World's finest? Really? I always chuckle when I read an anthology with this sort of title. Why the world’s finest? Because theses editors thought so, that’s why.
I certainly can’t tell you they are the world’s finest because 1), who am I to judge, and 2), I don’t read a lot of crime fiction, but overall I enjoyed the selections. Crime fiction, as I have stated in a previous post, is hard on the psyche. Someone usually dies and that’s sad. Also, especially in noir crime fiction, the detective or policeman solving the crime isn’t much better than the perpetrator, which can be depressing. They don’t call it noir for nothing.
So it’s taken me awhile to finish. I did have some favorites. Just favorites. Not the world’s finest.
I liked Blood, Snow, And Classic Cars by J.Hansen. The story was well crafted, but the reason I enjoyed this one so much is because of the detective. I admired the detective because he neither glorified nor debased the human condition. The fictional town contained an assortment of genders, orientations, races, professions, etc. While folks around him were making the usual stereotypical judgments, the detective did not…but at the same time, didn’t think anyone was above the crime. At first, the detective seemed ho-hum, just doing my job, miss, sort of guy. But bit by bit I realized there was so much more to this man, and by the end of the tale I loved him.
I also enjoyed Star Thief by B. Dubois, one of the best psychological mysteries I’ve ever read. It could have been written in a chilling way, but instead this author chose to present the killer as pitiable and sad. This is the only story that made me cry. Masterful.
Finally, Beautiful, by J.Deaver, put the most fascinating spin on a stalker story ever. It is very sad, yet powerful. This one totally caught me by surprise at the end, and I love that.
This collection would be great on a snowy day in front of the fire, sipping brandy. Just make sure you’re at a happy point in your life.
:-)
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