Thanks to #NetGalley and #MarinerBooks for the ARC #TheBestAmericanMysteryAndSuspense2023 by #LisaUnger. This book based on 20 fiction short stories was very interesting. I recommend this book.

This collection of short stories is a great read! Though I didn't find them all that suspenseful, each of the stories had something that lingered after I finished reading. There was such a diverse range of stories with a range of settings, subjects, and styles, I never knew what to expect from one story to the next. The first story didn't really draw me in, so I jumped around a bit. I found the notes at the very end of the book confusing until I read "Foreward." In the corrected copy, I hope these appear as footnotes within the story. I have already recommended this book to a friend.

Best American Mystery Stories 2023

I often recommend short story collections to people. They are good for getting out of a reading slump. I personally use them to gather recommendations of new authors - similar to a “try before you buy”. All too often I have found mystery collections focusing on a theme, such as the perfect crime.

Unfortunately though anthologies are the main way to access short stories. Rare are the days of reading just one story in a publication. The sole exception being The New Yorker. And unfortunately none of the stories here are from The New Yorker. In fact, multiple stories in this book were originally published in one collection. That takes all the fun out of it.

Several of these stories didn’t even make the “mystery” cut for me and seem out of place. There should be a rule that any anthology can only contribute one story. I think I prefer the Ellery Queen or Alfred Hitchcock magazines as opposed to those showcased here. The lone exception is the SA Crosby selection.

I’m sorry to say this just didn’t resonate with me. Better luck next year.

""This form has a special kind of magic, the ability to transport you quickly, intensely, to capture character, time, place, and story with immediacy," writes guest editor Lisa Unger in her introduction. The transporting stories in this year's The Best American Mystery and Suspense are populated by those who exist on the fringe of our society and want more than what life has dealt them: A haunted veteran turned career criminal is on the run. An injured fighter turned bouncer seeks vengeance for his lost love. An assassin on his last job finds himself questioning his life choices and breaks all the rules to understand his final victim. By turns thrilling and enlightening, each story, according to Unger, "will have you holding your breath, flipping the pages, will leave you thinking about people and why they do the dark, dangerous, frightening things that they do."

The Best American Mystery and Suspense 2023 includes Ashley-Ruth M. Bernier, William Boyle, S.A. Cosby, Jacqueline Freimor, James A. Hearn, Ladee Hubbard, A.J. Jacono, Adam Meyer, Silvia Moreno--Garcia, Walter Mosley, Leigh Newman, Joyce Carol Oates, Margaret Randall, Annie Reed, Anthony Neil Smith, Faye Snowden, Jervey Tervalon, Joseph S. Walker ,Thaai Walker, and Jess Walter"

I'm usually not a person for "best of" anything, but I saw the editor, so I took a look, and damn, this is a stack roster of authors!

I love short stories and anthologies. Even the best author must flex their writing skills to deliver quality short stories. In less than a usual chapter length, they must introduce us to the characters and their communities/ back stories, commit to an "event" and then solve it, all while keeping the reader engrossed and flipping pages. I often find that an author will switch genres in an anthology, which gives me an even better appreciation for their talent.
Many have a similar theme with the writers giving their story an unusual “spin” to meet the theme’s intent without copying each other. It is not unusual to find a true gem mixed in with the overall excellent stories, making anthologies a triple threat/ treat. When a book is billed as "the best" they had better deliver and this one definitely does. The authors who contributed are some of the best known in this genre. I truly enjoyed my reading time with these excellent stories.

A good collection of short mystery stories from some of the best mystery writers today. I especially enjoyed Crosby's and Walter's contributions. My customers always look forward to these annual publications and I love reccommmending them.

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC of The Best American Mystery and Suspense 2023.

Short story collections are a tough sell; some stories might appeal to you but rarely do all of the stories find their mark with the reader.

Most of the stories do have a mystery component, I'm glad to say.

Someone is killed or someone is missing, and the main character solves the case.

Others are not mysteries, not even thrillers, at least I didn't find them thrilling or very suspenseful, though I understand and respect sometimes it's hard to keep the suspense momentum up in a short story.

A handful of stories were familiar to me already since I read them previously in other crime compilations.

I did like a few stories including Ripen and Mr. Filbert's Classroom.

This was a decent collection of short stories mystery and suspense fans might enjoy.

A stellar collection of the best short stories in crime fiction, as selected by the inestimable Steph Cha and superstar Lisa Unger. I so love the new direction and fresh feel Cha has brought to this volume since she's become editor, and once again she and the guest editor have knocked it out of the park.

“Crime fiction is a crucible, a place where human nature is revealed under the most intense of circumstances.”—excerpt from Lisa Unger’s Introduction*

Steph Cha’s timely forward and Lisa Unger’s introduction, where she discusses the unique magic of the short story form, nicely set the tone for the anthology. I continue to be impress with the direction of this series with Steph Cha as Series Editor.

My favorites are as follows:

“New York Blues Redux” by William Boyle: Boyle proves himself to be a master of characterization as drama in the summer of 1986 at a Brooklyn bar, with a group of regulars and a newcomer, unfolds. The protagonist is introduced as Jane the Stain and the origin of her nickname comes into play in a big way.

“The Mayor of Dukes City” by S. A. Cosby: Another master at characterization, Cosby always spins a fantastic tale. An MMA fighter turned bar bouncer solves a personal mystery and delivers his own special flavor of justice.

“When We Remembered Zion” by A. J. Jacono: A pregnant woman is kidnapped, and during her captivity develops a bond with her mentally ill abductor.

“The Land of Milk and Honey” by Silvia Moreno-Garcia: A woman kept homebound and forced to work for her father finds a passion in a secret affair.

“Valley of the Moon” by Leigh Newman: Set in Alaska, this story explores familial bonds and secrets that are hidden in people’s Instagrammed lives. I found myself unable to look away as each bad decision was revealed.

“The Invitation” by Margaret Randall: A woman must decide whether to accept an ex-boyfriend’s offer to join him on an all expense paid trip to Barcelona or do a dream newspaper internship.

“The Obsession of Abel Tangier” by Faye Snowden: A vote on whether or not to scrub history books comes between old friends.

“How Hope Found Chauncey” by Jervey Tervalon: A girl’s plan to save her baby brother from their addict mother goes awry.

“Flight” by Thaai Walker: This story takes a hard look at female friendship and the way young girls are preyed on by men. I loved how the protagonist’s worldview was shaped by learning about Sally Ride.

“Love Interest” by Jess Walter: A digital forensic investigator’s new client is a movie legend who has become a victim of a phishing scam. The case gives the investigator the chance to become a Hollywood hero. This fun story nicely ends the anthology on an upbeat note.

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

Thanks to HarperCollins Publishers LLC for providing an Advance Reader Copy via NetGalley.

*Please note that my review is based on uncorrected text.

I was disappointed in this book as I have most of the books in this series. The stories were not engaging or reflective of the noir style.

This is my first time reading an edition of The Best American Mystery and Suspense, and I am a big fan! 20 short stories selected by one of my favorite thriller authors?! SIGN ME UP. I was ecstatic to receive my gifted copy from #NetGalley! I loved the stories, and I look forward to reading more from these authors. This was such an easy book to read when I didn't have a lot of time to dive into something. I highly recommend you read this when it's released October 17th!

My expectations leaned heavily toward more mystery and suspense in this edition, so I must admit I found myself somewhat let down. While I did find merit in some of the stories, I couldn't help but notice that a few of them lacked the depth and substance I was hoping for. Additionally, with the initial excitement of Lisa Unger's involvement, I had hoped for more, but it seemed to fall short of my expectations.

I was really expecting more mystery and suspense stories so I was a little disappointed. I also was excited that Lisa Unger helped on this edition, but I felt like it fell short.

An interesting collection of stories curated by Lisa Unger. Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher.