The Year's Best Mystery and Suspense Stories 1993

by Edward D. Hoch (Editor)

14 povídek od 14 autorů detektivního žánru. Povídky byly vesměs poctěny nějakou literární cenou.

Genres: Short Stories, Mystery

Hardcover

First published January 1, 1993

About the author

Edward D. Hoch is one of the most honored mystery writers of all time.

* 1968 Edgar Allan Poe Award (Mystery Writers of America): "The Oblong Room", The Saint Mystery Magazine, July 1967
* 1998 Anthony Award (Bouchercon World Mystery Convention): "One Bag of Coconuts", EQMM, November 1997
* 2001 Anthony Award (Bouchercon): "The Problem of the Potting Shed", EQMM, July 2000
* 2007 Ellery Queen Readers Choice Award (awarded 2008): "The Theft of the Ostracized Ostrich", EQMM, June 2007
* Lifetime Achievement Award (Private Eye Writers of America), 2000
* Grand Master (Mystery Writers of America), 2001
* Lifetime Achievement Award (Bouchercon), 2001

Reviews

[Tim]

Picked this up for a buck at a book sale, something I typically use to “clear my palate” between reading novels. This particular book is sort of “the best of the best” in mystery stories from 1993. Looks like this may be an annual or biannual publication; the very comprehensive appendix has a number of references to the previous collection (1991) as well as listing the winning novels for the year, as well as listing the anthologies/magazines that the current collection is taken from. Treasure trove for mystery addicts!

This is a compilation of sixteen such stories, with some unevenness but all of which are entertaining. I would particularly recommend Jo Bannister’s “A Poisoned Chalice” (a countryman gets the best of sophisticated archaeologists, gotta love it); Peter Lovesy’s “You May See a Strangler,” and Steven Saylor’s “A Will Is A Way.” However, the crown jewel in this collection is Joyce Carol Oates’s “The Model,” the longest of the stories, describing an increasingly disturbing relationship between a teenage girl and a mysterious stranger. Ms. Oates has an amazing ability to capture the creepy nature of both characters and their connections to each other, warts and all. I would certainly recommend this collection for any mystery fans out there!

OK, lemmee see…I think there’s a collection of Stephen King short novels I can use for the next palate clearer…

[Vince Darcangelo]

Faves:
Doug Allyn, "Candles in the Rain"
Jacklyn Butler, "A Bit of Flotsam"
Ed Gorman, "Mother Darkness"
Peter Lovesey, "You May See a Strangler"
Joyce Carol Oates, "The Model"
Benjamin M. Schutz, "Mary, Mary, Shut the Door"