Read and reviewed for the MWA awards--judges aren't allowed to review titles on Goodreads/retail sites, so I won't be submitting a review for this book..

A nice collection of short stories with odd partners. I actually listened to the audio of this one. And it's an interesting mix of stories with some odd mixes ;)

Mystery Lovers grab this book.A collection of short stories partnered together.Each case or story grabbed me drew me in and kept me turning the pages.Will be highly recommending.#netgalley#oddpatners

This book is a rare treat for the readers who love these characters. I've often wondered how many of my favorites would react should they receive help from a character in another of my favorite series. I've read stories where the an author will combine several of their own characters to reach a entertaining combinations of quirks. Now we've been given the gift of discovery. How many of these characters are on your follow list? At least three quarters of them are on mine. To have them combine their skills in each of the short stories was truly a treat to savor. We'd like some more please!

There are many well known crime fighting duos in the world of fiction. This book has bout 15-20 short stories that combine some unusual pairs of sleuths and/or criminals. From a wolf and a man who want to save nature to a swarm of bees. Several of the authors are familiar while some are new to me. The short story format make it a good summer read when you want a quick break from the heat. I think these are mostly new and original stories for this anthology. I received a copy of this ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review.

ODD PARTNERS is an anthology of mystery stories presented by the Mystery Writers of America and edited by Anne Perry. Writers including Jeffery Deaver, William Kent Krueger, and Charles Todd all contributed a short mystery story that dealt in some way with "odd" partners. Their choices were inventive and unusual, with stories about WWI or Neanderthals, allowing readers to sample a given writer's work and then perhaps move on to a full length novel. The theme was an intriguing idea, but its application seemed forced in some cases with stilted dialogue and truly odd combinations. Certain selections were better than others. For example, I do like Winspear's novels, but did not care for her "A Dog Noir Story" as told by Rebel, "aka Rebsy, Rebbo, and sometimes just Reb. Pure German Shepherd." Lansdale's "Sad Onions" contained some clever description of a partnership: "we spent the day tapping pencils against things, looking out the window, and wondering what we would have for lunch." Overall, I would consider ODD PARTNERS to be an optional purchase and also suggest that readers check out ideas from ALA's Book Club Central: Shari Randall's "May Picks from Sisters in Crime: Short Stories." That list (link below) offers many suggestions (several with discussion guides) of mystery anthologies which could work especially well for book groups.

http://www.bookclubcentral.org/2019/05/02/may-picks-from-sisters-in-crime-short-stories/

"Odd Partners" is a collection of mystery stories. Compiled by Anne Perry, the book includes 19 short but entertaining reads for fans of suspense.
My favorite stories were "The Nature of the Beast" by William Kent Krueger, "Sad Onions" by Joe R. Lansdale and "Glock, Paper, Scissors" by Shelley Costa.
In general, I enjoyed the stories and the twists they included. Several contain violent situations, adult language and sexual content that I did not appreciate.
Even though I only really liked a few of the stories, they all are well written and cover a variety of topics. I also appreciate the exposure to different writers whom I haven't read before. I would definitely recommend this book to mystery and suspense fans.

This short story crime anthology is a mix-and-match of unlikely character partnerships, created by authors who are members of the Mystery Writers of America. That said, the book presents quite a stellar group of writers, with recognizable names like Ace Atkins, Anne Perry (who is also listed as editor), William Ken Krueger and Jacqueline Winspear. Some are less well-known, but no less worth trying out. While I'm not always a fan of short stories, this compilation seems to be successful; those who have some familiarity with some of the authors may find it more appealing than others who don't; conversely, it may prove to be a fascinating introduction to some of these writers for those less experienced in the genre. This title is worth taking a chance on.
I received an advance reading copy from NetGalley and the publisher; this is my honest review.

Anne Perry edits an unusual series of Odd Partners short stories, some with a supernatural angle, others with pets as partners, but all with a crime in which a decidedly odd partner helps the detective or problem solver find the perp. Enjoy this excellent series.

What a wonderful collection of short stories! It's obvious this anthology was put together with a lot of thought and each story is a little gem. I thoroughly enjoyed reading them!

Odd Partners is a collection of mystery stories that is edited by one of my favorite authors, Anne Perry. The conceit for this anthology is a pairing in each story of odd partners; they are odd for many reasons as ably discussed in the editor's introduction. Authors include Anne Perry, Jacqueline Winspear, Charles Todd, Jeffrey Deaver, Ace Atkins, Allison Brennan and others.

Admittedly, I often shy away from short stories preferring the depth of novels with their capacity to allow the reader to know characters more deeply. That having been said, I truly enjoyed this book. To give two examples:

In Anne Perry's story, she conjures the atmosphere of WWI and the trenches, especially what it is like to be a sapper and to be a recruit who feels fear. I felt like I was there, uncomfortable, scared and eager for safety. All this within a short story. The odd partners are a German and an Englishman.

Jacqueline Winspear is known for her Maisie Dobbs novels. They are an excellent series of books which began during WWI and are now taking place in WWII. Does the author write a war story here? NO, she most emphatically does not. Here the odd partners are dogs and their humans.

There is much to enjoy in these stories. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to read and review them. All opinions are my own.

My Rating: 4.5 Stars

Odd Partners is a very well-done anthology that comprises of very short stories by 19 prominent authors. This read was edited by Anne Perry. The list of authors were culled from the Mystery Writers of America. Listed in alphabetical order, they are:

Ace Atkins • Allison Brennan • Shelley Costa • Jeffery Deaver • Robert Dugoni • William Frank • Georgia Jeffries • Lou Kemp • William Kent Krueger • Joe R. Lansdale • Lisa Morton • Claire Ortalda • Anne Perry • Adele Polomski • Stephen Ross • Mark Thielman • Charles Todd • Jacqueline Winspear • Amanda Witt.

I thoroughly enjoyed the stories. It took only a moment to accept the quick revolution of each one as it was told. Having only read Anne Perry previously, although some of the other names are certainly well-known, it was a wonderful way to be introduced to authors that I definitely want to put on my TBR.

As the description shows, each of these titles are new. One title that was quite intriguing to me was Robert Dugoni’s The Last Game, about a man who was an airplane passenger getting help from his fellow passengers. It was done with precise accuracy and definitely grabbed my interest. Then the was the short story, Oglethorpe’s Camera, by Claire Ortalda. This was about a woman and her cat, but, it was far, far more. There were a couple of very touching stories and then a rather odd story. This review would indeed be very long if I were to recount other favorites, never mind each entry.

Many thanks to Ballantine Books and to NetGalley for this ARC to review in exchange for my honest opinion.

A collection of 19 short stories by assorted authors, the bulk rather well known. While most were enjoyable, there were a couple jewels....and one or two duds. All in all though, an enjoyable read.

Mystery Writers of America Presents ODD PARTNERS: An Anthology
Edited by Anne Perry
Ballantine Books
ISBN978-1-5247-9935-9
Hardcover
Mystery

ODD PARTNERS, as with its several predecessors in anthology projects commissioned by the Mystery Writers of America, has an intriguing concept. This one, as might be discerned by the title, concerns stories featuring the pairing of disparate entities who become teammates, reluctantly or otherwise, in pursuit of a common goal. I will admit to some preliminary unease when I learned of the concept but that dissipated quickly enough when I found that Anne Perry would be helming the project. Perry is a household name among mystery readers of all stripes and neither she nor the first-rate cast of authors who she has assembled for ODD PARTNERS disappoint.

Before we go any further, keep in mind that the underlying motivation of the MWA anthologies is to include, and thus expose readers to, the width and breadth of the many-faceted mystery genre. A reader --- including this one (especially this one) --- will accordingly encounter stories that they might not ordinarily read. That would be unfortunate in the case of ODD PARTNERS. For myself, stories featuring mysteries solved by what I call “smart animals” are usually no -go zones. I say this, even as I prefer cats and dogs to people. I am also not a huge fan of historical mysteries. ODD PARTNERS includes both types of stories and they are each and all extraordinarily well done. “The Violins Played Before Junshan” by Lou Kemp falls into the historical mystery camp and is as dazzling and imaginative as anything I’ve read recently. The primary reason is that it features a protagonist named Celwyn who presents himself as a magician but who is a heck of a lot more than that, in a tale full of treachery, deception, and all manner and ‘s contribution to the volume, has a historical setting as well, sorts of double-dealing. “Reconciliation,” which is Perry’s contribution the ODD PARTNERS, is set in the trenches of a World War I battlefield where misguided courage suddenly creates a situation where common interest trumps cause and country. Charles Todd’s Inspector Rutledge and Hamish, the ghostly companion of Rutledge's conscience and subconscious, fit quite well into ODD PARTNERS as well, with a tale called “Blood Money.” Your reaction may differ, but I found “Blood Money” to be one of Todd’s best efforts to date, as the inspector rescues a cat which leads to his discovery of a murder victim and --- with Hamish and the cat in for an assist --- solving more than one crime.

As for animal detectives...Jacqueline Winspear contributes ‘
“The Wagatha Wabsy Secret Dogtective Alliance: A Dog Noir Story.” Two confessions here: 1) I almost skipped this story; and 2) I am glad I didn’t. It is extremely well done, what with a collection of neighborhood canines who track the disappearance of the biped owners of one of them, utilizing the assistance of a veterinarian who communicates very well with them. Animals also play a part, if a secondary role, in a number of other tales here. One of the best stories utilizing the latter is “Hector’s Bees” by Amanda Witt. Though she is perhaps better known for her dystopian fiction, Witt is an author of exemplary mystery stories as well, and displays her talent here in this haunting story of a drift of bees who with their human protector quite plausibly solve a murder and capture a killer. A human being and a wild beast also pair up to great effect in “The Nature of the Beast” by William Kent Krueger. You might see the ending coming but the trip there, as with all of Krueger’s work, provides a great deal of enjoyment. There is also a soft spot in my reading heart for Allison Brennan’s “Bite Out of Crime.” Jamie Blair, the fifteen-year-old protagonist here, becomes a kindred soul of most of us within the first few sentences of this short murder mystery involving a suddenly orphaned dog and larcenous-by-necessity high school student in a bad situation. I wouldn’t mind seeing more of Jamie down the reading road.

I didn’t say all that to skip all this, “this” being a number of both more and less conventional pairings. When one thinks of “odd partners” the names “Hap and Leonard” come to mind almost immediately and, indeed, Joe R. Lansdale’s mismatched best friends are front and center here in “Sad Onions: A Hap and Leonard Story. The story is less than twenty pages long, but Lansdale can paint just as well on a small canvas as he can a large one. He demonstrates this conclusively by bringing together a late night, a country road, a beautiful woman, and a dead body, throwing in a couple of twists and a double-cross or three for even measure. It’s a fitting story for Lansdale’s perfectly mismatched pair of best buds who function as the private investigators of the downtrodden. I unfortunately can’t tell you much about Jeffery Deaver’s “Security” without giving the game away, other than it is just as carefully and exquisitely planned out and executed as his longer work. Suffice to say that it involves an attempted political assassination in which the alliances are, shall we say, somewhat fluid. “The Last Game,” by Robert Dugoni, is a tale about a chance encounter between an elderly man on an airplane flight intending to attend a funeral who to his benefit meets a couple of young men on the plane who guide him along to an unexpected destination. One of the bigger surprises of the collection is “From Four Till Late: A Nick Travers Story” by Ace Atkins. Yes, Nick Travers is back, and the short story format works very well for him as he spends a New Orleans night helping a mother locate her fifteen-year-old wild child daughter. You’ll love it, particularly the ending.

There are more stories --- nineteen, all totaled, in ODD PARTNERS --- and please don’t think that my omission of their descriptions reflects on the quality of those not mentioned. Each and all have something to recommend them, even if you haven’t read a mystery in your life. Go for it.

Reviewed by Joe Hartlaub
© Copyright 2019, The Book Report, Inc. All rights reserved.

As with most collections, the quality of the stories varied. However, overall I found this collection an enjoyable read. This is a book which I would recommend to others.

This is an anthology of short stories about "odd partners" written by a variety of authors. As with most such collections, I enjoyed some offerings more than others. This is a good opportunity to try some new writers without having to commit to a full length novel.

This collection of short stories by established writers (although mostly new to me) has a few stories that tread well-worn (but still pleasing) paths, and a few surprises.

Anne Perry, Charles Todd and John Leonard add short stories from their familiar time periods and settings. Don’t expect Maisie Dodds from Jacqueline Winspear, though. Her contribution is quite a ways outside her familiar zone!

The premise, bringing together an unusual partnering to solve or commit a crime, resulted in some entertaining story concepts, and I will be looking for longer length works from several of the authors.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This anthology has enough diversity in its stories to appeal to readers of many different types of mysteries. The flip side of that, as with any anthology, is that it is almost guaranteed that any one person won't like all the stories in it. I consider that part of the deal with these and don't really mind, though that may account in part for my preference for longer-form fiction. There were enough high points in this collection that the ones I wasn't crazy about didn't really matter. The authors took highly creative approaches to the assignment, and the variety in the "odd partners" pairings was the best part of this book.

This collection of short stories edited by Anne Perry has the theme of "odd partners" working together to solve a crime. There are some really good stories in the book and some very unlikely and interesting partnerships. Some stories are set in the past and some in the present day in a variety of locations from New York to New Mexico in the U.S. and a few different locations in Europe.

Some of my favorites are by authors I already enjoy, such as the story by Anne Perry and the story by Allison Brennan featuring a teenaged thief and a stray dog. There are also some great stories by authors who are new to me, such as the story a PI and an art thief working together in a story by William Frank, Adele Polomski's story of an elderly woman and her caretaker, and Lisa Morton's take of an aspiring filmmaker and the unique home movie he discovers. However, several of the stories both by familiar and unfamiliar authors didn't appeal to me. That's what great about a short story collection, though. There is usually something for everyone. There are some five star stories within the book, but overall I would rate the collection 3.5 stars.

I received this book from NetGalley through the courtesy of Ballantine Books. The book was provided to me in exchange for an honest review.

Odd Partners is a wonderful collection of short stories written by several different fantastic authors. They are all well written and very entertaining.