I loved Otto Penzler’s foreword to The Best Mystery Stories of the Year: 2025, especially his observation that "the psychology of crime has become the dominant form of mystery fiction in recent years, while the classic detective tale of observation and deduction has somewhat faded into the background." I hadn’t thought of it before, but it’s so true—and this collection reflects that evolution in deeply satisfying ways. Penzler, widely regarded as the dean of American crime fiction, is the founder of The Mysterious Press and owner of New York City’s legendary Mysterious Bookshop. His deep knowledge of the genre gives the anthology a strong editorial backbone.

John Grisham, serving as guest editor, offers an engaging introduction reflecting on our enduring fascination with murder—what he calls “mankind’s first crime.” From over 3,000 published stories, he’s selected 20 that showcase the impressive range of contemporary mystery writing. While most feature a murder at their core, it’s often the psychological nuance, relationships, or motives that truly drive the suspense. My personal favorite was Craig Faustus Buck’s Home Game—originally published in Alfred Hitchcock’s Mystery Magazine (July/August 2024)—a pitch-perfect blend of suburban tension, dark humor, and sharp insight into what pushes people over the edge. Like the rest of the collection, it proves that the best mysteries don’t just keep you guessing—they keep you thinking. This anthology reminds us why short-form mystery writing still packs a powerful punch.

A rich collection of mystery and thriller stories from a wide and diverse range of authors - from historical to modern stories. This was a good read.
I got the ARC from Penzler Publishers | Mysterious Press via Netgalley. This is my honest review

4 out of 5.

A collection of twenty short stories, plus one bonus story. The working definition of a mystery story for this series is "any work of fiction in which a crime, or the threat of a crime, is central to the theme or the plot."

What a pleasure this ARC from NetGalley was to read. Normally there are only a few short stories that capture my interest and high rating (4, 4.5, 5 stars) in such a collection. Not this time. So many good to great stories that I'm hard=pressed to choose just a few to highlight. Only two 3 stars, which in my world means good, nothing special, but still worth reading. Not a bad story in the mix. The only bad thing? I wanted MORE!

The majority were surprisingly short, yet still satisfying even if I might've wanted more. How much did I love this collection? I immediately purchased the 2024 collection! If you enjoy the mystery genre, but don't have as much time to read a dense convoluted story, pick this up immediately upon release on September 23. In fact, pre-order it, just in case as I can see this going fast.

Thank you so much to Penzler Publishers and Mysterious Press for approving my request. Not only did I get a great read, I now have a list of authors to explore.

Review crossposted to Goodreads, StoryGraph, and Tumblr.

This was a very even mix of short stories, no stand out in my opinion, but worth reading.

#TheMysteriousBookshopPresentstheBestMysteryStoriesoftheYear2025 #NetGalley

Having recently finished “The Best American Mystery and Suspense 2025”, I now turn to “The Mysterious Bookshop Presents the Best Mystery Stories of the Year 2025”, edited by John Grisham; series editor Otto Penzler. Similar concepts but competing versions, in fact there is one story that appears in both. The one benefit to having Mr. Grisham choosing the stories is that he seems to avoid choosing a theme or concept, with the exception of the fact that most of these stories feature Private Investigators.

“The Golden Road”: A man making his way west finds a girl in a broken-down town, but she has secrets as well.
“Home Game”: A home intruder leads a wife to discover some unpleasant facts about her husband. Lots of fun.
“Under the Blackjack Tree”: A young girl gets involved in things over her head with some bank robbers that her father the sheriff is after.
“Jamming at Jollies”: A woman out on parole has some tough decisions to make when her past comes back to call on her.
“Totality”: A cold case that’s driving apart PI partners gets a new perspective. A bit far fetched.
“The Art of Disappearance”: A man living out in the swamp makes his living by helping people disappear, how they vanish depends on his own moral code. Interesting.
“Eat My Moose”: Also read in a different collection, two people assist others in committing suicide in Alaska. Not really a mystery, just depressing.
“The Other Brother”: A tale of lust and smuggling in Ecuador.
“Same Old Song”: Two generations of conmen playing each other, like father like son.
“Only a Story”: A 14-year-old working late night at his uncle’s motel and reading pulp novels gets involved with a real-life outlaw.
“Dream Stuff”: An old school PI wannabe gets a stereotypical rich guy adultery case in a golden age homage.
“The Secret Menu”: A PI misreads an adultery case with fatal results. Predictable, but well done.
“Mister George”: A follow-up on a shot dog as a favor to his mother leads to something more serious.
“Her Dangerously Clever Hands”: A story set in Victorian London, Whitechapel, featuring an Irish Inspector and a female group of thieves.
“A New Weariness”: Sometimes the past catches up with you, even if you’re in witness protection.
“Snapshot”: A father’s death exposes a long buried secret.
“Effie’s Oasis”: Another story about some odd guests at a rundown motel.
“The Lost and the Lonely”: A PI in steamy New Orleans has to deal with a couple of mysteries.
“Run and Gun”: An ex-cop ends up helping the activist that got him fired. A bit longer than the others, but well worth it.
“Through Thick and Thin”: A wandering husband wants his wedding ring back from his one-night stand, but there seems to be more to the story.
Bonus story, “The Problem of Cell 13”: A classic from a long time ago, how to escape from a prison cell using only your mind.

As with any collection, some are better than others, some fit the theme more than others, there’s always a couple that make me smile. Another fine outing.

I requested and received a free advanced electronic copy from Penzler Publishers, Mysterious Press via NetGalley. Thank you!

This is a very good book of 20 mystery short stories and a bonus older story by Jacques Futrelle. Some of the stories are very scary and some have milder mysteries. The first story has a very surprising end. This is perfect for folks who love mysteries and for those who like to read for a short time at once. You don't have to wait a week to find the answer! You also get your money worth of over 500 pages!This is a very good book of 20 mystery short stories and a bonus older story by Jacques Futrelle. Some of the stories are very scary and some have milder mysteries. The first story has a very surprising end. This is perfect for folks who love mysteries and for those who like to read for a short time at once. You don't have to wait a week to find the answer! You also get your money worth of over 500 pages!

Beautifully written stories ranging over a wide variety of topics and styles. Most with very dark undertones. A great selection!

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC of The Mysterious Bookshop Presents the Best Mystery Stories of the Year 2025.

I love mysteries but these compilations are usually hit or miss. Most of the time the stories aren't mysterious or suspenseful.

Imagine my surprise when I realize nearly all these stories, minus the last one which was far-fetched and ridiculous, all met my criteria as a mystery or suspenseful tale.

A couple of them featured motels as a setting and there were some diverse characters and locations, which I appreciated.

Not one story stood out but I enjoyed reading them all, which is rare for compilations.

I started slowly reading this and it was GREAT! But for some reason it expired and I wasn't able to finish it. I thought I had until August 31 when it archived. I will continue reading it when it comes out. Thank you Net Galley for this sneak peak.

This short story anthology was primarily requested to read the Karen Odden short - Her Dangerously Clever Hands. The other stories were also enjoyable, and more of them than I was expecting. These kinds of Mystery stories are great quick reads that can be fit in when you want a good read but time is fleeting. They were all interesting in their own way, quite different in tone, and many of them quite clever.

A fun, fast-paced collection of mystery stories picked by John Grisham. There’s a great mix of styles—some dark, some clever, all entertaining. Perfect if you love a good twist and want quick reads that keep you hooked.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced copy for an honest review.

Thank you NetGalley for providing me with a review copy of these stories. I think this is a wonderful collection of stories and finished this book fairly quickly.

I think my favorite story from the bunch was "Home Game" by Craig Faustus Buck. I appreciate stories inspired by law enforcement ties and this story had a fun twist to it.

Overall, a solid collection of stories that can be enjoyed by fans of other genres not just us mystery fiends :).

This book is a wonderfully curated with a fantastic mix of short stories, each with its unique style and genre. I couldn't put it down! "Home Game" was a standout, but the whole collection is full of surprises. Some stories are mysteries, others have unexpected twists. You'll find everything from heartwarming tales to thrilling suspense – perfect for quick, engaging reads anytime. Highly recommended!