As the fog of the Covid-19 pandemic lifts, some people are already calling 2020 a lost year-but not, it seems, in the world of crime fiction, which saw many of its best authors publishing stand-out stories during those long twelve months.
Under the auspices of New York City's The Mysterious Bookshop-which headquarters the Mysterious Press-Lee Child has selected twenty tales as the best of the year and, taken as a whole, they do indicate that, pandemic or no, 2020 was a boon year for the genre. Newcomers published excellent, well-received short works, as did household names-and you can find them all right here.
Edgar Award-winning series editor Otto Penzler brings his decades of anthologist experience to this new annual from Mysterious Press, each of which will, going forward, feature a different bestselling author as guest editor. If you're a fan of mystery short stories, you definitely won't want to miss it.
Industry Reviews
"The 20 entries in this superior anthology exhibit the storytelling gifts of authors both familiar and not [...] This volume is a must for mystery aficionados." -- Publishers Weekly STARRED REVIEW
"20 gems [...] Child's selections seem especially appropriate for 2021, a year that promises change on so many fronts." -- Kirkus STARRED REVIEW
"There is such a wide variety here, in terms of literary style and subject matter, that it's hard to imagine a genre fan who would not find something to treasure. The book belongs on the shelf next to such essential anthologies as the Best American Mystery Stories series and Akashic Books' voluminous Noir series." -- Booklist
"A delicious mix of style and subgenre-there isn't a weak link in the bunch." -- Library Journal
"It's no stretch to say these were some of the best short stories from 2020, and the collection is sure to have something for everyone-from those who like traditional mysteries to those who like thrillers or noir stories." -- Reviewing the Evidence
"While a best mystery stories volume can be expected to include many quality works, the editors for this particular piece have outdone themselves. The quality and variety in this collection mean that any reader should find something to enjoy if they appreciate mystery or crime at all. Murder, theft, classic detective and no detective all fit within the short but entertaining volume. Heartily recommended." -- A Green Man Review