When a Stranger Comes to Town is a collection of short stories but a wide range of crime writers. From new writers such as xx, to crime juggernaughts like Dean Koontz. All the shorts have one thing in common though, they are all centred around a stranger.

"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."

What I loved about this collection is that each writer has taken that central themed and used it in such different ways. Some left me wanting more, others worked fabulously as short stories that are easy to fit into the day. There are 19 novella's in total, and while I didn't love every single story, there is enough really good ones to keep crime story fans happy.

“When a Stranger Comes to Town” was such a treat to read.

I enjoyed reading this anthology of mystery and thrillers. The book contains an eclectic selection of stories that kept me entertained. This book has a wide variety of stories, from assassins to U.F.O.s. Moreover, the tone of each level is different from one another. You have tales like “Assignment: Sheepshead Bay,” “Avalon,” and “Exit Now” that fills with adventure. Then, there were stories like “Kohinoor,” which I appreciated for its brutal depiction of Indian exotic club dancers. Similarly, even “Tokyo Stranger” moved my heart as it came across as an emotional tale. However, while I enjoyed all the stories, the below topped my list and made the book memorable.

A Six-Letter Word for Neighbor: I loved the slow burn mystery and Jay as the main character. The author wrote it in a thrilling, cozy mystery fashion glued to the pages (particularly when they get in the basement).

Here’s to New Friends: Probably one of my favorites! A simple tale with just three people on a train. But, I was at the edge of my seat throughout, and the ending shocked me!

A Different Kind of Healing/Solomon Wept: I loved both these stories for their tale of revenge and justice, and it reminded me of “Kill Bill.”

P.F.A.: Janice made this story memorable and had me laughing. I loved her snarky attitude towards the new neighbors, and it had a delightfully twisted ending too.

The remaining stories were also fun, like “Seat 2C” and “Room for one more,” but felt short and light compared to the others. Nevertheless, this is a beautiful selection of novellas which I highly recommend if you are a fan of mysteries and thrillers!

Strong collection that fits together well. If you like true crime, murders, murder mystery this one will be in that vein. Nothing is repetitive it’s a variety for sure.

Anthology collections are always hit and miss. I love the novellas, as they're easy to fit into a busy day for a quick read. I really enjoyed some of the stories in this one, as they were well crafted and felt complete, even though they're short stories. Sadly, that wasn't the case with all the stories in this book. Some felt a bit incomplete.

Anthologies are a mixed bag but this is a very solid collection of short stories and I genuinely enjoyed all but one of them.

My hands down favorite was Here's to New Friends by Jacqueline Freimor. It was quite clever and the writing was brilliant.

Thank you to the publisher, Michael Koryta and NetGaleey for gifting me a copy. It was my pleasure to write an honest review.

Free ARC from Net Galley

M. Koryta is one of my go to writers but a compilation usually stinks, NOT SO FAST

Guy and Doll (and the target)

Smita Harish Jain may be a star on the rise

These are great

As with most collections, there are those stories that are good and some not so good. For me, if you eliminated the first and last stories in this collection the collection would have been perfect. Intriguing and interesting short stories. A fun to read book.

This is a solid collection of mysteries. As someone that likes anthologies and mysteries, this worked quite well for me. This is a diverse set of stories, most of which are entertaining, well structured, and include interesting characters. Most mystery fans will find some enjoyable tales here, even if they don't like short stories very much.

I really appreciate the ARC for review!!

A very strong anthology. Like every anthology there are stories better than others, but the overall quality of it was really good. What I like most of all with those anthology is that they can allow you to, of course read cool story by author you love, but also discover new voices that you might want to dig into their work later on!

A very fun collection of short stories. I loved the concept of a stranger coming to town and the events that followed.

"All great literature is one of two stories, a man goes on a journey or a stranger comes to town." "The stranger could be the hero or the villain. The town could be welcoming or hostile."

This latest anthology of the Mystery Writers' of America focuses on the eerie, unsettling feeling created by strangers among us. The nineteen dark short stories are a reader's delight. Here are a few of this reader's favorites.

Kohinoor by Smita Harish Jain
"Kohinoor was the dancer that had captured Mumbai-first as an enigma, then as an icon...men would spend their hard earned money on a bar dancer". The morality police decided that these "dens of wickedness" must be closed. The Dance Bar Workers' Union would fight the morality police with morality.

Avalon by Michael Connelly
Searcy, an LAPD detective, worked on the island of Avalon. Although he was preparing for an upcoming trial as the main witness in a murder case, his daily routine consisted of watching passengers disembark from the pier on the 7:10 each morning. A man in a green windbreaker, gun tucked into his waistband and carrying no luggage caught Searcy's eye . He couldn't be a day worker-no tools. What was the stranger's agenda?

Room for One More by Joe Lansdale
Jackson was a hitchhiker. "No one wanted to stop for a stranger...Especially now that it was night and the moon was thin...He wasn't a serial killer...all of his murders were for a financial reason...steal enough to live through the day". A house...fancy looking car...no noticeable security cameras. "Doll" and "Guy" were focused on the same potential target.

Exit Now by Emilya Naymark
Fergie, now an unemployed toy designer, lived in Old Town Beach, Maine. "Lately...the toys he built felt a lie, a promise to children the world would not keep. How did his manager's name appear on all documents including his patent for a drone." Fergie secured a job assembling rides and manning booths along the boardwalk for the summer season. Melissa Fraser, carnival owner, found a message on her cell phone demanding $20,000. Blame Fergie...he was tall, big boned and his outward appearance inspired fear.

P.F.A. by Michael Koryta
"Janice Jardine could be convincing or exhausting. Either way, what Janice Jardine wanted, she got". She was determined to have an adjacent lot rezoned as buildable property. Converting to a taxable parcel, Janice would pay the tax bill. Her goal, build a house for her son and his family. When new neighbors Lily and Riley Goodwin moved in next door to Janice, she greeted them with a home baked pie and paperwork. "I don't want to see you guys get off on the wrong foot in this town".

A Six Letter Word for Neighbor by Lisa Unger
A new neighbor, an antiquarian art restorer, moved into the house next door to Jayme. She was delighted that he could fix her great grandfather's pocket watch circa 1800's, the only momento she had of her parents. Restorer Carlton Wilson thought the watch just needed winding, cleaning and a little love. Come back tomorrow to pick it up. Cost-no charge. The next day, Carlton claimed he never met Jayme before and she never asked for a pocket watch to be fixed.

"When a Stranger Comes to Town" edited by Michael Koryta is a fun filled mystery compilation. In each appearance by a stranger, lives were altered, some getting their comeuppance, others getting to shine. Read it and judge for yourself!

Thank you HARLEQUIN/Hanover Square Press and Net Galley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC of When a Stranger Comes to Town.

Generally, I don't like short story collections because they're like a box of chocolates; I only like a few of them.

But, lately, all of the short story collections NetGalley has approved me for has been really good, well written satisfying stories with decent twists.

The same applies to When a Stranger Comes to Town, the theme of the collection of stories penned by notable authors in the thriller genre.

I enjoyed most of the stories, especially Last Fare by Joe Hill (I'm biased because I love stories with a supernatural element), Avalon by Michael Connelly, and Here's to New Friends by Jacqueline Freimor, just to name a few.

There were an equal number of male and female authors, and most of the stories leaves the reader with a vague sense of foreboding or a task that has not yet been completed, which I liked.

A stranger fills you not with a sense of warmth, but unease and trepidation.

These stories introduce both likable and unlikable characters, some who do not have your best interests in mind, and yet others who surprise you with their kindness and empathy.

I recommend this to anyone looking for a good collection of short stories to read from a variety of talented writers.

I enjoyed these very short stories by different authors, some of which I was very familiar with, others new to me. Quick reads.

A collection of short stories written by some of the best thriller writers.The book had short stories tense chilling Kept me turning the pages .Will be recommending to mystery lovers.#netgalley#harlequinbooks

Nineteen stories by an all-star cast of mystery writers. The best of the bunch were the first two "Solomon Wept" by S .A. Cosby, "Relative Stranger" by Amanda Witt, and "Avalon" by Michael Connelly.

This was an above-average collection of short stories. A quotation attributed to many past authors states, "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, some pleasant but many deadly.

This collection contains stories by 19 talented crime writers. I was unfamiliar with the majority of names but enjoyed most of these short stories. My personal favourites were by Amanda Witt, Lisa Unger, Michael Koryta, and Jonathan Stone, but I also admired most others. This volume is recommended to fans of crime writing (in the short story format).
Thank you NetGalley and Harlequin Press for the advance digital copy of this book in return for an honest review.

This is a decent short story collection, great mix of new to me authors and authors I read on a regular basis so I enjoyed it. Some of the stories are great thriller bites and a few felt like they were unfinished. If you need a short story collection to give yourself that break before winding down to sleep, these are the right length, true short stories, not novellas.

My favorites are probably the two by Joe Lansdale and Joe Hill.

I received an advance copy from the publisher and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

These are really short short stories. One is finished almost as soon as it is started. Some are ok, but the others are misses. I wanted to really enjoy these but just did not.