A review by davidwright
The Best American Mystery Stories 2011 by Harlan Coben, Otto Penzler

4.0

A good batch this year - I read these every year to find stories for Thrilling Tales, so I'm reading with a focus on more inherently clear and satisfying stories - and Coben has a fair number of these. I've been wanting to do a Brendan DuBois story in the storytime for some years now, and I think "Ridealong" is finally one that will work w/ the format, as there are some very good twists. Less certain about risking a story co-written by Tom Franklin ("What His Hands had been Waiting For") about two ruthless lawmen patrolling the wastes of a big delta flood who wind up with a dead looter's baby on their hands - it is kind of McCarthy-esque in its funkiness and even some alluded baby cannibalism and people freak out about a babe in jeopardy, BUT it still might work. One great uncanny piece - "Last Cottage," told in the plural first person voice of villagers who are trying to oust a happy family - very odd but I still might try it for TT. And finally one of the Max Alan Collins / Mickey Spillane 'collabos' that is classic Mike Hammer, and that I think I will do, even though it has a perfectly stomach churning sadistic climax. A good bet every year, but this is a pretty strong year.