Best New British Mysteries

by Maxim Jakubowski (Editor), Mark Billingham, Colin Dexter

Featuring new stories Ian Rankin, Brian Thompson, John Mortimer, Muriel Gray, Robert Barnard, Anthony Mann, Michael Jecks, John Harvey, Lindsey Davis, John Grant, Edward Marston, Peter Lovesey, Liza Cody, Jerry Sykes, Laura Wilson, Reginald Hill, Christopher Fowler, Rosemary Rowe, Francis King, Val McDermid, Mark Billingham, Stephen Volk, Peter Robinson, Amy Myers, Mat Coward, Bill James, H.R.F. Keating, & Colin Dexter.

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

345 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2005

About the author

Maxim Jakubowski is a crime, erotic, and science fiction writer and critic.

Jakubowski was born in England by Russian-British and Polish parents, but raised in France. Jakubowski has also lived in Italy and has travelled extensively. Jakubowski edited the science fiction anthology Twenty Houses of the Zodiac in 1979 for the 37th World Science Fiction Convention (Seacon '79) in Brighton. He also contributed a short story to that anthology. He has now published almost 100 books in a variety of areas.

He has worked in book publishing for many years, which he left to open the Murder One bookshop[1], the UK's first specialist crime and mystery bookstore. He contributes to a variety of newspapers and magazines, and was for eight years the crime columnist for Time Out and, presently, since 2000, the crime reviewer for The Guardian. He is also the literary director of London's Crime Scene Festival and a consultant for the International Mystery Film Festival, Noir in Fest, held annually in Courmayeur, Italy. He is one the leading editors in the crime and mystery and erotica field, in which he has published many major anthologies.

His novels include "It's You That I Want To Kiss", "Because She Thought She Loved Me", "The State Of Montana", "On Tenderness Express", "Kiss me Sadly" and "Confessions of a Romantic Pornographer". His short story collections are "Life in the World of Women", "Fools for Lust" and the collaborative "American Casanova". He is a regular broadcaster on British TV and radio and was recently voted the 4th Sexiest Writer of 2,007 on a poll on the crimespace website.

Reviews

[Stephen Robert Collins · Rating 4 out of 5]

1-9 Read them all but it is Shame that their has been no more collections since 2009 .I love SS of Crime, sf,or horror Nothing like good crime stories in SS often there lot better than bigger novels After all Sherlock Holmes stories were short .

[Miriam Smith (A Mother’s Musings) · Rating 4 out of 5]

An excellent collection of short stories from some of the most well known mystery writers around. There were only a couple that I’d say I didn’t ‘get’ but generally I enjoyed reading them all and with each one being able to be read in such a short space of time, there’s no excuses for not picking one up and reading at any time of the day. Will be reading more in this series.

[Cameron Trost · Rating 3 out of 5]

This isn't a bad anthology of short stories, but it's hardly a particularly good one either. The title is a little misleading; it should have been called "Fairly Decent British Crime and Mystery 2003", but I guess the publisher (wisely) decided to simplify and exaggerate a little. I keep reminding myself to be wary of "best of" anthologies, but I grab one every now and again in the hope of proving myself wrong. One day, I will, surely. The stories in the collection were originally published in 2002 or 2003, not in 2005, which is the year this anthology was published. Not an issue. What I disliked most was that there were only a handful of good mysteries. Most of the stories were more broadly crime. What's the difference? Well, in a mystery, you have to solve the puzzle with the protagonist. That's the key. One of the stories was a ghost story, which is bizarre for a mystery anthology, and no, it's not "Murder by Ghost", a well-written but predictable Victorian mystery that could have been developed into an excellent and complicated puzzle.

Now, down to the stories I especially enjoyed:
Tell Me Who to Kill, Ian Rankin (mystery)
School Gate Mums, Muriel Gray (excellent suspense and my pick of the anthology)
No One Can Hear You Scream, Michael Jecks (the best traditional mystery story here)
Caveat Emptor, Rosemary Rowe (clever Roman Britain mystery)
Shadow on the Water, Peter Robinson (a beautifully written tale of suspense)
The Double Crossing, Colin Dexter (not a Morse tale, as claimed in the blurb, but a good mystery nonetheless)

My advice, track down these authors' collections or find their work in other anthologies.

[Wendy · Rating 3 out of 5]

an a sortment of different small stories, not to bad, some were a bit weird

[Alicia Anderson · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am finally over my expectations about anthologies. Maxim Jakubowski is the editor of many collections of various genres, abd he may be more obvious than most in naming the anthologies as a "Best Of..." when the a collection seems to just be of stories he could get publishing rights to at minimum cost. I first noticed his name and overenthusiastic naming of collections some years ago, and avoided him for a while. This particular volume is being sold as 'best new mysteries' and under a separate title (but same exact book) as Best British Mysteries of 2005 (the book I bought). To be be fair, the title is a reasonable choice. This collection of stories is generally pretty good and by some of the best names in the business. There is a Reginald Hill stand alone featuring Peter Pascoe of Andy Dalziel and Peter Pascoe series fame. There is a little charmer in this collection "the Power of the Dog". I think Rumpole of the Bailey is an acquired taste. When I first read a few novels (I was much younger then) I was not impressed. I have grown up and find Rumpole dated but charming and always clever. There is Ian Rankin and other authors o successful series (including Colin Dexter to my surprise). Some of the stories are stronger than others. Reading an anthology is like having snacks...you can sometimes eat just one or two or you can find yourself consuming the entire platter.

[Judy · Rating 3 out of 5]

As always with anthologies, I pick and choose. This one contains a few of my old favorite writers and characters: Ian Rankin's John Rebus gets a disquieting message from a stranger's cell phone in Tell Me Who to Kill, and and my favorite was Reginald Hill's Peter Pascoe in The Game of Dog.

[Carolyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Some absolutely fantastic short stories and then some not so fantastic (for my taste). I think readers of all sorts will be able to find a story that they like in this book.

[Rachel · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was familiar with a few of these authors. Most of the rest were confusing, unreadable or graphic. Good way to source authors, though.

[Cat. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great stories, all over the map. I do love short stories. Most of the authors in this book are familiar names in mystery fiction: Ian Ranking, H.R.F. Keating, Liza Cody, Val McDermid. Most of the authors don't use their series characters, though some do. I especially liked "School Gate Mums" (Muriel Gray) and "The Cairo Road" (Robert Barnard); the former because it's every mother's happy dream when her kid get picked on, and the latter because it's such a goofy take on Matthew's nativity story.

[Kristin · Rating 4 out of 5]

This has been one of my bed-side, read once in a while books, and now I finished it. Once I passed the half-way point, I became a bit more serious about moving it to the completed pile.

The mysteries are wide and varied with some not quite seeming like "mysteries." If you come across it, take a dip into it. Otherwise, no need to seek it out.

[Michelle Winters · Rating 3 out of 5]

Have to admit I picked and chose which ones I sat down and read as i had a "7 Dal Loan" awaiting me at the library LOL But there were some FREAKY stories in this book. Check out the one about the fat old lady and the teenage boy!!! weird & creepy!!

[Kay · Rating 2 out of 5]

Only read some of these short stories. I wanted to read those by John Harvey and Alexander McCall Smith. I read those and tasted a few others but there wasn't enough to attract me to a new author. Didn't finish the book.

[Darinda · Rating 3 out of 5]

Entertaining collection of mystery stories.

[Melody · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a good book overall; some of the stories were bland or cliche. Not a necessary read.

[Popkins · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this collection of short stories better than I thought I would. The stories were a perfect length and entertaining.