Mystery Writers of America Presents T..., Mystery Writers of America
Mystery Writers of America Presents T..., Mystery Writers of America
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Synopsis

There's nothing more mysterious than a locked box. Whether it's a literal strongbox, an empty coffin, the inner workings of a scientist's mind, or an underground prison cell, there are those who will use any means necessary to unlock the secrets of The Mystery Box.With this anthology, bestselling author Brad Meltzer introduces twenty-one original stories from today's most prominent mystery writers. In Laura Lippman's "Waco 1982," a young reporter stuck with a seemingly mundane assignment on lost-and-found boxes unwittingly discovers a dark crime. In Joseph Finder's "Heirloom," a scheming neighbor frightens the new couple on the block with an unnerving tale of buried treasure. In R. L. Stine's "High Stakes," a man on his honeymoon gets drawn into a bizarre bet involving a coffin, a bet he may pay for with his life.From the foothills of Mount Fuji to Georgia's Okefenokee Swamp, from a physics laboratory in wartime Leipzig to an unusual fitness club in Boca Raton, these sometimes terrifying, sometimes funny, and always suspenseful tales will keep you riveted.

About Mystery Writers of America

Mystery Writers of America is the premier organization for mystery writers, professionals allied to the crime writing field, aspiring crime writers, and those who are devoted to the genre. MWA is dedicated to promoting higher regard for crime writing and recognition and respect for those who write within the genre. They provide scholarships for writers, sponsor symposia and conferences, present the Edgar Awards, and conduct other activities to further a better appreciation and higher regard for crime writing.

About Brad Meltzer

Brad Meltzer is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of numerous bestselling suspense thrillers. In addition to his fiction, he is one of the only authors to ever have books on the bestseller list for nonfiction, advice, children’s books, and even graphic books. He is also the host of Brad Meltzer’s Decoded on the History Channel, and Brad Meltzer’s Lost History on H2.

About Jan Burke

Jan Burke is the author of a dozen crime novels, including the popular Irene Kelly series, as well as a collection of short stories. She is the founder of the Crime Lab Project and is a member of the board of the California Forensic Science Institute. She lives in Southern California with her husband.

About Laura Lippman

Laura Lippman is a New York Times bestselling novelist who has won more than twenty awards for her fiction, including the Edgar Award—and been nominated for thirty more. Since her debut in 1997, she has published almost two dozen novels, a novella, a children’s book, and a collection of short stories. Her books have been translated into over twenty languages. Laura lives in Baltimore with her husband, David Simon, and their daughter.

About Libby Fischer Hellmann

Libby Fischer Hellmann is a critically acclaimed crime writer loved by readers the world over for her compulsively readable thrillers and strong female characters. Her fast-paced crime fiction spans fourteen novels and over twenty short stories. She has also edited a popular crime fiction anthology called Chicago Blues. Libby’s thrilling and richly varied crime novels have won numerous awards. Libby is exceptionally committed to her work, and in 2005-2006 she was the National President of Sisters in Crime, a 3,400+ member organization dedicated to strengthening the voice of female mystery writers.

About Joseph Finder

Joseph Finder is the author of numerous New York Times bestselling novels, including. His novel Killer Instinct won the International Thriller Writers’s Thriller Award for Best Novel of 2006. Other bestselling titles include Paranoia and High Crimes, both of which became major motion pictures. Born in Chicago, he studied Russian at Yale and Harvard. He was recruited by the CIA, but decided he preferred writing fiction. He is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations.

About James O. Born

James O. Born is a former US drug and state law enforcement agent. Each of his crime novels is based on some aspect of his career. Escape Clause won the inaugural Florida Book Award for Best Novel.

About S. W. Hubbard

S. W. Hubbard is the author of the Frank Bennett Adirondack Mystery series and the Palmyrton Estate Sale Mystery series. Her short stories have appeared in Alfred Hitchcock’s Mystery Magazine and the anthologies Crimes by Moonlight, The Mystery Box, and Adirondack Mysteries. She lives in Morristown, New Jersey, where she teaches creative writing to enthusiastic teens and adults, and expository writing to reluctant college freshmen.

About Tom Rob Smith

Tom Rob Smith graduated from Cambridge University in 2001 and lives in London. His first novel, Child 44, was a New York Times bestseller and an international success. Among its many honors, Child 44 won the CWA Ian Fleming Steel Dagger Award and was longlisted for the Man Booker Prize. He wrote the follow up to Child 44, The Secret Speech, in 2009, and the third installment in the series, Agent 6, was released in 2011. Smith lives in Central London.

About Steve Berry

Steve Berry is the New York Times and internationally bestselling author of nineteen Cotton Malone novels, five stand-alone thrillers, two Luke Daniels adventures, and several works of short fiction. He has over twenty-six million books in print, translated into forty-one languages. With his wife, Elizabeth, he is the founder of History Matters, an organization dedicated to historical preservation. He serves as an emeritus member of the Smithsonian Libraries Advisory Board and was a founding member of International Thriller Writers, formerly serving as its co-president.

About Angela Gerst

Angela Gerst worked as a journalist, press secretary, and political consultant before beginning to write mysteries. Her first, A Crack in Everything, was published in 2011 by Poisoned Pen Press. She and her husband live a few miles outside of Boston surrounded by turkeys, coyotes, and other wildlife.


Reviews

Goodreads review by Glen on October 25, 2017

An anthology with the theme that each story has to feature a mystery box of some kind. I wasn't too thrilled with any of the stories, to tell the truth. As a whole, they were very predictable. even though there were some fairly prominent authors involved. Maybe the editor should have been more invol......more

Goodreads review by Lbaker on August 07, 2013

Overall the authors used a box in a key part of the story, but some did not, which was annoying. The Amiable Miss Edith Montague by Jan Burke - liked, though was a little confused on why the victim would have allowed the protagonist to see the contents of the box - 4 stars. Waco 1982 by Laura Lippman......more

Goodreads review by Jim on February 04, 2019

This was an excellent collection of short stories, each featuring a box. It was interesting how many ways there were to work one in & yet still keep a fine story. While some were certainly more to my taste than others, overall they were excellent. Each & every one was very well narrated, too. A few......more