Synopses & Reviews
The Best American series has been the premier annual showcase for the country's finest short fiction and nonfiction since 1915. Each volume's series editor selects notable works from hundreds of periodicals. A special guest editor, a leading writer in the field, then chooses the very best twenty or so pieces to publish. This unique system has made the Best American series the most respected--and most popular--of its kind.
The Best American Mystery Stories 2005 includes
Scott Turow • Edward P. Jones • Louise Erdrich • Dennis Lehane • Daniel Handler • Laura Lippman • George V. Higgins • David Means • Richard Burgin • Scott Wolven • Stuart M. Kaminsky • and others
Joyce Carol Oates, guest editor, is a highly respected novelist, critic, playwright, poet, and short story writer. She is the author of numerous books, including the National Book Award winner Them and most recently the novel The Falls.
Review
"The roster includes well-known surnames Erdrich, Higgins, Kaminsky, Lehane, Sayles, and Turow but the lesser-knowns...deliver delightful surprises....For any fan of good storytelling." Booklist
Review
"Twenty previously published short stories with but one thing in common: good writing....Oates thoughtfully introduces generally gritty tales told with panache." Kirkus Reviews
Synopsis
The Best American series has been the premier annual showcase for the country's finest short fiction and nonfiction since 1915. Each volume's series editor selects notable works from hundreds of periodicals. A special guest editor, a leading writer in the field, then chooses the very best twenty or so pieces to publish. This unique system has made the Best American series the most respected and most popular of its kind.
The Best American Mystery Stories 2005 includes:
Scott Turow Edward P. Jones Louise Erdrich Dennis Lehane Daniel Handler Laura Lippman George V. Higgins David Means Richard Burgin Scott Wolven Stuart M. Kaminsky and others
Synopsis
This volume brings together the genre's finest from the past year. With stories from mystery veterans and newly discovered talents, this thrilling collection is sure to appeal to crime fiction fans of all tastes.
About the Author
Otto Penzler is the founder of the Mysterious Bookshops and the Mysterious Press and an Edgar Award winner. He lives in New York City.
Joyce Carol Oates novelist, essayist, critic, poet, playwright, teacher, and short story writer is one of the preeminent literary figures and social critics of the twentieth century. Her honors include an NEA grant, a Guggenheim fellowship, the PEN/Malamud Lifetime Achievement Award, and the F. Scott Fitzgerald Award for Lifetime Achievement in American Literature. She is also a member of the American Academy and Institute of Arts and Letters.
Table of Contents
Contents Foreword ix Introduction by Joyce Carol Oates xiii
Richard Burgin The Identity Club 1 Louise Erdrich Disaster Stamps of Pluto 19
Daniel Handler Delmonico 33
George V. Higgins Jack Duggans Law 49
Edward P. Jones Old Boys, Old Girls 80
Stuart M. Kaminsky The Shooting of John Roy Worth 103
Dennis Lehane Until Gwen 113
Laura Lippman The Shoeshine Mans Regrets 129
Tim McLoughlin When All This Was Bay Ridge 141
Lou Manfredo Case Closed 152
David Means Sault Ste. Marie 173
Kent Nelson Public Trouble 184
Daniel Orozco Officers Weep 194
David Rachel The Last Man I Killed 203
Joseph Raiche One Mississippi 217
John Sayles Cruisers 225
Sam Shaw Reconstruction 241
Oz Spies The Love of a Strong Man 259
Scott Turow Loyalty 274
Scott Wolven Barracuda 297 Contributors Notes 313 Other Distinguished Mystery Stories of 2004 323