The Best of Sisters in Crime

by Sarah Shankman, Various, Mary Higgins Clark, et al.

Book Overview

Editor Marilyn Wallace describes the 22 stories in this superb collection--chosen from her five equally excellent annual compilations--as "the work of a diverse, unruly and talented group of writers.... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0425160602
• ISBN13: 9780425160602
• Release Date: December 1997
• Publisher: Berkley Publishing Group
• Length: 336 Pages
• Weight: 1.05 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.1" x 5.6" x 8.6"

Customer Reviews

An introduction to 21 authors

Like most collections of this type, it is a matter of opinion whether the stories are the best. The stories have been selected by the editor from past collections of "Sisters in Crime." It is a varied collection, with one story each from 21 authors. Most people will like some better than others, but it provides an introduction to the authors, and I have sometimes found authors this way and followed up by purchasing their novels. I liked Sue Grafton's short story, "A Poison that Leaves no Trace," about a woman's life insurance with an interesting twist at the end. Gabrielle Kraft's short story, "One Hit Wonder," provides an interesting twist about a murder gone wrong. "Cold Turkey," by Diane Mott Davidson, is a story about competition in the catering business, and an act that leads to murder (with a caterer finding a body in her freezer and immediately thinking that she will have to throw out all the food). "All the Lonely People," by Marcia Muller, also appears in a collection of her short stories, and is about a dating service and connections to burglary (and Sharon McCone's interesting dates when she investigates). Gillian Robert's "Hog Heaven" is about a woman getting revenge for an incident in the past. I had varying interest in some of the other stories, and a couple seemed a little surreal, but overall it is a good collection.

A Wonderfully Diverse Collection of Stories From Women Writers

Mysteries are truly my favorite types of stories. In "The Best of Sisters In Crime," by Marilyn Wallace, we have a sampling of some of the very best mysteries written by women. Included are such terrific authors as Mary Higgins Clark, Elizabeth George, Carolyn Hart and Joyce Carol Oates, along with many others. These stories range from the terrifying to the humorous. Some gems in the collection are as follows. 1. "All The Lonely People," by Marcia Muller. In this story, a PI goes undercover in a dating service to discover the culprit behind some burglaries of the customers. It is a first person narrative that is absolutely delightful. 2. "The Celestial Buffet," by Susan Dunlap. This hilarious story concerns the death of a middle class woman and what she discovers when she reaches "Eternity." In this story, things are not always what they seem. 3. "Say You're Sorry," by Sarah Schinkman. This complex and terrifyingly poignant story recounts the resentment of a Southern woman against the "Belle" of the town, and the actions she takes because of this resentment. This story was one of my absolute favorites. 4. "Cold Turkey," by Diane Mott Davidson. This story features Ms. Davidson's caterer sleuth "Goldie" Bear, who must solve the murder of a body she discovers in her refridgerator. All of the stories are absolutely superb! Anyone who enjoys a good mystery will absolutely love this book. It not only includes excellent stories, but also short biographies of the authors and lists of their previous works. Happy reading!

review

a collection of mystery works by feminime writers... must read... interesting page turning cases... for all those mystery-lovers to read....

A must read for mystery fans

Since 1989, there have been "Sisters In Crime" anthologies, featuring short stories dedicated to promoting the best works of female mystery writers. Each one of the collections was critically acclaimed as tremendous literary works of art. Now, the creme de la creme of these tales have been collected in one work that is designed to showcase the talents of the new breed of female mystery writers. All the contributors are acknowledged masters of the craft and their contributions have all attained at least one major prize. Classics from world renowned writers such as Mary Higgins Clark, Joyce Carol Oates, and Elizabeth George have been included in this work. Famous PIs like Sue Grafton's Milhone and Diane Mott Davidson's Goldy Bear are also included. Every tale is a winner, making this collection the super bowl of short story books. Harriet Klausner