Reviews

The Best American Mystery and Suspense 2021 by Steph Cha, Alafair Burke

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kuhnoah's review against another edition

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mysterious fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? N/A
Loveable characters? N/A
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A

2.5

delidousias's review against another edition

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3.5

some of these stories were good and some were pretty bad. i think there was thinly veiled JAWS fanfiction in it. was a fun thing to read, though. broadened my mind.

cj_mo_2222's review against another edition

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3.0

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.

annarella's review against another edition

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4.0

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

hpuphd's review against another edition

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Has a great story (“Swaj”) that builds on Peter Benchley’s novel Jaws. The people who want to keep open the beach on the holiday weekend in spite of the shark attacks use arguments similar to anti-vaxxers. Also another great subtext to the story.