For many years, Otto Penzler, owner of the Mysterious Bookshop in New York City, has commissioned authors to write Christmas stories for an annual anthology. Having built a loyal following of authors and bookshop customers, Penzler had the bright idea to merge the two by asking authors to write short "bibliomysteries"--stories where books or bookstores feature prominently. Many authors, including Jeffery Deaver, Loren D. Estleman, Nelson DeMille, Anne Perry, John Connolly, C.J. Box and Laura Lippman, were unable to resist, and the result is Bibliomysteries: Stories of Crime in the World of Books and Bookstores.
With such a variety of talent, a diverse assortment of delightful stories is the happy result. They range from the bizarre (a book collection funded by selling pronghorn antelopes to Nazis) to the unexpected (a Mexican drug cartel leader with an astounding assortment of rare first editions). In one charming story, Anna Karenina occasionally escapes a secret library where book characters live and reenacts her death on local train tracks. Bibliomysteries offers mysteries in myriad styles, including cozies, thrillers, noir and the supernatural.
With some set in the present, some set in the past and some set in magical places that any bibliophile would love to visit, these 15 stories are sure to hold the attention of mystery aficionados of all varieties. Bibliomysteries is a perfect collection for the bookish, the mysterious--or both. --Jessica Howard, bookseller at Bookmans