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nyertryingtoreadeverything's review
5.0
So I loved this collection of short stories. Maybe it is because Mystery is a genre I am just starting to discover and these stories showed the awesome array of stuff that mystery writers can and are doing. Maybe it is because I love New York and these stories showed off the NY I know and love. This set of short stories was an awesome part of my commute for the last few weeks.
penser's review
4.0
A great collection of short stories for mystery writers. They have all the awesome pieces of mysteries that I love. A must read for mystery lovers.
canada_matt's review against another edition
As the end of the year draws near, I thought that I might read and review a few short stories from this collection:
Police Report, by Joseph Finder.
When Chief of Police Henry Silva receives a call from dispatch about a body, he jumps into action. After he learns that the perpetrator is with the body and awaits the authorities, Silva speeds over to investigate. Ray Richardson awaits Silva's arrival and is more than happy to explain why he killed Vladimir Polowski. Silva is led away from the scene as Richardson takes him to a local motel and shows him the proof he has amassed about how Polowski killed his father in 1958 and revenge was the only solution. By the time the State Police arrive, Silva has learned a great deal but is not entirely ready to turn over the suspect. However, knowing the chain of command, he releases Richardson into the custody of the State Police, only to realise things are completely backwards. It's part and parcel for the Cold War and CIA antics.
The Last Confession, by John Lescroart
The story's narrator lays the scene for growing up in a large Catholic family, full of siblings and highly devout parents. His next oldest brother, Julian, has signs of autism and has always been a little high-strung. While attending a school assembly run by the priests, the student body are told about the ramped-up Cuban Missile Crisis and how San Francisco is in the crosshairs for a missile strike. Testing their faith and fear of God, one of the priests leads the students to believe that a missile has been launched and is on its way, sure to kill them all. Julian's reaction is emotion-filled and leads to him being mocked by others. Unable to bear the ridicule, Julian takes things into his own hands, which commences a domino effect that cannot be reversed.
A Card for Mother, by Gayle Lynds and John C. Sheldon
Fraulein Doktor Anna Klaas is working in Berlin, perfecting the turbofan engine, all in hopes of helping the West in its ongoing struggle against the Soviets. When Anna's mother becomes ill, plagued with cancer, Anna does her best to cope with the devastating news, but knows that there is hope at the Mayo Clinic in the United States. Anna has not been able to secure the funds for anything but the initial trip and has to wait for Stasi approval to release her mother from her East Berlin apartment. News comes of an accident that has befallen her mother. The event might not have been as 'accidental' as Anna was led to believe. With the Stasi's involvement, anything is possible.
His Mother's Son, by J.A. Jance
Isadora Creswell and her husband, Lloyd, are surprised when their granddaughter blurts out that her father is a spy. Young Alyse saw Gunnar Creswell meeting with a beautiful woman in a local park before they played the suitcase switcheroo. Alyse is asked to keep this to herself, while Isadora and Lloyd use their numerous contacts to look into the far-fetched allegations. When Alyse calls, months later, to say that her father has been arrested by the FBI, Isadora worries more that her granddaughter could be in danger, as she is able to identify this mystery woman. When tragedy befalls Gunnar, Isadora concocts a plan to ensure that Alyse is kept safe from both the Americans and the Russians, for whom Gunnar has been working. Will it be enough to keep her out of the limelight or will the Creswells face a second tragedy in short order?
Side Effects, by T. Jefferson Parker
Mike lives as normal a life as a sixteen year-old can, with a fallout shelter stocked with food and neighbours preparing for the worst as well. He and his siblings, Max and Marie, must ensure the family shelter is properly prepared for the end of days and ready for the monthly meeting of the John Birch Society. However, Mike has bigger issues to attend, namely spending time with his neighbour (and secret crush) Adlyn Lamm. Adlyn tells Mike all about her father's secret stash of experimental drugs, as part of a military program to control the masses. Adlyn and her brother, Larkin, have been able to experiment with these psychotropic drugs and Larkin has had some very odd side effects from taking them. The Lamms have had to move on countless occasions when young girls mysteriously disappear and are later found murdered. When Mike pieces it all together, he realised that Larkin is due to strike again soon, and can only be stopped if reached in time. Will another girl die at the hands of this drugged-out boy?
While this is only a cross-section of the stories in the larger collection, they offer an interesting collection of ideas and insights of some popular authors who grace the bestseller lists. They differ greatly, one from another, tied only together by their common Cold War theme. This is enough to provoke much divergence and great fictional presentations to tantalise the reader from beginning to end. Had I more time, I would likely dive in to read more, and maybe I will at some point later on. At present, what a great way to end the year, as the weather is equally Ice Cold.
Like/hate the review? An ever-growing collection of others appears at:
http://pecheyponderings.wordpress.com/
Police Report, by Joseph Finder.
When Chief of Police Henry Silva receives a call from dispatch about a body, he jumps into action. After he learns that the perpetrator is with the body and awaits the authorities, Silva speeds over to investigate. Ray Richardson awaits Silva's arrival and is more than happy to explain why he killed Vladimir Polowski. Silva is led away from the scene as Richardson takes him to a local motel and shows him the proof he has amassed about how Polowski killed his father in 1958 and revenge was the only solution. By the time the State Police arrive, Silva has learned a great deal but is not entirely ready to turn over the suspect. However, knowing the chain of command, he releases Richardson into the custody of the State Police, only to realise things are completely backwards. It's part and parcel for the Cold War and CIA antics.
The Last Confession, by John Lescroart
The story's narrator lays the scene for growing up in a large Catholic family, full of siblings and highly devout parents. His next oldest brother, Julian, has signs of autism and has always been a little high-strung. While attending a school assembly run by the priests, the student body are told about the ramped-up Cuban Missile Crisis and how San Francisco is in the crosshairs for a missile strike. Testing their faith and fear of God, one of the priests leads the students to believe that a missile has been launched and is on its way, sure to kill them all. Julian's reaction is emotion-filled and leads to him being mocked by others. Unable to bear the ridicule, Julian takes things into his own hands, which commences a domino effect that cannot be reversed.
A Card for Mother, by Gayle Lynds and John C. Sheldon
Fraulein Doktor Anna Klaas is working in Berlin, perfecting the turbofan engine, all in hopes of helping the West in its ongoing struggle against the Soviets. When Anna's mother becomes ill, plagued with cancer, Anna does her best to cope with the devastating news, but knows that there is hope at the Mayo Clinic in the United States. Anna has not been able to secure the funds for anything but the initial trip and has to wait for Stasi approval to release her mother from her East Berlin apartment. News comes of an accident that has befallen her mother. The event might not have been as 'accidental' as Anna was led to believe. With the Stasi's involvement, anything is possible.
His Mother's Son, by J.A. Jance
Isadora Creswell and her husband, Lloyd, are surprised when their granddaughter blurts out that her father is a spy. Young Alyse saw Gunnar Creswell meeting with a beautiful woman in a local park before they played the suitcase switcheroo. Alyse is asked to keep this to herself, while Isadora and Lloyd use their numerous contacts to look into the far-fetched allegations. When Alyse calls, months later, to say that her father has been arrested by the FBI, Isadora worries more that her granddaughter could be in danger, as she is able to identify this mystery woman. When tragedy befalls Gunnar, Isadora concocts a plan to ensure that Alyse is kept safe from both the Americans and the Russians, for whom Gunnar has been working. Will it be enough to keep her out of the limelight or will the Creswells face a second tragedy in short order?
Side Effects, by T. Jefferson Parker
Mike lives as normal a life as a sixteen year-old can, with a fallout shelter stocked with food and neighbours preparing for the worst as well. He and his siblings, Max and Marie, must ensure the family shelter is properly prepared for the end of days and ready for the monthly meeting of the John Birch Society. However, Mike has bigger issues to attend, namely spending time with his neighbour (and secret crush) Adlyn Lamm. Adlyn tells Mike all about her father's secret stash of experimental drugs, as part of a military program to control the masses. Adlyn and her brother, Larkin, have been able to experiment with these psychotropic drugs and Larkin has had some very odd side effects from taking them. The Lamms have had to move on countless occasions when young girls mysteriously disappear and are later found murdered. When Mike pieces it all together, he realised that Larkin is due to strike again soon, and can only be stopped if reached in time. Will another girl die at the hands of this drugged-out boy?
While this is only a cross-section of the stories in the larger collection, they offer an interesting collection of ideas and insights of some popular authors who grace the bestseller lists. They differ greatly, one from another, tied only together by their common Cold War theme. This is enough to provoke much divergence and great fictional presentations to tantalise the reader from beginning to end. Had I more time, I would likely dive in to read more, and maybe I will at some point later on. At present, what a great way to end the year, as the weather is equally Ice Cold.
Like/hate the review? An ever-growing collection of others appears at:
http://pecheyponderings.wordpress.com/
julie_kcwbc's review
4.0
I received this book from Quirk in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts are my own.
Like most collections like this I enjoyed a good chunk of the stories, but there were ones that fell flat for me. There is a great variety of topics and types of mysteries contained. It was nice to see a mix between heavy, dark stories and ones that were light-hearted well dispersed throughout the book. Since they are short, the stories are not very complex, sometimes seemed rushed and can be unpolished. I skipped the ones that didn't hold my interested but only did that a few times.
If you live in or are familiar with New York, this book will be more fun for you. While I can scrape together scenes from movies and TV, someone who knows New York will probably appreciate the descriptions of the area more.The physical book is beautiful and is formatted very nicely. The black and white photos of New York City are a nice touch and helped me place each story.
Overall, I liked the collection. Many of the stories were interesting and fun to read. I found many more that I liked than not. My favorite stories were Three Little Words, Trapped! and Red-Headed Stepchild. If you like mysteries, I would recommend checking this collection out.
Like most collections like this I enjoyed a good chunk of the stories, but there were ones that fell flat for me. There is a great variety of topics and types of mysteries contained. It was nice to see a mix between heavy, dark stories and ones that were light-hearted well dispersed throughout the book. Since they are short, the stories are not very complex, sometimes seemed rushed and can be unpolished. I skipped the ones that didn't hold my interested but only did that a few times.
If you live in or are familiar with New York, this book will be more fun for you. While I can scrape together scenes from movies and TV, someone who knows New York will probably appreciate the descriptions of the area more.The physical book is beautiful and is formatted very nicely. The black and white photos of New York City are a nice touch and helped me place each story.
Overall, I liked the collection. Many of the stories were interesting and fun to read. I found many more that I liked than not. My favorite stories were Three Little Words, Trapped! and Red-Headed Stepchild. If you like mysteries, I would recommend checking this collection out.
skinnypenguin's review
2.0
Some stories I liked and others I didn't. Did give you a taste of the different neighborhoods in NYC. Liked having lots of short stories as you could read one and then put the book down after a short time then get back to it later without having to try to figure out where you were in the story.
karlybug's review
2.0
I have only recently reached the point in my life where I understand that it's okay not to finish a book. I used to tell myself that I needed to finish because I picked it up, and it might get better, and why the heck not. HOWEVER. Life is much too short (and full of other busy responsibilities) to succumb to that kind of thinking.
So here we are, my first DNF review (but certainly not my first DNF). I picked this book up at the library because of the lovely cover (first mistake, but as a designer, I am victim to these things). It was the library, so there was no dust jacket, just that beautiful teal hardback with the NYC map printed on it. I wanted to keep the book just to decorate my room. Again, this was no indication that the stories themselves were good, but I thought, "Multiple authors means a better chance." I could not get past the third story. I was just not interested in anything the authors were presenting. They weren't particularly well-written, there was little to no suspense, and the twists were neither satisfying nor surprising. It wasn't terrible (hence the 2 stars...), it was just BORING (...rather than just 1). I was majorly disappointed and dropped it back off at the library.
All that being said, if I ever find it for cheapy-cheap at a book sale or something, I will mostly likely get it. That cover is perfect.
So here we are, my first DNF review (but certainly not my first DNF). I picked this book up at the library because of the lovely cover (first mistake, but as a designer, I am victim to these things). It was the library, so there was no dust jacket, just that beautiful teal hardback with the NYC map printed on it. I wanted to keep the book just to decorate my room. Again, this was no indication that the stories themselves were good, but I thought, "Multiple authors means a better chance." I could not get past the third story. I was just not interested in anything the authors were presenting. They weren't particularly well-written, there was little to no suspense, and the twists were neither satisfying nor surprising. It wasn't terrible (hence the 2 stars...), it was just BORING (...rather than just 1). I was majorly disappointed and dropped it back off at the library.
All that being said, if I ever find it for cheapy-cheap at a book sale or something, I will mostly likely get it. That cover is perfect.
alicea's review
4.0
You'd think that I'd have heard about the Mystery Writers of America before now but I guess I've just been stumbling around in the dark. There was the time that I reviewed their cookbook but that's quite different from the collection of short stories that comprise Manhattan Mayhem. It introduces the reader to a variety of writing styles, tropes, and authors which you may or may not have heard of (along with a list of their written works which will be added to my TRL). I really enjoyed the pace of this anthology. Not only is the reader bounced around to different areas of Manhattan but also to different time periods. It's a grab bag where you're left asking, "What's going to happen next? Is it a story about the mob? Is it a cold blooded murder? Will it be obvious who are the good guys and the bad guys?". This would probably be an excellent choice for "book to take while on vacation". For fans of crime and/or mystery stories, you can't go wrong with this one.
mbp's review
3.0
(3.5) Uneven, as most such collections are. If you're a fan of S. J. Rozan's Bill Smith/Lydia Chin series, there's a must read story in here.
maebinnig's review
5.0
(I received the 4-story sampler version of this book for free from a Goodreads giveaway.)
There's absolutely a chance that the sampler contains the best stories and the rest of the book is all lemons, but if this is a good representation, it's worth the time. These aren't dark or gory - they're puzzles, smart whodunnits with sharp-minded characters. Chin Yong-Yun Makes A Shidduch was especially great.
There's absolutely a chance that the sampler contains the best stories and the rest of the book is all lemons, but if this is a good representation, it's worth the time. These aren't dark or gory - they're puzzles, smart whodunnits with sharp-minded characters. Chin Yong-Yun Makes A Shidduch was especially great.
cindyp's review
3.0
Mysteries and Manhattan: two of my favorites! Join 17 award winning mystery writers as they each “visit" a neighborhood in Manhattan and bring you a delightful short mystery set there. Mary Higgins Clark goes to Union Square, Ben H. Winters wanders over to Chelsea, and Angela Zeeman tackles Wall Street. Humorous, noir, and in between- anyone who enjoys mysteries will enjoy keeping this book by the bedside and puzzling over a new mystery in Manhattan every night!