day neither knows what will happen

“The Sweet Warm Earth” by Stephen Popkes is narrated by a low grade Boston gangster who relocated to Los Angeles and soon begins working for a mobster there. Watching horses at a track, collecting debts. When a senior citizen continually wins small bets everyday he wonders what the man is doing to make his selected horses win.

“ All Things Come Around “ by William Soldan is an excellent story. A man is driving home on the freeway. His eighteen month old son is screaming from teething pain. Traffic is backed up due to an accident. He gets off the highway and takes a detour through the area he grew up in. He has not been their in years, since he “ got out”. His wife dies not know about that part of his history. He met her when he was in rehab and as the relationship prospered it never seemed the right time. Driving thru he feels uncomfortable, skin clammy, mind guilty. When he clears the neighborhood to enter a more brightly lit area that people don’t hide that they are from. Hungry, even as he knows it is unnecessary and foolish , he stops for chicken. This proves to be an ex poor expensive mistake that prompts an unplanned visit to his past

Peter Straub, a well regarded author offers a story that I found absolutely unreadable

Wallace Stroby finishes the collection with “Night Run” a story that follows a wood products salesman traveling in the wee hours of the morning south down I95 in Florida. Trying to push on as far as he can he has an encounter with a Biker on a motercycle on a dark stretch of the highway

[Grady · Rating 2 out of 5]

I hated most of the stories in this collection. They are unquestionably well written, but most are oh so dark. Several of them ratchet up the tension only to end inconclusively - the point is the mood, or the character sketch, not the outcome. Some seemed to be experiments in how far the authors could push in depicting human ugliness or psychopathology (answer: far). A couple are just boring. That said, there were a few stories I liked: Craig Johnson, Land of the Blind, a slight but clever story about a hostage situation at Christmas; William Kent Krueger, The Painted Smile, featuring a young boy who identifies with Sherlock Holmes; and I really loved Charles John Harper, Lovers and Thieves, a complicated hardboiled detective story with perfect tone. What made these three stories work for me, beyond good writing, was that they all had some compassion for their characters.

Looking at other reviews, I notice that lots of folks like K. McGee, Dot Rat. Somehow I accidentally skipped over it. It’s great, with a lot of heart.

[Cindy Marabito · Rating 5 out of 5]

Check!

[Leslie · Rating 4 out of 5]

While I enjoyed the stories, I think calling them mysteries is a misnomer. My own definition requires a crime to be solved by a detective (police or private investigator). Some of the stories were like that but many were not. Some plots involved criminal activities but not an investigation. Having said that, I liked being able to sample stories by authors I may not have encountered before.

[Nolan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Puncher's Chance by Doug Allyn is a highly readable story about a family of boxers including a teenage girl. She pounds heck out of her brother in the opening sentences of the story. That’s crucial to the story because the fight he must win is yet to come, and she has revealed a weakness in him that an experienced fighter will spot immediately. Allyn writes this with such excellence that you’re in the ring with all that sweat and blood and that high-octane crowd screaming and cheering. What a great story it is!

The Master of Negwegon by Jim Allyn pits a PTSD-saturated veteran against an old friend who must capture him for the murder of a teenage kid in a rural part of Michigan. The suspense runs high here, and the conflict between the veteran killer and the guy sent to bring him in is vivid.

The Human Variable by Dan Bevacqua is a flaming disappointment that deals a pot grower and those who overuse his product.

Power Wagon by C.J. Box is one of the standout stories in the collection. A Denver-based accountant as come home to rural Wyoming to inventory is newly dead dad’s assets. All the offspring hated the old man for good reasons. The accountant brought his pregnant wife with him, and she’s not relaxed in that rural environment. For good reason, as it turns out. A group of thugs push their way into the house and demand to see an old post-World-War II-era farm truck. You’ll remember this plot a long time.

Williamsville by Gerri Brightwell looks at life and the end of it from the perspective of a hitman. Not all that memorable.

Abandoned Places by S.L. Coney is a heart wrenching story about a teenage boy who must watch a horrific interaction between his stepmother and his dad; she’s only a few years older than the kid.

Flight by Trina Corey is a highly memorable haunting story about a young woman who is locked inside herself because of a stroke. At night in her nursing home, a mysterious man visits her and describes how he intends to smother patients to death in the facility. He confides in Rachel because she can’t communicate. But she hears perfectly, and her cognition is excellent. Imagine having information and not communicating it because you can’t. I was screaming for a good speech pathologist and an AAC device, but that would have ruined the impact of the story.

The Incident of 10 November by Jeffery Deaver might have been ok, but the horrific Russian accent of the narrator so thoroughly ruined it for me that I couldn’t follow the message. That Denver studio is why I pray for Artificial Intelligence-created voices and for NLS to adopt them with gusto and eagerness.

The Man from Away by Brendan DuBois is a chilling highly readable and memorable story about a man whose love for his wife is unconditional despite how horribly she treats him. When someone murders her while she’s kayaking, her husband seeks to solve problems law-enforcement people won’t touch.

GI Jack by Loren D. Estleman is largely forgettable and looks at killings on both sides of the Atlantic.

Ike, Sharon, and Me by Peter Ferry is a creepy story about a female teacher and a fellow employee. It’s a creepy relationship, as it turns out.

Lovers and Thieves by Charles John Harper looks at society’s unforgiving cruel treatment of homosexuals shortly after World War II and at the attitudes of those veterans who came home. We may romanticize about the merits of the Greatest Generation, but some of them came home consummate losers, as you’ll see if you read this.

Land of the Blind by Craig Johnson is one of the best hostage stories I’ve read. Who says prosthetic eyes can’t save lives?

The Painted Smile by William Kent Krueger is more proof of this author’s excellence. He introduces you to a psychologist in the twin cities who works with either a dangerous or precocious boy. It’s worthy of your time.

Dot Rat by K. McGee is a story about an aging librarian who stretches outside her comfort zones in impressive ways.

The Woman in the Window by Joyce Carol Oates is a story I didn’t connect to. It’s safe to say that I connect to extraordinarily little of this woman’s writing; that doubtless speaks to my deficiencies as a reader.

The Sweet Warm Earth by Steven Popkes is a largely forgettable mobster-type thing.

All Things Come Around by William Soldan is a classic “you can run, but you can’t hide” story of a former street thug now reformed who, by necessity, drives through the old neighborhood. The story looks at the idea that we live our entire life in milliseconds under the worst circumstances.

The Process is a Process All Its Own by Peter Straub is a serial killer story that is almost over-the-top graphic in its details. I wasn’t a huge fan, but there are people who will be.

Night Run by Wallace Stroby is a grim piece about how a little late-night driving can change your life. Many of us, especially in our younger years, can remember trips on the nation’s interstates driven throughout the night. This is a road rage encounter story that will make you rethink your desire to engage in that.

The bottom line: Of the three anthologies I’ve recently reviewed, this is the best of them by far. I thought I had hit the jackpot on casino night as I opened story after story by great writers who didn’t let me down in these short stories.

[Elaine · Rating 1 out of 5]

Whenever I read an anthology like this, it brings me back to the ye olden days of CDs. When your favorite band released a CD, you worried about shelling out mucho bucks for it because you had a feeling you were only going to like 3 out of the 15 tracks on it. Generally, you did it anyway because hey, cover art and liner notes!

That's how I felt about The Best American Mystery Stories 2017.

I only liked three out of all the stories but that's not the reason why I gave it only one star.

I gave it one star because of false advertising!

Ninety-nine percent of these stories are not mysteries!

Also, what's up with all the stories in which the mob plays a role?

I dislike mob or gangland related stories so those were a snooze for me, personally.

Another side note: psychological suspense does not a mystery make.

Just wanted to clear that up. And no, I was also not psychologically suspended on my toes when I read any of these stories.

The writing is great, but great writing can't make up for the lack of suspense and repetitive themes (see: mob).

Here's a helpful tip: include more stories by female authors!

[Sally Kilpatrick]

When I read the 2021 version, I didn't think too much about what Editor Che said about adding diversity.

Not until I started reading this one. It feels very male-centric. As a result, there weren't as many stories in this one that I liked.

Power Wagon by C.J. Box -- Not really a mystery, but I solid story. More suspense?

Flight by Trina Corey -- Mystery AND suspense. This was one that had me hooked to the point I was holding my breath.

The Man From Away by Brendan DuBois -- Vigilante law, country boy style

The Painted Smile by William Kent Krueger -- Excellent play on Sherlock Holmes

Unlike in the previous collection I read, there are several stories in here that I had a hard time finishing. One, "The Process Is a Process All Its Own" made me so mad that I started my own short story. For that I'm grateful to Peter Straub, I suppose.

The collection also includes a story by Joyce Carol Oates which has overwrought literary moments. Eh.

[Alex Margolies · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really good range of different styles - some from authors I knew, but many from authors I hadn't come across.

[Thad Allen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love short stories and this series is always tops. This issue does not have a single miss, all stories are excellant.

[Les · Rating 5 out of 5]

More mystery short stories that are a delightful way to spend a few hours

[Jenni V. · Rating 3 out of 5]

In the foreword there was an interesting note that as mystery stories have evolved over time the authors spend much more time on character development now. To quote, "...we have seen the 'whodunit' and the 'howdunit' pushed more to the side of the road that has become dominated by the 'whydunit'."

As I do with all short story collections by different authors, I'll write a few things about each story individually but rate the book as a whole.

Puncher's Chance
I liked that the final ending wasn't clear because knowing for sure either way would've felt disingenuous and wrapped up too neatly. I felt like the characters would be ok with any outcome.

The Master of Negwegon
The author did a great job of creating a full visual experience with few words. I wish there had been more detail in the final page or two because the mental grappling of what they may have to do was a big part of the story and then it was over with little description.

The Human Variable
The story was hazy and easygoing which made the abrupt ending feel sharp and out of place. I liked it until the last sentence.

Power Wagon
I felt dread the entire time I was reading that story because it had the undertone of one wrong move throwing everything into chaos.

Williamsville
It was repetitive but descriptive. The author did a good job setting the uneasiness of the scene.

Abandoned Places
Wow, that was dark. A tough read because it was so visceral.

Flight
Being in the mind of someone fully aware but unable to communicate is claustrophobic and frightening. I'm so glad there wasn't a bleak ending.

The Incident of 10 November
It was fine but I wasn't really invested. The method of communication was unique.

The Man from Away
That was excellent and unexpected. Men like that are the scariest of all, the ones who just get pushed too far and know rationally exactly what they are doing. The confrontation at the end was a nice touch because it removed any ambivalence the reader might have about the conclusion.

GI Jack
That wasn't my cup of tea. Too much witty banter to sift through and I had no idea what was going on.

Ike, Sharon, and Me
The story was fine but felt out of place in a book of mysteries.

Lovers and Thieves
"It was the kind of rain favored by lovers and thieves." is a great opening line. As for the story, there were lots of twists and turns but I wasn't super invested.

Land of the Blind
It felt short. Fun and unique way to diffuse the situation.

The Painted Smile
This felt too far-fetched to be wrapped up so neatly. I didn't mind it while I was reading it but the ending threw me off too much.

Dot Rat
I really liked that one. Helen was a great character, very unexpected.

The Woman in the Window
It felt really long and there was no ending so I don't understand the point of the story.

The Sweet Warm Earth
Good story but not really a mystery so I'm not sure why it was included.

All Things Come Around
It spiraled out of control so quickly. Again, not sure what the mystery was but I was invested in the read.

The Process Is a Process All Its Own
There were a lot of words filling this story which I guess makes sense considering his obsession but it led to me skimming a bit. It was fine.

Night Run
That was bizarre. The behavior of the main character made no sense and seemed to come out of nowhere (but not in a "snapped" way, more like a "did the story switch authors halfway through?" way).

Find all my reviews at: https://readingatrandom.blogspot.com

[Allisson Flores · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have always had this book and just never felt like reading it until like 1 year ago when I was like let me see what this book is about, because I haven't seen it anywhere else. When I started reading it got me hooked on the first line "My sister finished me in the third round," of the first story of "The Punchers Chance" by Doug Allyn. This story was the one that got me invested in finishing the whole book, and I just liked how every chapter is a different mystery story, but sometimes it becomes to much and sometimes I get confused about it. I do think that leaving things on a cliffhanger is just mean, but in this books, the cliffhangers are so good and just keep you wondering and thinking of what happened, it leaves you to your imagination what happens. Overall I would recommend this book for people who like mysteries and want to try and figure out what happened in each those stories, I differently think this book is underrated and should be read more.

[Tom Pepper · Rating 3 out of 5]

Like most of these, some good stories, some dull ones. About as good as the mystery mags used to be, and good to keep around to fill an hour.

One criticism I have, and this may be just me, is that I’d like to see less of the big names. I mean, one reason to read these anthologies is to find new authors you haven’t already read. But usually at least half of each “best stories” anthology is made up of the best-selling writers we all know already. i mean, sure, I like Craig Johnson and William Kent Krueger and Joyce Carol Oates, but frankly these aren’t exaclty their best stories, and everyone knows about them already anyway. And the story by Straub is just cliched and lame. And please, this isn’t the Pen Faulkner award stories: we don’t want to read anything written by an MFA who teaches creative writing!

[Greg · Rating 5 out of 5]

As my wife Karen is a fan of mystery novels, some years ago I began presenting her with an annual gift of this "Best American Mystery Stories of ..." and we have both enjoyed them.

While short stories themselves appear to wax and wane in general popularity, I believe it takes a great amount of special skill to write something that, while short, nonetheless is gripping and complete in itself. (Perhaps this is because I am somewhat given to, ah, what might best be called "an excess of loquaciousness," verbally as well as in my writing style.)

This collection for 2017, in my opinion, ranks as one of the very best of recent years. There were only a few stories that disappointed me, and it is not them that I recall after having finished the entire book.

If you look a good short story, and especially if you like murder/mystery tales, this affordable collection is for you!

[Mitsuru · Rating 4 out of 5]

This year's anthology is full of good stories. There are no difference among them. I like the following stories: "Power Wagon" by C. J. Box, "The Man From Away" by Brendan DuBois, "Ike, Sharon, and Me" by Peter Ferry, "Lovers and Thieves" by Charles John Harper, "Dot Rat" by K. McGee.

Regarding "The Process Is a Process All Its Own", I couldn't understand the necessity of the part of Tilly's note, the beginning of this story. While I was reading this part, I thought of skipping this story. Maybe the author depicted the psychopathic personailty of the protagonist. I could read it from sentences. How do you think?

[DavidZ · Rating 3 out of 5]

Many of these stories were crime stories that didn't involve any mystery. I particularly enjoyed the following stories. Williamsville by Gerri Brightville, in which a gunman comes to a small town to kill a gambler, but might not have a clear understanding of his mission. Dot Rat by K. McGee, in which a nice old lady decides to help out a boy being abused by a drug dealer. Lovers and Thieves by Charles John Harper, in which a hard-boiled detective searching for evidence of infidelity discovers an apparent murder/suicide instead. All Things Come Around by William Soldan created a power feeling of dread as a father, forced off the highway by a road closure, makes a series of dumb decisions.

[Trish · Rating 3 out of 5]

This collections skews toward the hard-boiled, toward the masculine, but the two stories I liked most both have female protagonists:

In Trina Corey's Flight a woman with MS is the only one in her nursing home to realize that a killer is preying on residents.

In K. McGee's Dot Rat a widow who seems content with her quiet life finds a lonely, mistreated young boy hiding in her garden one night. Once her reluctance is worn away, she becomes a fierce protector.

[Chris · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an excellent collection of mysteries, much better than I’d expected. It’s interesting how creative these writers are with the genre. I liked all but two of the twenty stories, the two being from big name authors. I also learned a bit about John Sanford, the editor, from his introduction including that his name is a pseudonym. Thanks goes to Otto Penzler, the series editor, for recruiting yet another excellent editor.

[Peter Sidell · Rating 4 out of 5]

To My taste this volume wasn’t s compelling s its predecessors. Perhaps I have become sated having red 4-5 volumes over the past couple of months - but somehow here stories seemed gloomier to me. Having said that I still got a lot of pleasure from the efforts of the editor and compilers and pray they keep up their efforts for the foreseeable future.

[Craig Kingsman · Rating 3 out of 5]

A mystery needs to have an element of...mystery. A good WhoDoneIt is usually what you look for. Despite the title of this book, there are very few mysteries here. Only three of the twenty stories are actual mysteries. The others are crime stories, but not mysteries. I've downgraded my rating because of the false promises from the title.

[Cybercrone · Rating 2 out of 5]

Good compilation. Lots of variety. A few I'd read before, and there are always that couple of stories in any compilation that make you shake your head and wonder how they got past the several screening processes. A great book for when you need to be able to read short bits then get on to other things.

[Jon Koebrick · Rating 3 out of 5]

Anthologies of short stories seem inherently hit or miss and this one fits right there. There were several stories that really grabbed my interest led by William Kent Krueger and Craig Johnson stories along with Brendan Dubois, K. Magee, and C.J. Box. A solid 3 stars and recommended for those who wants change of pace.

[Thomas G. Carlton, M.D. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good collection of short stories

Every story held my attention. There was none of the “fluff” that is sometimes used to draw out stories to make them “books.” The stories were sufficiently different from each other to keep the reader engaged and the climax unpredictable. Quite enjoyable.

[Linda Gettig · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting selection

I don't usually enjoy short stories, but John Sandford's name drew me to this book. The stories are, of course, different from one another. Yet each is a story that makes you wonder what you would do in a similar situation. Also, being introduced to several writers, you just might find one to read.

[Kassandra · Rating 2 out of 5]

Really disappointing selection this year. There were remarkable pieces by Dan Bevacqua and Peter Straub, and strong showings by Brendan DuBois, Steven Popkes, and William Soldan. But most of the rest was unreadable, or nearly so.

[Jeff · Rating 3 out of 5]

Mixed collection but highlights for me were:
- Power Wagon (CJ Box)
- Flight (Trina Corey)
- The Man from Away (Brendan DuBois)
- Lovers and Thieves (Charles John Harper)
- The Painted Smole (William Kent Krueger)
- Dot Rat (K McGee)
- Night Run (Wallace Straub)