Publication Date: October 22, 2024
A collection of the year’s best mystery and suspense short fiction selected by New York Times bestselling author S. A. Cosby, author of Razorblade Tears, and series editor Steph Cha.
In his introduction, guest editor S. A. Cosby observes that writing short stories is “a special skill that combines brevity with wit and cleverness and the hint of the existential malaise that imbues crime fiction with its gravitas.” The stories in this col-lection overflow with gravitas in the most unexpected ways: a cryptic note left on a windshield, a murder for hire meets a game of Mouse Trap, a swipe right on a dating app goes horribly wrong. From an eleven-year-old drawn to the neighborhood spookhouse to a scholarship kid at an exclusive boarding school, a nefarious Old West gunman to a Florida woman’s struggle against both outer and inner demons, the characters in The Best American Mystery and Suspense 2024 are haunted and haunting, and wholly unforgettable.
The Best American Mystery and Suspense 2024 includes MEGAN ABBOTT • ALYSSA COLE • TANANARIVE DUE • ABBY GENI • JORDAN HARPER • GAR ANTHONY HAYWOOD •TONI LP KELNER • BOBBY MATHEWS • LISA UNGER • and others
One of the best ways to discover new authors is by grabbing an anthology. Since 1997, The Best American Mystery Stories has delivered a diverse selection of short stories cultivated by a well-known guest editor.
The Best American Mystery & Suspense 2024, edited by author S. A. Cosby features 20 stories by American or Canadian authors published in 2023.
The collection includes the works of Alyssa Cole and Lisa Unger, both authors I enjoy. Reading their short stories provides another dimension, demonstrating their flexibility. Unger’s “Unknown Caller” is a haunting story full of creepiness.
Whether it’s the haunted house down the street or a high school senior’s account of a murder, the details describe unexpected twists and turns.
The Best American Mystery & Suspense 2024 offers a diverse selection of voices from the genre.
