Publishers Weekly
★ 02/08/2021
A Tolstoy quote about a stranger coming to town is the spark for the 19 selections in this exceptional Mystery Writers of America anthology. Steve Hamilton’s “A Different Kind of Healing” imagines that one such stranger is Charlotte, a nurse who’s moved to New York, attracted by the incentives the Big Apple’s offered to deal with a nursing shortage. As the Covid-19 pandemic looms, she’s drawn to a rape victim who appears in the ER, because of a dark incident in Charlotte’s past, which leads her to seek the eponymous means of relief. Hamilton has rarely been better in the short-story format. Koryta also stands out with “P.F.A.,” an acronym for People from Away used by Janice Jardine, a mean-spirited busybody who lives in a small Maine town, to refer to non-natives. Jardine must deal with a newcomer from Florida who refuses to defer to her wishes. Jonathan Stone distinguishes himself in “Russkies,” in which secrets and guilt linger from more than a half-century in the past. Other contributors include S.A. Cosby, Alafair Burke, Michael Connelly, and Lori Roy. This is the best kind of anthology, consistently excellent and inventive. Agent: Alec Shane, Writers House. (Apr.)
From the Publisher
"This is the best kind of anthology, consistently excellent and inventive." -Publishers Weekly, starred review
This collection offers the best of both worlds: expert storycraft from genre stars (Unger, Michael Connelly, and Steve Hamilton, among them) and standout entries from some new faces in crime fiction." -Booklist
"This anthology... is packed with enough secrets, sinister plots and mystery to entice any lover of the genre." -AARP
"Even with [Mystery Writers of America’s] stellar reputation, WHEN A STRANGER COMES TO TOWN is special.... Each author provides a twist or two not only in the plot, but also in what constitutes a 'stranger.'" -Bookreporter
“When a Stranger Comes to Town will give you the very best of what crime fiction should deliver. Means, opportunity, and obsession—right?” -New York Journal of Books
“Mystery enthusiasts will be hard-pressed to find a story they don’t like.” – Library Journal, STARRED review
"A top-drawer, themed anthology... Excellent stories about strangers, fear, and usually, murder." -Mystery Scene Magazine
"You won't want to miss... any of the stories in this stellar anthology." -Reviewing the Evidence
Library Journal
★ 04/01/2021
This edition of the Mystery Writers of America short-story anthology is based on a classic mystery trope: "when a stranger comes to town." The 19 stories are by vastly different authors, some using suspense while others lean toward crime. Alafair Burke takes readers into the skies in "Seat 2C," where a halt in travel gives a wealthy young woman time to consider how well she really knows her fiancé. In editor Koryta's "P.F.A," a young couple moves into a well-to-do neighborhood and receives unwanted attention from the narcissist next door. "Exit Now," by Emilya Naymark, and "Relative Stranger," by Amanda Witt, are both takes on mistaken identity, one set in a corrupt carnival town and the other in a peaceful farmhouse. These stories expose the unease and anxiety an unknown entity can bring into our everyday lives. VERDICT The stories by well-known authors span a wide range under the umbrella of "mystery." Mystery enthusiasts will be hard-pressed to find a story they don't like. Recommended for readers interested in all facets of mystery, suspense, crime, or detective fiction.—Jennifer Funk, McKendree Univ. Lib., Lebanon, IL
