The Best American Mystery Stories 2015 (The Best American Series)

This anthology of 20 short stories features some of today’s best mystery authors—from Lee Child to Jeffrey Deaver and Joyce Carol Oates.

For the 2015 edition of The Best American Mystery Stories, in his introduction, guest editor James Patterson observes, “I often hear people lamenting the state of Hollywood . . . If that’s the case, I’ve got one thing to say: read these short stories. You can thank me later.” Patterson has collected a batch of stories that have the sharp tension, drama, and visceral emotion of an Oscar-worthy Hollywood production. Spanning the extremes of human behavior, The Best American Mystery Stories 2015 features characters that must make desperate choices: an imaginative bank-robbing couple, a vengeful high school shooter, a lovesick heiress who will do anything for her man, and many others in “these imaginative, rich, complex tales” worthy of big-screen treatment.

In one standout entry, Michael Connelly and Dennis Lehane team up to send legendary detective Harry Bosch after a child abductor. The Best American Mystery Stories, 2015 includes Tomiko M. Breland, Brendan DuBois, Janette Turner Hospital, Theresa E. Lehr, Doug Allyn, Andrew Bourelle, Joseph D’Agnese, Scott Grand, John M. Floyd, Steven Heighton, Richard Lange, Lee Martin, and others.

“These edgy tales strike hard and fast but Leave vivid memories behind.”—Kirkus