Synopses & Reviews
This fantastic new collection picks up where Dorothy L. Sayers' landmark 1929 anthology The Omnibus of Crime left off, bringing together monumental, important, and entertaining works of short crime fiction published over eight decades from the era of the Great Depression to the first years of the twenty-first century.
In lively introductory essays, celebrated crime writer Tony Hillerman and critic Rosemary Herbert place each story in the context of the author's work and the genre's literary history. Their extraordinary collection is international in scope and emphasizes the most exciting styles and voices, rather than taking a typical decade-by-decade approach. As a result A New Omnibus of Crime is packed with page-turning, engaging, and spine-tingling selections. Stories in this collection include Patricia Highsmith's "Woodrow Wilson's Necktie," Sue Grafton's "A Poison That Leaves No Trace," and many more, including never-before-published works from Jefferey Deaver, Catherine Aird, and Alexander McCall Smith.
A New Omnibus of Crime is a marvelous achievement that brings together some of the greatest crime and mystery short fiction ever collected. Showcasing the work of such revered authors as Dashiell Hammett, P.D James, Ross Macdonald, Sara Paretsky, Ruth Rendell, and Elmore Leonard, it is a definitive volume that will be treasured by all fans of the genre.
Review
"The best and most satisfying mystery bargain to come along in years. It will give readers countless hours of pleasure and surprise in one volume." --Cleveland Plain Dealer
"Not a clunker in the bunch...Dorothy Sayers edited a classic 1920 collection of short stories called 'The Omnibus of Crime.' There have been numerous collections since then, but until now, none has had the depth, intelligence and chutzpah to call itself 'A New Omnibus of Crime.'" --Bloomberg News
"A worthy successor to Dorothy L. Sayers's classic Omnibus of Crime (1929)." --Publishers Weekly
"Picking up where Dorothy L. Sayers's 1920 classic, The Omnibus of Crime, left off, this collection gathers works of short mystery fiction from the end of World War I to today, including pieces by Raymond Chandler, Ross Macdonald, Dashiell Hammett, Elmore Leonard, Ruth Rendell and P.D. James." --Good Housekeeping
"A New Omnibus of Crime is essential for anyone with more than a passing interest in detective fiction. Brilliantly assembled, and beautifully edited by people who know what they're doing." --Robert B. Parker, author of Double Play and Cold Service
Synopsis
This fantastic new collection picks up where Dorothy L. Sayers' he Omnibus of Crime(1929) left off bringing together monumental, entertaining works of mystery short fiction from the early 1930s to the present, from the inter-war years of the twentieth century to the first years of the twenty-first century. Rosemary Herbert and Tony Hillerman, both celebrated crime-writers, introduce each story, and place each selection in the context of the author and the genre's literary history. This extraordinary collection emphasises the most exciting styles and voices in the genre rather than a decade-by-decade approach. Stories in The New Omnibus of Crime & Mystery Writinginclude Norman Mailer's The Killer, Sue Grafton The Parker Shotgun, Frankie Y. Bailey Since You Went Away, John Cheever Montraldo, Paul Theroux The Johore Murders, Tony Hillerman First Lead Gasser, David Winser The Boat Race Murder, James M. Cain Cigarette Girl, Dorothy L. Sayers The Necklace of Pearls, Linda Barnes Lucky Penny, Cornell Woolrich Death at the Burlesque, Raymond Chandler Red Wind, Dennis Lehane Running Out of Dog, and James Crumley Hot Springs.
Synopsis
In 1929, Dorothy L. Sayers published her landmark anthology, The Omnibus of Crime. More recently, Tony Hillerman and Rosemary Herbert decided it was time to produce a definitive new anthology representing the best of the genre since then - the critically acclaimed A New Omnibus of Crime. This extraordinary collection emphasizes the most exciting styles and voices in each genre, rather than taking a typical decade-by-decade approach. As a result, A New Omnibus of Crime boasts a broad range of engaging, page-turning, and spine-tingling selections from the past eight decades. Stories in this collection include Patricia Highsmith's "Woodrow Wilson's Necktie," Sue Grafton's "A Poison That Leaves No Trace," Alexander McCall Smith's "He Loved to Go for Drives with His Father," and many more. A New Omnibus of Crime is a marvelous achievement that brings together some of the greatest crime and mystery short fiction ever collected.
About the Author
Tony Hillerman, one of America's leading mystery novelists, was named a Grand Master by the Mystery Writers of America. He is the creator of the Joe Leaphorn and Jim Chee characters, and his books include Dance Hall of the Dead, A Thief of Time, Talking God, and The Shape Shifter.
Rosemary Herbert has reviewed mysteries for many publications including the New York Times, Washington Post, Boston Herald, and Minneapolis Star-Tribune. She is editor-in-chief of The Oxford Companion to Crime and Mystery Writing and the co-editor (with Tony Hillerman) of The Oxford Book of American Detective Stories. She also edited Whodunit? A Who's Who in Crime and Mystery Writing and Murder on Deck! Shipboard and Shoreline Mystery Stories. She lives in Rockland, Maine, and Gloucester, Massachusetts.
Table of Contents
Introduction
Dorothy L. Sayers: The Man Who Knew How
Dashiell Hammett: The Girl with the Silver Eyes
Frederic Brown: The Wench Is Dead
Ross Macdonald: Gone Girl
Margaret Millar: The Couple Next Door
Dorothy Salisbury Davis: By the Scruff of the Soul
Julian Symons: Flowers That Bloom in the Spring
Patricia Highsmith: Woodrow Wilson's necktie
Ruth Rendell: Loopy
P.D. James: Great Aunt Allie's Fly Papers
Tony Hillerman: First Lead Gasser
Tony Hillerman: Chee's Witch
Donald E. Westlake: Breathe Deep
John Mortimer: Rumpole and the Bubble Reputation
Sue Grafton: A Poison That Leaves No Trace
Sara Paretsky: Photo Finish
Peter Lovesey: The Crime of Miss Oyster Brown
Michael Malone: Red Clay
Ed McBain: Barking at Butterflies
Dennis Lehane: Running Out of Dog
James Crumley: Hostages
Elmore Leonard: When the Women Come Out to Dance
Ian Rankin: The Hanged Man
Catherine Aird: The Holly and the Poison Ivy
Jeffery Deaver: Copycat
Alexander McCall Smith: He Loved to Go for Drives with His Father
Credits
Index