The Best American Mystery Stories 2020

September 14, 2020
The 20 high-quality stories in this annual anthology showcase the talent of many authors genre fans may not be familiar with. The best entries offer variations on the theme of achieving justice, whether or not doing so is within the boundaries of the law. Brian Cox’s “The Surrogate Initiative” presents the conflict between truth and the demands of the legal system in a tale set in the near future, where robots are allowed on juries after court rulings that certain artificial intelligences, known as legal constructs, can constitute a jury of peers for human defendants. David Dean’s “The Duelist,” a historical, features a newcomer to Mississippi’s attempt to call to account a notorious duelist who has killed 12 men in affairs of honor. In Pamela Blackwood’s “Justice,” the murder of a disabled boy leads a man to a desperate ruse to nail a killer the law refuses to touch, and in Michael Cebula’s “Second Cousins,” the murder of a drug dealer may give a lawman a chance to avenge his mother’s death, even if it means bending the truth. Fans of literate crime fiction will be rewarded.

October 16, 2020

Once again, mystery maven and "Best American" series editor Penzler brings a collection of the year's best short-format mysteries to tantalize readers. This edition is guest-edited by Box ("Joe Pickett" series), and the stories cover a lot of ground, from "All This Distant Beauty," Ryan David Jahn's tale of human trafficking in Mexico; to a woman's fight for freedom in Afghanistan in Jake Lithua's "The Most Powerful Weapon"; to Lisa Morton's old Hollywood mystery, "Whatever Happened to Lorna Winters?"; to an Appalachian gang of "Baddest Outlaws" run by little people in Rick McMahan's story. Standouts include "The Surrogate Initiative," Brian Cox's thought-provoking exploration of future uses of artificial intelligence, and Jeffery Deaver's "Security," the story of the rise of a divisive politician. Also included is a lengthy list of "Other Distinguished Mystery Stories of 2019" and copious "Contributors' Notes." VERDICT Whether readers enjoy snacking on bite-sized twisty mysteries or are looking for a new author to follow, this anthology delivers.--Julie Ciccarelli, Tacoma P.L., WA

Copyright 2020 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

October 1, 2020
Award-winning Box, the spirit behind Joe Pickett, chooses "twenty perfect pearls" in the 24th entry of general editor Otto Penzler's highly regarded series. Box's selections are surprisingly sunny considering the monster 2020 has turned into. Many of them celebrate human ingenuity. The title character in David Dean's "The Duelist" bests a formidable opponent with scant bloodshed. An ambitious woman outwits a sleazy politician in Jeffery Deaver's "Security." A wily Texas Ranger rescues undocumented immigrants in James Lee Burke's "Deportees." A budding musician foxes her dead neighbor's rapacious grandchildren in John Sandford's linguistic tour de force, "Girl With an Ax." Other tales highlight the strength of family ties, like David B. Schlosser's "Pretzel Logic," Michael Cebula's "Second Cousins," and Brian Cox's haunting "The Surrogate Initiative." Family ties don't always mean blood ties. Tom Franklin shows a policeman going to the mat for his late girlfriend's daughter in "On Little Terry Road." And a surprising stepmom helps Sheila Kohler's worried schoolgirl in "Miss Martin." As Rick McMahan demonstrates in "Baddest Outlaws," however, blood is still thicker than water, and a variety of other substances. The good guys aren't always good guys, as Richard Helms suggests in "See Humble and Die." And the bad guys aren't always bad guys, as Robin Yocum's aging mobster proves in "The Last Hit." All in all, this year's installment inspires hope that right will triumph, as it does in Pamela Blackwood's aptly named "Justice." A stellar collection for a year that hardly deserves it.

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