Amazon.com: Customer reviews: The Best American Mystery Stories 2014

Top positive review

Outstanding stories, more contemporary authors

Reviewed in the United States on March 13, 2015

The BAMS anthologies started back in 1997 and became a yearly publication. I wish I had purchased them all, but I only own four, including this one. My favorites are the vintage stories most of which were featured in earlier editions. Unfortunately, many of those stories were from famous mystery writers who are now dead. So this anthology tends to include more contemporary writers, and I hate to admit it, but I hadn't heard of half of them; nonetheless, their stories are very satisfying... speaking from a fan of the genre's point of view. I'm totally hooked and as always, thoroughly entertained. Some stories are more intriguing to me than others, but all of them are well-written and filled with memorable characters. If mystery and suspense is your thing, then, you'll enjoy this book. Every story is quite a special treat, and if you enjoy vintage mysteries, then try some of the older editions. It's just a great series.

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Top critical review

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Samuel H. Bostaph

The Weakest in the Series

Reviewed in the United States on May 29, 2015

The introduction by guest editor Laura Lippman is the best part of the book. It makes you want to read her own fiction because she is such a good wordsmith. On the other hand, the selection of stories in the collection is not particularly wonderful. With few exceptions, they emphasize ugly and destructive human actions with little justice either meted out or received. One of the proofs that the stories hold little interest for anyone who reads fiction to gain insight into human actions, whether good or evil, is that the discussion by my study group of each story in this collection usually wandered off the story line into distantly related topics. The discussions also tended to end early. This is in great contrast to previous volumes in this series under Penzler's general editorship, many of whose stories led to discussions that ran overtime.

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From the United States

Florence Weeble

Outstanding stories, more contemporary authors

Reviewed in the United States on March 13, 2015

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Vance

Satisfying Choices

Reviewed in the United States on March 31, 2015

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This was a solid collection with few duds. Leading off the alphabetically by author collection is a fine one, based on the Casey Anthony soap opera trial, "My Heart is Either Broken," by Megan Abbott with an intriguing ending. There are so many gems: James Lee Burke's rambling, western thriller, "Going Across Jordan," that led me to read his longer works. All in all a satisfying read.

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Machiavelli's Revenge

Intellgent collection of mystery tales

Reviewed in the United States on November 10, 2015

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Most of the stories are interesting and hold the readers attention. I enjoyed most stories and wish there were more collections of mystery fiction like this available. Surely, beats reading a 400-600 page novel of intrigue blended with convoluted personal relationships, or boring, drawn out tales of women coming of age or power in a so-called man's world. .

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Samuel H. Bostaph

The Weakest in the Series

Reviewed in the United States on May 29, 2015

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Verge

Better than I expected

Reviewed in the United States on October 23, 2015

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I generally love short fiction of any sort but mysteries aren't often as satisfying in a short form; these were really good; I hated to finish the book. There was a nice range in this collection.

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JDRanger

Good collection of stories

Reviewed in the United States on November 6, 2015

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Good collection - I buy these every year but missed the past year or two. After reading this I was reminded how consistently great the story collections are so I am going back and reading the past two years' volumes.

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trackhorse

Disappointing, but with Some Strong Redeeming Stories

Reviewed in the United States on November 2, 2014

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Agreeing with some of the other 3-star reviews, I find that there seems to be a thin line between "mystery" and "horror". I prefer more of the "police procedural" plot rather than stories that seem to go nowhere except into the depths of human sadness and end inconclusively into the bargain.

Having said that, there were a few standouts. My favorites: "Festered Wounds" by Nancy Pauline Simpson, "Princess Anne" by Jim Allyn, "The Wrecker" by Ernest Finney, "Small Kingdoms" by Charlane Harris, and "Rough Deeds" by Annie Proulx.

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David M

Keep your Prozac close by

Reviewed in the United States on December 23, 2014

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The stories are all very well-written, as to be expected from Best American series. However, the selections, on the whole, are quite depressing. Just be ready for some heart-wrenching fiction

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