Otto Penzler is the founder of The Mysterious Press and the proprietor of The Mysterious Bookshop, the world’s oldest mystery fiction specialty bookshop. Each year, Penzler publishes a collection of the best short stories from the previous year, and a different author gets to select the tales and curate the finished product. For this edition, we are blessed with the man who has been responsible for more fictional killings than anyone alive: Anthony Horowitz.

"THE BEST MYSTERY STORIES OF THE YEAR: 2024 is a treat for all mystery fans. As outlined so perfectly by Anthony Horowitz, this genre not only matters, it is important and holds special meaning for each and every reader."

The best part of this volume is Horowitz’s introduction, which gives readers a terrific definition of a mystery story and explains why it’s such a popular and important part of contemporary fiction. He confesses that as he has grown older, he has been troubled by these questions: Why do I love crime fiction? Why does anyone? He answers with examples from writers like Agatha Christie and some of the outstanding television series with which he has been associated, like “Midsomer Murders.” He indicates that it is not necessarily the murders that attract here, but the characters. While there are many series that have been based on fictional sleuths, he points to Christie’s AND THEN THERE WERE NONE, which had only 10 complex characters and no detective anywhere.

Horowitz concludes by assessing that the genre offers “kindness, decency, justice, and truth in a world that increasingly seems to have none and at a time when it has never mattered more.”

Here are three stories that resonated with me the most, followed by a special treat.

“Stunts” by Ace Atkins: At age 71, former Hollywood stuntman Jason Colson (Quinn Colson’s father) is making an appearance at a bar to sign autographs and memorabilia while regaling the audience with tales of being Burt Reynolds’ primary stunt double. When two men appear, apparently seeking to do Jason harm, the spectators and establishment owners are not sure if what they are seeing is real or merely an act. This is very enjoyable and has a shout-out to Hal Needham at the conclusion.

“The Lady in My Life” by Jeffery Deaver: One of the world’s most popular authors gives us an excellent story with a title that may seem familiar. Jeffery Deaver talks about a challenge whereby a music album is selected at random and writers get to choose a song title from it on which to base a story. In this case, the title is a lesser known track from Michael Jackson’s Thriller album. Miguel Torres, a freelance gardener, picks up a new assignment at a home in Staten Island, NY, that can use some work. The woman there claims to be a very short-term renter who seduces him on his second visit. She and a work colleague later entice Miguel to use his truck to pick up and deliver some IT materials to a boat that is departing from the area. Nothing is what it appears to be, and the reveal of who “the lady in my life” is to Miguel is a welcome surprise.

“Dead Names” by Annie Reed: Maria Gonzalez had a reputation for helping out disadvantaged and troubled youths. She since has carved out a new and much simpler life living off the grid until the day a young man is standing outside her home with an old business card of hers in his hand. His name is Aaron, and he claims that if she does not help him, his wife will die. He uses her former “dead” name of Antonia, and now Maria must revive her past self to assist him. This is a taut and tense story.

“The Suicide of Kiaros” by L. Frank Baum: This surprise bonus story by the author of THE WIZARD OF OZ is from 1897 and appeared in the now-forgotten literary magazine The White Elephant. Mr. Kiaros is an elderly Greek money lender attempting to make a large deposit at a bank after hours. The bank clerk is working with Kiaros and shows up at the place where Kiaros is staying. He makes a request for a large loan knowing that Kiaros has the money on him. Things do not go well. It is refreshing to see a story that is over a century old still stand up today.

THE BEST MYSTERY STORIES OF THE YEAR: 2024 is a gift for all mystery fans. As outlined so perfectly by Anthony Horowitz, this genre not only matters, it is important and holds special meaning for each and every reader.