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BEST NEW ENGLAND CRIME STORIES 2012: DEAD CALM
by Mark Ammons, Katherine Fast, Barbara Ross, and Leslie Wheeler, eds.
Level Best, November 2011
302 pages
$15.95
ISBN: 0983878005


Buy in the UK | Buy in Canada

If it's possible to have an ongoing theme in an anthology of crime stories, the one for this year's series by the New England writers has to be surprise. There's often a twist in a traditional mystery, but each story in this collection is guaranteed to make readers smile by its sheer cleverness alone. Whether it's a brief snippet or a lingering mood, the writers for this year's series have gone above and beyond to delight and surprise.

One of the elements that makes mystery writing so engaging is the wide range of human behavior captured so perfectly in these stories. From klutzy spouses to alcoholic vets, from farm wives to chess-playing seniors, these characters will draw readers in and keep them engaged, ultimately wishing that the stories were just a little bit longer.

Unbelievably, for the second year in a row, there isn't a stinker in the bunch. Each world created in the tales told here is interesting in its own right. Even the book cover (selected from a contest submission) adds to the delight readers will experience in stumbling across (or better yet, seeking out) this group of crime stories.

From career criminals plotting "vanilla" robberies to innocent childhood discoveries of malicious acts, the individuals populating the pages of DEAD CALM are fascinating in their own right, and the storyline twists come fast and furious. It's little surprise that stories from last year's collection earned nominations for the Edgar and Agatha Awards. Plenty of the stories in this book are likely to fall in the same category.

And if a reader has ever wished that the criminal got away with the crime, there are a few stories here that will fulfill that desire. Many of the short stories in this volume focus around ordinary people who have to face typical situations but do so in very unusual ways, to the amusement of DEAD CALM readers. Even a common situation, from an annoying husband to unfair job loss, is motivation for a satisfying criminal act in the hands of these short story authors.

Once again, Level Best Books has pulled together an excellent group of stories that reflects well on its local writers. However, the real beneficiary of this New England crime spree are the readers who are likely to enjoy every criminal act.

§ Christine Zibas is a freelance writer and former director of publications for a Chicago nonprofit.

Reviewed by Christine Zibas, October 2011

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Contact: Yvonne Klein (ymk@reviewingtheevidence.com)


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