The Best American Mystery Stories 2004

Brief Description: Since its inception in 1915, the Best American series has become the premier annual showcase for the country's finest short fiction and nonfiction. For each volume, a series editor reads pieces from hundreds of periodicals, then selects between fifty and a hundred outstanding works. That selection is pared down to twenty or so very best pieces by a guest editor who is widely recognized as a leading writer in his or her field. This unique system has helped make the Best American series the most respected -- and most popular -- of its kind. Assembled by best-selling suspense author Nelson DeMille, The Best American Mystery Stories 2004 contains a spectacular array of stories by mystery veterans and talented newcomers. Follow a chain reaction that saves a woman's life, visit a house haunted by a husband's violent killing spree, enter the high-stakes world of Las Vegas gambling, watch the line between reality and dream blur, travel with a bored salesman driven to crime, and much more. Encompassing all aspects of the genre, this year's selections are sure to quicken pulses, send chills down the spine, and keep readers continually guessing. Review Citations:

Booklist 09/15/2004 pg. 211 (EAN 9780618329670, Paperback)

Library Journal 06/01/2004 pg. 109 (EAN 9780618329670, Paperback)

Publishers Weekly 08/30/2004 pg. 35 (EAN 9780618329670, Paperback)

Booklist 09/15/2004 pg. 211 (EAN 9780618329687, Hardcover)

Library Journal 06/01/2004 (EAN 9780618329687, Hardcover)

Publishers Weekly 08/30/2004 pg. 35 (EAN 9780618329687, Hardcover)

Wilson Fiction Catalog 01/01/2010 pg. 707 (EAN 9780618329687, Hardcover)

Contributor Bio:  DeMille, Nelson Nelson Richard DeMille was born in New York City. He was a first lieutenant in the United States Army (1966 69) and saw action as an infantry platoon leader with the First Cavalry Division in Vietnam. His first major novel, By the Rivers of Babylon, is still in print, as are all his succeeding novels. DeMille attended Hofstra University, where he received a degree in Political Science and History. He is the author of By the Rivers of Babylon, Cathedral, The Talbot Odyssey, Word of Honor, The Charm School, The Gold Coast, The General s Daughter, Spencerville, Plum Island, The Lion s Game, Up Country, The Gate House, Night Fall, Wild Fire, and The Lion. He also coauthored Mayday with Thomas Block and has contributed short stories, book reviews, and articles to magazines and newspapers. A member of the Authors Guild, the Mystery Writers of America, and American Mensa, he holds honorary doctorates from Hofstra University, Long Island University, and Dowling College. He lives on Long Island. Contributor Bio:  Penzler, Otto Otto Penzler is the proprietor of the Mysterious Bookshop, the founder of the Mysterious Press, the creator of Otto Penzler Books, and the editor of many books and anthologies.