title: The Best American Mystery Stories 2001
author:  Lawrence Block 
description: Did you hear the story about the guy who shows up at his brother's house after a long absence with a van full of old wedding dresses? It's called "Family," was written by San Francisco-based Dan Leone, appeared originally in a magazine called "Literal Latte," and is one of the 20 unusually excellent tales of crime and mystery published in 2000 and collected by the hard-working series editor Otto Penzler and MWA Grand Master Lawrence Block for this fifth annual celebration of the form. Like one of those taster menus of small but wonderful items served at top restaurants, this is a rich and satisfying collation. Although every story is well worth reading, particularly dazzling are "Lobster Night," by Russell Banks, whose first line -"Stacy didn't mean to tell Noonan that when she was seventeen she was struck by lightning" deserves an award of its own; William Gay's "The Paperhanger," a Hitchcock movie waiting for the Master to return to make it; and "Her Hollywood" by Michael Hyde, which just about slides in under the wire of Block's dictum that "a crime or the threat of a crime is a central element" but is a chilling exercise in any genre. More traditional, but no less satisfying, are cop stories ("Erie's Last Day," by Steve Hockensmith, and "Under Suspicion," by Clark Howard); a private eye outing (Jeremiah Healy's "A Book of Kells"); and even an FBI effort (T. Jefferson Parker's "Easy Street"). A most impressive compilation especially given that, as Block notes in his introduction, two thirds of those selected were writers whose names were new to him. </P><P>Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.</P>
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  The Best American
  
  
  
  
  
  Mystery Stories 2001
  
  
  
  
  
  Edited and with an Introduction by
  
  
  
  
  
  Lawrence Block
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Otto Penzler, _Series Editor_
  
  
  
  
  
  HOUGHTON MIFFLIN COMPANY
  
  
  
  
  
  BOSTON • NEW YORK 2001
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  CONTENTS
  
  
  
  
  
  Foreword
  
  
  
  
  
  Introduction by Lawrence Block
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  JENNIFER ANDERSON
  
  
  
  
  
  Things That Make Your Heart Beat Faster
  
  
  
  
  
  RUSSELL BANKS
  
  
  
  
  
  Lobster Night
  
  
  
  
  
  MICHAEL DOWNS
  
  
  
  
  
  Prison Food
  
  
  
  
  
  LESLIE EDGERTON
  
  
  
  
  
  In the Zone
  
  
  
  
  
  WILLIAM GAY
  
  
  
  
  
  The Paperhanger
  
  
  
  
  
  JEREMIAH HEALY
  
  
  
  
  
  A Book of Kells
  
  
  
  
  
  STEVE HOCKENSMITH
  
  
  
  
  
  Erie’s Last Day
  
  
  
  
  
  CLARK HOWARD
  
  
  
  
  
  Under Suspicion
  
  
  
  
  
  MICHAEL HYDE
  
  
  
  
  
  Her Hollywood
  
  
  
  
  
  DAN LEONE
  
  
  
  
  
  Family
  
  
  
  
  
  THOMAS LYNCH
  
  
  
  
  
  Blood Sport
  
  
  
  
  
  DAVID MEANS
  
  
  
  
  
  Carnie
  
  
  
  
  
  KENT NELSON
  
  
  
  
  
  Tides
  
  
  
  
  
  JOYCE CAROL OATES
  
  
  
  
  
  The Girl with the Blackened Eye
  
  
  
  
  
  T. JEFFERSON PARKER
  
  
  
  
  
  Easy Street
  
  
  
  
  
  BILL PRONZINI
  
  
  
  
  
  The Big Bite
  
  
  
  
  
  PETER ROBINSON
  
  
  
  
  
  Missing in Action
  
  
  
  
  
  