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A review by spygrl1
The Best American Mystery Stories 2016 by Elizabeth George, Otto Penzler
3.0
Stephen King's "A Death" was a standout. You think you can see the "twist" in the tale of a man rounded up and sentenced to die for the killing of a young girl, but the story turns in a way I didn't expect. [In spite of Sheriff Barclay's uncertainty about Jim Trusdale's guilt, the man is hanged, and his autopsy reveals the missing piece of evidence -- a coin stolen from the dead girl that had never been recovered. Throughout his captivity, as he continued to assert his evidence, Trusdale swallowed the coin again and again to avoid incriminating himself.]
Another favorite was "Street of the Dead House," which re-imagines "Murder in the Rue Morgue" from the point of view of the poor orangutan (taken captive, experimented upon, stolen and transported to France, and manipulated into crime).
I liked "The Little Men" by Megan Abbott. Less violent than most Abbott tales, this follows the unraveling of a woman who had a tough time in Hollywood, even before she moved into the possibly haunted unit at Canyon Arms. Are the little men she sees out of the corner of her eyes at night the result of stress, excessive drinking, or are they real?
I remember reading "The Tank Yard" by Michael Noll (presumably in Ellery Queen). I like how the protagonist initially seems like a typical young man, working multiple jobs and trying to get an out-of-his-league girl but is gradually revealed to be a meth entrepreneur who is capable of violence.
"The Mountain Top" by Georgia Ruth shows how an elderly couple deals with hard times through thrift and grit and with tough neighbors through wiles and a loaded gun.
Another favorite was "Street of the Dead House," which re-imagines "Murder in the Rue Morgue" from the point of view of the poor orangutan (taken captive, experimented upon, stolen and transported to France, and manipulated into crime).
I liked "The Little Men" by Megan Abbott. Less violent than most Abbott tales, this follows the unraveling of a woman who had a tough time in Hollywood, even before she moved into the possibly haunted unit at Canyon Arms. Are the little men she sees out of the corner of her eyes at night the result of stress, excessive drinking, or are they real?
I remember reading "The Tank Yard" by Michael Noll (presumably in Ellery Queen). I like how the protagonist initially seems like a typical young man, working multiple jobs and trying to get an out-of-his-league girl but is gradually revealed to be a meth entrepreneur who is capable of violence.
"The Mountain Top" by Georgia Ruth shows how an elderly couple deals with hard times through thrift and grit and with tough neighbors through wiles and a loaded gun.