Best American Mystery Stories 1999

In compiling the third volume in this annual series, which is edited by Otto Penzler, McBain (the 87th Precinct procedurals) has included tales that fall outside strict genre definitions. The collection is richer for that wide range. "Survival," Joseph Hansen's deftly characterized 13th Hack Bohannon story, follows the stable-owner/PI into a racist compound in the Oregon woods. Held there on the eve of a major offensive, Bohannon interacts credibly with his captors: there's not one false note in the story. In David K. Harford's "A Death on the Ho Chi Minh Trail," Military Police Investigator Carl Hatchett finds out why there were no bullet holes in the shirt of an American soldier who was apparently killed in a firefight with the VC. Reminiscent of her novel Them, Joyce Carol Oates's "Secret Silent" delineates a wrenching 24-hour period in which a young woman separates from both the pull and the burden of her upstate New York family's limited expectations. Lawrence Block, Stephen King, Philip K. Margolin and John Updike are among the 17 other contributors to this compendium of highly accomplished stories drawn from a variety of sources, mystery-specific and not. (Publishers Weekly )There is a certain amount of pressure inherent with using the word "best" in a book title, but this fine collection of tales measures up to its name. Editor McBain has chosen well for the third volume of this annual collection by including works that represent the myriad possibilities promised by the word "mystery." Since character development is difficult in such limited space, the story is the thing here, and most of the authors are immensely successful at delivering it. While not all the stories fit the formula of the classic whodunit, the variations on the mystery theme are interesting and many. Even in a work so generally well composed, a few stories stand out, including brilliant efforts from Jeffery Deaver and Ed Gorman. These outstanding works, along with those by favorites like Lawrence Block, Stephen King, and John Updike, make this essential for any library where mysteries are popular. Craig L. Shufelt, Lane P.L., Hamilton, OH (Library Journal )