Forty-one of the best mystery and suspense stories from around the world together in "a standout among mystery anthologies" (Booklist)."This collection, the second in an annual series, has heft and authority. . . . Capers, cozies, character puzzles, mysteries that hinge on wordplay, excursions into noir, and comic jaunts are all represented." —BooklistA Banquete of Mystery and Crime FictionHere, for the delectation of readers who hunger for outstanding mystery reading, are gathered the greatest mystery and crime stories of 2000. Award-winning author and editor Ed Gorman has once again collected the best stories of the year from around the world, to baffle, tantalize, and delight mystery readers. Included are tales of crime, mystery, and suspense from such authors as:· Lawrence Block· Jan Burke· Dorothy Cannell· Clark Howard· Peter Lovesey· Joyce Carol Oates· Nancy Pickard· Bill Pronzini· Ian Rankin· And a host of others"The stories range in quality from above average to superb; indeed the biggest mystery is how a single year could have produced a bumper crop of so many outstanding tales." —Kirkus Reviews

USA Today best-selling authorAn ex-con traces a victim’s clues to set a cold case ablaze Between fending off a lecherous parole officer and trying to get by in 1978 San Francisco, private investigator Colleen Hayes struggles to put her life back together so she can reconnect with her runaway teenage daughter. Then her life changes dramatically. She accepts a case from wealthy, retired industrialist Edward Copeland. The old man is desperate to solve the brutal murder of his daughter, a murder that took place in Golden Gate Park eleven years earlier—during the Summer of Love. The case has since gone cold, her murderer never found. Now, in his final days, Copeland hires Colleen to find his daughter’s killer in hopes he might die in peace.Colleen understands what it means to take a life—she spent a decade in prison for killing her ex. Battling her own demons, she immerses herself in San Francisco’s underbelly, where police corruption is rampant. Her investigation turns deadly as she pries for information, yet there is little to go on. However, a song on the radio makes her wonder—did the murdered girl leave any clues that others may have missed? Perfect for fans of Elmore Leonard and Gillian Flynn

Acclaimed crime writer Kent Anderson's "fiercely authentic and deeply disturbing" police novel, following a Vietnam veteran turned cop on the meanest streets of 1970s Portland, Oregon (Los Angeles Times).Two kinds of cops find their way to Portland's North Precinct: those who are sent there for punishment, and those who come for the action. Officer Hanson is the second kind, a veteran who survived the war in Vietnam only to decide he wanted to keep fighting at home. Hanson knows war, and in this battle for the Portland streets, he fights not for the law but for his own code of justice.Yet Hanson can't outrun his memories of another, warmer battleground. A past he thought he'd left behind, that now threatens to overshadow his future. An enemy, this time close to home, is prying into his war record. Pulling down the shields that protect the darkest moments of that fevered time. Until another piece of his past surfaces, and Hanson risks his career, his sanity--even his life--for honor.

‘A well-crafted British mystery.’ Publishers Weekly‘A tautly written puzzler that combines those eccentric British twists with some first-rate sleuthing.’ Dallas Times HeraldThirteen gripping British detective mysteries. 2,400+ pages of crime-solving. One great-value box set.Perfect for fans of Reginald Hill, Colin Dexter, P.D. James, Janet Neel and Ruth Rendell.Meet Detectives Masters and Green — they might hate each other but they have to work together.Detective Chief Inspector Masters is a stickler for order. His desk is immaculate, his pencils always sharpened, his case files meticulously organised. He prefers his alone time over social gatherings, settling down with his daily cup of strong, unsweetened tea and some classic literature in the evening. He values intellect over emotion, and isn’t afraid to cut ties with anyone who doesn’t meet to his standards (like a certain inspector).Inspector Green is a creature of habit. He frequents the same pubs, orders the same meals (a hearty plate of meat and potatoes) and sticks to his routines, a nice pint and footie match on the telly for his evenings. He’s all about tradition and is often found grumbling about the rise of flashy modern techniques and new young ‘hotshots’ like Masters. But beneath his grumpy exterior is a detective who cares deeply about justice.These detectives might be chalk and cheese, but do they make a good team?“Masters has now been saddled with Green as assistant on a major case five successive times. He didn’t like the idea that the pairing was becoming accepted as a permanency. He didn’t like Green, either, and definitely didn’t want a passed-over old has-been tied to his tail forever.Green’s thoughts were equally hostile. Masters had grown too big for his boots. It always happened when young coppers were jammy enough to catch somebody’s eye and get promoted too soon . . .”Don’t miss out on this unforgettable high-quality series.PRAISE FOR THE MASTERS AND GREEN SERIES:‘The many who miss the properly clued inductive detective story will fall on this one with relief.’ Times Literary Supplement‘Very good.’ New York Post????? ‘I highly recommend this book to other police procedural readers.’ Paula C.????? ‘Strong characters, a story line with twists and turns and I was kept guessing until the last few pages.’ Peter D.????? ‘Very different from other books of crime and police that I have read.’ Maureen D.

The classic crime novel about a kidnapping scheme gone wrong from America's "Dimestore Dostoevsky," the basis for the noir film of the same name (Geoffrey O'Brien, poet, critic author, former editor and chief, Library of America).William "Kid" Collins was once a respected boxer. Now he's a drifter, on the run after escaping from a mental institution.One afternoon he meets Fay, a beautiful young widow. She is smart and decent—at least when she's sober. Soon Collins finds himself involved in a kidnapping scheme that goes drastically wrong almost before it even begins. Because the kid they've picked up isn't like other kids: he's diabetic and without insulin, he'll die. Not the safest situation for Collins, a man for whom stress and violence have long gone hand-in-hand.After Dark, My Sweet once again displays Jim Thompson as the undisputed master of American noir. The basis of James Foley's critically acclaimed film of the same name, with the sweep of an epic tragedy, Thompson's classic limns the dangerous territory of honest people all-too-easily sucked into wickedness, with no way out but down.Praise for Jim Thompson:"The best suspense writer going, bar none." —The New York Times"My favorite crime novelist—often imitated but never duplicated." —Stephen King"If Raymond Chandler, Dashiell Hammett and Cornell Woolrich would have joined together in some ungodly union and produced a literary offspring, Jim Thompson would be it . . . His work . . . casts a dazzling light on the human condition." —Washington Post"The master of the American groin-kick novel." —Vanity Fair"The most hard-boiled of all the American writers of crime fiction." —Chicago Tribune

FINALIST in 2024 New Mexico-Arizona Book Awards in Crime Fiction!A retired detective investigates a cold case of child murder in Colorado in this "darkly engrossing" mystery thriller (New York Times-bestselling author Anne Hillerman).Former detective Woodrow Bell left his big-city homicide beat for a quiet life in a small Colorado mountain town. Having failed in so many ways—as a father, husband, friend, and cop—all he wants out of retirement is to fade away. But when he stumbles across a long-forgotten child murder, he can't just let it go.Suspecting that the killer may still be near, Woodrow is drawn into the macabre cold case. With local cops taking no interest, Bell must rely on the end-of-the-road codgers he meets for coffee every morning—a club of old guys with unique skills who call themselves Deaf Row. Soon, this motley crew finds itself on a collision course with a serial butcher.