Due to a sudden, unexpected passing in the family a few years ago and another more recently and my subsequent (mental) health issues stemming from that, I was unable to download this book in time to review it before it was archived as I did not visit this site for several years after the bereavements. This meant I didn't read or venture onto netgalley for years as not only did it remind me of that person as they shared my passion for reading, but I also struggled to maintain interest in anything due to overwhelming depression. I was therefore unable to download this title in time and so I couldn't give a review as it wasn't successfully acquired before it was archived. The second issue that has happened with some of my other books is that I had them downloaded to one particular device and said device is now defunct, so I have no access to those books anymore, sadly.

This means I can't leave an accurate reflection of my feelings towards the book as I am unable to read it now and so I am leaving a message of explanation instead. I am now back to reading and reviewing full time as once considerable time had passed I have found that books have been helping me significantly in terms of my mindset and mental health - this was after having no interest in anything for quite a number of years after the passings. Anything requested and approved will be read and a review written and posted to Amazon (where I am a Hall of Famer & Top Reviewer), Goodreads (where I have several thousand friends and the same amount who follow my reviews) and Waterstones (or Barnes & Noble if the publisher is American based). Thank you for the opportunity and apologies for the inconvenience.

What an amazing collection ! If you haven't read this then you definitely need to do so. Some of these authors were new to me but now I have found more authors to stalk based on the stories in this book.

This book is the perfect way to sample new authors and enjoy short stories by others we already know and love.

I enjoy Alafair Burke’s writing and pounced on the opportunity to read her selections for the best mystery and suspense short stories of the year. My preference is usually for novel-length fiction, but compilations like this can be a good way to discover new authors to follow. Unsurprisingly, these stories are well-written, and I would give many of them high marks as short fiction. In particular, Kristen Lepionka’s writing never disappoints, and E. Gabriel Flores’s Mala Suerte has some deliciously alarming turns of phrase. As mystery and suspense, though, the stories in this collection mostly fall short of the definition. Some, while perfectly fine as stories, are well-drawn life vignettes but not suspenseful or mysterious at all. Among the ones where there is an actual crime, a surprisingly high percentage fall into the “here’s the story of how I committed murder” category. For all I know, this may be the fashion in modern short mysteries, but it seems like a curation flaw when so many of the selections are of this same type. I was kind of hoping when reading a "best mystery and suspense" collection that someone, somewhere in its pages would solve a murder, do some detecting, or at least beat up some bad guys.

Thanks to Netgalley and Mariner Books for a digital advance review copy.

This is an eclectic mix of short stories that are very well written. My only gripe is the fact that they were short. I wanted more. Some had more of a mystery than others but they were all very good.
Many thanks to Mariner Books and to NetGalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

I really enjoy Alafair Burke as a writer, so it’s no surprise that she has done a wonderful job curating this collection of mysteries. A satisfying, diverse, talent-filled read. I would love it if this was available on audio - one of my favorite ways to consume short stories. Even though I’d read Laura Lippmann’s “Slow Burner” before, it stood up to a reread and remains a favorite. As a Northern California local, I also especially enjoyed “Frederick Douglass Elementary,” from Berkeley Noir (which clearly I need to pick up as well). A solid, suspenseful, and fun mystery collection.

This was the first time I had read one of the Best American Mystery and Suspense anthologies. I have enjoyed other anthologies in the past like Non-Required Reading, and I love mystery books, so I thought this would be a great fit. However,
The stories do showcase some great writers and feature themes and topics that are relevant in America today. However, I think I was expecting stories constructed more like the long-form mysteries I'm used to or even Agatha Christie-esque short stories.

This wasn’t my favorite Best American Mystery collection ever, but there were some great stories that I really enjoyed. My faves were Slow Burner by Laura Lippman, Infinity Sky by Kristen Lepionka (she’s a fave-fave always), Mala Suerte by E. Gabriel Flores, and Let Her Be by Lisa Unger.

I love these anthologies because reading short stories by authors I already know and love is super fun, and I always find new authors to read.

My favorite line in the whole book was from Mala Suerte:

It doesn’t get much worse than being killed and made into a windbreaker.

Correct. Also, hilarious.

I enjoy anthologies- they can introduce me to unfamiliar writers. Anthologies offer a collection of similar topics, in this case mysteries or stories of suspense. However, I didn’t find this particular collection very mysterious or suspenseful. Some of the stories built some suspense only to fall flat by the ending. Others never built tension at all. There are better anthologies of mystery and suspense.

My interview with Alafair Burke and Steph Cha here: https://www.crimewritersofcolor.com/cwoc-podcast/anthology-extravaganza

The best thing about anthologies like this is the chance they offer for a reader to sample a lot of different mystery writers without making a big commitment in time and money. It never fails: I get a taste of a new (to me) writers, and then hit the library website to work my way through everything they've written.

And then, these collections also provide the tide-me-overs from my favorite authors, Such as Laura Lippman and Lisa Unger, between their novels.

The first newly-discovered author from this anthology is Faye Weldon, whose story One Bullet, One Vote, impelled me to put some of her books on hold. So, Thanks to Net Galley and Mariner Books for an advance readers copy.

EXCERPT: Taken from Let Her Be by Lisa Unger - We move away, the bell ringing as we exit. Emily is far ahead of me, out in the night. She doesn't hear him say before the door closes: "They say the brother did it. There was always something off about that boy."

I pretend I didn't hear it, don't let it upset me the way it used to. There were endless rumours then - a beautiful young girl dies by accident, and no one wants to accept that. No one wants to accept the randomness of it all.

Believe me, I get it.

ABOUT 'THE BEST AMERICAN MYSTERY AND SUSPENSE 2021': Steph Cha, a rising star who brings a fresh perspective as series editor, takes the helm of the new TheBest American Mystery and Suspense, with best-selling crime novelist Alafair Burke joining her as the first guest editor.

Beginning with the 2021 volume, the annual short story anthology The Best American Mystery Stories will become The Best American Mystery and Suspense. New series editor Steph Cha and best-selling guest editor Alafair Burke select the best short mystery and suspense fiction of the year.

“Crime writers, forgive the pun, are killing it right now creatively,” writes guest editor Alafair Burke in her introduction. “It was difficult—painful even—to narrow this year’s Best American Mystery and Suspense to only twenty stories.” Spanning from a mediocre spa in Florida, to New York’s gritty East Village, to death row in Alabama, this collection reveals boundless suspense in small, quiet moments, offering startling twists in the least likely of places. From a powerful response to hateful bullying, to a fight for health care, to a gripping desperation to vote, these stories are equal parts shocking, devastating, and enthralling, revealing the tension pulsing through our everyday lives and affirming that mystery and suspense writing is better than ever before.

MY THOUGHTS: There's a very mixed bag of stories in this year's collection. There is a small handful of excellent stories: Neighbours by Nikki Dolsan; Green Eyed Monster by Charis Jones; Slow Burner by Laura Lippman; and Let Her Be by Lisa Unger. But the majority of the stories sat in the 2.5 - 3.5 range for me.

My biggest gripe about most of the stories were that they weren't suspenseful, nor were they a mystery. The ones I have rated highly were either intriguing, or had my heart pounding as I frantically flipped virtual pages.

There were a couple of stories that I thought were totally pointless, and one that seemed to me like a chapter extracted from a book. It seemed that there ought to have been something before it, and definitely something after it. But most were simply average.

Here's a list of the contents and my ratings:
1. Return to India by Jenny Bhatt ⭐⭐
2. Swaj by Christopher Bolton ⭐⭐⭐.5
3. Neighbours by Nikki Dolson ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
4. Mala Suerte by E. Gabriel Flores ⭐⭐⭐
5. Where I Belong by Alison Gaylin ⭐⭐⭐.5
6. With Footnotes and References by Gar Anthony Haywood ⭐⭐⭐.5
7. The Good Thief by Ravi Howard ⭐⭐⭐
8. Everything is Going to be Okay by Gabino Iglesias ⭐⭐⭐
9. Green Eyed Monster by Charis Jones ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
10. Potato Sandwich Days by Preston Lang ⭐⭐
11. Frederick Douglass Elementary by Aya de León ⭐⭐.5
12. Infinity Sky by Kristen Lepionka ⭐⭐.5
13. Slow Burner Laura Lippman ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
14. Mr Forble by Joanna Pearson ⭐⭐
15. The Killer by Delia Pitts ⭐⭐.5
16. Wings Beating by Eliot Schrefer ⭐⭐⭐⭐
17. 90 Miles by Alex Segura ⭐⭐
18. Land of Promise by Brian Silverman ⭐⭐.5
19. One Bullet, One Vote by Faye Snowden ⭐⭐⭐.5
20. Let Her Be by Lisa Unger ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Overall rating - ⭐⭐⭐.25

#TheBestAmericanMysteryandSuspense2021 #NetGalley

#contemporaryfiction #crime #detectivefiction #domesticdrama #familydrama #mystery #historicalfiction #murdermystery #privateinvestigator #shortstories #psychologicalthriller #romanticsuspense

THE AUTHORS: STEPH CHA is the author of the Juniper Song mystery series and Your House Will Pay, which won the Los Angeles Times Book Prize for Best Mystery/Thriller and has been nominated for a Young Lions Fiction Award, a Macavity Award, a Lefty Award, a Barry Award, and a Dagger Award, as well as long-listed for the Aspen Prize. She’s an editor and critic whose work has appeared in the Los Angeles Times, USA Today, and the Los Angeles Review of Books, where she edited the noir section for almost five years. A native of the San Fernando Valley, she lives in Los Angeles with her family.

Alafair Burke is the New York Times, Edgar-nominated author of fourteen crime novels, including The Ex, The Wife, The Better Sister, and the forthcoming Find Me. She is also the co-author of several novels with Mary Higgins Clark. A graduate of Stanford Law School and a former Deputy District Attorney in Portland, Oregon, Alafair is now a Professor of Law at Hofstra Law School, where she teaches criminal law and procedure.

DISCLOSURE: Thank you to Houghton Mifflin Harcourt via Netgalley for providing a digital ARC of The Best American Mystery and Suspense 2021 for review. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own personal opinions.

For an explanation of my rating system please refer to my Goodreads.com profile page or the about page on sandysbookaday.wordpress.com

This review is also published on Twitter, Amazon, Instagram and my webpage

The Best American Mystery and Suspense 2021 is a well curated annual collection of new short mystery & suspense fiction edited by Alafair Burke & Steph Cha. Released 12th Oct 2021 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt on their Mariner imprint, it's 320 pages and is available in paperback, audio, and ebook formats.

There are 20 stories by my count and they're from authors both familiar and new to me. The stories are varied, there were (as always) some which didn't grab me personally, but all were well written and competently plotted. They were mostly in the 4 star range(ish) with a a fair smattering of really standout stories. This is a well done anthology of stories in the 3-5 star range.

One reason I like collections and anthologies is that short fiction is really challenging. It's spare and the author doesn't have a wealth of wordage to develop characters or the plotting. Well written short fiction is a delight. I also love collections because if one story doesn't really grab me, there's another story just a few pages away.

Four stars on average. It's a diverting read.

I absolutely love anthologies and this is definitely one of the best "series" in the business. For a lover of this genre, this is the ultimate gift, a book of stories by the best American writers. Anthologies give me a look at some of my favorite authors as they flex their writing skills and an introduction to new to me authors. I keep an anthology with me always, I can read and finish a story quickly. Just some of my favorite things about this type of writing.
This series of stories is definitely writen with the mystery lover in mind. Some will test your "who done it" skills, some will just leave you hungry for more of the author's work as you wonder where THAT story could have come from. Truly, treat yourself and share with someone who lobes them as much as you do, but......read this book. You will then have to go find the back issues, like I did a couple of years back.

A very modern anthology, well written and easy to read. There are many stories and as much modern writing have a different style to what I like to read - having said that, I did enjoy reading the book.

This is a collection of short stories published in various outlets last year. This annual anthology began publishing in 1997. This year’s volume has a new series editor in Steph Cha and has expanded to add suspense to it’s title. Best selling author Alafair Burke is this year’s guest editor.

The collection offers a wide range of stories from best selling veteran authors such as Lisa Unger, Laura Lippman, and Gar Anthony Haywood to bright new voices in crime fiction including Gabino Iglesias, Alex Segura, and Jenny Bhatt. The stories offer something for every crime fiction fan. Christopher Bollen’s story SWAJ was inspired by reading the book Jaws during the pandemic. Nikki Dolosn’s story looks at a picture perfect neighborhood torn apart after a new couple moves in. Aya de León’s contribution examines the risks a mother takes to get her child into a better school and at what cost.

The stories are timely, diverse, and thought-provoking. They run the gambit of crime fiction from jealousy, revenge, and murder for hire, to blackmail, and desperate choices that have to be made. There’s something here for every mystery and suspense fan to enjoy. This anthology is a great way to discover new to you authors and short fiction from old favorites.

“People had a way of making a ghost out of your walking, talking body when you lived past their expectations.” —excerpt from “One Bullet. One Vote.” By Faye Snowden

I really enjoyed the variety of the stories. The contributors notes provide a cool insight into each tale and the list of other distinguished stories help me add to my to-be-read list. Steph Cha’s forward and Alafair Burke’s introduction nicely sets the tone for the anthology. I am super excited for the direction of this series with Steph Cha as Series Editor.

The standout stories for me are as follows:

“Neighbors” by Nikki Dolson involves a newbie neighborhood couple whose nefarious actions have long-lasting effects on their community. The story does a great job of showing how the newcomers affect the neighborhood dynamic.

In “Mala Suerte” by E. Gabriel Flores, Carmelita knows a thing or thirty about the perils of bad luck. Her refusal to let a minor setback takes her on a road trip, but achieving her happy ever after relies on the ever fickle luck factor. I enjoyed hearing her history with luck with nods to Pandora and Eve and the various story twists.

“Everything Is Going to Be Okay” by Gabino Iglesias, which is get during the early days of lockdown, follows a fisherman who figures out a way to score the money needed to get his dear wife treated for COVID-19. The story nicely captures the chaos of lockdown and the toll medical expenses take on those without healthcare insurance.

“Green-Eyed Monster” examines the reasons a biologist decides to murder his super successful, control freak, physicist wife. The husband’s reasoning and the way he looks at his wife with the eye of a biologist make the story a devilish delight.

Preston Lang’s contribution, “Potato Sandwich Days,” focuses on fast food limited time specialties and how some customers go crazy for them. The story displays the dynamics between customer and employee as well as how a bout of bad luck can destroy those who are barely getting by. The descriptions of the potato sandwich were awesome.

Kristen Lepionka’s “Infinity Sky” involves a violent crime that occurs at a hotel after a wedding. The various players include a washed up rock star, her boyfriend, a bellhop, a self-help guru, and a businessman. I liked how the alternating points of viewed parsed out clues.

Laura Lippman’s “Slow Burner” references the relationship between Hera and Zeus in Greek mythology as a wife finds a burner phone her husband uses to correspond with a woman he wishes to bed. The story is a slow burner itself with an ending that’s worth the wait.

In “90 Miles” by Alex Segura, a family tries to escape Cuba for a new life in Miami, but rough waters are only the start of their troubles. The desperate hope is heartbreaking.

Faye Snowden’s “One Bullet. One Vote.” packs one heck of a punch. Willie Mae is determined to pave the way for Black voters in Byrd’s Landing, Louisiana in the 1960’s. She smart and fierce, but the dirtbag sheriff vows to make her pay in blood.

Lisa Unger’s protagonist Will in “Let Her Be” longs for his ex-girlfriend who’s fled from her old life. He starts of wonder if her social media is all an act and she is in jeopardy. Will’s voice is engaging, and while the story is rather long, it’s quite a page turner.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Thanks to Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company and NetGalley for providing an Advance Reader Copy.

*Please note that my review is based on uncorrected text.

It was an interesting anthology, it made me discover some new to me interesting authors and kept me hooked.
Not all the stories are at the same level, there's a variety of voices and it gives you a good idea of what is the current mystery/suspense scene in USA.
Recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine

Alafair Burke is the Guest Editor of the Best American Mystery and Suspense 2021, an anthology of short stories. There are numerous crime authors, many of whom were first time reads, but the notes on the contributors is helpful and provides some insights. The twenty stories provide a variety of topics including bullying, voting and health care. Their settings vary from a spa in Florida, East Village New York and Alabama death row. In judging the “best” stories to include, Alafair uses eight criteria for mystery/suspense writers as stated in her Introduction. Finally, there is a list of 2020 distinguished mystery and suspense books for further reading. The collection offers an insight into America today through the various tales and so an enjoyable variety of short stories with an overall three-and-a-half-star rating. With thanks to Mariner Books and the author, for an uncorrected proof copy for review purposes.

I love all types of mysteries and suspense stories and I had high hopes for this anthology. All collections like this are going to have stories that are more likable than others. However, for a book that is supposed to have some of the best stories of the year, I was disappointed. Several of the stories have great premises, but then ultimately turn out to be either extremely grim or too bland without much mystery or suspense.

There are some high points, though. My favorite is Laura Lippman's Slow Burner that I had actually already read before. It's a quick, entertaining story about love and revenge with a great twist. Another favorite is Let Her Be by Lisa Unger, a dark, creepy, and ambiguous story that was very compelling. I also liked Where I Belong by Alison Gaylin and Neighbors by Nikki Dolson, an author I was previously unfamiliar with. There are some well-written stories, but most of them just weren't for me.

I received this ebook from NetGalley through the courtesy of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. An advance copy was provided to me at no cost, but my review is voluntary and unbiased.