I found the premise of this anthology to be really interesting, and in some cases creepy. Each story incorporates the idea of a stranger arriving and how that may shape the story. I did find a lot of the stories to be suspenseful or have satisfying twists, but as is the story with a lot of anthologies, there were some favorites and some not so much a favorite. That being said, I enjoyed seeing all the different ways the authors interpreted the premise and wove their stories around it.

This is the first anthology I've read where mystery writers were asked to write a short story with a common theme. I really enjoyed some of them, and didn't love others. Overall, I'd say it was still worth the read! There are some great authors on the list and those make up for the ones that weren't my favorite.

A collection of dark short stories penned by a top bestselling author, each anthology weaving a fresh tale of intrigue and suspense surrounding the eerie feeling around the enigmatic figure of a stranger who disrupts the lives of the characters

I didn't make it through all the stories as my interest waned after delving into a few. I don't think short stories are for me as I have to work too hard to delve into them and lose interest quickly.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for this eARC.

An excellent collection of mysteries from a diverse set of talented authors!

3.5 stars.

An entertaining collection of short story thrillers!

Solomon Wept by SA Cosby - 4+ stars!
Relative Stranger by Amanda Witt - 3 stars
Seat to See by Alafair Burke - 3.5 stars
Kohe Noir by Smita Harish Jain - 3.5 stars
Avalon by Michael Connelly - 4+ stars!
Here’s To New Friends by Jacqueline Freimor - 5 stars!
Room For One More by Joe R Landsdale - 4 stars!
Exit Now by Emilya Naymark - 3 stars
A Six Letter Word for Neighbor by Lisa Unger - 4.5 stars
Howard’s Heart by Bryon Quertermous - 3.5 stars
Perfect Strangers by Tilia Klebenov Jacobs - 3.5 stars
Do You Remember by Lori Roy - 2 stars
Assignment by Paul A Barra - 2.5 stars
P F A by Michael Koryta - 4 stars!
Genius by Elaine Togneri - 4.5 stars! Favourite narration
Ruskies by Jonathan Stone - 5 stars!
A Different Kind Of Healing by Steve Hamilton - 4 stars!
Tokyo Stranger by Tina Debellegar - 3.5 stars
Blessed Fair by Joe Hill - 4.5 stars!

I love short stories and anthologies. Even the best author must flex their writing skills to deliver quality short stories. In less than a usual chapter length, they must introduce us to the characters and their communities/ back stories, commit to an "event" and then solve it, all while keeping the reader engrossed and flipping pages. I often find that an author will switch genres in an anthology, which gives me an even better appreciation for their talent. Many of the authors in this book are already famous, their contributions just prove over again how truly talented they are.
Many have a similar theme with the writers giving their story an unusual “spin” to meet the theme’s intent without copying each other. This one is meeting new people in a familiar setting. It is not unusual to find a true gem mixed in with the overall excellent stories, making anthologies a triple threat/ treat.

I am not usually a fan of short stories or collections but this one was a fun anthology to dip in and out of when I needed something quick or wanted a shorter mystery/thriller story. Putting together a collection from this list of authors is a treat.
Highly recommend!
#WhenaStrangerComestoTown #NetGalley #HarlequinTradePublishing

Normally I’m all for anthologies, especially if they’re meant to scare me. This one was pretty lackluster. I typically enjoy about 50% of the stories in an anthology but this was less than half for me. There was nothing thrilling or scary to me in any of these stories and while I do enjoy potentially finding new authors to read, I can’t say that after reading this book.

I love diving into an anthology, and this time it's a mystery collection. Win for me! I do love a good mystery, and this anthology has a solid collection of tales from some of the best names in the business. I read the stories over time, one by one, and I can't say that there's any I absolutely didn't like. I liked some more than others, of course, but I didn't find any that I felt were just bad. This is a great way to find new authors to explore, and even as much as I read mystery, I still found a couple of new to me authors in the mix.

A fun concept of an anthology. Each author writes a short story based on the concept of when a stranger comes to town. I love how all of the differnt horror/thriller/suspense authors gave their individual twists on the same trope. It was also a great way to sample some new to me authors style. I found a few that I want to read full stories from!

A very satisfying read. It is always fascinating to see how diverse the story lines can be when writers are writing to the same prompt - in this case the concept of a stranger coming to town. You will find some of mystery writings great names and some new ones. They are all worth the read.

What is better than a collection of stories from Mystery Writers of America? Nothing...I tell you, nothing. This type of book is perfect for finding new authors and enjoying the ones you love.

Wonderful way to get a taste of several authors and I love they have a story starter. Thanks Netgalley. Love it.

this was a great collection of mystery stories, each stories were so well done. Each story was as strong as the other and flowed perfectly together.

When a Stranger Comes to Town is a fantastic collection of short stories from some amazing authors.
"All great literature is about two stories; a man goes on a journey, or a stranger comes to town." This anthology of short stories is about encounters with strangers.

This collection contains stories by 19 writers, I have to say Lisa Unger's story was my favorite.
I did find some new authors that I will look at their back list.

A great collection that I really enjoyed. I love short stories.

Interesting group of stories written by very different writers. No story is similar and some are crazy weird so enjoy!
Thank you netgalley and the publisher for this are

Special thanks to the editor, Harlequin and NetGalley for this review copy!

So many wonderful authors and their short stories created this genius book. Murder, revenge, and thrillers comprised this book and I enjoyed them all. You may think you’re the bad one and you’ll get what you want but, your problem is underestimating your opponent. Revenge for raping and a young girls suicide. So many really developed and good stories combined made this a terrific read!

I definitely recommend this and hope you all will grab it!

When a Stranger Comes to Town is a collection of mystery and thriller short stories and was edited by Michael Koryta. Though I imagine it's the promise of another Joe Hill short story that will have caught many reader's attention (as well as all of the other amazing authors in this anthology).
This anthology includes a variety of short stories, including Solomon Wept by S.A. Cosby, Relative Stranger by Amanda Witt, Seat 2C by Alafair Burke, Kohinoor by Smitha Harish Jain, Avalon by Michael Connelly, Here's to New Friends by Jacqueline Freimor, Room for One More by Joe R. Lansdale, Now by Emilya Naymark, A Six-Letter Word for Neighbor by Lisa Unger. Howard's Heart by Bryon Quertermous, Perfect Strangers by Tilia Klebenov Jacobs, Do You Remember by Lori Roy, Assignment: Sheepshead Bay by Paul A. Barra, P.F.A. By Michael Koryta, Genius by Elaine Togneri, Russkies by Jonathan Stone, A Different Kind of Healing by Steve Hamilton, Tokyo Stranger by Tina de Bellegarde, and Last Fare by Joe Hill.

"There are nineteen dark treats ahead for you, and my job is to shut up and get out of your way so you can get on to the main event."


Solomon Wept by S.A. Cosby
Rating: ⋆ ⋆ ⋆
Solomon Wept was a decent read and a pretty solid start to this anthology, all things considered. It read as more of a classic mystery than anything else, which isn't a bad thing by any means.
"That's what happened when you were a pimp and one of your girls stabbed a date who was the son of a Richmond city councilman."


Relative Stranger by Amanda Witt
Rating: ⋆ ⋆ ⋆ ⋆
If you're looking to get creeped out, then you should probably read Relative Stranger (and if creepy strangers freak you out, you should probably just stay clear). It's an intense read, with characters that really came to life despite such a short time on the page.
"Glory's heart gave a startled thud; her cheeks flushed hot."


Seat 2C by Alafair Burke
Rating: ⋆ ⋆ ⋆ ⋆
This was an interesting read! Maybe it's just the reader in me, but I kind of loved the premise of it all—a widow who travels to the same place at the same time every year. Only to get targeted by...someone. I won't spoil it.
"I swore I'd never give up my beloved hardbacks."


Kohinoor by Smitha Harish Jain
Rating: ⋆ ⋆ ⋆
Mystery meets morality in Kohinoor, as police war against the darker parts of the world, all while raising questions about lines in the sand.
"I stood outside the prison's massive iron gates, waiting for the warden to arrive."


Avalon by Michael Connelly
Rating: ⋆ ⋆ ⋆ ⋆
Avalon read so perfectly like a mystery novel that I was surprised when it ended so quickly. That's how you know a story has sunk its claws into you! I wouldn't have mind seeing more of this tale, though what was here was complete and interesting.
"Watching the strangers was an exercise. It kept his skills sharp."


Here's to New Friends by Jacqueline Freimor
Rating: ⋆ ⋆ ⋆ ⋆
Coming back around to that creepy stranger concept but with a few different twists this time around. I really liked Freimor's writing style and will probably check out more of her work in the future.
"I'm an observer, as both my profession and my avocation have trained me to be."


Room for One more by Joe R. Lansdale
Rating: ⋆ ⋆ ⋆ ⋆
This story is the perfect example of why you do not stop and pick up hitchhikers, no matter how desperate they may seem. Need I say more?
"If they stopped, he was going to rob them."


Now by Emilya Naymark
Rating: ⋆ ⋆ ⋆ ⋆
I really enjoyed the setup for Now, as it took the time to set the tone before throwing us into the mystery of the world/plot. It gave us plenty of time to appreciate the character and their nuances.
"His GPS lady had an Irish accent and reminded him of his aunt Maura, who also loved issuing directions."


A Six-Letter Word for Neighbor by Lisa Unger
Rating: ⋆ ⋆ ⋆ ⋆
This is an odd yet compelling read and is probably not the best one to read if you're already feeling inclined not to trust new neighbors. I love Lisa Unger's writing and am adding her to the list of authors to check out after this.
"Great. New neighbors.
They left the dog."


Howard's Heart by Bryon Quertermous
Rating: ⋆ ⋆ ⋆
Howard's Heart was another interesting addition to this anthology, though if I'm brutally honest, it's largely forgettable. I remember liking it, but I didn't remember anything about it after the fact.
"Howard told me three things before he died."


Perfect Strangers by Tilia Klebenov Jacobs
Rating: ⋆ ⋆ ⋆ ⋆
Looking for a robber story? Check out Perfect Strangers. It's got robbery, planning, the works, which made for a fun and thrilling read.
"I am not good at armed robbery, but when Dougal told me about the new cannabis dispensaries, I figured third time was the charm."


Do You Remember by Lori Roy
Rating: ⋆ ⋆ ⋆
I'm conflicted about Do You Remember. On the one hand, I really did enjoy the writing. On the other hand, this was another short that I had to look up and double-check before sitting down to write about it.
"I wonder if it brings you job to know she's dead."


Assignment: Sheepshead Bay by Paul A. Barra
Rating: ⋆ ⋆ ⋆ ⋆
Assignment: Sheepshead is arguably the story with the most intriguing name out of the entire collection. It was a thrilling read and gets bonus points for including an adorable dog named Ethyl (I'm a sucker for dogs in mysteries, so sue me).
"She was Fletcher's home, facilitating his peripatetic life as an assassin for hire."


P.F.A. By Michael Koryta
Rating: ⋆ ⋆ ⋆ ⋆
I feel like the pull quote for this short will do a better job than I could of explaining the dark and intriguing nature of it.
"Janice was swell at putting on a smiling mask when her heart was a cold black fist and her mind a whirlpool of red tides."


Genius by Elaine Togneri
Rating: ⋆ ⋆ ⋆ ⋆
I loved the premise of this one, a man trying to kill a genius? It was oddly funny, come to think of it. I'm not sure if that was intentional, but it certainly was the end result.
"How smart do you have to be to kill a genius? I'm about to find out."


Russkies by Jonathan Stone
Rating: ⋆ ⋆ ⋆
Russkies felt like the most traditional thriller of the bunch, which can be considered either a good thing or a bad thing, depending on how you look at it.
"Well...why don't you tell me first how you happened to be there in the bomb shelter?"


A Different Kind of Healing by Steve Hamilton
Rating: ⋆ ⋆ ⋆ ⋆
I really liked the different perspectives and takes for A Different Kind of Healing. It isn't every day you see a mystery from the other side of the hospital room (er, an emergency room, in this case, I guess).
"By the time the stretcher bangs through the doors, the attending physician and three nurses, including Charlotte, are already gowned and masked."


Tokyo Stranger by Tina deBellegarde
Rating: ⋆ ⋆ ⋆ ⋆
If you're looking for a short that has you on the edge of your seat while you try and put the pieces of the puzzle together, it's got to be Tokyo Stranger. There's an air of mystery surrounding this one, no pun intended.
“Konbanwa, Saksaki-san.”
“Konbanwa, Yuki-chan.”


Last Fare by Joe Hill
Rating: ⋆ ⋆ ⋆ ⋆
Last but not least, we have the Last Fare by Joe Hill. I enjoyed the narrative and the writing for this one, though I do still have a question here and there. I'm okay with some lingering questions from a mystery, though; it gives me something to ponder once I'm done.
"I hope you're on your way somewhere safe," he said, "I hope there's someone to take care of you."

A fantastic compilation of books build on the premise "It’s been said that all great literature boils down to one of two stories—a man takes a journey, or a stranger comes to town." Nineteen short stories that had me devouring this compilation fairly quickly and now has me even more wary of all strangers in my vicinity, thank you very much for making me even more paranoid. I especially loved Amanda Witt and Lisa Unger's tales and will be adding these authors to my must read books.

Living in a very small town I have found that one of the most used phrases here is "there's a stranger in town." Living in the city is so different - who would know if someone is a stranger or not? But here, everyone knows. Are they here for good for bad? That's always the question.

When A Stranger Comes to Town is a compilation of short stories based on the premise of a stranger in our midst. Admittedly there were some stories that I enjoyed more than others and, surprisingly, some of those were by "new to me" authors. Of course, there also are stories by some of the best mystery writers of today: Michael Connolly, Dean Koontz and Joe Hill (shivers on the thought of Hill and his entry) but you'll find a collection of really good mysteries throughout the book.

This would make a great summer read because you read each mystery at your leisure, at the beach or beside the pool, in between innings. ;) This one is a great addition to my library and one I highly recommend.