The Best American Mystery Stories (2017)

 Book 23 of my 2023 Reading Challenge

read from 2/19 - 2/28

The Best American Mystery Stories (2017)

by various authors

My Opinion

3 stars

In the foreword there was an interesting note that as mystery stories have evolved over time the authors spend much more time on character development now.  To quote, "...we have seen the 'whodunit' and the 'howdunit' pushed more to the side of the road that has become dominated by the 'whydunit'."  

As I do with all short story collections by different authors, I'll write a few things about each story individually but rate the book as a whole.

Puncher's Chance

I liked that the final ending wasn't clear because knowing for sure either way would've felt disingenuous and wrapped up too neatly.  I felt like the characters would be ok with any outcome.

The Master of Negwegon

The author did a great job of creating a full visual experience with few words.  I wish there had been more detail in the final page or two because the mental grappling of what they may have to do was a big part of the story and then it was over with little description.

The Human Variable

The story was hazy and easygoing which made the abrupt ending feel sharp and out of place.  I liked it until the last sentence.

Power Wagon

I felt dread the entire time I was reading that story because it had the undertone of one wrong move throwing everything into chaos.

Williamsville

It was repetitive but descriptive.  The author did a good job setting the uneasiness of the scene.

Abandoned Places

Wow, that was dark.  A tough read because it was so visceral.

Flight

Being in the mind of someone fully aware but unable to communicate is claustrophobic and frightening.  I'm so glad there wasn't a bleak ending.

The Incident of 10 November

It was fine but I wasn't really invested.  The method of communication was unique.

The Man from Away

That was excellent and unexpected.  Men like that are the scariest of all, the ones who just get pushed too far and know rationally exactly what they are doing.  The confrontation at the end was a nice touch because it removed any ambivalence the reader might have about the conclusion.

GI Jack

That wasn't my cup of tea.  Too much witty banter to sift through and I had no idea what was going on.

Ike, Sharon, and Me

The story was fine but felt out of place in a book of mysteries.

Lovers and Thieves

"It was the kind of rain favored by lovers and thieves." is a great opening line.  As for the story, there were lots of twists and turns but I wasn't super invested.

Land of the Blind

It felt short.  Fun and unique way to diffuse the situation.

The Painted Smile

This felt too far-fetched to be wrapped up so neatly.  I didn't mind it while I was reading it but the ending threw me off too much.

Dot Rat

I really liked that one.  Helen was a great character, very unexpected.

The Woman in the Window

It felt really long and there was no ending so I don't understand the point of the story.

The Sweet Warm Earth

Good story but not really a mystery so I'm not sure why it was included.

All Things Come Around

It spiraled out of control so quickly.  Again, not sure what the mystery was but I was invested in the read.

The Process Is a Process All Its Own

There were a lot of words filling this story which I guess makes sense considering his obsession but it led to me skimming a bit.  It was fine.

Night Run

That was bizarre.  The behavior of the main character made no sense and seemed to come out of nowhere (but not in a "snapped" way, more like a "did the story switch authors halfway through?" way).