Reviewed By Liz

I almost never think to pick up mystery anthologies, but invariably like them when I do. These collections of short stories are a great way to try out different authors you may not be familiar with. Which is why we are featuring anthologies today, tomorrow, and Thursday.

Many of the early Sisters In Crime anthologies are out of print but are still easy to locate used and contain some real gems. It is always a delight to come across short stories you haven’t read by one of your favorite authors. Regional SINC anthologies are now being published and I suspect I haven’t found them all, so be sure to add yours to the list.

Edited by Sara Paretsky, SISTERS ON THE CASE celebrates the 20th anniversary of Sisters in Crime. It will be published in October, but can be pre-ordered now.
25 short stories by today’s best women mystery writers: Sara Paretsky, Sue Henry, Sue Dunlap, P.M. Carlson, Rochelle Krich, Linda Grant, Carolyn Hart, Libby Fischer Hellman, Nancy Pickard, Kate Grilley, Medora Sale, Barbara D’Amato, Claire Carmichael McNab, Charlotte MacLeod, Annette Meyers, Kate Flora, Eve K. Sandstrom, Patricia Sprinkle, Margaret Maron, Dorothy Salisbury Davis, and more!

LOW DOWN AND DERBY (Ohio River Valley Chapter Sisters in Crime)
The Silver Dagger Mystery writers are back in the saddle with this collection of fast paced mysteries set around the Kentucky Derby. Fifteen authors from all over the Ohio River Valley take a spin around the track and reveal that on race day, all is not what it seems—in the stalls or in the stands. Between the spirited stories are equally engaging fun facts about the history of the Derby and horse culture, including why horseshoes are symbols of luck. Fans of quirky mysteries as well as those who delight in the mad pounding of hoof beats will find their own sure bets in this gathering of tales from the track. Edited by Abigail Jones.

LANDMARKED FOR MURDER (Los Angeles Chapter Sisters in Crime)
There is far more to the city of Los Angeles than can be discovered through the ordinary guide books, much of it dark, dangerous, even deadly. To find those hidden, shadowy corners of the L.A. , wherein reside the less-than-angelic denizens of the City of Angels , you need LAndmarked for Murder, the new anthology by members of Sisters in Crime/ Los Angeles . LAndmarked for Murder is a fictional travelogue through some of L.A. most notable natural and manmade landmarks, each of which serves as the setting for ten tales of dark passions and murder. Featured authors: Gay Ann Degani, G. B. Pool, Darrell James, Dee Ann Palmer, Paul D. Marks, Kate Thornton, Jinx Beers, Pamela Samuels-Young, Arthur Coburn, and A. H. Ream. Edited by noted mystery authors Harley Jane Kozak, Michael Mallory and Nathan Walpow, conceived by author and television writer/producer Susan Kosar Beery, and boasting a foreword by bestselling mystery author Taylor Smith, LAndmarked for Murder is a must anyone who enjoys a stroll down L.A. mean streets.

MURDER ON SUNSET BOULEVARD (Los Angeles Chapter Sisters in Crime)
Edited by Rochelle Krich (Jessica Drake series), Michael Mallory (The Second Mrs. Watson series) and Lisa Seidman (professional TV writer), the book features 12 stories set along the famed thoroughfare from the gritty streets of downtown to the palatial homes of Malibu Beach.
Contributors: Dana Kouba, Gayle McGary, Richard Partlow, Dale Furutani, Joan Waites, Kate Thornton, Gay Toltl Kinman, Mae Woods, Linda O. Johnston, Paul D. Marks, Anne Riffenburgh, Gabriella Diamond

CHESAPEAKE CRIMES II (Chesapeake Chapter Sisters in Crime)
Edited by Donna Andrews and Maria Y. Lima
Chesapeake Crimes II is an eclectic powder keg of mystery and murder. No sooner do the stories start than the bodies begin to fall. Fifteen mysteries by fifteen different authors — all members of Chesapeake Sisters in Crime. The short story form are one of the most difficult to master. Join the masters and see if you can find a clue or two. Dive into Agatha Award winner Driven to Distraction by Marcia Talley. Many of these talented authors have won Anthony, Agatha, and Edgar awards! Goodie Cantwell, Nora Charles, Leone Ciporin, Carla Coupe, Elizabeth Foxwell, Chris Freeburn, Barb Goffman, Peggy Hanson, G. M. Malliet, Sherriel Mattingly, Valerie O. Patterson, Judy Pomeranz, Harriette I. Sackler, Marcia Talley, Sandi Wilson.

If you haven’t signed up for the Summer Mystery Reading Challenge yet, click here for directions. You are welcome to read along on your own, of course, but only registered participants are eligible for the prizes. No matter what your mystery preference - cozy, noir, hard-boiled, soft-boiled, thriller, suspense - we have it on revewiedbyliz this Summer.

If you would like to comment on a book by a featured author or ask them a question, please leave the comment on their daily page so they can find it easily. Comments about what you are reading, books you have finished, requests for readalikes or recommendations, or mystery related links can be made on the SMRC post for that day so we can all see them. Thanks!

Mystery Book Reviews by Liz at http://reviewedbyliz.com ©2007