Living in a very small town I have found that one of the most used phrases here is "there's a stranger in town." Living in the city is so different - who would know if someone is a stranger or not? But here, everyone knows. Are they here for good for bad? That's always the question.

When A Stranger Comes to Town is a compilation of short stories based on the premise of a stranger in our midst. Admittedly there were some stories that I enjoyed more than others and, surprisingly, some of those were by "new to me" authors. Of course, there also are stories by some of the best mystery writers of today: Michael Connolly, Dean Koontz and Joe Hill (shivers on the thought of Hill and his entry) but you'll find a collection of really good mysteries throughout the book.

This would make a great summer read because you read each mystery at your leisure, at the beach or beside the pool, in between innings. ;) This one is a great addition to my library and one I highly recommend.

This collection of stories was good. Some stories I just couldn't get into but most I did enjoy.

Good book for Mystery/Thriller fans out there.

Unfortunately, I didn't enjoy this one. I am not usually a fan of short stories, but the premise sounded good, so I decided to give it a whirl. Honestly, I didn't finish all of them, but the ones I did finish, I felt they were unsatisfying when I finished them. I did enjoy the one by Lisa Unger, though! Thank you so much to the publisher for the opportunity!

Short story collections are difficult to rate, especially when each story is by a different author. A few of these were absolute standouts for me. All are well written, and enjoyment is really just a matter of style preference.

I loved the general theme of a stranger coming to town. It was interesting to see the different approaches the authors took as their stories unfolded. We have a good mix of mystery and suspense, with some stories being much darker than others.

This collection is a great way to discover authors whose books you’ll immediately want to read.

When A Stranger Comes to Town was a pleasant surprise. It is rare for me to find an anthology where I can honestly say I enjoyed 90% of the stories. I enjoyed my time reading all but maybe one or two short stories in this set. The theme for the stories was strangers, either coming or going. There is definitely something for everyone here.

Along with some bigger named authors, I discovered some unknown-to-me writers that I would love to read more from. I was intrigued by Jacquleine Freimor's "Here's to New Friends". It had a nice twist to Strangers on a Train with an ending that I didn't see coming. I also enjoyed "Tokyo Stranger" by Tina deBelegarde. It was a different kind of thriller and made me want seek out her debut book. I also really liked "Perfect Strangers" by Tilia Kleneov Jacobs. I loved the ending on that one.

Among the well known authors, my favorites were "A Six Letter Word for Neighbor" by Lisa Unger. I always enjoy her stories. Alafair Burke's "Seat 2C" had me wanting a longer story with that plot-line. I wanted to know what came next. The weakest ones for me were "Last Fare" by Joe Hill. Not surprising since I haven't really liked much that he has written recently. I also wasn't a fan of "Howard's Heart" by Bryon Quertermous. I just didn't click with that story.

Despite there being 19 stories, I was able to read the book very quickly. As I said, there is something here for everyone. I highly recommend it!

This title is part of a series published by the Mystery Writers of America. It offers a collection of storieson what is a well-known subject, the stranger.

The strangers in these authors’ tales have different roles; some may be the “good” character, other times the not so good one. All are capable of engaging the reader.

Here are entries by Alafair Burke, Michael Connelly, Joe R. Lansdale, Lisa Unger, Lori Roy and others who are less well known to me. All have written stories worth looking at.

So, there are strangers in town. Get to know them.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher. All opinions are my own.

Even if not all the stories are the same level this is an excellent collection and it made me discover some new to me and interesting authors.
I was happy to read it and it's strongly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine

While I'm not usually a fan of anthologies, I have to say that When a Stranger Comes to Town gave me many pleasant surprises! Both some of the authors I've read before and those new to me managed to engage me from the start of their short stories - and the thrilling way they were able to share how chilling a stranger coming to town can be.

The stories are all well written, and they all had the little something that made me want more when the story was over.

I typically enjoy short story collections but only pick one up if an author I like is in it. Often, I come away with new authors to follow. I was pulled into When a Stranger Comes to Town by a story written by Joe Hill.

This compilation contains 19 stories themed around strangers.  This latest collection of stories by the Mystery Writers of America focuses not just on people dealing with strangers but the strangers themselves giving a variety of something that might have become monotonous. I enjoyed many, loved some, and downright hated a few.

These stories have no uniform length. While some are too short and don't feel like they have told a full story, some are a little long like one of my favorites A Six-Letter Word for Neighbor by Lisa Unger (it would have been perfect if it had been one section shorter). Some are short but tell a bite-size story that leaves you satisfied like the opener Solomon Wept by S.A. Cosby.

A big problem with many of these stories as they did fall back on the stereotypical bad guy. There were some that really changed this up, and those were often the best. In fact, the meta Russkies by Jonathan Stone addresses this issue and is a fabulous story about the truth of our lives.

My most favorite was the story by Joe Hill. While I clearly have a basis, the Last Fare is beautiful, magical, and looks at forgiveness and second chances with his trademark mystery of the supernatural. At first, it seems not to fit in with the rest, but it absolutely does and I wish there had been more genre-bending in the stories of the stranger.

Overall this is a good collection. While I didn't come away with a new author, I at least learned more about what I like and don't like when it comes to mystery writers. I'd recommend this just so you can read Russkies and Last Fare.


P.S. Also Dean Koontz is not to be found in this collection no matter what the description says (unless he's using a pen name I do not know).

Mysteries can be set up if someone goes on a journey, or if a stranger arrives and shakes things up. Strangers are "walking mysteries," so this collection by the Mystery Writers of America focuses on them.

As a mother, the opener "Solomon Wept" really got to me. In it, Parrish is trying to find her son, who was sold when she was in prison. The story didn't end the way I thought it would, but it was fitting and explained the title. The emotions packed into those sparse words were so impactful. With this as a starting point, stories about families and the disasters that could break them apart seems to be a theme for the first few. They flow nicely into each other, a great arrangement by the editor. Family and love shows up again later, and I really enjoyed "Six Letter Word For Neighbor" and "Howard's Heart."

"Kohinoor" changes to a more global arena, with the Morality Ring of Mumbai cracking down on dance bars, ignoring the consequences that led young girls to exotic dancing or the men spending money. As with others who criticize sex work, the optics matter to them more than saving actual people. I feel bad for Searcy in Michael Connelly's "Avalon," a small resort island that is about to have a very serious murder trial that his new police staff can't handle. In "Here’s To New Friends," an all too common scenario derails quickly, and I feel bad for laughing at the ending. I predicted it, hence my laughter, but it's terrible for the character involved. Similarly, "Room for One More" also has that vicious quality to it that had me grinning because of the twist. I also laughed at the end of "Perfect Strangers." I promise, I'm not vicious in real life. But they're just written so well!

Fans of true crime and horror podcasts will definitely find this collection fun. I raced through the stories, devouring every moment of them, and it was a great read.

I love short story collections. Even if they aren't all fabulous, there's always a few that stand out. I feel like some of the stories were a bit reaching to be included in the concept of the title, but one that returns to my memory again and again is the tale of the stranger turning out to be family, and turning out to be just as dangerous as a stranger. If you like short story collections, then this is a good read. If you're not overly fond of them, it seems like some of the big name authors phoned this one in, unfortunately. I received a digital copy from the publisher Hanover Square Press through NetGalley.

Things change when a stranger comes to town. Will the stranger be a force for good or evil? Will the stranger be a victim or the perpetrator? What makes these stories enjoyable is discovering the intent of the stranger. Sometimes the author sets a path for the stranger that assumes a dangerous situation will develop, but it fizzles or bites back. Other times the benign stranger turns out to be the one to be wary of. The nineteen stories depict a variety of settings with this same theme, and imaginatively interpret what happens. Favorites included: Genius – how smart do you have to be to kill someone? Assignment: Sheepshead Bay – a hitman has unique ways to go after his target, and Seat 2C – a widow’s return to where she shared memories with her husband brings a new possibility. Recommended for the storytelling and the story guessing about the protagonists. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for providing this title.

Mystery Writers Tackle the Theme of a Stranger in Town

Anthologies are a good way to get a taste for a number of different writers. In this anthology from Mystery Writers of American, I was familiar with some of the authors like Dean Koontz, but others were new to me. I found at least one that I will look for again in longer works.

The theme of the stories is the idea that a stranger brings an element of danger and mystery simply because he or she is an unknown quantity. The stories ran the gamut of types from someone moving in next door to a victim showing up in an emergency room. My favorite, however, was by Lisa Unger. I liked the setting and was drawn to the main character. Some of the other stories were too creepy for my taste.

Short stories can be a difficult medium. Most were very well crafted, but several seemed better suited to a longer format and in a couple the ending seemed rushed. However, the total collection is well worth reading. One nice thing about an anthology is that if you don’t like one story, there are others to move on to.

I recommend this collection if you’re a mystery fan. It’s particularly good if you’re looking for new authors to follow.

I received this book from Harlequin for this review.

When a Stranger Comes to Town by Michael Koryta contains nineteen mysteries involving a stranger. This gave me an opportunity to experience a variety of mystery authors. Each story involves a stranger which can be a tourist, a family member you have never met, a new neighbor, etc. I enjoyed the stories that had the unexpected, were creepy, and left me feeling uneasy. To me that is the sign of a good mystery or thriller. Some of the tales hit the mark while others did not. I especially disliked the ones that felt unfinished. I do not like having unanswered questions. Some of the stories felt that the author had a big premise that did not fit the small format. One tale felt like it was part of a bigger book and I was reading just a sample of it. My favorite story came from Lisa Unger. Some of these authors did a great job. They grabbed my attention from the first page and held it until the end. I found some new authors from reading this collection. I did find that many of the stories followed the same format and it was easy to predict how the tale would play out. One good thing about short stories is you can read one or all of them. You can enjoy them over a period of time which I think is the best way to enjoy this collection. There are some mild stories while authors are gruesome. I particularly liked Michael Connelly, Joe Hill, Alafair Burke, Lisa Unger, and Bryon Quertermous. My least favorite is Kohinoor by Smita Harish Jain. Overall, this is an interesting collection of scary tales. I will be wary when a new neighbor moves in next door!

When A Stranger Comes To Town
Edited by Michael Koryta

This Mystery Writers of America anthology of short stories includes eighteen authors take on the a stranger coming to town…most of the strangers written about by the authors are not ones I would like to meet myself but they are intriguing. I believe this is a book best read a story at a time rather than all in one sitting. It would make a good gift to give to a mystery lover. I have a few more stories yet to read but my favorites so far were: Solomon Wept by S.A. Cosby ~ a story of a mother’s love and Relative Stranger by Amanda Witt: a family pulling together to stay safe. There were several others that made me think but I related best to these first two stories in the collection – perhaps because the mothers in both stories were characters I could see a bit of myself in. All in all this was an interesting ncollection of stories well worth reading.

Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin – Hanover square Press for the ARC ~ This is my honest review.

4-5 Stars

When a Stranger Comes to Town is an interesting and immersive thematic anthology edited by Michael Koryta which contains 19 high quality short fiction selections from the MWA written around the theme of a stranger coming to town. Due out 20th April 2021 from Harlequin Trade, it's 400 pages and available in hardcover, audio, and ebook formats.

One thing I love about anthologies is the potential to find new authors to follow. I tend to read anthologies like chocolate samplers; one story at a time, so this one has taken a while to read. There is an impressive array of authors represented here from instantly recognizable (Joe R. Lansdale, Lisa Unger, Joe Hill, Alafair Burke and more (see the cover)), to new-to-me authors some of whose books have already been added to my TBR pile.

The stories are varied, there were (as always) some which didn't grab me personally, but all were well written and competently plotted. I've always had a particular fondness for collections/anthologies because short fiction is spare and technically challenging, so you get a better feel for an author's expertise with the form. Short fiction is less of a time commitment as well, so if one story is not working for you, there's another piece readily available in a few pages. They were mostly in the 4 star range(ish) with a couple of really standout stories. The Joe Hill piece has really stuck with me in the way good fiction sometimes does, bubbling away on several levels since I finished it.

Four stars. Well worth seeking out.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.

I'm not generally the biggest fan of short stories, but this collection appealed to me because it includes stories by some of my favorite mystery writers. As with many anthologies, this one had some strong hits and also some misses. I really enjoyed the stories by Lisa Unger (this one was a bit longer than the most, giving me more time to connect with the characters and the narrative) and Michael Koryta.
There were a few stories that started strongly and then devolved into confusion for me, and others that had a very obvious twist included just to have a twist. Overall I'm glad I read it and fortunately, if I wasn't connecting with a story I could just move on to the next one. It is worth picking up, especially if you like mystery stories and want to fit in one or two during a bit of free time.

This was an interesting collection of short stories - they all follow the theme - a stranger comes to town.

My favorite part about this book was reading short stories from authors I already love and discovering new authors. I highly suggest it if you are looking for a new author. What better way!!

There are 19 crime writers and I was unfamiliar with most of them. But to tell you the truth that was the fun part for me. I enjoyed each story and would say all of them were great!!

When a Stranger Comes to Town contains 19 short stories (from 19 different authors) with one theme – strangers! I found that this was a very interesting concept. It made for lots of excellent stories where the stranger wreaks havoc.

I typically don’t read too many collections, but I’m really glad I choose this one. I enjoyed the majority of the stories and found some new authors to check out. Here are some of my favourites!

Seat 2C by Alafair Burke – a widow meeting a new man on a flight. I love Alafair Burke and I was so disappointed when the story was over, I wanted so much more!
Avalon by Michael Connelly – Mysterious man comes to the island of Avalon. I was hooked on the mystery man and why he had come to the island. Very suspenseful!
Here’s to New Friends by Jacqueline Freimor – creepy stranger on the train! This one shocked me! Need to check out more by the author, such an easy writing style that had me wanting more.
A Six Letter Word for Neighbor by Lisa Unger – A new next door neighbour moves in. Loved the twist! You never know who your neighbour is!
Perfect Strangers by Tilia Klebenov Jacobs – the perfect robbery? I loved the background of the robber and how the author set up the robbery. And of course the ending was too perfect. Loved it!
PFA by Michael Koryta – a nosy neighbor. OMG, my favourite of the bunch. I had no idea where it was going and I was so shocked. Loved every word and of course wanted more!
Genius by Elaine Togneri – attempting to kill a musician. So funny. I was loving the narrator’s attempts and was trying to see if they would be successful.
Tokyo Stranger by Tina deBellegarde – a driver making a tough decision. Was surprised by this one. Was more emotional than the others.
4 calculators out of a potential 5. Check out this collection! So many great short stories that will have you second guessing when a stranger appears!

Thank you to Netgallery and HARLEQUIN – Trade Publishing (U.S. & Canada) for an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This was a stellar collection of short stories by some really famous authors like Dean Koontz and Lisa Unger. I don’t usually review anthologies because I don’t usually read them, but this one spoke to me because it came from the Mystery Writers of America and it promised to introduce me to authors new to me. Wow! The promise was fulfilled and now I have a list of authors to look for in novel-length books. Any author who can write a short story and capture my attention as this group of stories did has a “tip of the hat” from me because I have not read a collection of short stories since high school and that was required reading. I was absolutely mesmerized by these stories, most of which were spooky, scary and page turners. This collection reminded me of the Alfred Hitchcock collections that I used to read, in a really good way. Some stories were short, others were fairly long but they all promoted the theme that is in the title. Strangers can be a new person in town, at your door or a new neighbor. The book was relatable, with excellent characterization even in the format of short stories. I had my favorites, but I will keep mine a secret and let you choose your own. So many good ones to choose from! In fact, I was sad when I read the last story. Fans of anthologies with a mystery or suspense involved will devour this collection and want more from the next collection.
Disclaimer
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255, “Guides Concerning the Use of Testimonials and Endorsements in Advertising.”